Andrea Murray's Blog: Author of the Vivid Trilogy and Omni, page 10
May 4, 2014
Review of The Professional by Kresley Cole
OH MY! Kresely Cole, you should have done this a long time ago! This novel was shocking and exciting in that way that makes you think “I shouldn’t be enjoying this.” Think Fifty Shades but better written and WAY less thesaurically- frustrating! With scenes that would make the Marquis de Sade proud, this novel made me blush and wonder at my enjoyment at the same time. If one enjoys a BDSM novel, does that mean there is something wrong with said one? Hmm . . . At any rate, I’m a huge Kresley Cole fan, and I wasn’t disappointed with her foray into this genre. (Let’s call it naughty romance. That sounds much less harmless than bondage eroticism, don’t you think?)
Yes, the story was cliché at times—orphan learns of her ultra-rich father who happens to be a mafiya magnate with a heart of gold and a mansion to match only to fall for his privlekatel'nyy (Russian for attractive, I hope) enforcer with the damaged psyche and more baggage than Louis Vuitton. And yes, there’s not a lot of depth to the backstory, but who cares?! The novel pulled me in from page one, and I couldn’t devour it fast enough!
I loved this novel, and I can’t wait to learn about the other Sevastyan brothers, which is where I assume the series is headed. But readers beware. This is not a stroll-through-the-park romance. It’s dark and very twisted at times, but if you enjoy kink with a touch of romance, you’ll not be disappointed.
4.5 Stars
April 27, 2014
Book Review: Pressed Pennies
2 stars
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Nostalgic versus exciting. Can a novel be both? By its very definition, nostalgia involves a feeling related to the past. Because an event happened in the past, does that mean it has lost its pizzazz, the spark that made the thing worth retelling in the first place? Of course not! That’s ridiculous, and yet with this novel, I felt I had to choose between excitement and nostalgia. It was very flat for me and lacked any real conflict. At times, it had that great Wonder Years feel, but without the tension, it was slow and just kind of blah.
Rick and Abby seemed overly sweet and spent the whole novel telling each other how beautiful and amazing they are. Paige provided what little conflict there was in the form of bratty angst. I was beyond frustrated with Abby’s pacifying of her eight-year-old and giving her expensive parties and shopping trips. It lacked realism. Not only did Paige need more by way of discipline than a few harsh looks, but their whole lifestyle seemed unrealistic. Abby is a single mother with what amounts to a drunken ex-husband, and when she moves, she has no job, but she buys a ton of camping equipment, rents Paige and her friends a limo, and takes her daughter to the mall. I have close friends and relatives who’ve experienced divorce, and while I may not have been a participant, I most definitely had ring-side seats. I didn’t feel the gritty pain of a new divorcee as I should have.
The pacing felt strange, too. The author has some really beautiful writing, but the setting descriptions went long. It seemed to take longer to describe the scenery sometimes than to relay the dialogue occurring there. A description of a city street at Christmas was paragraphs long, but we skip to spring in one sentence. Events that seemed ripe for tension (like Paige being hit by a drunk driver) were flat with a Brady Bunch, everything-works-out-in-thirty-minutes feel.
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Nostalgic versus exciting. Can a novel be both? By its very definition, nostalgia involves a feeling related to the past. Because an event happened in the past, does that mean it has lost its pizzazz, the spark that made the thing worth retelling in the first place? Of course not! That’s ridiculous, and yet with this novel, I felt I had to choose between excitement and nostalgia. It was very flat for me and lacked any real conflict. At times, it had that great Wonder Years feel, but without the tension, it was slow and just kind of blah.
Rick and Abby seemed overly sweet and spent the whole novel telling each other how beautiful and amazing they are. Paige provided what little conflict there was in the form of bratty angst. I was beyond frustrated with Abby’s pacifying of her eight-year-old and giving her expensive parties and shopping trips. It lacked realism. Not only did Paige need more by way of discipline than a few harsh looks, but their whole lifestyle seemed unrealistic. Abby is a single mother with what amounts to a drunken ex-husband, and when she moves, she has no job, but she buys a ton of camping equipment, rents Paige and her friends a limo, and takes her daughter to the mall. I have close friends and relatives who’ve experienced divorce, and while I may not have been a participant, I most definitely had ring-side seats. I didn’t feel the gritty pain of a new divorcee as I should have.
The pacing felt strange, too. The author has some really beautiful writing, but the setting descriptions went long. It seemed to take longer to describe the scenery sometimes than to relay the dialogue occurring there. A description of a city street at Christmas was paragraphs long, but we skip to spring in one sentence. Events that seemed ripe for tension (like Paige being hit by a drunk driver) were flat with a Brady Bunch, everything-works-out-in-thirty-minutes feel.
Omni is now a paperback!
Omni is now available in paperback form on Createspace and will soon be out in the world on other book sites like Amazon! I'm so excited; thank you to everyone who ever read it (even the ones who hated it). You guys have helped get me to this point.
https://www.createspace.com/4728339?r...
https://www.createspace.com/4728339?r...
March 30, 2014
OMNI is a runner-up in ABOUT THE BOOK
Omni was chosen a runner-up in the About the Book Competition on Book Country. Penguin copy writer, Carly Hoogendyk, chose Omni as a runner-up and critiqued my copy. Thank you, Book Country!
http://blog.bookcountry.com/about-the...
http://blog.bookcountry.com/about-the...
March 21, 2014
Book Review: Pulled Beneath by Marni Mann
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Pulled Beneath surprised me. Typically, I don’t choose this kind of book for myself. The whole broken promises, secrets better left alone, and find a way to forget thing hits a little close to home for me, but this one, this one definitely “pulled” me in. I identified with Drew in a way that surprised me. Though I’ve not lost a parent (thankfully), I have suffered the shock that comes along with discovering a truth that changed my life, who I am, and how I see myself, and even while I couldn’t empathize with her escape mechanism, I understand the need to find . . . something to numb the confusion and, in the process, find yourself. The love story was beautiful, not just because of Saint’s description—although that was quite appealing—but because he is just as broken and lost as she. By searching for truth, she manages to rescue them both.
I did, however, get a little tired of Drew’s indecision, but that is only a difference in personality. She spent so many wasted hours thinking about her past instead of searching for the proof that rested within her grasp. I also began to skim her swimming sessions because they became a lengthy trudge through the same waters of indecision each time. I also found it hard to believe that someone as close to her mother would know nothing of her mother’s past. Drew seems to have had an intense relationship with her mother, a mother who confesses her devotion to her child through letters Drew discovers, yet she disclosed little to nothing of her past? But that didn’t dampen my overall enjoyment of the novel.
4 stars
March 20, 2014
Round 3 of the Ultimate Fantasy Book Cover Competition
Omni is now in the top 5!!!
Please vote for me.
http://www.ultimatefantasybooks.com/b...
Click on "voting poll" the select number one and click "vote." THANK YOU!!!!
Please vote for me.
http://www.ultimatefantasybooks.com/b...
Click on "voting poll" the select number one and click "vote." THANK YOU!!!!
March 12, 2014
Number 3 in the Ultimate Fantasy Book Cover
Omni is number 3 in the Ultimate Fantasy Book Cover competition! Please vote for me.
http://www.ultimatefantasybooks.com/b...
http://www.ultimatefantasybooks.com/b...
March 5, 2014
March 3, 2014
Blog Tour
My blog tour begins today. My first stop is Chick Lit Plus.
http://chicklitplus.com/clp-blog-tour...
http://chicklitplus.com/clp-blog-tour...
