Tuesday, January 27, 2015

MY BOOK REVIEWS

Lately, being a relatively good Book Reviewer, my Amazon Reviewer Ranking is 16,926 the last time I looked,  I’m being asked more and more to review someone’s book. And each time I am I direct that individual to one of my blog site to read the entry I posted regarding it. I posted my selection on this blog on October 28, 2014.

In this post I’d stated I only review those books I’ve won from the giveaways I entered on the internet, such as Rafflecopters by authors, giveaways on GoodReads.com, etc.  Lately, I’ve started to enter the giveaways on LibraryThing.com. I prefer to read REAL BOOKS, especially when they’ve been signed.

When I’m not reading/reviewing any of these books, as I stated in the entry about my selection process, I select a book which has been written by someone in the internet support group I belong to. So far this year I’ve already read/reviewed 6 books out of the 16 I’ve posted reviews for from this site; and the reviews for these books have been

2015-001 / 2015-003 / 2015-006 / 2015-009 / 2015-010 and       2015-013.

If anyone is interest in possibly getting your book[s] reviewed by me or one of the other 600+ members here is the link to Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules.


If, after checking this site out you decide to join please mention my name.




BOOK REVIEW 2015-016 - DRAGONBRIDE

As a Book Reviewer I’m always willing from time to time to venture out a read a genre I haven’t read before. So I’m happy that I happen upon this debut endeavor by Raani York.

There’s a lot more to the book than the title “Dragonbride.” Naturally, as you might have surmised the book is about a young maiden who has to marry a dragon.

Irma, a beautiful woman who happens to be a witch, gives birth to a child. So what, you might say. However, the child she gave birth to happens to be a girl, who, according to a very ancient prophecy, must be given up and properly trained to fulfil it.

Trained by her aunts, Shalima, the zealous student of the occult, becomes more powerful than anyone could have imagined.  When she reaches the age of maturity the required three tests she needs to pass in front of a tribunal comes as no match for this young witch.

Unlike most arranged marriages, her love for Dragan, her shape-shifting husband seems to be never-ending and not a single thing could ever bring it asunder regardless of the form he’s in at any given moment. 

Yet, despite this, an ominous dark cloud casts a shadow on their relationship; the shadow is the same prophecy which had brought them together which must be allowed to continue to its ultimate conclusion unless faith steps in and allows them to prevent it.

If you ever wanted a story full of romance, adventure, trust and the magic of fantasy then this book would be wonderful for its intended YA audience, or any reader who’s interested in rekindling their imagination; as it has for me and why I’m giving this book 5 STARS.  






BOOK REVIEW 2015-015 - THE SEXTAPE - A Dedication to the Ladies

I received a signed copy of this book in connection with a giveaway on GoodReads, and the following is my honest opinion for this book.

As a Book Reviewer I’m willing to venture out and basically read any genre. However, this time I got way, way over my head as I personally found the book to be too “hot.”

To begin with, the author is not lying when he forewarns potential readers regarding the sexually explicit content contained in the book as part beginning of the book’s description.

The author’s writing is so explicit that almost nothing is left out as for any potential reader to image. The language is most definitely crude, as are the physical interactions between its characters. While a purist might say the dialogue is full of errors at places, the reality is the dialogue is REAL given the characters involved.

The problems which exist for the book can easily be corrected, without changing a single nuance of the book itself. In separating the book into its separate components, the author uses the word “Scene,” which gives the impression the book contains a single story when it doesn’t. A better word would have been “Act” as she component is a separate short story.

Unfortunately, all the females in the book appeared to have been created from the same mold, as there is no apparent differences between each one; which is probably caused by the male POV the story has essentially been written in.

While the simplified double-spaced font was easy on the eyes, the lack of indentations made it difficult at times to distinguished one paragraph from another.

When I consider this book in its entirety; and allowing for the rounding convention for 3.5, I’m giving this book 4 STARS.



Saturday, January 24, 2015

BOOK REVIEW 2015-014 - NEXT WEEKEND

I usually don’t go for erotic romances, however when I heard H.K. Carlton has written a quick to read short story [novelette], I couldn’t resist checking it out.

When I read the storyline for “Next Weekend” it quickly reminded me of the Rupert Holmes song of 1980, “Escape” [“The Pina Colada Song”]. If you can’t remember or know what I’m talking about, here it is.


After reading this endeavor/endeavour I’m happy to say my assumption has been proven to be correct.

While each still had a feeling for each other even as the divorce proceeded forward, they also had a secret they both shared and had kept from each other. A secret which if known might have ruined the respect, as well as the figure they’d created for themselves and had kept from other.

If you or your loved one has ever kept a secret regarding the kind of sexual experience you’d like to share next, then you’ll understand what Miranda and Jordie Lang were going through in their relationship.

Ms. Carlton held nothing back in any of the details or dialogue here which will result in a vivid reading experience for those who love this genre.

I enjoyed reading this as I slowly drank my morning cup of black hazelnut coffee [sweet] and I believe you’ll enjoy this 5 STAR read as well.




BOOK REVIEW 2015-013 - MYSTIC TEA

Becoming the member of the week of an internet support group I belong http://tinyurl.com/mqo65sj afforded me the opportunity to choose a book written by another member from a list of books. Amd as a Book Reviewer I prefer to read REAL BOOKS especially when they’ve been signed, which is why I’ve chosen “Mystic Tea” for my next book to read/review. The following review is my honest opinion for this book.

While not being a Catholic has prevented me from knowing what nuns are really supposed to be like. On one hand, for me, the nuns in this book seems to me to be juxtaposition from what I’ve have been led to believe in the dramatic movies, etc., I’ve seen. On the other hand I can’t help but wonder whether the Sally Field character in “The Flying Nun”, Sister Bertrille; or Whoopi Goldberg’s character in “Sister Act”, Sister Mary Clarance, had any influence in Ms. Martin’s writing of this book.

“Mystic Tea” is a wonderful conglomeration of mixed-match women/nuns with each one seeking empowerment in their daily existence as the threat of possibly losing their home, the monastery, looms over their heads. The empowerment they find comes from within themselves as each discovers who they truly are, as well as from each other. The diversity for each character to each other aids in making their interaction quite interesting, and adds to the beauty for the book as a whole. This is especially true when it came to dealing with a relatively large change in their lives as I’ve just mentioned.

By naming each of her chapters in a somewhat helter-skelter random manner with one of her character’s name, seems to add to the realization of their differences while at the same time seeing how complex their relationship. And depending to what extend you’ve read this book, you might be able to see a collection of stories, one for each character which have been skillfully merged to give you this 5 STAR book.



BOOK REVIEW 2015-012 - DRIVE ME SANE

I received a signed copy of this book through a giveaway on the internet, and the following is my honest opinion.

While this story takes place in a small hometown atmosphere in Kentucky I can see it happening almost anywhere. In “Drive Me Sane” we are introduced to a young teenage couple, Sera Cavins and Tyler Creech, who are deeply in love with each together. In fact, they’ve even considered getting married to each other. But unfortunately, a strong, burning desire to become a country music singing star for one, and a stint in the military for the other for the other, acts like a huge saber bringing conflict and an unexpected changed to their relationship. They both go their separate ways with the love they’d once shared still part of their essence; with neither one expecting how fate would one day come along them together in a surprising set of circumstances.

The interesting about all this is the atypical role reversal we find here is that Tyler’s the one who wants to be the country singing star and she’s the one who’s off for a deployment in Afghanistan.

When her deployment is over, Sera needs to have some time and find a safe haven where she can recover from the deep psychological scars of war she’s suffered, scars which she’d never thought would have such profound effect on her psyche. The only place she can find this sanctuary is back in her uncle’s house in the small town she once lived.

While Tyler has had one hit song, he hasn’t made the impact he’d envisioned he would. This has caused him to become frustrated, and to lose his desire to do any more writing or singing.  His only thought is to return home to the same small town as well, and due to an unexpected family development he winds up in the same house as Sera.

Being brought back together by fate, they begin working together to resolve the problems each are now dealing with, as well as those they once had.

Did their efforts prove successful in not only bringing their former selves back the way they’d once been, but improving on it? The answer to this can be found in this endearing, and at times, tear producing book. And for having my heartstrings plucked, I’m happy to give Dena Rogers’ debut romance novel 5 STARS.


UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1440584052

Friday, January 23, 2015

A BLOG TOUR HAS STOPPED AT MY BLOG

I feel honored that NICHOLAS ROSSIS decided to stop here today with her blog tour. Mr, Rossis is the author of "Runaway Smile."



If you enjoy writing, write!

Ever since I remember myself, I have enjoyed writing. At school, many of my classmates dreaded essay-writing, whereas I could count on my essays to be read in class. So, when I finished highschool, I figured I’d try writing for a living.

Expecting words of praise, I showed one of my short stories to a career councillor who was a family friend. Instead of the expected thumbs-up, she told me in no uncertain terms that I had no future in writing, and I had best focus my energy on a “proper” career.


So, I became an engineer, then an architect, then a web developer.

In 2009, I decided to try again my hand at writing. A newspaper had a segment called 9, that included a short science fiction story each week. Usually, these were translated into Greek, but every now and then you would see a story written by a Greek. So, I submitted my story, not expecting much.

They published it, and sent me a cheque for 150 euros. I was ecstatic. I quickly wrote another couple of stories and submitted them, but the newspaper had by then ran into financial trouble and discontinued that segment. So, I sent one of the stories to a short-story competition, and won. The story was (traditionally) published in an anthology called Invasion.

I then started working on my novel, Pearseus, which turned into a series. I first published that on Amazon in late 2013, certain that I was missing something: surely someone would call my bluff. Amazon would take a look and go, “hey, you’re not an author. What are you playing at?”

Instead, people bought Pearseus and reviewed it. They said nice things about it and actually paid to read my work.

Wow. People liked my work. This really was an eye opener, and I continued to write and publish. I’ve learned a lot, developed my voice and interacted with hundreds of wonderful people.

Then, yesterday, the funniest thing happened. Remember that councillor I mentioned at the beginning? Apparently, she read Runaway Smile and asked my mother for my phone number – remember, this is someone I had not talked to in over 25 years.

Her first words were, “I wanted to congratulate you on your book. It’s absolutely wonderful. It’s clear that this is where your future lies. Don’t give up writing, it’s who you are and what you’re meant to be doing.”

Needless to say, I almost dropped the phone with surprise. All I could say was “aha,” and “thank you.” Then, I hung up and turned to my wife. “You’ll never guess who that was…”

If you want to see what this woman was talking about, why not read my children’s book, Runaway Smile, online for free and make up your own mind?




Book Blurb

I woke up this morning and I had lost my smile and it wasn’t my fault and I looked everywhere and it was gone. Then I met a workman and a king and the best salesman in the world and a clown and no-one wanted to give me theirs. At school, I asked Miss to give me hers, but she gave us a pop quiz instead, and then no-one was smiling and…
From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's books

A little boy wakes up in the morning and realizes he has lost his smile. After spending the entire day trying to find it, he learns the truth behind smiles: the only real smiles are the shared ones.


Contact Information

I’m all around the Internet, but the best place to find me would be my blog, 

Anyone interested in my books can check them out on Amazon:

Also, people can read for free both Pearseus: Schism, on Goodreads and

Other places to connect with me include

       •   Twitter - www.twitter.com/Nicholas_Rossis
       •   Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+NicholasRossis  and
       •   Facebook - www.facebook.com/NicholasCRossis  

Brief bio

Avid reader. Web developer. Architect by training, holder of a PhD in Digital Architecture from the University of Edinburgh. Most importantly, author.

Nicholas loves to write. He has published Runaway Smile, a children’s book, and the Amazon best-selling epic fantasy series, Pearseus. The fourth book in the series is currently edited, and expected to be released mid-February.

This tour is sponsored by http://www.4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com   

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

BOOK REVIEW 2015-011 - ALWAYS CAMBRIDGE

Before becoming a Book Reviewer I’d never been a real on-going reader of books, but since becoming one and I’m beginning to enjoy reading every genre of books. Which is why I’m happy to have won the first three volumes [e-books] of the series these books are part of, as this is the first real adult mystery/suspense series I’ve begun to read. The following is my honest opinion for Volume 1 of this series, “Always Cambridge.”

In “Always Cambridge,” H K Carlton takes us, as if we’ve been watching the episodic storylines of “The Sopranos”, into the life of a little girl, Holly Cambridge as she grows from being a naïve child who has no realization of the type of family fate has chosen her to have been born into to realizing it all too well.  

Holly lives an almost cloistered life and can’t understand, at her young age, why she can’t play like the rest of limited circle of friends, or why she has some “huge” grownup constantly watching her every move only a few feet away while no one else her age does.  Growing up, she slowly begins to realize and understand the reality of her daily existence and the mob moss family she has had the luck or misfortune to have been born into.

When Holly turns that “sweet sixteen” and begins her long journey into womanhood, her family assigns a much younger and better looking man, Randy Phillips, to be her new bodyguard. With unfamiliar hormones coursing through her young body, Holly, the now extremely vulnerable young woman, looks at her new ever present companion as a friend and confident with an almost god-like attraction she can’t understand.

Randy, on the other hand, understands his young charge’s behavior towards him, and is thrilled to have Holly’s idolization. However, he knows what his limitations are and wisely maintains an appropriate distance from her.

The author’s writing is clear and vivid when it comes to the authentic dialogue and interaction within her family and with other mob families; which for me made an exciting, page turning experience.

When Holly gets injured during a bloody and deathly on-going rival family confrontation, the association she has had with Randy gets unexpectedly changed forever. You might be able to envision what’s going on here, but you’ll have to read this book to find out for sure; as well as what happens as she becomes a real woman.

At the present time, no matter how much I’d love to read the other two volumes I’ve received, I can’t.  As a Book Reviewer, I’m not afforded that sort of luxury. I did however take a very brief look at the beginning of next volume, and as the author, herself, has promised, there’s a seamless transition between the two volumes. This seamless transition makes it seem as if the two volumes had originally been one, and got separated later by the author.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back to this series and read the next two volumes I’ve received. So, with no one holding a gun to my head, I’m giving this volume of the “Always Cambridge” series, 5 STARS.



BOOK REVIEW 2015-010 - PIBBIN THE SMALL

I received a signed copy of this book for having been involved in a giveaway on GoodReads, and the following review is my honest opinion for it.

This is the second book I’ve read written by this author. In this book, “Pibbin the Small,” which is also the first book in the “Tales of Friendship Bog” series, readers are first introduced to the characters which live there. And once again the author has succeeded in subliminally teaching its young readers about another life lesson, and this time it’s the importance of friendship.

In this story, Pibbin, despite being the smallest of all the small tree frogs living in Friendship Bog, is willing to do whatever it takes to obtain the much needed Sweetberry leaves his turtle friend Sheera needs to get better. And all the horrific tales told by the other frogs of what he can expect outside the area they call home does nothing in trying to intimidate Pibbin from setting forth on this almost perilous journey. Being determined to succeed in his task and to overcome the obstacles he encounters is also cleverly communicated to its readers through Ms. Repp’s writing technique and the wonderfully placed illustrations by Michael.

I find it a pleasure to be able to get away from the adult books I read/review to read a good children’s book like this; which is why I’ve given this book 5 STARS.



BOOK REVIEW 2015-009 - THE ADVENTURES OF JOE-JOE NUT & BISCUIT BILL - CASE #3

I basically received a free copy of this book through a giveaway by the author on an internet site. The following is my honest opinion for the book.

Renee Hand has done a superb job in animalizing her “human” characters which aids children in wanting to read the book by making it more interesting by grabbing their attention. The author in the course of writing this book, has stealthily made it a learning experience as well for its young readers with not only explanations during the course of the storyline but in the glossary contained at the back of the book.  It’s here the author not only gives some additional scientific information regarding the weather, and experiments parents can do with their children, but gives a brief biography of the real artists represented in the book by its animal characters.

As you follow Joe-Joe Nut and his ever-close companion, Biscuit Bill; those familiar with Sherlock Holmes, can’t but notice a close resemblance with regards to their investigative techniques as they zero in on the final solution and the ultimate secret of the missing arch. And as the famed fictional sleuth would say, “When you eliminate all other possibilities; what remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth [answer].”

To aid its young readers in enjoying the book even more are the vivid descriptions written by the author and the wonderful illustrations done by Jake Karwoski.

Considering all the various elements this book contains, I can’t but give this book 5 STARS. Hopefully in the future I’ll get to read more of this author’s creative endeavors.



Tuesday, January 20, 2015

WEEKLY STATUS REPORT # 40

A holiday weekend is always a GREAT TIME to get away and just plain relax, which is what my OH and I did.

As you can tell since my last status report I’d finally gotten around to posting 8 book reviews here on my blog. And since these postings I’ve read/reviewed and then posted two more reviews on my usual site; now I’ve got to get around to posting them here.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day reading another book and I’ve already my review on Word. I wait a few hours and then I re-read my review and create I title for it. This review will get post today before lunch.

For right now I’ve decided to curtail most of my writing endeavors to concentrate on the backlog of books I’ve won through internet giveaways, so I can allow my career as a book reviewer to take center stage.  I’ve got a rotating priority as to which one I’m going to read/review next. REAL BOOKS are always the next one I’m going to read next.


My Amazon Reviewer Ranking seems to be a good indication that this is actually having as it has improved again since my last report; it is now at 17,966. And I can actually sense that I’ll get to be one of the top 1,000 reviewers on Amazon in a few more weeks.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

BOOK REVIEW 2015-008 KICKIN' LENNY SAVES THE DAY

I received a copy of this through a giveaway by the author on LibraryThing.com in return for my honest review of the book.

It’s a somewhat daunting feeling to be the first one to ever review a book, especially since no one has come before you to have any influence in any manner in formulating your review.

I found “Kickin’ Lenny Saves The Day” [Kickin’ Lenny #1] to be a totally delightful, age-appropriate reading experience; although I’d place the age range for this book at children between the ages of five to eight.

The book deals with the unfortunate time we live in, a time where students are relentlessly being bullied on by those who are older simply because they feel their younger victims would simply succumb to their taunts without any resistance.

Mr. Stubben’s writing style clearly communicates to its own readers that bullies can be intimidated just as easily by their young victims with no one really getting hurt, except for their pride. The book accomplishes this by not talking down to the child reading this book.

While a purist might say the book contains a very small handful of errors; the reality is the dialogue is how children, the ages of the characters in the book, actually speak; which aids in accomplishing the overall goal for the book.

I’m glad the author has allowed his inner-child [Lenny’s three year old brother] to be the POV in which this book has been written as it adds a certain reality to the story children can easily relate to.

I’m looking forwards to reading the next book in the planned series by the author; and for his efforts, I’m giving this book 5 STARS.

Robin Leigh Morgan is the author of “I Kissed a Ghost,” a MG/YA Paranormal romance novel as well as the author of "Micro Fiction - An Anthology."





BOOK REVIEW 2015-007 SINS OF THE FATHER

I received a KINDLE Edition for this book as a giveaway prize through a FaceBook group, and the following is my honest opinion of the book.

One would think someone like Brad Morgan, who gained his experience as a Royal Marine Commando, would have had any problems with the simple task of protecting Alicia Gladstone, an entertainer. It shouldn’t have Brad had been in an elite unit, and now owns his company in the field of private security, which he operates under the same standards he’d learned in the service.

But it does, and he’s ultimately comes to terms with this issue; all the while making sure his client is kept safe.

Being an entertainer, Alicia lives most of her day to day in another world, a world in which practically everything is really a fake. People are not who or what they appear to be, and things which seem to be happening have merely been staged.  Think of walking onto a movie set in the middle of movie set without realizing it and seeing people being shot at, etc.; the experience can be quite upsetting.

While this for Brad it is extremely distracting given his training, it poses no problem.  However seeing this happening, and hearing the sounds triggers a history he believed he’d had long forgotten about; now becomes something he needs to resolve before he can truly move on.
Alicia is a strong, self-determined woman who lets nothing to get in her way of what needs to be done, and like the old silent movie, “The Perils of Pauline,” she’s able to overcome things which gets thrown in her way.

The overall melding of action, dialogue, plot twists made for an exciting turn-paging read. The mixture of two genres; mystery and romance, added to the enjoyment of this book; especially that of the relationship which develops between these, ending with --- you’ve got to read the book to find out.

A word of advice to American readers:
The author uses the British spelling of words, so a word like “favorite” become “favourite,” and also uses British terminology. While becoming a Book Reviewer, I’ve become accustomed in reading this, still shouldn’t distract anyone else from enjoying this book as I have.

In the end, I’m happy to give this book 5 STARS.





BOOK REVIEW 2015-006 LONG STORIES SHORT

This is the second time I read anything written by Ms. Black. The first had been “The Hunted.” As I said in my review back then that I’ll be adding this book to my TBR; my only regret is I didn’t decide to read it sooner.

“Long Stories Short” is a collection of ten short stories written by this author, of which, “The Hunted” is one of them, none of the other stories disappointed me. 

To paraphrase what I said in my review for “The Hunted”:

As you read her stories you’re immediately sucked into each one. Ms. Black through her writing skills is able in each to create a mental picture of what’s happening; all the sights, smells, and dialogue. All of the stories have the ability, if it’s done right, to be expanded into a novella. In all of the short stories in the book Ms. Black succeeds in giving her readers an unexpected surprise twist at the end of each one, which definitely adds to the enjoyment of reading each one.

I’m therefore not hesitating in giving this book 5 STARS.



BOOK REVIEW 2015-005 THE DEAL

I won a signed copy of this book through a giveaway on FaceBook.  The following is my honest opinion for the book

I enjoyed reading this detailed fictional memoir of Bethany Drake and the relationship she had with her polar positive Adam Blaire. While she had no problems developing relationships with men who she’d had in her mind would ask her to marry, her last breakup wound up creating a complete mental turnaround and now has sworn never to get involved with another male.
 
As for Anthony, he’s a true womanizer who perpetually changes his relationships. He’s the type of a woman would care to get involved with due his lack of wanting to be committed in a relationship.

Yet more some reason, their relationship click the moment their eyes meet on a flight from Los Angeles to Toronto as they wound up in an encounter in a hotel suite once they arrived. And the mental commitments they made to themselves were now thrown to the winds. The Kismet they experienced made it basically impossible to get the other out of their mind and from under their skins; but this is something which neither wanted to really acknowledged.

The descriptive writing and dialogue throughout the book pulled me right into many scenes to such an extent that sometimes I felt as if I might have been an unseen presence witnessing/hearing everything transpiring in front of my eyes.

Their relationship, like any other, was not a smooth one; rather it had been like a rollercoaster ride, full of its ups and downs. What happens at the end of this story, I’m not revealing, you’ll have to read the book to find out. What I will say is that Deborah Ann concludes Bethany’s memoir with appropriate two words, “The End.” 



BOOK REVIEW 2015-004 CHILDREN OF MARS

I won a e-book copy of this book through a giveaway link on the “Chris the Reading Ape Blog” and the following is my honest opinion for the book.

Being a child of the 1950’s I have to wonder whether some of the television programs I watched as a child played any role in the author’s writing this book. Such as at the end of this story, in the epilogue, where Mars being transformed right in front of someone’s eyes to a lush earth-like planet reminded me of the “Space Seed” episode of “Star Trek” starring Ricardo Montalban. And of premise of having an entire family including their children on the planet reminds me of “Lost in Space” as the Robinson family travelled through the solar system.

In this book the author succeeds in placing us alongside those there as they face their new challenges each day. The sights and emotions are there, especially when it came to the children banding together not only to search for their parents who went missing while on a routine research expedition, but to survive on their own.

An exciting portion in reading this book came when it is discovered Mars had at one http://www.amazon.com/dp/1505276594time been inhabited by a race of blue beings still living comfortable beneath the surface of the Red Planet. A major player in the storyline is not an individual, but Mount Olympus, the large volcano everyone had been researching, especially when it came time for it to explode.

When I look at how Dennis Day has skillfully pulled together all of the elements of his book; I’m happy to give it 5 STARS




BOOK REVIEW 2015-003 THE STORY SHELL

I bought a copy of this book to support a fellow member of the internet support group I belong to [Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules  http://tinyurl.com/mqo65sj ]

Being a Book Reviewer affords the opportunity to choose to read/review books from practically every genre imaginable which is why I decided to go from reading my first real erotic romance to a children’s book with wonderful full color illustrations.

community of animal friends who live in an area known as Friendship Bog, where Gaffer is busy preparing for his own birthday discovers the shell he ALWAYS keeps next to him when he tells his famous stories is missing. When Pibbin finds out it’s missing, small that he is, sets on own his own to find this item, which he succeeds in locating and is able to retrieve it with the help of someone he never would have expected come to his aid.

Returning home he finds a friend, Leeper, who has gone missing for a long time. And even though he’s being held by a much larger animal, a beaver, as a personal toy, Pibbin’s size didn’t stop him from a successful rescue.

The wonderful aspect of the book is the way the author wrote this story; as its young readers are enjoying the story, they’re subliminally learning about such important life lessons as: friendship, courage, size and determination. The humanistic qualities Ms. Repp gives her characters and the perfectly matched illustrations for each chapter by Michael Swaim aids in the visualizations of the story in its young reader’s mind.

Although my OH and I have no children, I allowed my inner child to come to the surface to help me as I read this book and I’m therefore happy to give this book 5 STARS.


UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00571NUDQ

BOOK REVIEW 2015-002 MISTLETOE IN THE CITY

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, the first being “Lightning Over Bennett Ranch.” And once again I enjoyed the briefness of the author’s writing where she basically removes all of the fluff which is contained in basically everything we read.

What does a young woman of 21, Krista, do after she’s forced to move back into her parent’s home after the explosive end of the relationship she had with her now ex-lover when he found himself a new love interest and literally threw her into the streets from the apartment they once shared?

What does she do when she once again must live under their house rules including a ten o’clock curfew? And what does she do when she discovers her high school heartthrob, Derek, is now working in the housing complex her parents live in?

Seeing him there creates a situation where she’s emotionally transported back to her days into high school where she had been secretly in love with him, and he with her. Both these individuals are now grown adults with strong feelings for each other which neither can suppress. Each one must prove to the other that their love is for real without the fear of something coming between them, and begins to blossom into reality the night they kiss each other under the mistletoe.

The writing and dialogue is real and at times hot. This is the first real erotica romance novel I’ve read since becoming a Book Reviewer in August of last year and I’m looking into reading some more, which I hope will be as good as this one.

I’m happy to give this novella 5 STARS.



BOOK REVIEW 2015-001 - JUST HANG ON

I bought a copy of this book to support a fellow member of the internet support group I belong to [Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules  http://tinyurl.com/mqo65sj ]

I found this book a tightly written story of a 20 year old woman, Rebecca Francis, who decides to play Russian roulette with unprotected sex during her first one-night stand and then learns the guy sex is HIV positive; which has now left her waiting to learn if she has indeed been exposed to the virus.

The vulgar language used by the author at times is totally appropriate given the characters involved in the story and adds to the reality of this fiction based on true events.  The author takes us into the main character’s psyche as her thinks about the worst possible outcome of her tests.  As with anyone in 1995, when the story is set, Rebecca thinks about the stigma associated with becoming HIV positive, with entire spectrum of psychological conditions associated with this coming to the surface.

The author ends the story abruptly, and in the “Afterword” that follows tells us the outcome of the story. In addition to this Mr. Bells tells us what went on in his mind as he wrote this story as well as things he thought about including in it. The last portion of this book is used by the author as a means to promote his first book. I feel the author should have just ended his book by dramatically telling us the outcome of Rebecca’s test.

I’m happy to give this book 4 STARS.

PLEASE NOTE: The book is actually shorter then it appears due to the promotional three chapters at the end for another book written by the author.  


UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KM1Z2P0