Would you rather have to love a prince or woud you rather have

Blurb:

HE'S TRYING TO RECLAIM THE PAST

To keep the balance between god and evil at the court of Annwyn. Prince Felan ap Gwyn has two weeks to marry and take the crown.  But he wants more than just power - he wants love; a love he once had but was too stubborn to hold on to.

SHE'S STRUGGLING TO FACE THE FUTURE

It took years for Jaqueline Ara to put her Life back together Felan abandoned her.  She's moved on, even is her heart still burns for him.  But with ear in Annwyn looming and death bleeding into the mortal world, Felan and Jacquie will need to heal old wounds and rekindle the passion that once welled between them ... or face losing everything. 

Review:

Starting this novel I did not realise that this was book 3 of a series and so I had no knowledge of that had gone on before.  I feel that I was not really missing much and from reading the blurb about the previous books it looks as though the main character of this novel only featured slightly previously.  As I have not read the previous novels I can only base my review on this book as a stand-alone.

This novel was character based; so much so that this reader would have loved to have had more time and attention paid to the details of the Court of Annwyn.  I would also have loved to learn more about how the castle was built and how their actions there were affecting the weather (perhaps these things were covered in the previous novels in the series).

As in a character based novel they are well developed with their pasts and futures colliding.  Felan a playboy at Fairy court has to take to the throne and many feel that he does not have what it takes.  He is strongly opposed and need to find a wife and produce an heir to ascend the throne and therein lays the rub!

Felan’s previous love (Jackie) has had to face many things in her sort life and regaining her ‘normal’ mental health is just one in a long line of things she has had to perform.  Suddenly her worst nightmares resurface and she had to make a choice.  Fae or normality?  What would you choose?  All the while the clock is ticking for Felan; and the weather in Fae is worsening.

I did find it rather difficult to accept how easily Jackie re-accepted Felan into her life after she struggled so hard to regain her sanity; and her own path.

The flow of the book was equally not very organic.  It was fairly stop start and I am not sure if this is used as a device to reflect the two different worlds.  Likewise the build up to the final battle between Felan and his major obstacle fell flat!  The build-up was such that one expected a great all-out war but this never materialised.  Indeed, the ending felt a bit rushed and a more detailed epilogue would have been nice

Perhaps the fact that I did not read the previous novels first affected my enjoyment of this novel.  It was always at the back of my mind that I was missing something that I could not quite put my finger on!

My final thoughts therefore are that although these books can be read as singular novels it is obviously one’s enjoyment would be greatly enhanced if they were read in order.  I may well go back and read the earlier novels.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (3 stars).

A very sanitised version of

Blurb:
Former mean girl Dixie Davis is back in town and it's payback time.  Literally.  Dixie is flat broke and her est-mate that only-friend, Landon, is throwing her a lifeline from the Great Beyond.  Dixie stands to inherit his business ... if she meets a few conditions:
She's got to live in Landon's mansion.
Wither her gorgeous ex-fiance, Caine Donovan.
Who could also inherit the business.
Which is a phone sex empire.
Wait, what?
Landon's will lays it out:  whoever gets the most new clients becomes the owner of Call Girls.  Dixie has always been in it to win it, especially when it comes to Caine, who's made it clear he's nt going down easy. (Oh mercy.) Can Dixie really talk dirty and prove she's cleaned up her act?  Game on

Review:

I have not read this author before but would welcome the opportunity to read the remaining books in this series.  But I must confess that the title is slightly misleading.

I am grateful for the author stating that this was an ‘homage’ to the TV series ‘Hart of Dixie’ but with a twist.  The TV show’s influence is clearly evident in this novel.  Lou is definitely Lemon, and Dixie is definitely Dr Hart.  Although I am not sure who Caine is; unless he is the bar tender!

I live in a small village in North Africa and understand how difficult it could be to try to change people’s perceptions of oneself; even years later as one’s previous actions become set in stone.  The old adage that it takes a lifetime to gain a good reputation but only a minute to ruin it is never truer.

The main protagonist has his fingers in all the pies even from his grave as it was he who set the competition in his will.  From the forward story we learn that Caine is as lovely (as he is meant to be) so why on earth did she ever leave him?  If he was as lovely as he was meant to be and as much in love with Dixie as portrayed why did he fall at the first hurdle?  It just showed his lack of character. 

Initially I was not particularly drawn to Dixie, which is obviously the author’s intention.  Yet the antics between the fantastic duo left me laughing out loud and yet there wass still a certain amount of pain evident in Dixie’s actions.  It is lovely to see how the heroine grows throughout the course of the book yet (and I don’t want to give the game away) …  For this reader the BIG reveal was not so BIG as she worked it out at the initial telephone call.

Although this is a love story between Caine and Dixie (I will not spoil the outcome for future readers) it is also a story of how Dixie deals with historic assumptions about her.  And how she tries to chance these; and she tried really hard to do so for the future (however, the deep south of America has long (and I mean long) memories).

The one character I did love was Sanjeev who seemed to know exactly was going on at every moment and even dropped the odd ambiguous hint to the key characters when they were too far off track.  I loved his ‘isms’ as he was not a native English speaker and these were often golden highlights.

Even though most of the characters have inexplicable flaws to their character (see the history of Dixie and Caine), I would love to find out how this series develops.  The author’s style of writing is very readable and does not tax one’s grey matter.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I really liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (4 stars).

There is talking dirty and then there is

Blurb:

CEO Callum Malone has it all: power, Italian suits, a house on one of Sydney's stunning beaches and a new life without a woman in it.  Just the way he likes it, ever since his nasty divorce.

Landscaper Ava Gibson is in no position to turn town a job, even if it is for her despised ex-brother-in-law.  But when resentment gives way to underlying attraction, Ava is finally forced to confront her truth ....; she's falling for him.

Will Ava be able to keep her growing desire in check?  Because te irresistible Cal doesn't want her to ...

Review:

I was interested in this novel from the cover and the description of the novel.  It is not your normal romance story.  Yes, you have an alpha type male but you also have a woman who is not dependant on men.  Yes, she has had a secret crush on the CEO for years but has never voiced that until now.  The reason for that is because … you will have to read the novel.  Yet as with all romantic fiction that is, as ever there was, a HEA.

The characters are well written with a fantastic back story.  Each is rather independent.  Ava is a landscape artist and Callum a billionaire CEO (as they all are in such novels).  Initially her intense hated of the CEO is rather annoying.  Although one can understand that she does not want to have an effect on her sister’s happiness.

The way the two main characters change their stances towards the other is interesting and eventually they form a mutual ‘likeship’.  In fact, as is often the case in real life the female grows more than the male and overcomes her initial reservations and realises her HEA.

The majority of the secondary characters were likeable except for Ava’s sister.  There was enough of a hook to keep the reader interested in these relationships to not only read this but any possible future novels in the series

Interestingly this one is set in Australia, just to make a change from the US based romantic novels.  This is the second book in the series, with the first one presumably dealing with the older brother.  I would imagine there will be a further book dealing with the younger brother!  I would be interested in reading this, if it were ever to become available on Netgalley.

A lovely romance ideal for the short getaway when one needs something to read that is as happy as their holiday setting.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rates this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'It was OK' on Amazon (3 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).

We all wear masks whether or not we are part of the

Blurb:

Everyone is hiding something.  But someone is hiding everything.

Lizzy Ward never meant to end up working the streets of Piccadilly.  So when a mysterious noble pursues her, it seems her luck is changing.  But though Lord Hays offers to grow Lizzy's fortunes, his price is unexpected.  She must masquerade in the sumptuous gowns and social mask of a true lady.

With the stakes so high, love is out of the question.  But as Lizzy navigates the fashion and faux-pas of the London elite, she finds her tough façade failing her.  Lord Hays wants to show her that nobility is more than skin deep ... and as the connection between them grows, it's no longer certain who's wearing the mask.

From a stunning new voice in Historical fiction, this is a love story of surpassing power and imagination.

Review:

While I love an historical romance as much as the next person this did not feel like that.  But this felt like a real rip off.  Apparently the author based it on her favourite movie and instead of weaving a rather interesting story maybe using characters with the names from said movie this story had been lifted from the 1990s and moved to the late 1800s.

Not only has she lifted the plot but also a couple of the names of the characters.  Where characters have been replaced, as necessary for the change of era, they are still clearly identifiable.  However, I did love the ending and would like to see what the future held for this couple.  Now that would be a lovely novel to read as her favourite film did not have a sequel and therefore she would be all alone in devising the plot line.

My plea is that if you are going to write fan fiction then please add a bit more oomph to your story than literally copying sad favourite film but change the setting.  We readers are a bit more intelligent that writers credit if for.

Close but not cigar.  I am afraid it was a big mistake ‘Big! Huge!’ to quote the film.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 2 stars on Netgalley and 'It was OK' on Goodreads (2 stars) and Amazon (3 stars).

Her past comes back and she becomes

Blurb:

Reeve LeClaire is not a victim.  Not any more.

It's been seven years since she escaped from evil psychopath, Daryl Wayne Flint.  he held her captive for four of her precious teenage years, and now she's finally getting her life back.

But Flint, imprisoned in a top psychiatric hospital, has been watching and waiting - meticulously planning his getaway.  And now his chance has finally come.

His escape is Reeve's worst nightmare.  As he persistently evades capture, baffling authorities and leaving a bloody trail through the forests of Washington State, Reeve is hit by a fearful realization:  She will have to face her kidnapper one last time.

His perfect crime.  His little cricket

Review:

When I realised this was book 2 in the series I did stop and start at the first book.  As we are mostly aware, the first book in a series is setting out the characters and the settings.  But that is not the case with these books.  In deed this book can be read as a stand-alone.

In contrast to the first book, this one deals with an evolution of Reeve’s story some many years after her initial abduction and just as she is coming to terms with her life.  She had an ongoing interest with psychotherapy and at her psychiatrist’s suggestion is now in college studying the subject officially.  Don’t get me wrong she is still flawed and had a hard time trusting people … but she is getting there.  The reason Reeve makes such a good advocate for kidnapped people are that she is not only attuned to their horror but also that of the abductor. 

Reeve, as well as the other characters, is believable and well crafted.  There are elements of Reeve’s character that make the reader want to root for her.  However, going forward having such black and white characters could be limiting; the author needs to investigate the grey areas that we all have.

The story of the abductor is faultlessly interwoven with that of Reeve.  This book started at a really good pace and did not let up until the end.  Not only does this book refer back to Reeve’s kidnapping but it also provides a forward story (both are inter related).   Suspense is an integral part of this story and hardly lets up until the final page.  And the cliff hanger keeps you rooting for Reeve and invested enough to read the forthcoming books. 

If you love psychological thrillers this novel will get you hooked from the first page.  There are enough twists and turns to keep you interested until the last page and badgering the author to release the next book sooner rather than later.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this ? stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Goodreads (3 stars) and Amazon (4 stars).

Does anyone know what they really want?

Blurb:

Your date with ski champ Jett Casey is an either/or deal.  He'll take you off-pieste for the ultimate Montana ski adventure or he'll put his handyman skills at your disposal for a week.  Which one would you choose?

Singe mom Mardie Griffin has a run-down old house in need of fixing and a memory of Jett Casey as her savior in a time of great need.  So when her friends acquire Jett's services at a bachelor auction and send him to fix up her house, she sets aside her mistrust of men and lets him in.

Elite athlete Jett Casey has the world at his feet and no desire for stability.  But there's one woman he's never forgotten and if he can help make her safe this time, maybe she'll stop haunting him.

No strings, no sex, no commitment.  Just fix things.  Surely it can't be that difficult ...

Review:

Mantra to self:  I must stop requesting for books that are part way through a series.  I must stop requesting books that are part way through a series!

This book is my first read by this author and unfortunately it may well be my last.  As with such books like this it was very formulaic.  There was a broken woman to proud to ask for help, great wealthy friends wanting to help aforementioned female, an alpha male and a charity auction, insta-love and a HEA ending.  Enough said.

The alpha male is called Jett, a skier who has had an injury.  He is attractive (as they always are) capable and dependable as well as strong and drawn to Mardie who is a single mother recovering from a disastrous relationship (as most women in these types books are).  So she is rather reluctant to begin another relationship. 

Although there is the ubiquitous insta-attraction the discovery is deliciously slow.  And there is obviously a precious history between these two main characters.  In short this novel deals with an honest joining of minds.  There is no game playing or posturing (such things become irrelevant when there is a child in the mix!).

There are thrills a plenty but for this reader they were far from electrifying!  For this reader it was a let-down in more ways than one.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

 rated this 1 star on Netgalley and 'I did not like it' on Goodreads (1 star) and Amazon (1 star).

I often think that I live on

Blurb:

Reeve LeClaire was abducted when she was twelve years old and help i captivity for four years. Now in her twenties, she has a fragile stability.  With the help of her psychiatrist, she had started to build a life of independence.  But she will never shake off the terror and memory of the monster she believes is behind bars.

When Tilly Cavanaugh is rescued from a basement having suffered a similar experience, her parents call Reeve and ask her to help their daughter rediscover a 'normal life'.  But when two more girls go missing, the police confirm that there is a serial abductor at large.

Reeve knows that she alone has the knowledge which will help to find the perpetrator - but can she overcome her demons to discover the truth?

Review:

I loved mystery thriller novels even before the advent of the rather lacklustre Gone Girl.  (Why that book got loads of attention was rather beyond this reader’s comprehension). 

Rather than focusing on the victim, as many novels of this genre does, this novel is different in that is deals which what happens to victims after then have been rescued from their ordeal and how they handle life afterwards with their ongoing issues.

This novel is told from two differing points of view – that of the killer and that of Reeve who, because of her experiences, has been called in to help another hostage victim (because of her unique experience).  Not only does she help but she also becomes embroiled in the investigation of the current killer.  Yet, unlike many females in these novels she calls the police in at the first opportunity, even if they dismiss her as a nutcase.

The characters drawn by this author are complex and fascinating enough for you to want to continue to read past this first novel.  This novel is a compelling and tense thriller with complex twists and turns that keep the reader turning the pages.  The plot is fast paced and stays with you long after reading.  Reeve so wants to be normal but the scars of her past experience are preventing her from being so.  Yet somehow she finds reserves of spirit and determination that help her catch the killer.  It also shows the close bond Reeve had formed with her psychiatrist Dr Lerner.

Although the subject matter of child sexual abuse, may put some readers off everything else is handled well and in particular the experiences of the kidnapped girls.  So please put your fears behind you and grab this book with both hands and don’t let it go until you are finished. 

I loved how she (Reeve LeClaire) got involved in the story I became so invested in her that I cannot wait to discover her forward journey.  No one can really comprehend what Reeve went through during her captive years but watching her forward journey will be extremely interesting.

This novel is this author’s debut and if she starts like this I am sure she will have a long a fruitful career.  I for one will be following this author’s journey.

I rated this as 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (3 stars).