Tanya Contois's Blog, page 11

My review of Midnight Hunter by Bonnie Bernard from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Book one Midnight Hunter trilogyAuthor : Bonnie BernardFiction, Paranormal,This review may contain spoilersI got this free from the author for reviewSummary: Donna McCormick is a smart, pretty college student whose twenty-first birthday is a week away. Unfortunately, so is her murder - unless the mysterious man from the darkness can reach her first. Donna is pursued in her dreams by a man who claims to be her Eternal Partner. During her waking hours, she’s cornered by another who claims to be the same. There’s only one problem: neither is entirely honest. Or, for that matter, entirely human.Eight years earlier, Donna’s life was dealt a terrible blow with the untimely death of a little brother who was left in her care. Ever since, Donna has yearned to get a normal life back – and despite her best friend Mo’s efforts to the contrary, Donna has almost managed it…at least until the Underworld cracks wide open, scattering chaos and spilling out every shifty force under the moon. Most of them want Donna dead, but some will stop at nothing to keep her alive. Too bad she doesn’t know which is which. With death following Donna like a shadow, she turns to her best friend for help. But instead of help, Mo offers only more mystery. And she knows more about the Underworld than she's willing to admit.Now, Donna must choose: Cling to the mortal world where she feels safe, or embrace the Underworld where her dreams – and nightmares – come true.One thing’s for sure - doing either one might get her killed in both.
The ReviewI loved this book and cannot wait for Book 2, I thought it was very well written, I loved how Bonnie the author dealt with pregnancy in this book, Too many vampire books don’t deal with pregnancy, I can only think of one and that was Twilight and we all know how that turned out, so kinda hoping it will be the same with Bonnie’s books, would love to see this on the big screen.  Bonnie has opened a whole new world to me and I really appreciate that, Thank-you Bonnie, Could I Please live there, I could be Dante’s missus, I loved him,  Every-time he spoke, I melted, I don’t know why but when I hear him I imagine it just like how  Matthew McConaughey speaks, with that gorgeous accent, that melts every woman within a ten mile radius, I liked Trent a lot, hoping him and Mo will get together at some point in this series, I was expecting James/Jamie to be a minion, I don’t know why, I did have an issue with Mo, she was a lovely character, but she did not seem all that worried about Donna,(main Character) at points in this book, for someone who is her BFF, she seemed more interested in her career than what happened to Donna, she took her to the club to attract  the kidnapper, a strange thing for a BFF to do, but I forgave her when I found out she was pregnant, that would put a strain on any relationship, I loved the relationship between Hunter and Donna, he tries to stay away but just couldn’t, the pull was too strong, I love the thought that he waited for her to be reborn each generation, that is a lovely thought, hope my hubby is like that with me, The evil that is Stephen, Hunter’s brother, he was sadistic, a perfectly evil character, I would recommend this book to anyone who fancies a vampire tale with a twist, looking forward to Book 2, 4.5/5

My review of Maddie Maze 1 & 2 by Rue Volley from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Maddie Maze: Menagerie of Mystery and Mayhem
Author : Rue Volley
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
I was given this book from the author for an honest review,
Summary: Welcome to the magical world of 'Maddie Maze', a 14 year old girl who is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.As our story begins, Maddie is accepting a life in 'Nowhere, Colorado' as she woke up at the age of 8 and found her parents 'missing'. She is moved in with her only relative, that of her Aunt Bernice, her Fathers sister and quite the ecletic. Aunt Bernice would love for Maddie to act like a girl, but our Maddie is a tomboy and loves it. Join Maddie as her world is about to flip end over end with one re-occuring dream, a boys kiss and a book. "Menagerie of Mystery & Mayhem' is book one in this new YA series and is appropriate for readers 13+. It contains magic, mythical creatures and the paranormal. Exclusive to Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing.
The ReviewThis is a great introduction to a wonderful series, I cannot wait for part 2, I was not sure whether I would like this or not as it was YA and I am an adult, but I got stuck in and absolutely loved it, I love how Rue writes, she pulls you in from the very beginning, I have been hooked in big time, I could not put it down, I loved Maddie she was full of life and nothing upset her, she took to new environments with ease, I wish I was a muse that is all I will say, I really don’t want to spoil it so will keep my lips sealed, I would highly recommend this to anyone, it’s YA so my daughter has it for next on her list of books to read, definitely 5/5 


Ebook: Whimsical whatnots and whodidits (Maddie Maze, #2)Author: Rue VolleyFiction, Paranormal,This review may contain spoilersSummary: Join Maddie Maze once again as she navigates this new world of magik and tries to figure which way is up and which way is down. Maddie wakes on the Isle of Ely as she is greeted by magical creatures and a boy named Addison who is more than what he seems. Addison escorts Maddie on the next leg of her incredible adventure that is sure to entertain and delight you. Mysteries unfold and new ones are created as book two dives deeper into the mystical world of Maddie Maze.The ReviewMaddie’s baaaaaack, Woo Hoo, I loved the first one and this one was so much better, in parts it reminded me of the way Roald Dahl wrote his books, I love Roald Dahl, he is a genius, Rue is definitely following in his footsteps, whether she likes it or not, pure genius, she weaves you in to her magical world, I love all the characters in this book especially Addison, he was a strong character on the Isle of Ely, I was a little upset with the ending, Why Rue? I need more, that was just too much of an ending, we all love cliff hangers, but Please how long before we see book 3, gonna get it for my daughter, she loved the first and she will love this, 6/5  

My review of Loving the Rain by Jeff Laferney from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Loving the Rain
Author: Jeff Laferney
Fiction,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Mind powers are to be kept unused and secret. At least that’s what Clay Thomas believes until a determined rival from his past enters his life, seeking revenge. When Clay discovers that his athletic son has his own mind powers, they set out together to undo consequences from Clay’s past and to put an end to Jack Harding’s plans. As his enemy closes in and Clay and Tanner’s powers grow, Clay is forced to choose between protecting his secrets and protecting those he loves most. Loving the Rain is a suspenseful story about an exceptional man forced to face the choices of his past and the extraordinary love and forgiveness that finally offer him peace from a lifetime of secrecy.
The ReviewWell, what can I say, I really enjoyed this book, To be perfectly honest with you, I thought I would hate it, I am not a huge fan of sports, especially sports I don’t know, (I know that’s most of them, lol you can stop laughing now) but I learnt a lot from Jeff about the all American games in this book, Jeff really opened up my mind to reading sport, Thankyou that will make my hubby very happy. I wouldn’t say there was much in the way of paranormal going on in this book as Clay spent more time trying to stop Tanner making the same mistakes he had made in his past, but there was some psychic abilities going on, which was nice especially interspersed with the sports games that were being played,  I really loved how Clay focused a lot on what he had used his abilities for and the damage it had done in the past and why he didn’t want Tanner going down the same road, this is what made the book for me, the worry, that every parent goes through made 20 times worse because it constantly makes you feel guilty and he didn’t want his son going through that, Jeff wrote those parts really well. Jessie (Tanner’s mum) had a true friend in Carlee, she went above and beyond for a friend to look out for them, I loved her cousin, although I don’t think he starts out as a nice character but Pete Piggot really came through in the end, Well done Pete. I cannot believe that Clay went through what he did with Jessie, but MY GOD, Why did you have to make me cry, I won’t say because I don’t want to spoil it for everyone, but all that have read it will know exactly what I am talking about, right, so sad, make sure you have tissues ready, I wasn’t prepared and lay there in my bed trying to keep my snivelling quiet as my hubby was asleep next to me. This is a great read and I would highly recommend this book to everyone, I would give this book 4/5, I can’t wait to get stuck into Skeleton Key the next book by Jeff LaFerney 
Jeff can be found here http://jefflaferney.blogspot.com/

My review of Learn to Love me by Sinead MacDughlas from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Learn to Love Me
Author: Sinead MacDughlas
Fiction, Thriller
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Despite her secret past, Emily O'Shea was finally living a normal life. There had been some arguments with her husband, Trevor, lately, but no marriage is perfect. At least the column she writes for the local paper is going well...that is, until one of her interviewees goes missing, and a monster from her past resurfaces. Within a week Emily's life spins into chaos. Missing girls, a telephone stalker, murder, a monster, and an intense ex-lover; it's turning out to be one hell of a summer! Her husband is acting erratically, her boss is threatening to pull her column, and the police suspect she's the muse for a murderer. Can Emily save her marriage, her job, her life and her sanity? More importantly, are her darkest fears justified? Does Emily already know who the killer is and, if she does; can she do anything to stop them?
The ReviewWell, I was expecting not to enjoy this so much because I do love my paranormal but this was so much a thriller I was hooked and could not put it down, I felt so Sorry for Em in the beginning but I soon realized that she is a strong willed woman, who really had my respect by the end of the book, I was still guessing who had done it towards the end, I was totally shocked when he was revealed, I really did not see that coming especially with all the twists and turns in this book, if you want a great thriller that has you guessing right up to the end, then this is the one for you, I was abit upset at the ending, I was kinda hoping for a different ending but Em had her reasons, which  I could totally understand, but still she deserved someone, I would highly recommend this to all my friends, 5/5

My Review of Kallos by Khelsey Jackson from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Kallos (Kallos Series #1)
Author: Khelsey Jackson
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
I was given this book from the author for an honest review
Unfortunately this won't be available until 18th January 2013
Summary: Kallos is a shy sixteen year old girl unready to face the world, but when she meets Ian and Sean Hunter the world will open up for her. Secrets revealed are to much to bear and her past life as a goddess, unimaginable. A visit from the goddess Aphrodite, Kallos is told her soul mate must be found or her life will be forfeit. Kallos desperate to find her one true match has discovered she may have two possibilities. Kallos has a choice to make and her decisions may have life ending consequences.
The ReviewOMG, I couldn’t put this book down, I really loved the short novella and was really looking forward to this one so much, it did not fail to impress me, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea as there are God’s and Goddess’s in it, but I love me some Greek God’s, yum yum, anyway back to the review, I got so engrossed in this one, from start to finish and whoa, what an ending, does this mean she found her true soul mate, or is there more, Please say there is more, I want to keep reading this series, Come on Khelsey, she has 3 years until graduation, there has to be more , Please, Don’t let her give up on him, I loved the storyline, re-incarnation, you can’t go wrong with it in my mind, I loved that Dalia was mentioned, it made me reminisce to the short novella, which made me get all choked up, which then made me feel Sorry for the boys again, until Ian started going off the rails abit, I thought she ended up with some great powers, which really came in handy, I adore a good love story and this is a great triangle, Thankyou, I will 100% be recommending this to everyone I know, I may even give it to my daughter to read as I would say this could be a YA novel, she will love it, 5.5/5 

My review of The Bond, A paranormal Love Story by Karen Magill from Julie Newberry

Ebook: The Bond A Paranormal Love Story
Author: Karen MaGill
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
I was given this by the author for an honest review
Summary: A woman, Laura Neill, in Vancouver is struck while crossing the street. At the same time in Toronto a car also strikes Julian Rule. When both have an out of body experience, their ethereal forms bond as one before separating - each taking a part of the other's soul with them as they return to their bodies. They are truly soul mates. When he senses that she is in danger - a feeling that is confirmed by a psychic friend - Julian goes to Vancouver to come to her aid. With the help of a detective, Julian is able to prove that Laura's fianc is a con artist and a murderer. When Julian confronts the man, he and Laura are placed in imminent danger.
The ReviewI love this one, the fact that the writer has written it from different perspectives and not just the one, is great, it kept you on your toes throughout, The characters were well written, all of them had something about them, that intrigued me, You can imagine flying in the skies meeting up with others while you are up there when you are having a near death experience, This is a beautiful romance with a small paranormal strike through the middle of it, I will be telling all my friends about it, 4.5/5

My review of Twisted by Jenny Phillips from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Twisted
Author: Jenny Phillips
Fiction, Paranormal,
I was given this by the author for an honest review
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Gianna’s life has not been easy. She’s merely counted down the days until she can leave Fort Miami, with all the stares and whispers behind. However, when her childhood friend Hunter returns, it forces her to face memories she’s tried to forget. But what memories are real and which ones are that of an eight year olds imagination?Hunter doesn’t remember anything from that horrific night. Can Gianna trust someone who seems to have forgotten her once before? Can she put the pieces of that night together before it’s too late and she loses everyone she loves, even if that means believing in something that she’s only faced in her nightmares?Twisted is the first instalment in A Twisted Fairy Tale Novella Series
The ReviewOMG, this had me on the edge of my seat or rather bed, I couldn’t put it down, I stayed up to finish it, there were some real nailbiting moments, what a cliffhanger ending, I am really looking forward to Distorted part 2 in the series, I wanna know what happens, you can’t leave us hanging too long Please Jenny.I love how Hunter and Gianna have found each other again when he returns to town, the fact that he still has not changed towards her, even though the whole town,  see’s her as weird, after the incident that ended with Hunter being moved away. This book was very well written, I love how we hear Hunter’s perspective at one point, The characters were very well written,  I loved the dynamic between the cousins, Who was the woman in the cottage? Did she die? will she return in book 2? What was the green flash? Was it a spell or something else? I have no problem letting my daughter read this, infact I think she would enjoy it, alot, 6/5

My review of Vengeance of the Werewolf by Mercedes Ludill from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Vengeance of the Werewolf
Author: Mercedes Ludill
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Werewolves are living in town. Some are good, some are bad, some are really bad. Vengeance of the Werewolf is filled with suspense of the hunt for the werewolf, explicit sexual situations, gore as only werewolves can inspire. This book isn't intended for younger readers as it is rated R. Wolfcreek's werewolves are raw, dangerous, compassionate, vengeful, vicious, and human. There are no mad beasts here, these monsters know exactly what they are doing as they retain their human control when in beast form.This book is horror, thriller, and suspense, not to be confused with werewolf romance or erotica.
The ReviewFirstly, this is a warning to all out there, who want a romance novel, this is not for you, This is a very graphic novel, that had me hooked from the start, I only usually read romance or erotica, but I was asked to review this, thought I would try it, I like trying new things. Infact I loved this one, If you like your werewolves mean & nasty then this is the one for you, There was a little comic relief now and again by Randy and Ted, two of the main characters, but there were so many characters in this book,  our main character was  Lanny, the local police sheriff, who takes control of a lot of the situations in the book, All the characters are very well written, everything is written very descriptively, which made me feel a little queasy in some of the situations, but I think that is what the writer wanted, I enjoyed reading the Epilogue and would be intrigued to know if there were any signs of a series coming from this book, I would highly recommend this to those who like horror style writing, 4.5/5.

A Flawed Hero by J.M. Kelley

A flawed hero is a necessity for me as a writer. I’m obsessed with figuring out why a person acts the way they do, and the best way to do so is to take a good, long look at their shortcomings. What’s the reasoning behind the less than charming behavior? Is the person just unlikeable, or is there a story there? What happened to him to make him this way?

When I open a book, and I see a hero who always says the right thing, always does the right thing, and does it without even breaking a sweat, I tend to lose interest. Fast. Perfection is overrated. I want to see the hero say the wrong thing. I want him to make the wrong choice. I want to see him work for his goal, and step outside of his comfort zone in order to meet his goals, whatever they may be. I want inner turmoil! I want secret angst!

I like a hero with a haunted past. One who has to overcome loss and pain to be happy again. I need him to challenge his own fears and overcome his self-imposed limitations to win the heart of the heroine. I want him to realize that the heroine means enough to him that he’s willing to risk losing it all just to try to have her in his life.

Flaws don’t always have to be dramatic, though. They just have to be…interesting. So, the challenge, as a writer, is to mix it up. Find different ways to make the hero imperfect, but in an imperfectly interesting way.

In Drew in Blue, the most common comment I receive from readers is, “At first, I didn’t really like Drew, but then he started to grow on me. “ That’s exactly what I want readers to think, too. Drew is an emotionally stunted slacker who needs a kick in the pants to become the man he evolves into at the end of the novel. And what better kick in the pants than dropping a baby into the poor guy’s lap? The journey from beginning to end would be a little boring if he was a noble, perfect guy at the very start. The fun is watching the evolution. The struggle to be better. The desire to be the father his son deserves. The realization that his life will never be whole if he doesn’t risk opening his heart to others.

Sometimes, however, the hero doesn’t have to move from flawed to golden to make the character interesting. In my short story Siren Song, included in the Foreign Affairs Anthology, the hero Declan is a boisterous Irishman who likes his drink, and likes to speak his mind—a combination that sometimes earns him a swift punch in the nose. But underneath the bluster, Declan is a good guy. He’s forthright and wears his heart on his sleeve. Once Lorelei, the heroine, walks into his life, his only goal is to find his way into her heart. Not an easy task, considering the woman’s own set of unique flaws. Without pairing the flaws with the more noble aspects of his personality, there wouldn’t be much of a story to invest in.

And in Daddy’s Girl, my novel due out in January of 2013, the hero, David, is well…quite the nerd. Sure, he’s handsome, in a roundabout way, but it’s hard for the heroine, Janie, to focus on his good points when he’s prone to correcting her grammar and oblivious to the fact that pocket protectors aren’t the height of fashion. But aside from those moments of geekness that leave poor Janie slapping her forehead in exasperation, David is another guy with a heart of gold. It isn’t dashing good looks or endless wit and charm that catch Janie’s eye. It’s his devotion to her ailing father that makes him interesting. The motivation behind that is where the story lies, not in creating a romantic hero with abs of steel.

So, there you have it. What I crave in the perfect romance novel hero is an imperfect romance novel hero. A tortured soul, a hopeless social leper, a man whose tongue is always two steps ahead of his brain. Give me any of those, and I’m a happy camper. What I’d love to know is, what makes your heart go pitter-patter about your romance novel heroes? What do you crave in an imaginary man?




For more on J.M. Kelley and her writing, please visit www.jmkelleywrites.com

My review of Daring to Trust by Trisha Wilson from Julie Newberry

Ebook: Daring to trust, (Indigo Girls:#1
Author: Trisha Wilson
Fiction,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Julia Turner, a second grade teacher, hasn't seen or heard from her husband in four years. When he suddenly shows up, how can she trust him not to leave again? Mark has always been at the back of Julia's mind and the center of her heart, no matter how hard she tried to forget him. After seeing him again, she has to decide whether to give him another chance as her heart wants her to do...or let him go once and for all.Mark Turner, an undercover cop, would always regret leaving Julia the way he had. After a near-death experience, he realized life wasn't worth living without her in it. He just hoped he wasn't too late. Would he be able to get her to open herself up to him again? He had to try to win his wife back. Would she ever dare trust him again? Or will an enemy from Mark's work separate them for good?(This is Book 1 of the series: Indigo Girls. Will Julia, Ellen, Jae and Abby find love? Join them as they face obstacles and frustrations, laughter and celebrations. Will their bond grow stronger...or will a secret from the past destroy the friendships they hold dear?
ReviewI enjoyed this book, it is the first in the Indigo Girls series, where best friends, Julia, Ellen, Jae and Abby each have their own stories, I am looking forward to all the other girls stories, but this one is about Julia, although I felt this one was more about Mark, the supposed hero in this story, who is Julia’s husband, there was some references to Julia and her side of the story, but I felt that most of the storyline was about Mark and his feelings for her and his troubles at work, which was a shame as I would have loved to have learnt more about how she struggled on after Mark left, I just think that Mark was a bit of a jerk really, what kind of man leaves his wife after she has lost their baby, he disappears from the face of the earth, it’s great that we learn he has been just spending his time at work, but what kind of man is he to do that in the first place, I know everyone deals with those sad occasions differently, but he was just all wrong, his one saving grace was that he was a police officer on a drug squad, which led to another problem, the storyline mentions a mole at the office, but this then led nowhere, did they find the mole? Was it someone close to him or will that little titbit be showing up in the other girls stories? Anyway enough of my rant, The story was good, the fact that Julia had her family and friends to support her was great, I just can’t believe that she would take him back, I know love conquers all but he would have had to do some serious grovelling to get me back, after doing that to me.  I did genuinely enjoy this book, the drama of the kidnapping, the fact that Julia had a family willing to stand up for her when Mark came back on the scene, I loved Julia’s father, he was always in there ready to sort Mark out, he is the epitome of what a father should be like when someone hurts his baby girl, The bad guy Big John, seemed to have a real jones for Mark, which was scary, but this just brought Julia and Mark closer together which was great for the happy ending, I thought the story was well written, I would recommend this book to anyone who really likes happy endings, for me I would have preferred to have seen them have a baby, that would have finished the story for me, as that is why they fell apart in the first place, it just would have made a fantastic ending, the story would have been complete, for me anyway, that is just my opinion, hopefully as the girls are such good friends, maybe there will be a mention in the rest of the series, I would give this book 3/5,  I am Sorry it’s not more,