Hereafter by Terri Bruce Review

Hereafter

By Terri Bruce

After a night of bar-hopping with her friends Thirty-Six year old Irene gets into her car and starts to drive home, when she wakes up she is on the side of the road and she soon realizes she has been gone not just over night but for days. When she is wandering around she runs into a fourteen year old boy who explains to her that she is actually dead. Now Irene is determined to find the “tunnel” and make her way to heaven.

This is an interesting look into a ghost story, it is not scary it is more of a dramatic novel than anything else. The only problem I had with this novel is the May-December romance. I am not sure the author initially created a romance between the fourteen year old and the thirty six year old but when you have them “joking” with each other and it ends with one or both of them blushing and looking away that scream flirting, add in how Jonah gets highly upset when she gives attention to anyone but him, and how “over protective” he is it screams romance. Besides this you have an arrogant woman who has to reevaluate her entire life and come to terms with the position she has found herself in it is a great novel.

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Paradise Misplaced By Lisa April Smith Review

Paradise Misplaced

By Lisa April Smith

This novel revolves around three stories. First you have Charlie who is a successful model then one day she is brutally attacked leaving her in the hospital. Second you have Naomi, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust working on a dig in Israel when she comes across a picture of a woman in a magazine who must be one of her long lost daughters. Lastly but not least you have Jack who spends his days romancing and swindling women in Buenos Aires after he faked his own death leaving Charlie to fend for herself. As Charlie recovers she begins to help the investigators find her attacker, being pulled once again into a scheme of art forgery.

This is an interesting novel not only bringing to life several places around the world but also creating an interesting and dysfunctional family dynamic full of drama. There is so much that happens in this novel but it isn’t over-whelming in its execution it only succeeds in keeping you wrapped in the story until the very end. With Charlie being attacked, Jack trying to survive the only way he knows how, and Naomi who struggles against her feelings each moment you will be drawn further into an intertwining story.  Though there is less romance in this novel than in the first it is highly dramatic and involving, as the character focus is less on Charlie and more on her parents. When you add in the suspense with the drama and mystery you have a brilliant book that will take you around the world and back making you anxious for more! 

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The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis by Sharon Ledwith Review

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

By Sharon Ledwith

When five eighth grade students get into a food fight at school none of them thought it would lead on an adventure through time, the five students are sentenced to yard duty as punishment for their crimes shortly after they arrive at Melody’s home the stumble upon an arch that was buried in her back yard.  Once they excavate the mysterious arch they are whisked away to Atlantis where they meet up Lilith who is in charge of keeping watch over the gate, she informs them they are the last timekeepers and must travel through time to stop an evil magus from changing time.

Not only is this an original novel in itself but also a retelling of a classic story, Robin Hood, as the teens travel back to Nottingham on their search to stop Belial.  The author does a wonderful job in crafting this novel, blending the two stories seamlessly such as when you think the timekeepers are going to inadvertently change history themselves the author weaves the story back to the original. The only problem I had with this novel is in the beginning when we are getting to know the characters. The author would call them by their first name and a paragraph or so later start using their last names to refer to the characters, as she is building the foundation of the story I would get lost thinking, “Okay, who is Treena and Mui?” when they are actually the same person. So be sure to pay attention to the characters last names as you go along, other than that this was a great young adult novel, it was highly unique and entertaining to read.

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Something Witchy This Way Comes by H.P. Mallory Review

Something Witchy This Way Comes

Jolies Wilkins Series Book Five

By H.P. Mallory

Back from time traveling to the past, Jolie Wilkins Queen of the Underworld is having a bit of a problem sorting through what are now her two realities. What she does know is that Sinjin, her sworn protector, went back into the past to protect her from the Lurker threat and may or may not have had designs on making her fall in love with him for his own selfish wants, either way he must face punishment, being stripped of his title and banished from the kingdom. When Jolie starts to become violently ill she starts to fear that it is another attack from the Lurkers, what she soon realizes is that morning sickness can make you feel like you are dying as well. Shortly after she finds out she is pregnant she is kidnapped by the Elder of the Lurkers. Will she make it out alive, even more importantly will she be able to protect her unborn child?

This is book five in the Jolie Wilkins series, but for me this is the first novel I have read. I thought surely I would be lost, but surprisingly I was able to stay right on top of the story line and it was fascinating. H.P. Mallory creates a world full of vampires, witches, werewolves, and even the Fae and her main character is the Queen of them all, but the author does not stop there she throws in the Lurkers. At the beginning of the book you have no idea who they are so I assume you have no idea who they are in the rest of the series, but as you continue reading they turn out to be a formidable foe for all of your usual “supernatural” characters. I definitely hope to go back and read the previous novels if this one is any comparison they are going to be worth the read.

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Memoirs of a Geisha By Arthur Golden Review

Memoirs of a Geisha

By Arthur Golden

In 1929 Sayuri’s mother has fallen ill and her father is no longer able to care for her and her older sister, she is soon sold to a representative of a geisha house in the Kyoto district.  The she works as a maid and is trained in music and dance with hopes of becoming a geisha one day. But when she is caught trying to run away she is deemed too much of a risk to continue her training, until an accomplished Geisha decides to take her under her wing and teach her everything she knows to introduce her into the society. As she is an apprentice she comes across a man, the only man that had shown her kindness when she was a child, increasing her determination to become a Geisha and gain his approval.

This is not only the story of a Geisha it is the story of Japan during the great depression and during world war two, beautifully written around the struggles of a woman who must work as hard as she can to support herself. The romance is flawless and the drama is poignant and breathtaking this was an amazing read. The movie that followed this book is one of my favorites, though the movie could not come close to the beauty within this novel.

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Forever Werewolf by Michele Hauf Review

Forever Werewolf:

Forever Werewolf and Moon Kissed

By Michele Hauf

On occasion Harlequin publishing house offers a two for one book deal, this book is one of those occasions so to make it easier not only on myself but also for everyone who reads my reviews I will write a separate  review for each book. I hope you all enjoy!

Forever Werewolf:

Trystan Hawkes has been tasked by his father to deliver an important package to the pack leader, “principal” in this case, at Castle Wulfsiege. Shortly after he arrives he is captivated by the enchanting Alexis Conner, daughter to the Alpine Prinicipal. As Alexis is informing her ailing father that the package he has been anticipating has finally arrived, an avalanche strikes the castle trapping them inside but with some of the pack out skiing at the time soon everyone begins a rescue mission even the Lone-Wolf Trystan. Soon as Alexis and Trystan become closer they soon realize each one has a secret, Trystan is not full blooded werewolf but mixed with vampire, and Alexis hides behind her blue sunglasses. Not only must they overcome their differences but each must contend with the entire Alpine Pack.

There is no way my brief synopsis could have done this novel justice; this novel alone has at least four story lines all intertwining into a seamless and fascinating world of Werewolves. Though this is a romantic fantasy it is not what you expect, yes it gets rather “steamy” in some parts but the world that Michele Hauf has brought to life is so captivating. Not only does this author blend the storylines into a flawless novel she also captures the scene, from the beautiful landscape of the Alpine mountains, to the relationships between each of the characters, and even if you have not read any of her novels, which this is my first, the characters she introduces from previous works do not fall flat in this novel. This first novel definitely sets an exceptional tone for this anthology.

 

Moon Kissed:

Belladonna Reynolds loves to stay fit and being a flamenco dancer it comes with the territory, one night as she is jogging she runs into a bit of trouble in the form of three bloodthirsty vampires. Luckily she runs into an abandoned warehouse to hide and straight into the arms of Severo a werewolf. As Severo is holding her in his arms he realizes that the connections he feels to this woman can only mean one thing, that she is destined to be his mate. This is just the beginning as the vampires soon begin to stalk Bella and Severo vows to protect her.

This novel doesn’t get really good until about chapter eight before that it is more a “Romantica” and has less of a storyline, but once it does kick off the book is fantastic. It turns out Bella’s best friend who also happens to be a man, is dating a vampire which Severo had nick named Elvira in years past for her outrageous appearance. When it comes to light that Elvira is the jealous sort it leaves Bella in a world of trouble. Though I read this one along with Forever Werewolf, this one was not as well written as the first but it still held its own, it is a quick and fun read even if it does start off a bit slow story wise.

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Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly Review

The Lincoln Lawyer

Mickey Haller Series Book One

By Michael Connelly

Mickey Haller is a criminal defense attorney whose client list ranges from bikers and prostitutes to drunk drivers and drug dealers. One day a bail bonds man who is “on his Christmas list” calls him up with what they call a franchise case, a person who can pay your high fees and a trial that will subsequently drag on, but when Haller takes on the case of the innocent rich kid supposedly attempting to murder a prostitute, he may get more than he had bargained for. What happens when the client in question turns out to be truly evil?

The main character is not your ordinary sleazy lawyer, but a man with two ex-wives whom are still a part of his life, a daughter, and compassion for the so called criminals he defends even if they are guilty. The way the author not only has his main character feel compassion for the criminals he defends but you soon find yourself having the same empathy. The main character seems to be rounded out by the cast of this novel, taking him from an almost despicable man to one whom you care for in the end. Not only does Michael Connelly do a brilliant job with his cast of characters but he also had a storyline so full of twists and drama that this is a remarkable read.

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