Tag: Novel

Serpent in Paradise

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Serpent in Paradise by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Stephanie James
Genres: Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Harlequin Books S.A
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-373-77016-2
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Amy Shannon met Jase Lassiter at a seedy bar called The Serpent, and she should have heeded the warning in the name. At first he offered her paradise – nights of love and days of sheer delight – but the taste of honey turned to ashes on her tongue when she thought she’d been abandoned. Now only Jase’s return can satisfy Amy’s hunger for promises of love. Will his words take her to paradise, or exile her forever?

Personal & Info

Jayne Ann Krentz (and all her other pseudonyms) is one of my favorite authors. Her books always feel comfortable to read, so I am amassing a collection. This one is a 250 page stand alone.

My copy appears to be an old one with stickers so aged it would damage the book if I attempt to remove them. This book seems to be an uncommon find these days. The digital version is the easiest to locate, but I found paperbacks on Amazon and ThriftBooks for people who want physical versions. The links don’t necessarily lead to the same copy as mine. I found mine at a used book store for a dollar.

The description is misleading. It implies a love affair in which the man ghosts the woman, leaving her pining for him. That is not entirely correct. I can’t say how without spoiling parts of the story, so I’ll just say there is a lot more going on than that. It’s not that simple, nor exactly what it implies.

Characters

Amy Shannon is the female lead in this romance story. She owns a chain of lingerie boutiques in San Fransisco. She’s also exceedingly klutzy when she gets anxious or nervous.

Jase Lassiter is the male lead. His character description can easily be associated with the term sociopath, which is confusing because that description doesn’t seem apt as the story goes along. He owns a bar by the name of The Serpent.

Ray is seemingly Jase’s only employee at The Serpent. He’s a painter, and he seems like a nice guy.

Maggie runs the convenience store.

Fred Cowper is the local unofficial law enforcement. I think they said he is an ex-cop.

Ty Murdock is Melissa’s ex-husband. Nobody knows where he is or if he is even alive.

Dirk Haley is a mystery man who wants to meet up with Amy.

Melissa Shannon is Amy’s sister. I don’t know if she still has the last name of Shannon, but I’m putting it here to make their relation obvious.

Adam Trembach is Melissa’s fiancé.

Story & Thoughts

I like the story, but I also have problems with it. There are themes and opinions involved that definitely show the perspective of the times. The date in my book says this was written in 1983. If you don’t like to see consent disrespected, or how men would think in the 80s, you might not like this book.

Jase constantly disrespects consent and his behavior resembles stalking. Even when he’s in a relationship where he’s trying to be a good person, he is overbearing and controlling. Oh, and let’s not forget that lovely trait of men in the 80s where they call every woman, “honey.”

Amy isn’t a great character herself, either. She doesn’t seem to know standard safety protocols. Like, this guy is basically harassing her, and she tells him exactly where she is staying and allows herself to be left alone with him.

As for the romance, I think it’s lacking. These people have nothing in common aside from both running businesses of their own. There is no reason for them to be drawn to each other. They both think the other is all wrong for them, yet they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Where is the connection? The only likely one I can find is primal male ownership of a woman and adrenaline. That’s not good enough for me. It could work in a paranormal setting with werewolves or something, but here? No.

I’m not happy with the ending. It’s generally fine, but I don’t agree with the choice Amy makes. The whole book she talks about how women are independent and modern. I feel like her decision is a step backwards on her own opinion. She doesn’t have to do that. They can figure out another way to make things work. In a way I saw it coming, though.

Notable Issues

Amy makes a sarcastic comment about how Jase must have missed his calling and should have studied psychology instead. Immediately after, Jase says this exact thing to the next two people he talks to. To me, this means one of three things. Either Jase isn’t very creative, the phrase gets stuck in his head, or the writing just isn’t that great. I want to assume one of the first two options, but I can’t be sure. Regardless of what it was, this part bugged me.

I had to look up what, “sending a cable,” means. That tripped me up a bit when I found it. I’m assuming it means a messenger delivered a telegram. I had no idea those were still being used in the 80s.

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

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Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-547-07645-4
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Just before summer begins, thirteen-year-old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. One’s her mother, the other her aunt Dulcie…but who is the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali will have two months to figure it out, since she’s spending the summer with her aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and aunt used to visit when they were kids.
Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean, spiteful, and determined to ruin Ali’s summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out. Though, if she’s not careful, that’s exactly what might happen to her – die, that is.

Personal & Info

I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky books. This is the last of those for me to review. My edition appears to be older than the ones currently available in stores, so the links lead to the current available edition.

Characters

Ali is the main character.

Dulcie is Ali’s aunt. She’s an artist, specifically a painter.

Claire is Ali’s mother. She seems to have a lot of problems. She’s sensitive emotionally, and for some reason overly protective of her daughter to the point Dulcie says Claire owns Ali.

Emma is Dulcie’s daughter, and Ali’s cousin. She’s about four.

Pete is Ali’s dad. He seems to be the reasonable parent. When Claire is overprotective, Pete advocates on Ali’s behalf.

Sissy, the girl they meet at the lake, is mean and temperamental. I think they said she appears to be nine or ten, but small for her age.

Story & Thoughts

I generally don’t like stories with blatantly mean people in them. This book, and Wait Till Helen Comes, which is by the same author, are both like that, though this one isn’t as bad. This one is tolerable in comparison, but there are other issues.

The story is too bland for me. There is no blatant haunting danger. It’s more manipulation and bullying than anything. Granted, it’s not a bad story. It’s just not for me.

I hate how Dulcie and Emma act throughout. Emma’s behavior makes sense due to her age and lonely upbringing, but Dulcie has no excuse. Dulcie seems straight up unreasonable in some parts. Like, yeah, it’s Ali’s fault that Emma sneaks out the window during nap time because she wasn’t watching her, because that makes sense (This is sarcasm). What’s she supposed to do, sit in Emma’s room with her for every nap and bed time? At some point the child is to blame.

If you don’t like your ghost stories to be scary, and want something a little more mysterious, maybe check this out. Nobody dies. The ghost doesn’t blatantly try to murder anyone. It’s about finding the truth so the ghost can rest.

The Secret Grave

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The Secret Grave by Lois Ruby
Genres: Contemporary, Ghosts
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-545-93250-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Nightshade can be deadly.

Hannah and Scooter’s sprawling, ramshackle house is named for the lethal plant that grows in the dark woods behind it. Hannah knows she’s not supposed to explore the forest or nearby Moonlight Lake. But she’s feeling lonely and desperate for an adventure. It’s there in the woods that Hannah meets Cady, a mysterious girl who promises everything Hannah’s been missing. Only Cady has a secret:

Cady Wants Hannah all to herself.

Soon Cady is copying Hannah’s style so they can be more alike. She lies to Hannah’s friends, insults Scooter, and begs Hannah to break her parents’ rules and sneak out for a midnight swim. Hannah wants to believe Cady’s just a little insecure. But when she discovers a cemetery beyond the lake with an eerily familiar headstone, she must decide whether to trust her new friend or dig for answers that may lead her to a watery grave.

Personal & Info

I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky middle grade books. It looks like a stand alone, but some places list it as number three in a series called, “Hauntings.” I will be reading it as a stand alone. If it seems like I get lost or confused by something for not reading the other books, I will say so.

Characters

Hannah Flynn is the main character. She’s the twelve year old middle child in a large family, as follows below.

Gracie is the youngest sister at two years old.

Franny, or Frences, is the older sister, and apparently grumbles a lot. She’s seventeen.

Scooter, actual name Scott Thomas, is one year younger than Hannah, and her favorite member of the family. He has chronic asthma.

Trick, also known as Patrick, is fourteen. He is obsessed with baseball.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Sally Flynn, I suspect they are crazy for having five kids, but they seem happy.

Luisa and Sara are Hannah’s best friends. They seem like they are friends with each other first, and Hanna second.

Cady is the girl Hannah meets in the woods. She’s rather mean and demanding.

Story & Thoughts

This book has a similar premise as Wait Till Helen Comes. Both books center on a large property where there’s an unknown area containing a tragic mystery. Both also contain ghosts only intent on communicating with the family member of the same age as the ghost.

I wouldn’t consider this one horror, though. It’s more of a chill almost normal story. Aside from one near drowning, it’s more of a story about friendship than about ghosts. Cady doesn’t seem like a nice person, but at least nobody in this book is as insufferable as Heather is in WTHC.

The plot, aside from the ghost related part, is actually relatable. Hannah’s friends will be gone for a large chunk of the summer, so she’ll be bored and lonely until they get back. This particular type of vulnerability makes her want a new friend, and rather easy to influence.

I think this story is well written. Plot devices and story telling methods are easy to pick out for young readers. Like how Nana Fiona explains banshees to Hanna, for example. There is a good call back to that later on. I think this example is called foreshadowing.

I do have one gripe with the story. Why didn’t Hanna grab her music box and take it home? That didn’t make any sense to me. She was right there, and she had the opportunity.

Wait Till Helen Comes

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Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
Genres: Ghosts, Horror
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-547-02864-4
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she’s made Molly and Michael’s life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that’s not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can’t get any worse.
But they do – when Helen comes.

Personal & Info

I found this, and a few other short spooky stories cheap. It’s October, so I figure it’s a good time to read them. I actually bought this twice by mistake, because I forgot I grabbed it already, and the store had a second copy. Not a big deal, they were about a dollar a piece.

Characters

Molly is the main character. Everyone seems to invalidate her all the time.

Michael, Molly’s brother, seems to only care about science and logic.

Heather is the step-sister. She’s seven, and her mother died in a fire when she was three.

Dave is the step-dad, and apparently believes everything Heather says.

Jean is the mom. She seems more reasonable than Dave.

Story & Thoughts

This is a good book, but I will not be keeping it for my collection. Heather ruins the whole thing for me. She is so insufferable, no amount of warm hearted happy endings in the world can make up for it.

Throughout the entire book, Heather is a bratty nuisance. She lies ALL the time. Her dad is wrapped around her finger and believes anything she says. Jean gives her way too much leeway, but at least she believes Molly and Michael sometimes. Overall, the parenting in this book is horrendous. I think most of the problems could be avoided if the parents put in more time and effort.

It does have some good going for it. It has some traditional ghost story aspects. There’s a detective segment where the kids go to the library to learn about the ghost, and they talk to a few people about strange occurrences. The story itself is enjoyable if you can tolerate Heather as an insufferable character.

There’s a map at the front of the book that shows the property. I wasn’t expecting that, but it’s kind of nice to have. However, I noticed the map shows four bedrooms. If the parents share a room, that leaves three for the kids, so why do the girls need to share? That doesn’t make sense to me.

The Haunting

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The Haunting by Lindsey Duga
Genres: Ghosts, Horror
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-338-50651-8
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Emily’s dreams are finally coming true: The kind and wealthy Thorntons want to adopt her and whisk her away to a new life at Blackthorn Manor

At first, life is wonderful. But as Emily explores the grand estate, strange things start happening all around her. It’s almost as if someone-or something-wants her gone.

Now it’s up to Emily to untangle a dark family secret hiding in her new home-before the life of her dreams becomes a real nightmare!

Personal & Info

I’m looking to expand my collection of children’s books. I found this and a few other short spooky stories super cheap. It’s October, so I figure it’s a good time to read them.

Characters

Emily, the main character is a twelve year old orphan. Her prospects for the future are grim as she looks forward to going to a work house when she’s old enough.

Archie is Emily’s dog. She raised him since he was a small puppy.

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are the nice couple who adopt Emily.

Miss Greer is the cook and housekeeper of the Thornton home, which is called Blackthorn.

Kat is a not so nice friend of Emily’s. She reminds her much of a mean girl at the orphanage.

Story & Thoughts

The story starts off grim. Emily is an orphan at an orphanage. She has no hopes of being adopted because she’s older and nobody considers her pretty. Supposedly everyone wants the little blond blue-eyed girls.

As the synopsis says, she finally gets adopted. She hit the jackpot. It’s possibly her last chance at being adopted, and the family is nice, and well off. They even let her keep her dog friend.

Things are strange right off the bat upon arriving at her new home. Emily sees creepy things she’s not sure are actually there. The house, while massive and beautiful, is unkempt.

The story progresses day to day with strange occurrences giving the reader time to speculate. It’s easy to figure it out before Emily. The title and book description practically spell it out for you, as well as some things that people let slip early on. I was only off on one detail, but all my other guesses were spot on.

I never know what to expect when I read horror, because I don’t read the genre often. This one has common haunting tropes. It’s relatively mellow with slice of life and creepy bits thrown in for the first three quarters. it doesn’t want to reveal anything too quickly. There’s a punch in the “feels” in the conclusion that I was not expecting. I anticipated the plot, but not the emotional value of the portrayal.

Honestly, I’m surprised I like it as much as I do. It’s a simple, but effective, short, ghost story. This author apparently writes a small variety of spooky stories. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get more, but if I see them around I’ll probably grab them.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Series Name: Extraordinary Voyages/Captain Nemo
Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi 
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Rand McNally & Company
Edition: Hardcover (Windermere Readers)
ISBN: NA
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description

In one of the earliest sci-fi novels, Professor Aronnax and two friends are swept away on a deep sea adventure on board the Nautilus. They receive a tour of the ocean’s depths filled with fish and rare sights.

Personal & Info

I generally have no interest in classic novels. I’m only reading this because it is recommended before Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep. Although, based on his writing style, I assume you can probably read Daughter of the Deep without reading this.

I got this from the library since I likely have no interest in buying a copy. This particular copy appears to be very old. There is no dust jacket or cover art. No synopsis anywhere on or in the book, either, and I can’t locate an ISBN of any kind. I’m not sure they even used those at the time this particular edition was printed. I filled out my usual information to the best of my ability, threw together my own synopsis, and the store links will lead to more modern copies.

This book is technically part of a series, but from what I hear, you can read it as a stand alone novel and be perfectly fine. The Captain Nemo series is a trilogy, which is part of a larger series called Extraordinary Voyages. I have no plans at this time to delve into the trilogy nor the extended series.

Characters

M. Pierre Aronnax, professor from the museum of Paris. Based on the writing style, the book appears to be his journal.

Counseil, the assistant to Aronnax. He is approximately ten years younger than his mentor, which the book states puts him at about thirty. Counseil is a calm individual and rarely ever leaves his master’s side.

Ned Land is a meat obsessed Canadian harpooner. The book never lets you forget he is Canadian. He is constantly referred to as the Canadian.

Captain Nemo, commander of the Nautilus submarine, and a recluse from the land world.

Story & Thoughts

Right off the bat, I do not recommend this book. I can see how it would be appealing around the original publish date, but it does not appeal to modern day. It’s probable that maybe people interested in geography, ocean travel, or marine biology, MIGHT enjoy it. As just a book to pick up and read, though, I doubt most people would find it interesting.

A majority of the book is fish descriptions. These descriptions often use the latin and/or scientific names. Most of the time, I find these hard to follow, because I’m not familiar with the terms for marine life, and I’m certainly not going to look them up every time I don’t know something when a book has so many. The same goes for the locations.

The locations in which they travel, and the routes they take, all use nautical terms. They are constantly using compass directions as well as longitude and latitude. I don’t have the effort to bother using a map to follow the story. I can see how it might be cool to follow along by pinpointing locations on a map, though. It could give a visual representation of where and how far they travel.

Speaking of story, there is little to none. If you cut out all the technical things regarding the functions of things, the geographical travel, and descriptions of the fish, you would be left with a rather short novella instead of this five hundred page novel. Granted, the tiny bit of story is at least a little interesting. That’s the only reason I rate this a one and a half, instead of just a solid one.

Again, I do not recommend this book. I got several headaches from reading it. I only read the whole thing because I was determined to. Normally I would have abandoned it at fifty or one hundred pages at most. It took me a long time to read compared to normal because of how boring and technical it is. Unless you specifically enjoy the types of technical this book is, don’t bother.

Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)

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Lover at Last by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41880-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has found and identity as a brutal fighter in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another…

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: It seems Qhuinn has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young. It’s hard for Blay to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Qhuinn needs to come to terms with some dark things before he can move forward….

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions, but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn learns the true meaning of courage, and two hearts meant to be together finally become one.

Personal & Info

As with Lover Mine, this is a volume I was looking forward to reading. Lover mine was a smidge disappointing though, definitely not as good as I thought it would be. I think Qhuinn’s book is done better. Both have long buildups over several volumes, but I just think this one is all around better in comparison.

I have to give props for putting an M-M story in the middle of an M-F erotic romance series. And not pulling any punches at that. No scenes have any censoring in comparison to the content we see in all the other volumes. I imagine this volume might make some angry if they are not expecting it, or have an extreme disinterest in M-M romance.

Regarding crossover parts with the BDB and Fallen Angels series, there is a mention in this volume. Back in a different book, when Assail makes his first appearance, the description of his home gives pause to wonder, but it is confirmed now. He lives in the house Vin DiPietro builds in volume one, Covet. He gets a mention in this book.

Characters

Qhuinn is essentially the main character for this volume.

Blay is important, because this is his and Qhuinn’s book, but he doesn’t get nearly as much screen time.

Layla gets a lot of attention, because of her arrangement with Qhuinn.

As minor characters for the volume, there are Tez and Assail. I don’t really care about the parts pertaining to Tez. I’m sure that will amount to something later, but in this book, all I care about is the romance. I don’t care about the Assail parts, either, at least not until the later parts. They seem irrelevant early on, and get more interesting toward the end.

Story & Thoughts

Upon finishing Lover Reborn, Qhuinn seems to have a strong resolve to make a move with Blay. That got me excited to read this volume. Fast forward to starting the book, and I find it surprising Qhuinn seems to have lost that motivation, and is instead rather unchanged from the previous book. This, I think, throws off the pacing.

I also think that Blay, as the love interest, has less screen time than the love interests usually get in the series. Things focus primarily on Qhuinn, and what goes on in his mind, and his life. He’s the one experiencing all the big changes, good and bad.

I both love and hate this volume, though. So many of the problems between Qhuinn and Blay could be easily resolved if they would just talk to each other honestly. Blay makes so many assumptions about Qhuinn’s life and doesn’t believe him when he tells the truth. And Blay chooses to live behind a lie of omission, which just makes things harder for Qhuinn, because he’s trying to respect something that doesn’t exist. So frustrating, but dang this is a good volume.

Aside from the primary couple of the book, I’m constantly drawn to the Layla x Xcor parts of the story. It’s like a variation of Romeo and Juliet, minus the suicide. I’m curious to see what happens. If they’ll ever be together, or if their relationship will end in tragedy. It’s already pretty tragic. They are unlucky to be drawn to each other.

Notable Issues

Why does Payne have to “recharge” but V doesn’t?

When Blay needs to feed, I swear his conversation with Qhuinn says he will do it alone, but when it actually happens Qhuinn goes with anyway. Did I misinterpret? Is this a mistake? Blay acts like he agreed to share all along, but that isn’t the context I see in that section.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Calluna (Spell Library #4)

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Calluna by Jewels Arthur
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Elves, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086GFHRZJ
Rating: 3/5
Amazon

Description

Calluna doesn’t buy into all the love junk she sees all over town. She’d rather spend her time working at her pet store Beastie Besties, where she’s recently been curing a slew of cursed animals. She’s determined to find the culprit and put a stop to the curses. Her goals do not change when she suddenly finds herself with multiple fated mates, and dark secrets come to light.

Personal & Info

I’m going to be honest. I don’t remember some of the serious story parts. However, I do remember most of the romance, which I think is the most important part of each book in this series. It’s been about a year since I read this, and this was the last one I read. So if I read more and review them, it’ll be from here on out.

Characters

Calluna is the main character. She’s something called a changeling. I’m not completely clear on all the lore for that, but I think in this case it means she was swapped with another baby.

Lars is Calluna’s friend, whom works with her at her pet store, where they treat cursed animals.

Landyn, I think he’s a griffin, and he works at a night club or bar, if I remember correctly.

Rhett and Damian, they are themselves a couple. Rhett is a fennec fox shifter, and Damian is a meerkat shifter.

Elias, I believe he is an angel.

Story & Thoughts

As usual for this series, I like the characters. They are always well defined and full of personality.

There are more lore dumps in this volume for how the world works. Rules about magic, some species laws, stuff like that. It makes the series feel more fleshed out. I love that stuff.

The writing style is a little different than previous volumes. This one rotates through all of Calluna’s mates at least once to help flesh things out. It gives a better idea of how the mate bond feels to each of them, and what their lives are like behind the scenes. It works well with the lore dumps to make them feel more natural.

At this point, four books into the series, I think it’s safe to say you never really know what you’re getting into. Violet and Lupine seem tame, and Juniper and Calluna are very sexual. Be ready for either possibility when digging into this series.

This one is a step up from Lupine, but not as good as Violet or Juniper.

I’m a little confused why Vampires are out and about during the day with nothing to say they were using any sort of covering like Bert does, which is specifically mentioned in the first book. There are two instances in here where different vampires are visiting somewhere outside their home in what appeared to be daylight hours, but nothing is specified about window coverings or what they are wearing to protect them from the sun. It seems odd.

I’m sad they never the epilogue never says what the men get for their tattoos, only Calluna.

Lupine (Spell Library #3)

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Lupine by Hanleigh Bradley
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Wolves
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN:  B086BKF1ZN
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon

Description

Lupine, a wolf shifter, and an orphan herself, runs the Silver Springs Orphanage. She’s never felt like she truly belonged. Always overworked and stressed, she’s always busy taking care of the twenty unique children of the orphanage. None of them are human.

When the mafia comes to town and moves in across the street, will Lupine find a home and connection with the wolves?

Personal & Info

First of all, there is a disclaimer at the start of the book saying the author usually writes in British English, but is writing in US English for this particular series, and it asks readers to be patient with the occasional British slip. That’s all fine and good. I don’t mind that. However, with this knowledge, I became aware of how many slips there were. There were a lot. I think this book needed someone with US English as their first language to proof it. It would have been fine on its own, but as part of a series, it felt jarring.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Lupine, the main character, is a wolf shifter in charge of running the Silver Springs orphanage. I think she has one employee/helper, but I can’t remember their name. I don’t think they are important for the purposes of the review.

Wren, Rehan, Camden, and Kalen are all the love interests. They are wolf shifter mafia dudes who move in across the street.

Story & Thoughts

I like the story and the characters.

I don’t think this is good as Juniper or Violet. It doesn’t seem like there is much actually going on. The problems in the other books come across as more dire. This one is more slice of life with minor inconvenience.

The confrontation toward the end is resolved quickly. It’s obvious there is more to Lupine’s story, because the main issue isn’t even addressed in this book. It doesn’t occur here, which makes the story feel lacking. To try explaining it better, I feel like finishing this one only feels like reading half a book. I believe there’s another Lupine book in this series later on that deals with the part that isn’t addressed in this one.

I’m actually surprised about the love interests. When I hear mafia, I don’t think of guys like these. They seem more like yakuza than mafia. Is there a difference? I think there’s a difference.

I find it amusing all five of them piled into Lupine’s bed. I’m not sure how comfortable that would be, but I bet it’s cramped. It just goes to show how close wolves like to be to their mates.

Juniper (Spell Library #2)

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Juniper by Eva Delaney
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Pirates, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HG2WRC
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon

Description

Juniper is in hiding from some allies turned enemies for taking some things that weren’t hers. When she decides to use some dark magic for a night of fun with her three favorite toys, things go awry. The toys become dildo shifters! The three being: a shy vampire, an 18th century pirate, and Shakespeare himself.

The spell only lasts until morning, so Juniper promises to show them a good time. But can she really stand to let them go? If she wants a real chance at a future with them, she must come out of hiding and confront her problems.

Personal & Info

Violet is good, so I am continuing the series. If you also read Violet, I do not recommend using that as an expectation for this book. Violet is cute and funny, and generally appropriate. This book goes in a completely different, erotic, direction.

Some of these have paperback copies available, but not all of them. I can only find Amazon links for them, so that’s all I’m listing.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Juniper, the main character, is a dark witch. She’s hiding from people in plain sight by not using dark magic, because apparently people can track that. She’s a thriving business woman in the sex toy industry. Her products are magically enhanced for all kinds of shenanigans.

Oscar, I believe he is the bookish vampire. He is my favorite in this volume. I resonate with him and want him for myself.

Sam is the pirate. I think he hogs most of Juniper’s attention.

Shakes is literally Shakespeare. I think they function under the logic he doesn’t LOOK like Shakespeare because he looks younger than the commonly seen pictures or something like that.

Alyssa, I think she is Juniper’s best friend, if I am remembering right.

Story & Thoughts

I actually think the first third of the book is difficult to read, because it seems like it’s trying too hard. By this I mean, throwing in as many sexual jokes and phrases as possible, to the point where they don’t make sense, or sound strange. Some of the humor is lost because of this. After the first third, the story finds its pace and gets better.

This book has more action in it than Violet. There are magic duels, for example. I think an entire street gets messed up because of one.

I can’t remember the finer details about the story events toward the end with the island and the other witches and warlocks or whatever you want to call them. What I do remember is the book is very erotic, like, maybe eighty percent erotic, and twenty percent actual deep story. I’m making up these numbers.

There are elaborate sex scenes scattered about. Three ways, guy on guy, almost anything you can think for them to do, they do. It’s not shy either, you might as well be reading a full blown erotica.

It’s incredibly obvious Juniper’s favorite guy is the pirate. They have the best chemistry of the three, and their personalities seem to compliment each other in a gravitational way.