Exceeding Expectations By Lisa April Smith Review

Exceeding Expectations

By Lisa April Smith

There are only two things that mean anything to Jack Morgan, his daughters, and in order to protect them he must fake his own suicide. His youngest daughter Charlotte is twenty three and after years of having her every whim tended to  by her father when he dies and leaves her penniless she has no idea what she is going to do. With her older sister in a “clinic” due to having a mental breakdown after the news of her father’s suicide Charlotte knows she must do something to make money, after a suggestion from a friendly lawyer she tries her hand at modeling soon she finds the independence she craves all the while she investigates why her father had to take his own life uncovering disturbing things along the way.

Lisa April Smith does a wonderful job not only with capturing the nineteen sixties vividly yet subtly but also in enveloping not one but two beautiful romances with glimpses back to pre- World War Two encompassing the love Charlotte’s mother and father found in each other.   Even though there is a splendid romance between Charlotte and Raul this story was more about Charlotte and the pain she must overcome after losing her father and then finding a way to support herself and become independent all while searching for answers it is so well written, you find yourself easily lost in the story. I don’t usually compare authors to one another but I must say, Look out Danielle Steel it seems you have some competition for writing intriguing dramatic novels.

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Elizabeth Clansham by Catherine E. Chapman Review

Elizabeth Clansham

By Catherine E. Chapman

Elizabeth Clansham has recently moved to a small town in the Scottish Highlands in order to pursue her writing, all the while she teaches English part time. Across from her small home lives Andrew a former pop star who drifts listlessly through life until Laetitia and her daughter Lauren arrive on his doorstep, Laetitia is fleeing Glasgow when a menacing man shows up to her flat and threatens to hurt her daughter if she does not repay her debt. Then there is Angus, the gamekeeper and father figure who has taken in his niece when her mother has abandoned her. Between the four romance begins to bloom and each of their lives is changed by the others.

This book reminded me a lot of Debbie Macomber’s style of writing using real life scenarios as the focus instead of fantastical situations. If you enjoy a laid back approach to the romance genre and something more realistic than vampires or a serial killer who focuses on the main character for any number of reason you will enjoy this book. Each character goes through their own growth period and finds out who they truly are or want to be. Catherine E. Chapman managed to encompass four individuals but also Elizabeth’s students into the story each one having their own romantic trysts; it was very intricate and well written I only wish there had been more conclusions to some of the individual stories, but the author does a splendid job bringing each one to life.

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Wanted Nightmares: Battle For Love by Pura Preis Review

Wanted Nightmares: Battle for Love

Wanted Nightmares Book One

By Pura Preis

Amaya lived among vampires for as long as she can remember, when her “Father” does everything he can to tear her apart from her one true love she cannot take living under his rule any longer and decides to end her life. But as she falls off a cliff in Ireland she is rescued by some unknown person and finds herself trapped by her immortal family once again but this time things are different she has come to the attention of a pack of werewolves who want her dead and she has no idea why. This is only the beginning for Amaya soon her memories slowly come back to her and she must come to terms with what she really is and the battle that lies before her.

This book starts off a little rocky at first, but soon the author finds her stride and the story comes to life. In the beginning of the book the author tries to explain the love Amaya shares with Thomas but it comes off forced, later in the story though through the experiences the couple shares it is heartwarming and lovely. Pura Preis has created a fantastic character in Amaya and slowly reveals bits and pieces of her in such a way to draw you into the story and with such a unique storyline it is certainly worth the read. There isn’t much I can say without revealing too much of the plot and ruining it, but I can say it ends in such a way they you will want to go out and buy the next book as soon as possible.

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Neophyte by Emmalee Aple Review

Neophyte

By Emmalee Aple

Addisyn White died two years ago, but three days after her death she was reborn as an angel. Not a full-fledged angel it will take her five years to become one, she is still mostly human and must still go through training with her Link five other angels who will protect her and teach her. There is Hunter her companion in this new life that can read her thoughts and will always share a special connection with and then there is Greysan, handsome and kind and the love of her life. When Addisyn is sleeping on the porch and her Link has left to run an errand a fallen angel stumbles upon her leading to Addisyn being in the greatest danger of her life, and this is just the beginning.

This is an interesting book full of romance and intrigue, the author has taken a new look at angels and most of them are just like all of us. Emmalee Aple creates an intricate and unique world where angels are born or created when a person dies protecting someone else, with elders and companions it is certainly an interesting perspective and then the author brings a beautiful romance to all of this that makes the book worth the read. Though I still have one major question why is Addisyn so important? I am hoping this will be answered in the next book. The only problem I found with this book is that it needs to be edited as it is right now it is riddled with grammatical mistakes but even though this is an issue, Emmalee Aple’s writing is actually quite remarkable.

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Splitting Adam by John R. Ford Review

Splitting Adam

By John R. Ford

Adam Tyler is restless he was called to be a pastor but for some reason he never feels fulfilled on his thirtieth birthday he is visited by an angel sent from his mother. When the angel asks him what he wants Adam pulls an “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment and wishes he had never been born but what he doesn’t realize is that even if he had never been born his mother and father would have still procreated only with other people causing there to be two half selves of Adam. This not just Adam’s story but theirs as well and the only way Adam can get home is to change his own perspective of his life.

This was an interesting novel of the power of faith and realizing you are just a drop in a pond but the ripples your life creates are what truly matter. John R. Ford did a wonderful job bringing Adam and his two half selves to life, each one unique and no quite as distant as they may seem at first to each other. Though Victor is a businessman and Chase is a con-artist they all share something at the core of their being that is irreplaceable, goodness and kindness. It’s a heartwarming story that I recommend for anyone to read full of love and cherishing what you have, which is a good lesson for anyone.

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Pure by Julianna Baggott Review

Pure

By Julianna Baggott

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the Detonations had left people Fused with objects or even other people Pressia stumbles upon a young man who is known as a Pure. Being Pure is a reference to those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked by living in a dome that protected them from the Detonations. Partridge is the only person in the history of the dome to have escaped its confines as he sets out to find his mother. After Pressia finds him she begins helping the boy and is pulled down into a strange series of events that will forever intertwine her fate with Partridge’s.

Julianna Baggott has created a fascinating and strange world where people and object become one. It is a very unique and intriguing look at a post-apocalyptic scenario. This story is full of growth and learning to accept yourself for each of your own flaws. The descriptions are spot on to bring this strange place into the most vivid of displays within your own mind.

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The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger Review

The Devil Wears Prada

By Lauren Weisberger

Andrea Sachs has recently graduated college and is trying to find a job that will someday lead her to working for The New Yorker, when she is hired by the most exasperating and demanding woman on the face of the planet, Miranda Priestly. Throughout the novel Andrea is forced day after day to do increasingly demeaning tasks and sacrifice her relationships with everyone around her, when she begins to change into someone unrecognizable even to herself she decides enough is enough.

The entire book is a satirical look at having a demanding boss which I am sure everyone can appreciate in one form or another. It’s witty and well written the only fault I have with it is that Lauren Weisberger seems to have some problem with southern people and describes them as tasteless, the main character even belittles the fact that her sister and brother in law live in Houston and have started to speak with southern accents. I am not quite sure why she finds this necessary but coming from Texas, I didn’t enjoy it whatsoever. It is completely unlike the movie which is a good thing I didn’t particularly enjoy the movie, the ending of the book was very lacking however it almost feels as though it didn’t end at all she just decided to quit writing. This is definitely a book you will have to read for yourself to see if you like it or not as for me it had its good points and it’s bad so I am not even sure if I did.

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