Meet a Book Blogger - Platypire Reviews (J. Hooligan)

Hey all you spiffy people! I'm J. Hooligan and I run the blog Platypire Reviews, which mostly consists of shenanigans and book reviews.

I started the blog a little over 4 years ago because I do what I want. Really though, I'm a bit eccentric for most blogs and I wanted to be free to express my "creative" silliness without having to do things like convincing someone to let me do book reviews in a platypus onesie. I also wanted to make a place for people to write book reviews however they wanna (legally) with no obligations or genre requirements.

As for me, I am an eclectic reader. I don't have a favorite genre, I read all sorts of books in whatever formats I can read them in. I just prefer them to be good.

Places you can find me:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/platypire
Blog: http://www.platypire.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/platypire
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/platypire

Thanks all your fabulous people for taking some time out of your day to get to know me a little bit more. You're wonderful and I appreciate your awesomeness.

~~~

What are y'all waiting for? Get to following!

Book Review - Shadows of Jane

Happy Tuesday! EEEEP! Today, I'm bringing you another book review :D I read through this one last weekend, and it kept my attention the whole time. I didn't want to put it down! So, grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

First, a little about the book up for review today:

Title: Shadows of Jane (The Shadows Trilogy - Book One)
Author: Amy Hale
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Length: 151 printed pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback

Blurb:
Colt Henderson is a man who lives for the moment. His past has taught him that life is unpredictable and often disappointing. A confirmed bachelor, he believes that love only exists in fairy tales.

She’s lost, scared, and can’t remember a thing about her past or her identity. She senses all is not as it should be, but without her memory, how does she know what to fear and what to trust? Because of her status as a Jane Doe, she names herself Jane and works to put her life back together. In the process she learns that she possesses unique abilities that certain people will kill for.

Fate throws Colt and Jane together, but they both have a lot to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Colt’s determination and Jane’s remarkable gifts will send them on a journey they never expected. To survive they will need each other, but sometimes facts are scarier than fiction, and the truth is better left unknown.

~~~~~

Now, let's get to the good stuff!

I picked this paperback up at an event where I got to meet the author, and I'm now kicking myself for not buying the whole series at once. I wanted the next one as soon as I finished the first (reader problems). Yeah, it was that good. What really gripped me about the story is the way Ms. Hale built her characters from the first page to the last. There was great development. But enough high-level, let's get into the details.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I loved the main characters, Jane and Colt. They were always at odds with one another, but you could tell they wanted to be together from the first time they met. Their reactions were typical for people going through what they were, and I was genuinely invested in the outcome because I liked them both so much. I wanted Colt to get over himself at the same time I wanted Jane to realize what she had in him. It was a nice juxtaposition of personalities. Story flowed well from beginning to end, and there was never a time I felt lost or jarred by the action happening. Details were spot on. Just enough to allow me to build the scenes in my own mind rather than being told that the curtains were just so or the couch had a small tear in the arm. I read this in one day.

Only one thing was a bit jarring: The sudden jolt from one POV to another. It was clear the author tried to scene/POV break, but then the prose would leap to the POV of another person in the room. That threw me out of the story a couple times, and it forced me to read back to make sure I didn't miss something.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Overall, the editing was good. There weren't a ton of errors, and nothing that took away from the story itself. I'm leaving the POV leaps to the reader part of the review, because I believe that's reading preference rather than a true editing error.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters I could root for
1 Star for not bogging me down with unnecessary description
1 Star for flow/pacing
1 Star for editing
-1 Star for the POV jumps

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars! A highly recommended read that will go quickly and keep you engaged.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Juggernaut

Happy Tuesday! I'm back with another book review for you all. Grab your coffee or tea, get warm, and let's get going!

First, a little about the book up for review today:

Title: Juggernaut
Author: K.S. Adkins
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance (18 and up)
Length: 371 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle  ~  Paperback

Blurb:

jug·ger·naut
ˈjəɡərˌnôt/
noun;
1. A literal or metaphorical force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable
2. Any terrible force, especially one that destroys or that demands complete self-sacrifice

In other words, me.
I truly was a dancing, singing, man-plowing, alcohol-guzzling, human wrecking ball of fun.
With a reputation for chaos so legendary, I made a career out of it.
Men came (pun intended), men went, but as long as I had my girls and Sunday brunches, I was solid.
I didn’t need a man to complete me. Hell no, I was in total control of my destiny.

But see, that’s where I went wrong.
I challenged the universe.
It accepted by sending a man who knew my weaknesses.
All it took was lemon drops, one kiss and a wish.
By granting it, I doomed us both.
No mortal man could handle my kind of destruction forever.
Even if he begged for it.
I was called Juggernaut for a reason.
In my case, be careful what you wish for was very, very, literal.

He really should have listened…

~~~~~~~~~

On to the good stuff!

I picked this paperback up at Great Lakes Book Bash in October of 2017. Why did I grab it? Well, I heard it was based on a true story. I love books based on true stories. I dove in right after I finished Weeds of Detroit, and I gobbled this book up just as quickly. Anyone who calls their circle of friends "The Sh*t" is someone I want to see into the mind of. It's awesome how books give you that ability. Anyway, let's get to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Oh, where to start? Maybe that I identified with one of the characters right off the bat? Our MC is named Taylor (aka The Juggernaut), and she's a firecracker. Outspoken, brash, and tougher than a box of finishing nails, this lady's antics will leave you with your jaw hanging. But that wasn't the best thing about her. No. She's also fiercely loyal. That was the trait that had me rooting for her through the whole book. Loyalty is everything to me, and Taylor has it in spades. I wanted her to get the guy, and I needed her to have a happily ever after. That's the tantamount of a great read, in my opinion, and "Juggernaut" knocked it out of the park.
As far as flow, the book did a great job of going from A to Z without meandering along the way. There were a few stories on the side in there, but I felt they were necessary to show Taylor's personality, the friend group dynamic, and how much she'd be willing to sacrifice for someone else.
There's not a lot of flowery stuff in this book. It gets right to the point (which I love), and world-building was done in a direct way. I could see the scenes in my head, but I didn't get bogged down in details.
Pacing was right on the mark. It starts a little slow, with just enough to hook you, and then it takes you on a wild ride to the end. There was never a time I wanted it to speed up or slow down.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were several typos and grammatical errors, but the story was so dang good, I was able to ignore them after a while. If you're a stickler for this kind of thing, you'll need to turn that off. I can only give half a star for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters that made me laugh, get angry, and fist punch the air
1 Star for flow
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing
.5 Stars for editing
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars, but I round up, so this goes to five. Highly recommended if you love a great best friend read with a romance that'll make you sigh.

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Weeds of Detroit

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm bringing you a BOOK REVIEW! :O I don't think I wrote a single review in 2017, and that's just criminal. This year, I'm doing at least two a month. Some will be books I read last year, and some will be books I read this year. Who knows? But you're getting those reviews! Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

On the chopping block today is:

Title: Weeds of Detroit
Author: Misty Paquette/Misty Provencher
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 392 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle ~ Paperback

Blurb:
A NOVEL, BASED ON TRUE EVENTS.

I turned seventeen less than two months ago.

A week ago, I ran away from home, in the country outskirts of suburbia.
Now, I’m living at a hotel in downtown Detroit.

At home, you could walk to the corner store when it was dark outside and hear frogs croaking in the ditches on either side of the dirt road.
At the hotel, you don’t go out at night. All you hear is squealing tires and curses shouted from broken windows.
At home, we didn’t lock our front doors at night.
There are three locks on my hotel room door. One in the knob, a chain, and a dead bolt. I’m not sure it’s enough to keep everyone out.
At home, I’d be starting my Senior year in high school.
Here, I’m learning what it takes to survive.

I hope I make it to eighteen.

~~~

Now for the review!
I'm a long time Provencher fan. Since I read The Fly House, I've been watching for another I thought I might enjoy. I grabbed Weeds from Misty at an author conference (Great Lakes Book Bash) a few months ago. I was so excited to read it, I started the day after I got home. I'd heard great things about the book, and I might have wanted a peek inside her life and head. *grin* It's always interesting to find out what events shaped a person into who they've become. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I was lost in the world of vagrants and thugs as this seventeen-year-old girl tried to find her footing as a free-range chick. Anyway, enough about how I got hold of the book; let's get to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Oh, man. I connected with the MC, Lael, on a whole other level. I could feel her pain, fear, and shattered heart acutely as she reacted to things that happened around/to her, and I knew her frustration as she ranted at her mother in the beginning of the book. As teens, we always think we have it figured out, right? Anyway, as Lael faced the new and frightening situations in her story, I was actually scared for her. Misty did a great job of pulling me into the story and putting me in Lael's shoes. Even the secondary characters came to life on the page.

Pacing of the story was spot on, and there was never a time I felt like it dragged at all. It was smooth from start to finish. I loved the descriptions of the places the characters were in. There was just enough so I could see it in my head, but it didn't bog me down in details. Plot was smooth, also, and the story worked from beginning to end. It was cohesive.

You know you've gotten hold of a great book when you tear up as you're reading, and this book did that to me. I felt angry, sad, and fearful. It was just perfect.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I didn't find a crapton of errors. That's rare these days, so woooooooo!!! Of course, like I said above, I'm a long time Provencher fan, and this is one of the reasons.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters I loved and had feelings about
1 Star for an awesome plot
1 Star for just enough description to keep me engaged
1 Star for pacing that was bang on
1 Star for editing
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended read!

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Girl in 6E

Happy Monday, everyone! Today, I'm giving you all a book review over on A Daily Cup of Jo! This time, it's for A. R. Torre's The Girl in 6E. My whole shebang about the characters and what I didn't like is available over on my radio show here.

Here's a little about the book up for review today:

Title: The Girl in 6E (Deanna Madden #1)
Author: A. R. Torre
Genre: Psychological Erotic Thriller
Length: 336 printed pages
Buy Link: Amazon Hardcover $4.99

Blurb:
I haven't touched a human in three years. That seems like it would be a difficult task, but it's not. Not anymore, thanks to the internet.
 
I am, quite possibly, the most popular recluse ever. Not many shut-ins have a 200-member fan club, a bank account in the seven-figure range, and hundreds of men lining up to pay for undivided attention.

They get satisfaction, I get a distraction. Their secret desires are nothing compared to why I hide... my lust for blood, my love of death.

Taking their money is easy. Keeping all these secrets... one is bound to escape.

 

What if you hid yourself away because all you could think of was killing? And what if one girl's life depending on you venturing into society?

 

Enter a world of lies, thrills, fears, and all desires, in this original thriller from A. R. Torre.

****Will not appear in review elsewhere. OMG at this cover! Hello! It totally speaks to the novel inside, and once you read it, you'll probably agree it's freaking perfect. So freaking perfect. I love the bright red, too. Perfect for murder.****

I grabbed this book at Utopia con in Nashville a couple weeks ago after having a little chat with the author over our favorite genres. She recommended The Girl in 6E, so I snapped it up and made her sign it. But that's how I came about owning a copy. Let's get to what I thought.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I was so in awe of the characters and how well they were developed. Torre did a fantastic job communicating the truly twisted nature of the main character, Deanna, that I was rooting for her at the same time I despised her. It takes some serious talent to make a reader both love and hate a character that way. There were a couple of other characters I liked, too, but those I discuss on my podcast review so I'm not going to repeat them here. Pacing was bang on. I think a book like this needs a quick pace to keep the tension amplified, and this one was beautifully done. Plot was twisted and perfect. Couldn't have happened any other way. World building... Well, there wasn't a ton because of the limited world of the MC, but what was done was described well without needling me to DEATH with unnecessary details. Loved it.

From an Editor's Perspective:
It was amazing. Seriously well done.

Rating:
1 Star for an excellent plot that kept me engaged
1 Star for pacing
1 Star for leaving some things to my imagination
1 Star for making me love and hate Deanna at the same time
1 Star for editing

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Thrilling to the last page. Recommended if you enjoy a good thriller where you're not sure what the MC will do next.

Other books in the Deanna Madden series are linked on the episode's page over on BTR.

Have you read it? Do you plan to? Did you enjoy the show?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review on the Air - Chasing Eternity - Plus, Publishing World Talk

Happy Thursday! Today, we're over on my radio show at 7AM EST. Here's a brief rundown:

LINK TO SHOW

Your host, Jo Michaels, of the Jo Michaels blog, dives into the number skewing happening in the book world by the big publishing houses, and she warns you why you shouldn't believe everything you read.

Prefacing all serious discussion is a book review of the fourth and final novel in the Award-Winning, YA, Tala Prophecy series by Tia Silverthorne Bach.

In the series are:
Chasing Memories (book one) FREE ON AMAZON
Chasing Shadows (book two)
Chasing Destiny (book three)
Chasing Eternity (book four)
Chasing Forgiveness (the companion novella)

I mention my reviews for the previous books during the show. You can find them on my here via the following links:

Chasing Memories
Chasing Shadows
Chasing Forgiveness

Did you listen? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Gifted

Happy Friday, everyone! Let me tell you what. Oh, yeah. This has been a very busy week for me. Four book reviews and several IBGW projects happening. Do I need to tell you I'm a wee bit tired? So, please forgive me if this post has errors. hahaha! Ready for the details on this awesome book by Liz C. Long? Grab a cup of Joe and let's get going.

Information about the book:

Title: Gifted (Donovan Circus #1)
Author: Liz C. Long
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Suspense
Length (print): 398 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Paperback $12.30

Blurb:
Even in a world of freaks, being a Firestarter is considered a dangerous Gift. Lucy was born with the ability to create and control fire. She longs to leave the human world for one filled with Earthshakers, Transporters, and Chameleons, to name a few. When she rejoins the circus, it’s everything she hoped it could be—new friends, a potential love interest or two, and a place where she can be herself. When troupe members begin turning up dead, however, Lucy is suspected of foul play. She must not only prove her innocence but also realize the full extent of her power. To find the real murderer, she must uncover the truth behind her father’s fiery legacy while figuring out whom to trust within her new circle. Little does she know the history of the Donovan Circus and its enemies might actually destroy the entire gifted world.

~~~

I grabbed a paperback copy of Gifted on Amazon after watching copies fly off a table at a book signing conference. There was this innate need inside me to find out what secrets were hidden on the pages. Full disclosure: I'm a total geek over X-Men. Total. Geek. I used to play the video game at the arcade (Storm was my favorite character to play as), I own all the movies, and I love supernatural ability stories--I'm also a huge Heroes fan. Why did I bother telling you all that? Because if you love those kinds of things, you're going to adore this book. Now, let's move on to the review so I can regale you with all the awesome.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I both loved and hated the main character, Lucy. She was spunky, smart, a bit weak at first, and someone I'd love to hang out with in real life. A couple of her tendencies irritated me at the beginning of the book, but once I realized where her actions were stemming from, they were a little more acceptable. Best of all, despite her being gifted, I could identify with her on a human level. Huge points to the author for that.

Pacing was awesome, and I was able to finish this read in two sittings. Yeah, I was left wanting more, but not because there was a cliffhanger. It all stemmed from the awesome on the pages. Totally geeked out.

Long's descriptions are rich and vivid, but they don't go on and on about each detail. She allows you to paint the scene in your mind by giving you nuggets to build on. My favorite kind of writing is when I don't have to skip pages to avoid getting bogged down. Needless to say, world-building was amazing.

But let's talk about the plot! Up until the villain revealed themselves, I had no clue who it was. What fun I had trying to figure it out, though.

My favorite character was certainly Lucy, but I also loved Brooklyn (she's so passive-aggressive awesome), Delia, and Bianca. I won't ruin the awesome by sharing what they can all do, but it's super cool. Their dialogue felt so natural, too.

Oh, and the action! Yes, there's plenty of that. You get to see all the abilities at work constantly. I loved it.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were no plot holes, and the flow and pacing were amazing, but the commas were kind of everywhere they shouldn't be and not where they should. So, I'll give half a star for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for creating a complex main character with layers I had to peel back
1 Star for description and world-building
1 Star for keeping the answer to the mystery elusive
1 Star for all the action
.5 Star for editing
-.5 Star for fairy-like commas that flitted hither and yon

Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars. Everyone who's ever read one of my reviews knows I round up, not down, so this book gets a five click. Recommended for those who love books about paranormal abilities.

What do you think? Will you read it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Happy Thursday, everyone! I'm back with yet another book review. This time, it's for a series I can't get enough of: The Lunar Chronicles by the lovely Marissa Meyer. I've reviewed book one, Cinder, and book two, Scarlet, here on the blog already, and I invite you to check them out. Today, we're all about Cress.

This review will go in the Time for Books 2016 review pool. There are over ninety reviews there already, so if you're looking for your next great read... Well, here's the link: Time for Books 2016 Review Team. Check it out for yourself. Those ladies kick butt.

Ready? Let's get to it!

Starting with information about the book.

Title: Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA Fairy tale Adaptations - Sci-Fi
Length (print): 560 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Hardcover $11.22

Blurb:
In this third book in Marissa Meyer's bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she's just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she'd ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

~~~

Where do I start? I, of course, grabbed this book once I finished Scarlet. Wild horses couldn't have kept me from it. I was so intrigued by the first two books in this series, I just had to have the third one (especially when I found out Cress was a hacker). There was no disappointment to be had by this reader. Anyway, now that you know where I got it, let's get to why I loved it!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Cress was likeable from the first moment she was introduced. Because of the circumstances she grew up in, I expected her to be overly naive, cowardly, and awkward. Well, I nailed two of those aspects, but this young lady blew me away with her tenacity. While she had plenty of inner fear, she charged into every situation, ready to do her part to help. I loved seeing the world through eyes that had never seen it before. Growing up on Earth, most people rarely pause to consider the stunning beauty of this planet. I never even realized how much I took the simple things (like mountains and trees) for granted. An eye opener for sure.

My favorite characters were back, and I got some new ones to contemplate. Captain Thorne is starting to show his softer side, as he looks at himself with new, innocent eyes. Scarlet is still the pilot everyone wishes they were, and Iko is her snarky, loyal, lovable self.

Cinder, however, is the one who moves forward most from the previous books. She's starting to find the power inside herself, and she's coming to some realizations that may just lead her band of misfits to the battle of their lives and the overthrow of the Lunars.

World-building and pacing were spot on, and I read this behemoth in just a few sittings. Captivating!

I can't wait to read Winter.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Nothing to write home about. No hiccups in the plot, no grammar flubs, and no syntax slip-ups.

Rating:
+1 Star for making me adore Cress
+1 Star for pacing
+1 Star for showing me the growth in Cinder
+1 Star for opening my eyes to the wonders I've seen every day but didn't recognize
+1 Star for editing

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars! Highly recommended for those that love action, adventure, and a good dose of all things fairy tale.

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Dark Bishop

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm gonna regale you all with another book review today! I know how freaking excited you must be. You guys. This book! Okay, I'm not gonna ramble today. Let's just get on with it, shall we?

As always, let's start with information about the book up for review!

Title: Dark Bishop
Authors: Rachael Brownell and Casey L. Bond
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length (print): 246 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Blurb:
A dangerous game has begun.

Sydney. Her skin felt as soft as it looked. I shouldn’t have touched her, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been to New Orleans dozens upon dozens of times. It’s a unique city, filled with tourists and superstition. And until tonight, I’d never been superstitious.

An old fortuneteller freak stopped me on the way to the diner and said I would make a decision that would change my path. She didn’t know that I’d walked the path to this very restaurant before. It had been a few years.

Who knew that the decision to return would be blessed with a beauty—five foot six with curves in all the right mouth-watering places. Clothed in cheap polyester, stained with God only knew what, Sydney was a vision. Blonde hair to her waist. Big brown doe eyes. I could almost taste her.

In his game, everyone’s a pawn…

I didn’t miss the rumble of her stomach when I asked her to dine with us. She was hungry. Something that flashed in those eyes told me it wasn’t because she just skipped lunch today. Maybe I could meet some of her needs. Forget that. I could definitely meet her needs, but it was up to her to let me. So, I left her my business card, my number.

Girls like Sydney, they’re afraid. They never make the first move. Most never even make the second. I doubt she’d call. I’d tipped her well, not because she was the best waitress I’d ever had, not even because she was within my sites. I tipped her so that when I came back to the diner, she would remember me. She would want to serve me.

And, oh, would she ever serve me. I just have to play my cards right.

…and he’s never lost a game.

Dark Bishop is unsuitable for those under the age of eighteen due to adult language and situations.

****

I picked up this book because I heard it was a dark thriller, and I was in the mood for a dark thriller. Never did I expect what I found on the pages. I've read Casey L. Bond's work several times, but this was my first foray into Rachael Brownell. I wasn't disappointed. Far from it. But I bet you want to know why, huh? Okay, let's talk about why I loved Dark Bishop.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I knew what to expect from this book: dark, twisted, and a total player in the MC. What took me by surprise was the colorful, yet fast paced, writing. You could clearly see the peeling linoleum in Syd's apartment, feel the superiority in Jake's mind, and smell the scents described on the page. But those things were just the perks in a delightfully diabolical scheme being played out by dear Jake Bishop.

Ladies, this isn't the bad boy you love to hate. Oh, no. He's the one you run from, the one that turns your fantasies into living nightmares. Truly cringe-worthy, I give Jake Bishop the highest evil ranking you can conceive.

Then, there's Sydney. Oh, how many times I wanted to smack that girl! But she got played by a master of the game. I could sympathize with her easily, and wanted more of what she was thinking and feeling in that last chapter.

There was no other way this book could've ended. It was a stunning collision of perfect meets chaos. This is a wild ride you won't soon forget.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Very well done. I didn't find but one or two comma errors in the whole thing. Kudos must be given!

Rating:
1 Star for making me cringe often
1 Star for descriptions that brought the story alive
1 Star for giving me an awesome bad guy I could actually hate
1 Star for making Syd's actions and persona believable and making me care about her
1 Star for editing

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended if you love dark thrillers.

What do you think? Plan to check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Adventures of Sir Edric - Volume One

Happy Tuesday! It's time for a rash of book reviews! How excited are you? Today, I have a review for the second part of a book I loved, Sir Edric's Temple. It's had a part added and been re-released as The Adventures of Sir Edric: Volume One. Fingers crossed you love this review.

This week, I'll also be reviewing Dark Bishop by authors Rachael Brownell and Casey L. Bond, Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer, and Gifted by Liz C. Long. Ready? Let's get going!

As always, we'll start with a little about the book up for slaughter uhhhh review. *grin*

Title: The Adventures of Sir Edric: Volume One (Includes Sir Edric's Temple and Sir Edric's Treasure)
Author: Thaddeus White
Genre: Satire Fantasy
Length (print): 261 pages
Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Blurb:
Sir Edric's Temple

When Sir Edric Greenlock, the Hero of Hornska, is summoned to attend the King in the dead of night he fears imminent execution. Committing adultery is frowned upon in King Lawrence's domains, especially when it's with Lawrence's wife. The King, however, has something else in mind. Priceless royal treasures have been stolen, and the King dispatches Sir Edric to retrieve them in a mission that could optimistically be described as suicidal.

Accompanied by his pathologically loyal manservant Dog, the prudish elf Lysandra, and a man called Colin, he must travel to the Unholy Temple to retrieve the royal treasures from a mysterious thief.

Sir Edric’s Treasure

It isn't always nice to be wanted, as Sir Edric discovers when an enormous bounty on his head attracts bounty hunters to him like dung attracts flies. To escape near certain capture, he embarks on a daring quest to pay off his bounty by winning the inheritance of the dying, and obscenely wealthy, Archibald Thrift.

Accompanied by his trusty manservant Dog, Raella the librarian and Belinda, a ten foot nun, he must find the Eye of Wisdom to win Archie's wealth. But he'll need all his cunning to best his rivals for Archie's legacy, and the bounty hunters won't give up their prey easily...

~~~

Here's where I'm gonna get a little wonky. Because I read and reviewed Sir Edric's Temple previously, I won't talk about that one here. You can find my review on my blog here. This review will be only about Sir Edric's Treasure. Moving on!

Since I loved the first story in this collection, someone told me I should check out part two. I can't even tell you how excited I was to find out there WAS a part two. Well, I ran off to Amazon, bought it, and devoured it in one sitting. Yes, you can read each story in just a few hours. Let's get to the good stuff though, shall we?

From a Reader's Perspective:
Again, I was whisked into Sir Edric's world with a guffaw and a hearty dose of snark. I do love this knight's snark oh so much. It's not what he thinks so much as it is what he says in direct contradiction. You see his inner-monologue often, and it's a clever way for the author to show you this is, indeed, a rapscallion you're dealing with. Edric is a complete and utter cur. What tickles me most is how he lies to himself as well as everyone around him. There's a vein of a true hero there, but one cannot find it unless one looks beyond the words to the actions. Yes, he plunders maidens and tombs. How can you have a despicable hero without all the plundering? There's this one section about vegetables... All I can say is, you have to read it for yourself so you may laugh as heartily as I did. Ah, I'll never look at asparagus quite the same way again.

Dog was, once again, an amazing cohort. He always arrives in the nick of time and plunges a sword into anyone threatening his master. It's beautiful and perfect, as most satire lends itself to be.

I enjoyed the twist in the second section, too, and I was left with my palm on my forehead in an "of course" moment.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I found verrrry few errors, and they were all punctuation (dropped commas and the like). Nothing that chucked me out of the story, and nothing that would trouble anyone reading.

Rating:
+1 Star for making me laugh (I do love to laugh)
+1 Star for showing me what kind of guy Sir Edric is (really)
+1 Star for the amazing adventure over crazy terrain and through treacherous towns
+1 Star for that awesome twist
+1 Star for editing

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. I loved it. Highly recommended for those who dearly love to laugh.

Have you read it? Will you? What did you think (if you did)?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Emancipation Earns TWO Five Star Reader's Favorite Awards

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I'm completely bragging on myself. Not often that I do this, but this book has been such an amazing experience, I have to. Ready? Here we go!

If you've been following the blog for the last week, you'll know I released a psychological thriller last Tuesday. Well, I submitted it to Reader's Favorite for a review. What I ended up with has blown my mind!

If you'd like to see these reviews in their entirety, go here.

FIVE STARS

Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite

After two well-deserved years on death row for the inexcusable murder of a family of four, Tobias Butler only scoffed at the Pen Pal mails that adorned his prison cell. The anger dripping from the ink of multiple avengers of the death penalty was quite amusing. And the holier-than-thou sentiments had become boring. Then a letter arrived that created an entirely new mind set for Tobias. Jessica Phang sounded like the real deal. Beautiful, intelligent, wealthy, and obviously...

FIVE STARS

 

Reviewed by Lorena Sanqui for Readers' Favorite

Tobias Butler had already served some of his sentence while sitting on death row when a novice lawyer, Jessica Phang, contacted him through his profile on a pen pal website, offering him a chance at freedom. It seems too good to be true, but the temptation of getting out has him starting a mail correspondence with the young lawyer. Soon, the two are meeting and going over the case to have Tobias proven innocent and freed. Tobias killed a family of four, landing him on death row, and he knows he did it - so how will Jessica prove Tobias’ innocence in Emancipation by Jo Michaels? Emancipation by Jo Michaels is a thrilling read with a unique and stimulating plot. It was twisted and...

FOUR STARS

Reviewed by Deborah Lloyd for Readers' Favorite

Emancipation: Pen Pals and Serial Killers – Story One by Jo Michaels is an exhilarating, suspense-filled thriller. Tobias (Toby) Butler is a convicted killer, trying to stay alive in a prison with its own hierarchy of guards, thugs and gangs. Toby has a new pen pal - a young, beautiful and determined attorney, Jessica Phang. Jessica studied his case during law school...

If you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for? Here are the details:

Emancipation
Paperback
Hardcover
Kindle

Blurb:
Tobias Butler has been sitting on death row since being sentenced for a gruesome murder in 2007. Bored out of his mind, he decided to apply to the online pen pal program in 2012. It's a pleasant distraction—nothing more, nothing less—for three years, until he's contacted by a beautiful, smart young lawyer named Jess. She's convinced he's innocent and wants to see him freed. As they organize their attack on the judicial system, he wonders how she plans to get his conviction overturned—because he's guilty, and he knows it. Jess is desperate to release him—and he's desperate to feel his hands squeeze the life out of her once she does.

AGES 18+ ONLY due to strong language, violence, and sexual situations.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to do some more of my happy dance now!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Fantastic I, Zombie Review and a 99 Cent Sale!

Happy Wednesday! Oh my goodness! I'm cheesing so hard this morning over this review I just read. I have to share it, and I have to tell you all about my 48 hour flash sale!

Here's part of the review from Ethan Gregory over at One Guy's Guide to Good Reads:

"While I have read collaborative works from Michaels in the past, I, Zombie marks my first full-length read from her. I've heard incredible words of praise from her fans, so I was more than pumped to check out this read from Jo. As many of my readers will well-remember, zombies are one of my least favorite genres. I've read two series that to this day remain two of my all-time favorites (Nazarea Andrews' The World Without End and Rachel Aukes Deadland Saga), but I have been hard pressed to find any other novels in this specific genre that have held my attention as they have.

I am proud to say that through a truly original and unique plot and an elegant writing style that left me hanging onto every word, Jo Michaels has definitely earned her spot on my list of favorites in the zombie genre.

I, Zombie was everything I wanted, and more!

I'm not going to lie to you guys, this was a super quick read for me and I can't say too terribly much about the plot without giving away massive spoilers. Like other zombie-poc novels, this one follows the story of the supposed end of days, but this time, with a twist. It's told from the point of view of the infected through their decline and fight with the virus that cripples their lives and civilization. Truly imaginative storytelling..."

If you want to read the rest, go here.

Now, for information about the book!

TRAILER! Eep!



I, Zombie - Young Adult - Horror

Paperback
Hardcover
Kindle

Recommended for ages 13+ due to a mild amount of gore.

Blurb:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all.

Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

~~~~

What are you waiting for? If you ever wanted to read this novel, it's on SALE right now for just $0.99!!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Asleep

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a different kind of book review for you all. It'll still be my reader and editor's perspective, but since this is a young adult book, my daughter, from the book blog Isa Marie Reviews, is also going to give her two cents. Our review will be added to the 2016 Review Team pool of reviews. Be sure you bounce over there and check out some of the lovely reviews written by those awesome women.

If you think you'd like to keep up with Isa Marie's future reviews, subscribe to her blog here.  She'll be reviewing Middle Grade and Young Adult novels over there. Time to get rollin'!

As always, a few details about the book before we get to the good stuff.

Title: Asleep
Author: Krystal Wade
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Length (print): 340 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $3.99

Blurb:
"To cure fear, you must use fear."

Rose Briar claims no responsibility for the act that led to her imprisonment in an asylum. She wants to escape, until terrifying nightmares make her question her sanity and reach out to her doctor. He’s understanding and caring in ways her parents never have been, but as her walls tumble down and Rose admits fault, a fellow patient warns her to stop the medications. Phillip believes the doctor is evil and they’ll never make it out of the facility alive. Trusting him might be just the thing to save her. Or it might prove the asylum is exactly where she needs to be.

Gotta love that cover, huh?

Okay, let's get to the review!

I picked up Asleep after attending a release party thrown by the author. There it sat, on my Kindle list, waiting to be read. Well, I have a rather impressive TBR, and I wasn't planning to dive in just yet. However, my daughter picked up the book on her device (she has access to my library), and she begged me to read it so we could talk about it. She was loving it. So, I did as I was told (good Mommy), and here we are to give you all the details about our thoughts. To start off, I'm gonna tell you: my daughter is ten. Now that you know where I got Asleep, and why I read it, let's move on to the juicy parts of this review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Jo: Rose Briar and I could possibly be friends if she existed in the world, but I'm not sure I would like her attitude at the beginning of this story. She seemed very much the "world is out to get me" kind of teen, and those chicks make me nutso. But, she had some excellent development throughout the story, and she emerged on the other side a better person despite all the crap she went through in order to grow. I have to say, Nurse Judy was probably my favorite character, though I didn't feel a true emotional connection to anyone I was reading about.

Truth is, I didn't even feel sorry for Rose and what she was experiencing. It may be my closed off side, but it's hard to connect with someone whose thoughts I can't follow. Make sense? I mean, the girl is half crazy, so nothing she's seeing or thinking makes sense. Ha! Anyway, she was a well painted character, I just wish there were more for me as a reader to identify with (or maybe I don't... Still on the fence with that one). Pacing was perfect. I never felt bored while reading. World building was spot on, and I could picture the institute in my head well. There were also a number of twists and things I was wondering about until the end. I'm pretty good, but some of those surprises were like: WOW. I'm now going to hand the reins over to the kidling.

Warning: There are a couple of F bombs in the book. If you're a parent who's really strict about that, prolly not the best read.

IM: I was bored and decided to go on Kindle to see if any new books were any interest to me. Searching through my section, I found that my mom put a few new books on there and found this one: Asleep, by Krystal Wade. I found the cover intriguing and downloaded it immediately to soon find out that Rose was the kind of girl that thought the world was out to get her. (Isa no likey) So eventually after making it through the first chapter of it I felt as if I couldn't put it down and read through the first sixteen chapters in one sitting. Ms. Wade, the pacing was perfect, and I never felt bored or that the book was going too fast. There were jumps, twists, and turns throughout the entire book. It made me question if Phillip was real or an figment of her imagination, and I just was itching to find out. Once I had finished it, good Lord I thought I would explode of all the other endings this book could have had. But, I highly suggest that you read this book, and I hope you're gonna be itching out of your skin to read it, too. :-D

From an Editor's Perspective:
I didn't find a ton of errors, but there was just one that kept popping up that had me pausing: Dr. Underwood closed her chart. Her is referring to Rose, but the sentence reads awkwardly. I caught it twice. Now, the kidling is the one that noticed it first, so if she's pointing it out, it has to be a little confusing. Other than that, nothing to write home about.

Rating:
1 Star for keeping me on my dang toes throughout
1 Star for pacing
1 Star for world building (that's one hell of an old building)
1 Star for making the character's head such a confusing place that I was never sure if I really wanted to be there or not
1 Star for grammar, plot, pacing, and consistency
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended for those that enjoy a gripping thriller with lots of twists and turns.

Whatchall think? Gonna check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Ride the Wind

Happy Monday! Yeah, I've been a busy reader this year already, and I'm almost done with Cress, book three of the Lunar Chronicles, so that review will be coming this week, too. But that's another story (see what I did there?). Today, we're talking about Starla! My daughter got three of Starla Huchton's books for Christmas: Shadows on Snow, Stillness of the Sky, and Ride the Wind. Needless to say, I stole one and read it (because I love Starla's books). Once I'd read Lex Talionis, her new adult book, I was hooked. Now that you know what a die-hard fan I am, let's get going!

About the book up for review today:

Title: Ride the Wind: A Flipped Fairy Tale
Author: Starla Huchton
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Length (print): 226 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Blurb:
Once upon a time, I made a promise to a stranger. Though I'd never seen her face, I cared for her above all others.

Once upon a time, I broke my vow. In trying to save the one I loved, I condemned her to a cursed life and stripped her of all freedom in a single, misguided step.

Once upon a time, I set out on a journey. Though it might never earn me forgiveness, I would set her free or die trying.

I bought a set of the entire Flipped Fairy Tale collection in paperback from Starla Huchton for my ten-year-old daughter's Christmas gift. Of course, being a fan of Shadows on Snow, I knew I'd likely sneak and read all the stories behind her trusting little back. I managed to make it through one of two before she caught me, and you all have a review as a prize for my dastardly ways. Now that you know where I got the book, let's dive into the review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I'm a fairy tale nut. From The Princess and the Pea to Hans and the Little Iron Man, I've read hundreds. Huchton's retellings always leave me with that same sense of child-like awe the originals did. I dive in, getting lost in the carefully crafted stories, hoping against hope the guy ends up with the girl. Well, this novel didn't disappoint me. Ride the Wind is such an intricate story of faithfulness, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, shaking the main character, Lukas, when I can see the detrimental mistake he's about to make. I was talking to the book in my hands as though he could hear me. Then, he goes and does it anyway. No, I can't tell you what "it" is, but I can tell you from that moment on, he fights with everything in himself to make it right. A perfectly flawed hero. I loved it. Why? Because he felt so real to me. Huchton never leaves you bored, and her pacing was spot on. World building was perfect. I could see it all, but she didn't go on and on with bog-you-down description.

One of the things I enjoyed most was finding characters from Shadows on Snow making their appearance. I didn't put it together right away, and was pleasantly surprised when I unraveled the clues. Brilliantly done.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Nothing noteworthy. I didn't stumble, shake my head, or get annoyed with errors. Gorgeous editing.

Rating:
1 Star for twisting yet another fairy tale so beautifully and keeping me engaged
1 Star for world building without overwhelming me
1 Star for pacing
1 Star for intertwining the books together so seamlessly
1 Star for editing
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Solid. Highly, highly recommended for anyone looking for an excellent escape, a great read, or a new twist on an old tale.

Have you guys read it? What did you think?

Be SURE and come back tomorrow, because I have a book being featured you won't want to miss.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Untamed

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, I did a boo boo. I actually read Ride the Wind by Starla Huchton this year, too. I'll be writing that review Monday. How fun is this week? Anywho, today I have the novella from the Splintered series by A. G. Howard, Untamed. I wrote reviews for both the second and third books in the series, but not the first (I don't know why). You can find Unhinged here and Ensnared here, if you wish to check them out.

Let's get to it, shall we?

As with every time, we'll start with the details!

Title: Untamed (Splintered Companion Novella)
Author: A. G. Howard
Genre: Young Adult Dark Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
Length (print): 288 pages
Buy Links: Hardcover $10.41

Blurb:
Alyssa Gardner went down the rabbit hole and took control of her destiny. She survived the battle for Wonderland and the battle for her heart. In this collection of three novellas, join Alyssa and her family as they look back at their memories of Wonderland. In Six Impossible Things, Alyssa recalls the most precious moments of her life after Ensnared, and the role magic plays in preserving the happiness of those she loves. Alyssa’s mother reminisces about her own time in Wonderland and giving up the crown to rescue the man who would become her husband in The Boy in the Web. And Morpheus delves into Jeb’s memories of the events of Splintered in The Moth in the Mirror, available in print for the first time.


You guys. When I saw there was another book in this series I almost lost my mind. Not only are the covers some of the most beautiful I've seen, but the stories inside continue to take me on wild rides. I grabbed this puppy on Amazon and gobbled it up in just a couple of days. Since I'm positive you don't give two shakes about where I got it or why, I'm moving on to the meat of my review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Wow. I loved seeing how Alyssa is managing both worlds in this story. Watching everything unfold, and learning some of the backstory, was an escape like no other. How beautiful the love was between Alyssa and Jeb, and what a gentleman Morpheus turned out to be! I found myself lost in the beautiful, chaotic Wonderland that Howard built (but didn't go overboard on), and when I had to put the book down to adult, I was torn asunder. Alyssa continued to grow as a character in this novella. I could see myself being friends with her in the real world. What blew me away the most were the stories from Alyssa's mother. I always wondered how, when, and why everything came to be, and this book answered all my questions. There was never a dull moment, the action moving from one thing to the next constantly. So glad I read this one. Splintered fans will be dancing in the streets.

From an Editor's Perspective:
While there was a typesetting boo boo near the back of the book, there were no grammatical errors or anything like that. Wonderfully done.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me all that backstory I was craving
1 Star for showing how Alyssa grew since Ensnared ended
1 Star for glorious world building without bogging me down in details
1 Star for excellent pacing
1 Star for stellar editing
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend reading this book (whole series) if you're a fan of dark fantasy. Loved. It.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Have You Seen This Girl?

Well, it's Thursday and time for yet another book review. As always, this one will go into the 2016 Time for Books Review Team's pool of reviews. If you haven't checked those out, you simply must. There are already over thirty reviews on the list, and they're piling up fast! Check them out here.

Anyway, today I have a book I read on accident. Yep, that's right. I didn't mean to read this book. Can I just say how glad I am that I picked it up and started it? It's captivating, touchy, and dark on so many levels. Before I go off on a tangent, let me give you information about the title.

Title: Have You Seen This Girl? (Flocksdale Files #1)
Author: Carissa Ann Lynch
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Thriller
Length (print): 224 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle FREE

Blurb:
Wendi Wise is a troubled young woman who snorts her breakfast through a straw and spends more time in rehab than in the real world…

Her life is seemingly out of control.

But now she has a plan.

That plan involves a sharp set of butcher knives.

She's going back to where all of her troubles began…

Flocksdale.

Wendi was lured away from a local skating rink, at the age of thirteen, and held captive in a place she calls 'The House of Horrors.' Dumped off blindfolded on the side of a dirt road, Wendi soon discovered that she was addicted to the drugs they fed her while she was captive.

Too scared to go home, and having a new habit to deal with, she hopped on a bus, vanishing from the family she loved.

Vanishing from Flocksdale…

The town of Flocksdale is littered with fliers with a grainy image of young Wendi, and the words 'Have You Seen This Girl?' written below.

Now, eight years later, she's on a mission—a mission to find the mysterious house from her youth and the monsters who dwell inside it.

“This is the end, beautiful friend, the end…”

Now, ON to my review!

I picked up this book on Amazon via the recommendation of a friend of mine, and I only intended to read part of it and put it down. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages. Lynch has such an easy writing style, I got caught up in wanting to know what happened to the main character by page one. Yes, that's right, page one. There are sorrowful tales, and there are tales of weak women who let life beat them down as they cry out, "Poor me!" This is not that book. It tackles a touchy, scary subject, and it does it well. Before I get lost, let me give you the juicy part of my review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Intrigue, kick ass women, and a story that will keep me on the edge of my seat are some of my favorite go-to books of all time. I despise anyone who sits down and "takes it" without a fight. Dear Wendi Wise was not that girl. She has the crap kicked out of her, is scared to death, and endures an experience that would leave most people crying in their cornflakes, but she drags herself up, cleans herself off, and taps into her inner snark to find some justice. I loved her. As damaged as she is, I absolutely love Wendi Wise. Not for her damaged parts, oh no, but for the person inside she held on to through it all. Win! Pacing was beautiful, and I never found myself bored while reading. Flocksdale was well painted in my mind, but the author didn't over-describe the setting. It was just enough. I like being able to use my imagination, and Lynch let me do that over and over again.

There were times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room, but that just means I was being moved on a deep level. How deeply the corruption ran blew me away, and I never saw the twist in the end coming. It hit me like a runaway train splintering a car, and my mind exploded with the revelation.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Whoever worked on this book: Well done! I wasn't moved to mark much. One thing that bugged me was a weird inconsistency I found, and the other was something not many people would catch. 1) In chapter fifty-three, our heroine does not clean the blood off her person before leaving the house with our hero, but she talks about having the blood all over her later on. 2) In chapter sixty-one, our hero uses the zoom feature on his camera--which is supposed to be a Polariod. That was it. Not even sure most readers would've picked up on it, but I'm a stickler for the details.

Rating:
1 Star for addressing a touchy subject without fear
1 Star for pacing like a lady boss
1 Star for that twist I never saw coming
1 Star for making Wendi a tough, snarky, kick ass woman
.5 Star for editing
-.5 Star for the flubs in the storyline
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars! You'll see five clicked in my review because I round up, not down. Recommended for those who love a great thriller with invisible twists.

What do you think? Plan to pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Scarlet

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I have another book review for you all. As you know, I've been reading the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Amazing young lady. Love this series so far, and I'm only two books in. I can't wait to see what's coming in Cress. I own it, now I just gotta read it! My tangible books get read alongside my digital ones, and I usually read more than one at a time (as evidenced by the long list I'm now writing reviews for). Anyway! Enough of my goings on and on.

How about we get to the fun stuff, eh? Starting, as always, with details about the book on the chopping block for today:

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA Fairy tale Adaptations - Sci-Fi
Length (print): 512 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback $5.72

Blurb:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Now for the review!

Okay, so I read Cinder and loved the new twist on an old tale (what can I say, I'm a sucker for anything having to do with a fairy tale). I couldn't wait to dive into Scarlet. I ran out to BAM and bought it. Really wanted the hardcover, but they didn't have any in stock, so the paperback is what I ended up with. Someone, somewhere, told me these were going to be a movie (hell yeah!), and I truly hope that's the case. I'm in literary love with these characters and the stories going on. Anyway, now that you know where and why I picked up Scarlet, let's get on to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
I was completely entranced by the twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood. Scarlet is my kind of chick. She grew up on a farm, can work on cars, and believes in the people she loves even when the whole world is telling her otherwise. Win. I loved Cinder in this story, too. She's becoming one of my favorite literary characters of all time. These young ladies are tough, emotional, and willing to do whatever they have to in order to set things right in the world. Interconnection between the storylines is what really intrigues me. I love finding little bits and pieces of how one character's tale impacts another. It's almost as though Meyer sat down with a huge drawing board and sketched out how many different ways she could throw the reader for a loop. Fascinating. World building is well done, and seeing Earth so far in the future is mesmerizing. I could picture everything happening with perfect clarity. Pacing was a little slow at times, but never dragged on for more than a chapter.

From an Editor's Perspective:
This being a trad published book, I expected fewer run-on sentences, comma splices, and dialogue/action tag mix-ups than my usual reads (Indie). I was shocked at the number of oopsies I found. However, there were no storyline snags. See below for rating impact.

Rating:
1 Star for bringing a whole new level of awesome to RRH
1 Star for connecting Scarlet and Cinder so well
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing and imagination run amok
.5 Star for no plotline holes
-.5 Star for grammatical errors
Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars. I round up, not down, so you'll see 5 stars on my review. Recommended if you're a fan of fairy tale twists!

Have you read the series? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Bed Wife Chronicles

Happy Tuesday! Today, I have a review for you all from my 12 Days RR event back in December. Before I get to the review, I'll recap all the winners thus far and remove the ones I did reviews for last year. Ready? Let's get going! As a surprise, the author also wanted to do a giveaway for my readers/followers. It'll be at the bottom of the post.

This review will go into the 2016 Time 4 Books Review Team pool as well.

Suzanna Lynn - The Bed Wife Chronicles - Collector's Edition - REVIEW BELOW

Sahara Foley - The Secret of Excalibur 2.99

Morgan Reeves - Free to Fly (Never Ever After Book 1) 2.99

Mary J. Williams - If I Loved You (Harper Falls Book 1) 0.99

Andi O'Connor - Awakening (The Dragonath Chronicles Book 2) 5.99

Heidi Angell - Elements of a Broken Mind (The Clear Angel Chronicles Book 1) 4.99
Sylvia Stein - Chasing Clarity 2.99

Marissa Campbell - Avelynn: A Novel 9.99

Danielle Mathieson Pederson - Lasera: Book One of the Mer Archives $4.99

Martina Mcatee - Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things 2.99

A.B. Funkhauser - Heuer Lost And Found 3.99

Christina Benjamin - The Geneva Project - Truth FREE

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
 Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

Now, about the book I'm gonna review:

Title: The Bed Wife Chronicles - Collector's Edition
Author: Suzanna Lynn
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Length (print): 396 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $4.99 (as of the date of this review)

Blurb:
PLEASE NOTE: This story contains mature themes and sexual situations. It is intended for adult readers.

The Bed Wife Chronicles: Love brought them together. Would tradition tear them apart?

Once inseparable childhood friends, Luana and Baylin are now grown and living in two separate worlds. Luana, the daughter of the town drunk, cares for her family’s goat farm to make ends meet. Baylin, Prince and future King of Grasmere, is off combating the evils that lurk in the Kingdom.

However, Fate intercedes with a time-honored tradition that has been custom for the past five hundred years. Luana’s life is now forced into the hands of her long-lost childhood friend.

In the midst of it all, Baylin is forced to choose between his love for Luana and his fealty to his father and the Kingdom – knowing that his decision could potentially set the Keld Kingdoms against each other during a savage war.

All the couple wishes for is to be safe and happy together. However, constant struggles make it seem as though contentment is impossible. Trials and tribulations strain the delicate core of their relationship.

Will Luana and Baylin be able to overcome the demands of the Kingdom and find happiness? Or will resentment, hurt and duty consume them?

Now, on to my review. Please keep in mind this is a whole trilogy, so the review will be constructed a bit differently.

I grabbed this book during my 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog at the end of last year. Authors pitch their books, I grab samples, and I choose a handful of them to review over the next twelve months. Well, The Bed Wife Chronicles got me from the sample, and I ran right over to Amazon and bought it. I usually don't buy a whole trilogy at once, but since the omnibus is what was pitched, that's what I ended up snagging. Since I'm reviewing three books at once, I'm going to do this a bit differently. Stay with me. Let's get into the meat of the review, shall we?

From a Reader's Perspective:
The Bed Wife - Part one grabbed me with the flowing writing style and setup of the story from the start. I loved Luana. She was painted as a gentle soul who cares about labels, right from wrong, and the people around her, but she was also tough as nails (and I adore strong women). World building was done exceptionally well, and I found myself in the setting of the Keld kingdoms. There was never a boring moment. It was either Luana getting attacked, or Baylin running to her side every second. I have to admit, there were a few times I wanted to smack some of the characters because of their behavior, but that just tells me I got hold of a great read. Only thing that bugged me in part one was the repetitive nature of some of the dialogue. But it was easy to file away and forget about.

The Heir - Part two starts off about three months after part one comes to a close. I liked the second part because it really gets the action going. Grasmere goes to war with a neighboring kingdom, and Luana starts to get an inkling of what it's like to be with a king. Oh, there were characters that were absolutely despicable in this part, and as tough as Luana is, I was surprised she didn't do more. Flashbacks take a more central roll in this part, and you see more about how Baylin and Luana got to know one another when they were children. Oh yeah, there are twists and turns that will keep you wondering what the heck and dying to find out. By the end of this part, I saw the reveal in the third part coming. World-building continues, but there's not a lot of action outside the palace. I fell in friend love with Meg. I'd want her on my side in a tough time. Several of the situations being "resolved" were a bit too convenient for my taste, but I'm a fan of strife, so it may not bother many folks.

The Queen - Part three picks up right where two left off. There was no time gap there. This is the part where all the questions raised in the previous two are answered. I have to admit, there was one big reveal that I didn't see coming. No way was I given any inkling in the previous two books to tell me that was going on. People I despised got what was coming to them (how else would a romance novel end?), and people I liked were justly rewarded. Oh, and Ferric! Be still my beating heart. I may like him more than I do Prince Baylin. Ferric was one of those characters that pops up and refuses to be ignored. He was the true hero, in my opinion. I mean, by this point, you'd think Baylin had learned to stick to his values and ideas. Nope. But dear Ferric is there to handle things (thank goodness). I enjoyed the conclusion, and the HEA, even though I was secretly hoping otherwise. I did tire of hearing, for the billionth time, how Luana's hair was silvery, but again, description is something I'm not a fan of where others are.

From an Editor's Perspective:
The Bed Wife - Not a lot of grammar issues in this part. I think I only found six glaring errors, and none of them were storyline.
The Heir - This part is where it starts to go a little downhill. Storyline glitch around chapter four. One of the characters is supposed to be gone, but he suddenly reappears and is having a conversation with no inkling of when he returned. And the author seems to have a bit of trouble with shone and shown.
The Queen - Several errors, repetition runs amok, and another storyline oops in chapter seven concerning how one of the characters (who is already supposed to be on their way) is requested to travel. Is it something a typical reader would notice? Probably not, but it deserves a mention.

Rating:
The Bed Wife
1 Star for giving me a main character I could root for and not making her a simpering, whining little snot
1 Star for excellent world building
1 Star for setup of the situation and giving me hints of what's coming
1 Star for excellent pacing
1 Star for editing
The Heir
1 Star for giving me new characters I loved to hate
1 Star for action and deepening the plot well
1 Star for discovery tactics
.5 Star for writing Meg with such tenacity
- .5 Star for missing strife and an obstacle overcome a bit too easily
- 1 Star for editing
The Queen
1 Star for Ferric (really, enough said)
1 Star for a most excellent battle scene
1 Star for that one twist that surprised and excited me
.5 Star for tying up all loose ends
- .5 Star for not giving the Prince that backbone I so wished he'd gain
- 1 Star for editing
Calculation of overall rating: 5+3.5+3.5=12/3=4
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended to those who enjoy a good fantasy romance with excellent world building.

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Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo