Nicole R. Locker's Blog, page 11

Book Review – Snowbound: A Chicklit Christmas Novella by Monique McDonald

Snowbound – A Chicklit Christmas Novella by Monique McDonell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Snowbound by Monique McDonell was an entertaining, heartwarming, holiday romance. I found myself finishing the entire thing over just a few hours.

Zara is on a plane, flying from Sydney, Australia, to New York, to see her long distance boyfriend. It’s the first time she’s ever spent Christmas away from her family, and really a spur-of-the-moment decision to splurge on the plane ticket, but she hasn’t seen Mike since he took an accounting job in the States back in April. Trouble is, she gets snowed in at the Denver airport and has to make the most of her time in Denver, since the forecast of her getting to New York looks pretty bleak. Luckily, the friendly (not to mention good-looking) Kyle who sat next to her on the plane is there to keep her company and bail her out of a situation of having no place to stay. When Zara unveils that an ocean wasn’t the only distance Mike had apparently been trying to put between them, Zara warms to the idea of exploring some sparks between her and Kyle, and that’s when things really start getting good.

A notable quote from the book:

This tree was beautiful but it did not have soul. Kind of like my relationship with Mike. I’d been a pretty decoration, but I hadn’t been treasured.

I found this book to be really laugh-out-loud funny in many places. In other places, I found myself saying, you know, I wish more people would act like that. I found the pacing to be great, especially for a novella, and while there were a few typos here and there (i.e. “in to” instead of “into,” and a couple of instances of switching from past tense to present tense), overall I thought this was a very well-written book. I especially liked how Zara’s family is written to be so prominent in her life, even when they aren’t around. She’s got this huge, nosey, pushy, Italian family, but she appreciates them at the same time.

Quote:

I could hear my mother’s voice here with me in the shower. “Zara, just because we want the cake doesn’t mean we should have the cake.”

Needless to say, I recommend this great little read for some heart-warming romance, Holiday cheer, and a sweet HEA.

View all my reviews

10 Reasons to Snag New Books In the #BlackFriday thru #CyberMonday #BigBookSale

Attention Shoppers…

At midnight  (PST) on November 25, 2016, the Big Book Sale goes live, and will last until midnight following Monday, November 28, 2016.

So with all the shopping going on for electronics, toys, clothes, and such, you might be asking, Why do I want to buy books right now?

Well, I’ll tell you!  Here are ten reasons to hop on over to the Big Book Sale and find some free and discounted books this Thanksgiving weekend.

To find books to add to those new Kindle Fires you are gifting this season.

An excuse to stay in and relax this weekend, curled up with some good books.

Because science has proven that reading improves the memory and overall brain functioning.

Because reading reduces stress by taking your mind off of the everyday craziness of life. (We could all use more of that!)

Because reading can help you fall asleep easier.  Goodbye, insomnia!

To do something nice for yourself.

 To set a good example for your children. (You want them to become bookworms and be really smart and to read for fun someday, too  right?)

Because you’re tired of those magazines in the bathroom you’ve already read six thousand times.

Because you don’t have to stand in any crowded lines or fight over that last discounted item sitting lonely on the shelf that eight other people are eye-balling beside you.

Because at $1.99 or less (many even Free!), these are probably the lowest sale prices you’re going to find this Black Friday through Cyber Monday !

Book Review – Stuck With Me by Cassandra Piat

Stuck with Me : A romantic comedy set in Mauritius by Cassandra Piat

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Stuck With Me by Cassandra Piat back in July 2016 for the purposes of beta-reading.

My Thoughts

What a great book! It’s very relatable, and I felt pretty invested in the characters. The progression of the story played out really well, and I felt like it had a good pace. There was never a point during this book when I was wishing it would get on with it or that I felt like I needed to skim over to get to a good part. It was interesting and kept me entertained from start to finish.

When Molly, the girl with the seemingly unshakable sunny disposition, finds herself next to grumpy and pessimistic Adam on her flight to Mauritius, she’s determined not to let him spoil her holiday. To Molly’s chagrin, the flight isn’t the end of it, and Mr. McGrumpy starts popping up everywhere, one thing after another, scheming up more ways to make her lovely trip a perpetual disaster! But there’s more than meets the eye to both of these two, and it will set them on a hilarious, maddening, and life-changing course as Adam, a journalist, learns the answers he needs to write his story, and Molly finally learns just why this gorgeous guy has been following her around making her life crazy all week. When their holiday comes to an end, and the truth comes to light, Molly must decide whether or not she can trust Adam with her heart.

There were moments in this book that I literally laughed out loud. Then there were moments that just kind of warm your heart as you see glimpses of this awful guy start doing these nice things, and you see the chemistry between the two characters even when they are at odds with each other. And then there are parts when you want to just yell out, “NOOOOOOO!!! Don’t do that!” Needless to say, I got pretty emotionally invested in this story line.

The only thing that stood out for me that I wasn’t just really thrilled with in the early reader version of this book was the way Adam’s sisters referred to him as being hot and attractive when talking to Molly a couple of times later on in the book. This felt a little bit creepy and weird to me, and was part of my beta-reader feedback to change, so this may or may not have been changed in the final version.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

View all my reviews

Geek Editing Services

Guest post by Swati Hegde of Geek Editing Services.

Are you looking for a voracious reader who can tell you the good, bad and ugly of your next novel’s plot, story line, characters and voice?  Are you seeking a dedicated grammar Nazi who will cut, clean and refine your work into near-perfect publishing shape?

Well, your search is over.

Geek Editing offers the following editorial services:

Beta Reading: Involves a comprehensive four-page report regarding voice, dialogue, description, plot, delivery, inconsistencies, character development and more
Editing: Involves basic proofreading/line/copy editing
Beta Reading & Editing package: Involves all services

All fiction and non-fiction genres are acceptable.

Testimonials:

“Swati was wonderful to work with! I had worked with her previously when she reviewed my books for her blog, and I always found her reviews to be fair and constructive. I was happy to learn she was now editing. I am so pleased with the attention to detail in the edits made on my book. I will certainly be hiring her again in the future!” – NICOLE CAMPBELL, author of the Gem City Series

“Swati was professional and quick to respond to emails and messages. She beta read my manuscript in just a few days! Amazing speed! Her feedback was useful and extensive. Thank you very much for a quick and professional turnaround. I’d definitely recommend her services.” – MIRIAM AVERNA, Author of No Cure for Fear

“Swati is amazing! I just worked with her for the first time and I will absolutely be calling her for my next book. I hired her for all three services – beta reading, editing, and proofreading. She did an incredible job. She is detail oriented, loves books, understands what readers need, and is a consummate professional. I recommend Swati to all indie authors. She will help you present a polished manuscript you can be proud of and it will make your readers happy!” – KAY HARRIS, Author of the Love On Tour Series

“After hiring Swati for her Beta Reading, Proofreading and Editing services, I could not have asked for a better job, and turned right around and hired her again for my second book. She was professional, honest, has a keen eye for grammar, and provided very helpful feedback that helped me really take my writing to a higher level. She was easy to work with, and I was impressed with the quick turnaround once she began working on my books. I have already arranged for Swati to do her magic with my third book, Tragedy and Desire. I have also recommended her to other book authors who have subsequently hired her, and I will continue to recommend her to anyone in need of good, quality, professional editing services.” – NICOLE R. LOCKER, Author of the First Impressions Series

Black Friday-Cyber Monday #bigbooksale

For the past several weeks, I have been working to put together something exciting coming up for you on Thanksgiving Weekend.

The Big Book Sale is a collaborative author event where over 50 authors (including myself) will be offering our books of various genres to you at Deeply Discounted prices, or Free.  It will begin at Midnight (PST) on Black Friday, November 25, 2016, and will end at Midnight following Cyber Monday, November 28, 2016.

Where Do I Find the Sale?

The Big Book Sale can be found at https://nicolerlocker.com/bigbooksale.

Please help me spread the word about this awesome sale by hitting any of the share buttons below!

Thanks, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

-Nicole

 

Book Review – Must Love Mistletoe by Christie Ridgway

Must Love Mistletoe (Holiday Duet Book 1) by Christie Ridgway

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Must Love Mistletoe was such a good book. It took me one weekend to read through the whole thing. I found myself entertained, invested in the story and the characters, and definitely found an emotional connection while reading.

There was a lot to like about this book. I was amazed at how well the author made the characters so complex and real. I liked how the history was interwoven with the present in so many ways. The history really gives this story a depth that just draws you in and hooks you.

Bailey Sullivan is the Girl Next Door whose family owns a Christmas store in a small, California town. For reasons I won’t divulge, she hates Christmas, and ten years after moving away from home, leaving her bad boy childhood sweetheart, Finn, without so much as a goodbye, she returns to run the store for her mom while mom and step-dad are going through their own issues/separation and both refusing to set foot in the store.

But while Bailey is there, she happens to run into her old flame, and things definitely get interesting.

I found this story to have just the right balance of happy moments versus tumultuous ones. There were times when I was leaping for joy, and other times I had to work at holding back the tears. The only thing that I didn’t care for in this book were the tidbits of Christmas trivia at the end of every chapter. While they were cute and interesting, I did not like how they pulled me out of the story every time, and I quit reading them after the 3rd or 4th chapter.

There were also several recurring themes in this book that I thought really added to the depth of it.

-Nothing flocked can stay.

-Get out before things get ugly.

and my personal favorite quote of the book…

-“There’s a reason we celebrate Christmas at the darkest time of year, Finn. To remind us that hope and light will always arrive.”

Ultimately, I was happy at the way things turned out, and I definitely recommend this book for a heartwarming holiday read this season. Definitely an 18+ story with some adult themes.

View all my reviews

The cover of the book I read was not available in the GoodReads listing.

 

Book Review -In Blood We Trust by Elodie Colt

In Blood We Trust by Elodie Colt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an Advanced Reviewer Copy of this book for the purposes of beta-reading. I was not asked to leave a review, but definitely wanted to share my thoughts on this book.

It was fantastic. Even the early edition I read that hasn’t/hadn’t been edited yet was written really well. The premise of the story intrigued me, but the story itself, I can honestly say pulled me in from page one, and kept me turning the pages to see what happened next.

I felt like the futuristic aspect of this story was very realistic. It was subtle, not overdone, which helped add to the realism for me. Then there was the idea that, in the future, the cure for cancer is not without its own side effects, which turn people into virtual, real-life vampires, and not in a sci-fi kind of way. I also found it so believable the way that the agency who created the Cure kept the money coming in, so typical of that industry as we know.

Then there was the romance. My favorite part of any good story, the Romance in this book was just the right amount of build-up. It wasn’t “insta-love.” It took them some time to work up to the good stuff, and the good stuff was very good!

There was a good amount of depth to the characters in this book, especially the main character/heroine who we follow from start to finish. Her past and how it shaped her as a person, I felt was consistent throughout the book, and I felt like there were several things that made her very relatable. I was able to really sympathize with her and like her from the get-go. The stakes were set high immediately, and I was rooting for her to succeed from page one.

I also found the pacing of this story to be just right. There was not a single point in this story that I can remember feeling like it was lagging in any way or wanting to skim over.

Overall, this book is well worth the read. This is a book I can see myself rereading again. Very good work and well-deserving of every one of the 5 stars.

View all my reviews

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Book Blog Hop – Trick Or Treat?

Happy Halloween, book friends.

All of my e-books are free or deeply discounted, all day Monday, October 31, 2016!

 

First Impressions – Regular Price $1.99, On Sale for $0.99
Second Thoughts – Regular Price $1.99, On Sale for FREE!
Self Esteem – Regular Price $3.99, On Sale for FREE!
Personal Relationships – Regular Price $3.99, On Sale for FREE!

(Below is borrowed from Ms. Patricia Lynne)

Once you’ve grabbed my books, see what other goodies are being handed out.


Author Sign ups for Trick-or-Treat Reads Book Blog Hop




1. 
Patricia Lynne  
8. 
Marie Landry  
15. 
Tyrean Martinson  



2. 
HR Sinclair  
9. 
Deb Atwood  
16. 
Tamara Narayan  



3. 
L.G. Keltner  
10. 
Jennifer Ellision  
17. 
K.S. Marsden  



4. 
Heather M. Gardner  
11. 
Tui Snider  
18. 
Anna Tan  



5. 
C.D. Gallant-King  
12. 
Natasha Duncan-Drake  
19. 
Angeline Trevena  



6. 
Nicole R. Locker  
13. 
Sophie Duncan  
20. 
Cassandra Giovanni  



7. 
Amanda N. Butler  
14. 
Wittegen Press  

(Submissions close in 13h 6m)

Create your own linkup for free

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Book Blog Hop - Trick Or Treat?

Happy Halloween, book friends.

All of my e-books are free or deeply discounted, all day Monday, October 31, 2016!


 


First Impressions - Regular Price $1.99, On Sale for $0.99Second Thoughts - Regular Price $1.99, On Sale for FREE!Self Esteem - Regular Price $3.99, On Sale for FREE!Personal Relationships - Regular Price $3.99, On Sale for FREE!(Below is borrowed from Ms. Patricia Lynne)
Once you've grabbed my books, see what other goodies are being handed out.Author Sign ups for Trick-or-Treat Reads Book Blog Hop
1. Patricia Lynne  8. Marie Landry  15. Tyrean Martinson  2. HR Sinclair  9. Deb Atwood  16. Tamara Narayan  3. L.G. Keltner  10. Jennifer Ellision  17. K.S. Marsden  4. Heather M. Gardner  11. Tui Snider  18. Anna Tan  5. C.D. Gallant-King  12. Natasha Duncan-Drake  19. Angeline Trevena  6. Nicole R. Locker  13. Sophie Duncan  20. Cassandra Giovanni  7. Amanda N. Butler  14. Wittegen Press  


(Submissions close in 13h 6m)Create your own linkup for freedocument.write('');