Sunday, October 13, 2013

Reviews by guest reviewers

Here are some more reviews by come of our AMAZING guest reviewers!
17307260

High fashion, sports, music stars, and sexy men. This author spoke directly to my heart. “Cake” has a little bit of it all. Kylie Lord, a young, fashionable and beautiful socialite living in Atlanta, has loved the same man since she can remember. Trent is a handsome “do-good” kind of guy who travels the world developing clean water systems for others. Sounds perfect, right? Not so fast. Trent only sees Kylie as the amazing sister type, while Kylie can’t go a day without wishfully picturing their life together. Also, Kylie can’t think of Trent without thinking of Dray, his foster brother. Dray, the undeniably good looking NFL Football star, has always driven Kylie crazy, with his sexual taunting and just plain annoying cockiness. He is the bane of her existence, but when Dray is seriously injured in a game, Kylie is forced to rush to his side in order to please the love of her life, Trent. 
Kylie is taken down a path she never imagined when her eyes are opened to Dray in a different light. The sexual tension between Kylie and Dray is palpable, and the reader is forced to keep reading, page by page. Throw in a best friend, Madison, who is musical royalty’s daughter and a spit-fire by every sense of the word, and you have a best-friend duo that is, at times, comical. Add in a loving Aunt Leigh, who is dying from Breast Cancer, and you have a surprising tearjerker. My emotions were all over the map while reading this story. “Cake” is a quick read that anyone can easily get sucked into, and I loved every minute of it. 
Written for, For The Love of Books Blog by Cassidy


17841017

Supernatural beings and tattoos, Nola Sarina you have found your target audience!  I have read an insane amount of books over my lifetime and am very used to the idea of a slow buildup in a novel, making me have patience as a reader and know that I have to wait out the story and character development before I get any bang for my buck.  My patience was not needed for Gilded Destiny, as I was thoroughly excited and informed by the characters in the very first chapter.  By using interesting methods for character development, different supernatural ideas, and good writing techniques, Nola Sarina was able to create a story that I could not put down.

I am normally not a huge fan of novellas.  It is not often that I am impressed by an authors ability to make a short novel something that I cherished reading, I usually need more substance and development.  By telling her story with actions and reactions from the main characters, Nola Sarina was able to infuse and infer more information about the characters than some authors can do in a 400 page novel.  I connected with Calli's ruthless nature but also her well guarded innocence, she is a woman who has worked hard to take care of herself and her business and will not let her emotions and life's knocks keep her down.  Calli tries to handle herself, even against creepy Freddy, by showing kindness and constantly giving him another chance.  It is a good thing that Nycholas has his eye on her, because the people around Calli are not as caring and faithful as she believes them to be. 

There is something I love about Nycholas from the very beginning.  Seeing him through Calli's eyes gives him a sexy and dangerous vibe that all romance readers are secretly looking for, but there is also more to him.  There is almost a childlike quality to the way Nycholas interacts with Calli at times, that makes me want to reach through the pages and give him a big bear hug.  I appreciate the authors ability to make the reader feel endeared to a potentially horrifying supernatural creature, and one that few have heard of.  In this literary time of vampires and werewolves it is tough for a supernatural reader to find a new concept, and I feel as though Vespers have done the trick.

Reading is never more exciting then when I fall into a trance and can stay in my made-up world without any errors in grammar.  While reading Gilded Destiny I was fully able to immerse myself in a new world, and along the way I picked up some new words.  I think that my vocabulary has been greatly increased just by reading new authors who have picked up amazing, descriptive, and original words throughout their lives.  I cannot think of anything better than becoming a more learned person by reading a fun novel.

A whole lot of hot and sexy mixed with danger, a Vesper with a big heart and weird eating habits, and an ending I could have never predicted in a well written package, equals success in this reader's opinion.  I enjoyed every minute of Gilded Destiny and feel like I have learned about some exciting new creatures along the way.  Oh, and I wouldn't mind three days alone with Nycholas myself.
Written for, For The Love of Books by Tara

18140965

Completely blind sighted, that is how I felt when reading Jaded Touch by Nora Sarina.  After reading the first book in the Vesper Novella series (Gilded Destiny) I expected the next book to follow the same structure or at least to continue the same story.  But, I was thrown through a loop when I encountered an entirely new story in the second novella which, I have to admit, was at least twice as good as the first one was.  I have a renewed respect for the creativity and concise writing that Sarina is able to establish in her novellas.  She has a knack for being able to tell a short story but leaving the reader feeling full, as if they have read a longer novel.  The beauty of Jaded Touch lay in its fantastic editing, superb overall development, and the original way this novella's storyline was laid out.

It is no secret that I am a sucker for a well written novel.  Not only do I demand a great story and development, but I will literally get rid of a book if it is poorly written.  As is my experience with Nola Sarina, I am able to dwell in her literary world without interruption by poor grammar, punctuation, or use of words.  It is a relief and a pleasure to read a book that is so well written grammatically. 

Introducing new characters in a series can sometimes be a tricky feat.  When I first met Three (in the novella, of course) I was immediately endeared to her, but skeptical as well.  Her vulnerability and the taunting she endured by her fellow Vesper Maids was a feeling I am sure most readers can relate to.  I was impressed by Sarina's ability to create a bond between myself and the main character within the first few pages of the novella.  Three's taboo attraction, and ultimate relationships, with both the Gent Vesper Sychar and the human worker Jake allow the reader to develop an understanding of the loneliness that Three must endure and her deep ache to rebel against the tyranny and structure she is forced into.   Her choice to love Jake and go against her Vesper leaders both risk her life and change it forever, bringing the story to a whole new level and engaging all who read it with the tornado her life becomes. 

The first novella in the Vesper Novella series was amazing, I was thrilled with the storyline, the flow, and the content.  My experiences with series has shown me that they usually follow either the same pattern or they are simply a continuation of the same story.  What kept my attention with Jaded Touch was that it is so unlike Gilded Destiny in every way, so much so that I was constantly waiting for the stories to merge in some way.  It was enlightening to find a series in which each book can be so totally different, but also similar at the same time. 

Every step of the way, from the timid and stubborn first steps to the torrid and fulfilling ending, Jaded Touch kept this reader enthralled and engaged.  Nola Sarina has written yet another novella that met all of the 'needs' on my list and a good number of my 'wants' for a fantastic read, with the grammar, story, and series in total.  I will be sticking around for more chapters in the lives of these Vespers.
Written for, For The Love of Books by Tara
17203641

Of Shadow and Ash is a fantasy novel about a woman named Janet Skyy who wants desperately to escape from what is known and explore the world. But like so many before her she feels obligated to help assist her ever increasingly secluded father while he delves into a past that holds many dangerous secrets. If this theme sounds familiar than I'm sorry because I found this book to be compelling and very original every step of the way. It begins with a mystery and sucks you into a very disturbing landscape that keeps you on your feet throughout the whole story. Stacy has a very descriptive voice and it's not very hard to immerse yourself into Janet's world. It all just seems so real and therefore terrifying! With so many fantasy novels that tend to disappoint, this was an extremely refreshing experience. I hope this writer continues to share her gift. I for one would love more!
Written for, For The Love of Books by Stacie

17874072

Coming Back to You by Devon Youngblood is almost like reading two books in one.  The story that she writes is timely and addresses the real, modern day problem of a young, military man returning from being deployed.  The heroine, Maura, has made attempts to live her life after the loss of her first love when he left for the Marines as well as the loss of her parents.  However, she still holds a place in her heart for Pierson Hammer.  When Pierson returns to their small hometown after being gone for several years she has mixed emotions, yet gives in and has dinner with him one night.  From there, little by little, they discover things about each other that explain their hesitation to take up where they left off.  Each tells their story in this book from their own point of view, and finally culminates in their very own happily ever after moment.  Easy, captivating read for one of those evenings that you have little time but want a lot of story.
Written for, For The Love of Books by Teresa

18112657

Let me say first, I hate books that leave you hanging, I like a heads up if this is a part one in a series....BUT I have to say I absolutely loved this book. This book had ugly... rape, but also had lovely... sweet hot sex. If you don't like sex with same sex partners this is not the book for you but if you are open then you will enjoy this book. You go on a journey as this sweet young abused girl becomes a smart woman in every sense of the word.  You will enjoy the journey as she becomes one with herself. The loving with the woman on woman and woman on man will have you wishing you had that type of loving available. This book will grip you and keep you turning the pages wondering what will come next, never quit figuring out as she twists and turns you into a great story.  Now wondering when the rest of the story will be coming out. Hopefully I will be able to read that soon...   Full disclosure, I was given this book free for a true review.
Written for, For The Love of Books by Karn



No comments:

Post a Comment