A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 83

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

     Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh is the first book I ever won on Goodreads.com.  It's the one that set me off on my epic adventure of book winning and first book given me for review.  So let's take a peek at the cover first.

     It's pretty- not too bright and focuses on the lead character, Eleanor Hawke.  She runs the periodical, Hawke's Eye and tells of all the gossip in London.  She's a woman ahead of her time in London's 1800's.  The cover fits the story because she's actually drawn into the life she speaks so harshly about. 

     The story tells of how she's invited into Daniel Balfour's world- something she's longed to get into her paper, but in doing so, she'd be putting someone's life in danger - not to mention her own!  As Daniel tries to get her to focus on his life, without giving away his own dark secrets, he's got an agenda as well.  AND, of course, he falls for the lovely Eleanore en route!

     This book was pleasant but just not enough for me.  I would have loved if Balfour's world had been filled with vampires or- I don't know, magic or something?  It was a good book and I enjoyed it but I'm not a pure, romantic sorta gal and the promise of scandal isn't enough. 

     You may love this one- so check it out.  I'm off to another book!  

To Catch A Book Cover Model, by Joey Pinkney

     Here's a short story by an author I enjoy rather well.  To Catch A Book Cover Model by Joey Pinkney is about Marcello's goal to meet and received the autograph of his long-time Urban Fictional Author, Jai Brown.  He's goes through searching, with fail, for his copy of Jai Brown's novel, Hoodrat with the Good Cat , being late because his best friend DIDN'T fill the gas tank after using his car, picking up his girlfriend and so much more! 

     In a nutshell, it's the story of my husband's life but with my goal: to meet my favor author!  I laughed through the entire story, with a  few "Ooo's" and "Oh no's"!  The story is cute and annoying, but one that ended with a smile.  You have to like shorts like this one.

     I am so honored Mr. Pinkney picked me to read this- I'm a fan!

The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue

     When I read the the synopsis of this story, I was totally interested!  The title alone makes you think it's going to be a horrific tale.  Okay, people use the word 'gothic' now... but I found this book nothing of the sort.  I decided to do this review differently.  I posted my thoughts While Reading and when Completed Reading, to provide an honest review.

While Reading Review: :  I am currently depressed with this book!  The characters are delicately explained and you can almost relate to them... except for Jip, or Jack Peter, the boy the story is about.  

     The story is so dire, glum and heavy, you almost want to throw the book and run into a field of daisies and sunshine, spinning to "The Sound of Music".  The story is a life of problems and now you've got monstrous sightings, counseling sessions and a boy who can behave like a brat outta Hades!  If I had to rate the story now, It would be two specs. Completed Reading Review:   When I finished this book, I felt exhausted.  This book made absolutely no sense for me and then when I finally figured out what took place between Nick and Jack Peter, I was like, "Oh, I knew it!"  But honestly, I didn't even care!  This story was a drag, man!  It was slow, over-loaded with way too much detail and dead activity.  Tim and Holly were boring because they were ALWAYS at odds and Nick's parents... I'm not even touching them.  

     I was so let down by this book, I was almost at odds on putting it back on my shelf!  It was nothing I'd imagined and the title is a big Whomp!  LOL  You may enjoy Keith Donohue's form of intrigue, but for me, The Boy Who Drew Monsters is a sleeper and only held my interest out of obligation.  
​     Probably won't even touch it again.  On to the next book.  

Alyscrai (Book 1: The Looking Glass of Souls) by D. H. Aidan

     Everybody loves mysterious tales of diluted faith, steampunk and a youth on a mission, right?  This book, The Alyscrai by D. H. Aidan, has all of that and then some!  I enjoyed it with a tasty cup of chai tea latte.

​     So let's begin with the cover:  It was made by the author himself.  It's colorful and fits the theme of the story.  That's what counts and what I like in a story.

​     Now as for the story- I have to admit, the beginning had me confused for a bit.  The first chapter speak of the Queen of Heaven and rites that must not be seen before a certain time and b being of age.  Then we go from Alysseren running away from the very thing she wanted most!  I wasn't too sure what to think, but I pressed on.  If found the Alyscrai a tough but intriguing read.  

     I went from reading about a naive girl who wanted more to wanting to her running from it all in practically the same chapter!  She also ended up in a nice little triangle of the heart, which really isn't my thing but didn't hurt the story one bit.  I found the quirks most interesting- especially the War Machines!  The story pulls you in with a fast paced tale that showered you in both good vs. evil, peace vs. destruction and order against confusion!  

     With a creative blend of Alice in Wonderland and War of the Worlds with the bulbous, tripedilism styled machines, I was  
      caught up instantly!  You have no clue what's coming until it happens with Aidan's style of storytelling.  You just get a good story!

     An example is the introduction of characters.  When the story starts, something huge is taking place.  You don't know what the heck it is and all these titles, rituals and such are described and you can't figure a thing- other than: It's faith-based.  I hadn't the faintest idea about it all, but I was able to envision it all.  It was just sorta odd how the author just threw me into the story any forethought.  It didn't hurt though, because I suddenly found myself engrossed in the story.  

     From near hits with the Queen to dream walking- it was all an adventure.  AND then to hear Alysseren say, "I'm late, I'm late..."  that was just classic!  Check out the first book in the Looking Glass of Souls series!  I'm on to a new book!

Play for Me by Celine Keating

     Play for Me by Celine Keating is a touching story of a mother in need of re-creating herself.  Once her son left for college, her entire life and identity went away too.  After going to a concert with her son, she found her purpose.  It was to follow her heart and vicariously live through the experience.  But it put a strain on her life, her marriage and her security.

     When I first received this book, Mrs. Keating thought I wouldn't be interested in the tale.  Boy was she wrong.  This story was beautiful!   Being a homeschooling housewife, I know what it's like to be consumed with concerned of the family that I become lost- almost non-existent.  I was able to relate to Lily to a point.  

     This story did not disappoint and I truly loved the ending.  If you are looking for a mature story that brings emotions to the forefront, along with a strong sense of adventure, check out Play for Me.  You won't regret it.  

Midnight Comes With The Dawn: The Vampyir Plague by Darlene Burns

     There's a new take on just about everything now and this book is no different.  Well, let me take that back- this is different.  Very different and I enjoyed it!

     Darlene Burns, the author of Midnight Comes With the Dawn, took the vampire in a direction that reminded me of two movies, but still stood strong on its own.  There was originality, as far as a vampire story can go, but there was an inner strength that made me LOVE the tale!

     Midnight, the name she goes by is Queen.  She was purposefully created with a destiny and she's all about the biz, but there's something happening to the world, above and below.  Humans are dying of a virus, that's now pandemic.  Vampires, who are normally immune are now caught up in the plague, killing prey and predators alike.

     I loved this book.  It was also nice to see a strong, feminine lead, even if she played both protagonist and antagonist.  Katrine had ghosts to fight and the chapters taking us back then forward helped to clarify those issues.  The action was detailed and the storyline was on point.

     I did find a few errors there but all in all this is an awesome story.  I love the taking of something very old and snapping a new style to it and I am really looking forward to what Burns has next.  Check out Midnight comes With The Dawn- available at Amazon.com!

Cats In Paris, A Magical Coloring Book by Won-Sun Jang

     Coloring books have always been the craze, but now adults have their own books to play in.  Adults can now place their own style into coloring without worrying if they go outside of the lines- when we mess up, it ADDS to the art, not ruin it!    I enjoyed this book too, but I have to admit, it wasn't quite like my other coloring books.       Some of the drawings were so basic- I couldn't understand how critics gave Won-Sun Jang so mmuch hype.  To me, my son could have created a couple of the cat scenes.  I'm not going to lie though- I enjoyed coloring in it.  :)  It was still very cute- just not as detailed or as enchanting as some of the other coloring books I've colored in or have observed.  As you can see in the video, they're adorable, but there seemed to be a lot missing.

     Cats in Paris, A Magical Coloring Book, I hate to say, isn't as magical as 'they' made it to be.  It's basic and for an adult book, it felt rather elementary.  The photos weren't aesthetic and thought I did love a few pages, I will pass it on to my Ewoks.  Maybe next time! Rating:  

The Melting Dead by Doug Lamaroux

      This one was my fault.  It didn't come from the author or a publishing group/company.  I saw the cover on Amazon.com and thought, "Hmm... this may be good, Alyssa."  Boy was I wrong.  Guess what guys!  I didn't even finish the book.

     As with many authors today, The Melting Dead by Doug Lamoreux is a new take on a old idea.  These aren't so much zombies as they're alive yet dying, simply mutated by something I won't tell you about because what?  I don't give SPOILERS!  So with that, I snatched the book and added it to my Kindle for a read.  

     TMD is very slow.  When I last read the book, I was about 36% into the tale and there'd only been one bout of serious action.  The rest was jibber-jabber to me.  The author introduced character after character and NONE of them held my interest!  They were one dimensional...

      One character, Angela- a theater directer, was the most annoying!  She constantly rattled off movie titles, and references (which shoulda been pretty cool) for either no apparent reason or when she felt the situation deserved... a title?  A definition to what was happening?  I don't know, but I always knew when the next chapter would be  ​   from her perspective because the first thing stated was a title of a movie or book!  Ugh... she was irking my spirit!  Yes a fictitious character irked me.  I think I got to page 74 out of 241 and just called it quits.  Other than the slow story, it was Angela who made me delete the book from my Kindle app.  I need more man,  and this book just was not putting out.  

     It's a silly story set in the backwoods- trying to be both mysterious and funny.  I wasn't much entertained and kept trying to wade my way through, like being caught in quicksand... until I succumbed to watery depths.  Honestly, I almost melted as I wrote this, but wound up eating the book just to stay alive!  
​     On to the next one!

Loonies by Gregory Bastianelli

     If you like mystery, here's one for you!  It's strange a story, written so well, I expected a bit of paranormal activity to be added in.

​     The story is about Brian Keays and his wife Darcie.  They moved to a small town and purchased a house that held a secret.  The secret, tucked away inside a trunk in their attic sets off a chain of events puts everyone on edge, especially Brian.  Working with the sheriff and a set of clues, given by an anonymous giver called, The Silhouette, the reporter in Brian is determined to conclude the mystery.

     Loonies, by Gregory Bastianelli is a captivating thriller. There are quirky characters with funny names and strange situations that keep you interested.  The mystery itself is enthralling and you never find yourself bored.  There are many variables but when they're put together, you see the pictures, plain as day.  I really enjoyed it.

     I  wasn't sure how to rate this story at first; I'm not a huge mystery fan, but I think I rated it fair.  If you love mystery- check out Loonies!  I'm off! 

Apparition by Michaelbrent Collings

     I received Apparition free, via one of my emails that offer up Kindle books.  I jumped on this book for the book cover alone- you know me!  Anyway, I couldn't tell what was in the creature's mouth at first, but once you turn a few pages, you get a really good view: roaches!  I'm horrified of them and so what did I do?  I read the book.

     Michaelbrent Collings is a man who writes dark fiction.  He runs with a concept and makes it creepy as heck, regardless of the innocence!  In Apparition, he took a parental fear and created horror to a terrifying  level.  One I tried to run with, but I couldn't take it.  I don't remember how far in I got, but this book truly classifies as horrific: It both scared and bored me to death.

     Before I go into the actual review, I have to say- you know I love book covers.  I can repeatedly look to a book's cover throughout the story and piece the images to the storyline and marvel in it.  But when a cover is original- I'm entranced.  This book cover, though supernatural, is not original.  I saw this same, ghostly face on another person's book cover, minus the mouthful of cockroaches.  How much suck is that?  If you're going to use stock images, make sure you buy the rights or someone else will have your picture too.  This is why I detest that one images of a redbrick road, surrounded by winding trees that reach across the cover.  You know the one!  Okay, rant completed.  

     The Apparition's story grew weary- there were too many words!  I truly believe the author wanted to place the reader into the shoes of the ones enduring the worry, pain and fear, but it was too much for me.  I also do not like how in-depth he tried to go with the roach fear and the other fear- of which I will not mention because it would give SPOILERS!

     Then there was the darkness.  The story was spooky, because it played on two serious fears of mine.  So much so, I did not finish the book.  So that's good, right?  Anytime a book creeps you out so much, you have to put it down, the author accomplished a goal and created a horror story.  I've never felt that way about a book before.  EVER.  Sadly, it couldn't keep me as a happy reader.  I put the book down a few times before finally shouting to the BiblioGods that I'd failed them and moved on..  If you like supernatural, psychotic rampages by those who love you, this book is what you're.  Unfortunately, I am not.  On to the next book!