Kristi Cramer's Blog: Bounded in a Nutshell, page 2

Review of Old Dog, New Tricks by Vivienne Savage

This is my new favorite Wild Operatives book - I love a good redemption story, and Lyle is very deserving of his own happy ending. You don't have to have read any of the other books in the series, but it helps to get a bead on some of the other characters in the town of Quickdraw.

There is a great plot here, with new starts and second chances, promises kept and boundaries crossed in the name of love. It is fun to see Lyle develop into a sexy beast when his character before was anything but - and his transformation was (for me, anyway) totally believable. I had always loved and admired his loyalty even as a dirtbag criminal, and I love that Vivienne decided to give him his own book. Dr. Julia is a no nonsense genius. She knows what she wants, from creating cutting edge artificial limbs to giving in to temptation with her patient. Their struggle to reconcile their romance across the wrong side of the tracks is sweet to witness.

As always, the characters are well drawn, the plot engaging, and the happy-ever-after is sweet. If you like a sweet but super sexy paranormal romance, you'll love Old Dog, New Tricks. I'd give it an R rating for sexual situations and some profanity.

Insta-Freebie Giveaway - Get 11 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books FREE while the promo lasts

11 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books for F R E E

I teamed up with 10 other great authors to giveaway 11 free ebooks in the Fantasy & Sci-Fi genre. These books are suitable for ages 14-114.
Click the link, then download any and all book(s) you want. GET BOOKS
This is your chance to learn about authors who may be new to you, by getting their books for F R E E!The Treemakers by Christina L. RozelleThe Weeds Within the Rulership by Emily Martha SorensenFeyland by Anthea SharpSoul Survivor by Susan FawFeral by Laxmi HariharanA Mortal Song by Megan CreweThe Ex-Pacifist by Sarah K. L. WilsonWhisper Gatherers by Nicola McDonaghA Cornonation of Kings by S. C. StokesThe Last Seeker by Fleur Camachoand if you haven't already downloaded it,A True Prince by Kristi L. Cramer



In other news:I'm going to reboot my Suspense series with new covers and blurbs in an effort to be more clear about what kind of books they are."What are they?" you ask. They are edge of your seat Suspense books featuring characters connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas.There is a dash of romance, but action is the focus.(They are also "clean" - suitable for readers as young as 16.)So, stay tuned for more information as the revelation of new covers get closer.Or, take a peek at my website to learn more about them now.http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/boys-of-syracuse

Review of The Last Seeker by Fleur Camacho

An interesting read. I loved the characterization of the kids in this book. Tristen as the klutzy, awkward teen who has trouble focusing on what he's "supposed" to be focusing on, and who is dealing with a lot of trauma in his home life. Ailey is a sweetheart, as is her boyfriend Brooks, for befriending Tristen and treating him well despite his awkwardness. I thought Isolda was a typical teenage princess, impatient and confused by Tristen's waffling.

The time travel was cool , and I liked seeing An interesting read. I loved the characterization of the kids in this book. Tristen as the klutzy, awkward teen who has trouble focusing on what he's "supposed" to be focusing on, and who is dealing with a lot of trauma in his home life. Ailey is a sweetheart, as is her boyfriend Brooks, for befriending Tristen and treating him well despite his awkwardness. I thought Isolda was a typical teenage princess, impatient and confused by Tristen's waffling.

The time travel was cool , and I liked seeing the trio work together to adjust and make themselves useful. Without giving anything more away, I thought things progressed well to the resolution - such as it was. This is definitely a first installment of a serialized story, so there are things that are not resolved in this book. But I'd say the main arc of this story is complete, and there is enough left open to interest a reader in coming back for the next installment.

What I didn't like: a little too much time spent on the angsty teenager stuff for my taste. It is character building, but it just goes on a bit too long. I also didn't get a good sense of how much time was passing after they return to the "present" and some family drama happens that causes Tristen to withdraw from his friends. It read like months and months pass, but I got the impression it was maybe a couple weeks, really? Not clear, and I found that distracting.

The other thing may yet come into play in future books, but I kept expecting some reference to the original Tristan and Isolde - like maybe their souls were tied to the ancient lovers or something. I found it a bit distracting that no one even acknowledged that their names mirrored those of the storied lovers. It's a small quibble, but I can't help thinking their names are not an accident, and I kept waiting for that confirmation.

Finally, the writing was a tad stilted in places. Quite engaging overall, and I was definitely drawn into the story, but in some places the writing just banged out with little grace. Not like there were tons of errors - in fact I only marked a few - it mostly gave the impression that the author might not be a native English speaker. It was just a little distracting in places.

I believe I will seek out (pun intended) the second book in the series. This one was definitely worth my time. I would give it a PG-13 rating for (mostly) implied violence, and dramatic treatment of battles.

Review of Curses, by Calvin Dean

Lovable retiree seeks girlfriend with a pulse. Fun ensues.

What a funny little story. Gets total props for originality in my book. It's like Inspector Cluseau or Barney Fife meets the Ghost Whisperer. Martin is a retiree with a haunting problem, and he is bound and determined to deal with it...as long as his girlfriend - the living and breathing one, anyway - doesn't have him committed first.

I found the story to be more of a comedy, although there were a couple eerie scenes, and even some touching scenes. Martin's bumbling efforts to conceal his "it's complicated" status from his neighbor (who he just so happens to believe is the love of his life) are enjoyably comical. I got the greatest visual of the man going about his days, dealing with some truly trying ghosts.

Not sure how you would categorize Curses. Maybe a cozy horror mystery? It was a definite fun break, for Halloween or any time. 

Review of Casting the First Stone by Lisa Lawmaster Hess

I won this is in a Facebook giveaway, and while it is not something I would necessarily choose to read, I thoroughly enjoyed Casting the First Stone.

It's a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, because the reader is a fly on the wall during a custody mediation that doesn't go well, and those kinds of confrontations always distress me. But the story is so compelling and well written that I was hooked. Usually I like lots of action and suspense in my reads, but despite this being "tame" by my "usual" standards, I was held in suspense wondering how it was all going to work out. 

The characters were well drawn and believable, and the conflict so well depicted, I felt fully invested in seeing things work out for these two disparate women, and for Charli, the "prize" they all were fighting for.  I found Angel to be sweet and brave, and Marita to be charming. Charli was perfect as the tween just starting to stretch her wings of rebellion. I though Jim was a jerk, and I hoped fervently that he would figure things out without hurting those around him too much.

Finally, I'm not a big fan of being preached at in books, and while the theme of church and faith was strong, it was deftly handled so that I never once felt like this was a lecture disguised as a novel. Very well done.

If you enjoy a clean, character driven read with just the right amount of angst and interpersonal struggle, you'll enjoy Casting the First Stone.

Pieces of Me by Carrigan Richards is having a FREE day! Get your copy today!

Pieces of Me is FREE today!

Pieces of Me Synopsis: One second. 
Seventeen-year-old Corinne has everything. Her life. Family. Friends. Boyfriend. But in that one second, she loses it all. Now she’s left with harrowing nightmares. Hallucinations. And panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere. She tries everything to take the pain away, but there’s only one option she sees as a true way out.

When Corinne is sent to live in a psychiatric institution, she doesn’t want to talk. It’s pointless. They can’t help her. But slowly Corinne opens up and wants to remember what it’s like to be happy so she begins reliving her past life to her doctor. She knows she can’t live in the past, but she sees no future and is faced with the hardest decision of her life.
Find My review of Pieces of Me here on the Bounded in a Nutshell blog.
Author Bio: Carrigan was born in Cullman, Alabama, but grew up in Birmingham, and moved to Atlanta at 18. She earned her BA in English at Kennesaw State University. For as long as she can remember, she was always making up stories and characters inside her head, sometimes using her dolls to act out the scenes.

When she's not writing (which is rare), she's spending time with her husband, family, and friends, listening to music, playing with her four furbabies, or cheering on her Atlanta Braves.
Pieces of Me on Amazon  
Social Media Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarriganrichardsTwitter: www.twitter.com/carrigan34Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorcarriganrichardsPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carriganrichard/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Carrigan-Richards/e/B00EDLIKRM/

Review of His & Hers by Ashley Ludwig

5 Stars ~ This was absolutely delightful! I loved everything about it. Truly a love story more than a romance, there is very little (to no) angst, beautifully developed characters, and a storyline that played off of and mirrored the old classic movies of Hollywood's Golden Age. 

What does that even mean? It means I felt like I was watching two dear friends fall in love, and it didn't need to have angst or suspense or much in the way of drama to keep me involved and turning pages. (Not saying there isn't a tiny amount of suspense, and a wee bit of drama, but for me, those elements were secondary to the love story.)

I loved Cain. A guy like him could sweep me off my feet any time. And Misty felt very real, with her insecurities - though not your typical romance insecurities. There were also some genuinely funny moments, and sweet moments, too. 

The secondary plot involving Misty's grandmother was especially sweet - but I'll say no more than that, to avoid spoilers. 

This is a true clean read - no profanity, and nothing hotter than a few kisses that were truly steamy. I just thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend to anyone who likes a sweet love story reminiscent of an old, classic movie. Nothing deep, but it still felt substantial enough to leave me satisfied. Again, like watching dear friends falling in love. I cared about and felt I knew the main characters well enough to call them friends.

What else can I say? The only critical thing I can say is that the author's style included what I consider to be incomplete sentences. Not too distracting, especially once I adapted to the style - and it was definitely style, not errors. 

Overall, very well written, enchanting characters, sweet love story on multiple levels. Definitely worth reading!

Review of Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors by H L Burke

5 Stars all the way.

This was every bit as delightful as I had hoped and expected. A light read, despite some tense happenings. A bit on the predictable side, but there were a still a couple twists, and I certainly couldn't predict the pitfalls in the house of mirrors, or the fun inventions - the kinds of elements that draw me to the steampunk genre. 
I liked Nyssa as a resourceful, smart, and compassionate heroine. I very much look forward to reading more books about her - in fact I have already purchased the next two books, and will be reading them soon. 

I'd say more about the secondary characters, but I don't want to let any spoilers slip, so let's just say that they were all well drawn and delightful, too. 

Content rating would be PG-13, for some intense situations and a bit of violence, though it's not too graphic.

Review of Fear is Louder than Words by Linda S. Glaz

This was certainly a fast paced read. I'm not sure what all to say about it that won't result in spoilers, but I'll give it a shot.

There are three almost completely distinct storylines running through this book, the only element really tying them together is Rochelle. So the reader is watching Rochelle dealing with the terror her attacker has generated in her, while she is fighting her attraction to the man who saved her, and we're watching Kyle as he progresses and escalates his hatred for Rochelle - for unknown reasons until nearly the end - and then there is Maggie and Erik and the PhD clinic.

The threads are woven together well, and kept me interested and guessing what was going to happen next. I'm happy to say there were a few things I didn't see coming, but after the fact I thought, "well of course..." Which means they were set up well, but not made out to be blatantly obvious gimmies. 

The main characters were for the most part complex and very well developed. I could totally picture Kyle as played by Giovanni Ribisi, particularly the character Gio played in The Postman. I couldn't find a good picture of that character, but this one is close. 

I worried for a little bit that his reasoning for hating Rochelle so much wouldn't be sound, but it was totally compelling. Yes, he creeped me out, but I appreciated having his perspective in the book.

I loved Ed. He felt quite human and had his flaws, so he wasn't "too good to be true" but he was very much a stand up guy and someone to love having on your side in a pinch. He might have been a bit too much of a super-hero toward the end, for reasons I can't say without dropping a spoiler, but that is dramatic license and I'd lump most of it under "things you can do when fueled by adrenaline" and call it good. The only thing that bugged me about Ed was the way his falling in love with Rochelle was portrayed. It just seemed a bit weak. Perhaps because the "I don't know why I'm attracted to her" card has been played out so often in books. I do think it's a real thing - often people don't know what draws them toward others, but he didn't seem to know what it was about her for much of the book, and I guess I like a hero to know his own heart a little better, and be able to pinpoint what it is a little sooner.

Rochelle. Rochelle, Rochelle, Rochelle. I don't know what to say about her. On the one hand, she was strong. Strong in her beliefs, strong in her will to fight against her fear, strong in her faith and convictions. The fact that she spent much of the book afraid didn't detract from her strength to me. It takes a lot of strength to continue living life despite that kind of fear. 

But there was a lot of things I didn't "get" about her. I did several eye-rolls at her when she fled over misperceptions of Ed and Alicia. It's understandable and a common element in romance stories - common and overdone. It is a pet peeve of mine when people run away instead of confronting a situation more than once. I get that we can't all be strong enough to stand there and hash a thing out in the moment every time one comes up, but for me, I much prefer to see that kind of growth sooner rather than later. The more times a character runs rather than faces a confrontation, the less I like them as my heroine. It has become a weakness I despise. A personal bugaboo of mine. Does that make this book terrible? No, but I think it accounted for half of that missing star. 

The whole thing with Danny perplexed me. I didn't know where he fit into her timeline, how long they were together, (I'm sure it was listed, but I didn't get a feel for what that time meant to her other than "he treated her horribly" which didn't give me the sense of why she stayed with him, or why he did a particular thing that I don't want to spoil.) It felt like a plot element that had been forced into the story, and it didn't really fit.

The rest of the star loss comes from the secondary characters, who were a bit like cardboard cutouts to me. Again, treading lighting to avoid spoilers, there was the drunk, scorned wife, the over the top doctor with secrets to hide, the wanton woman - two of them, actually - and the best friend with the seemingly perfect life. I didn't feel connection with any of them most of the time, and it just left me wanting to see them more clearly, for how they affect the main characters.

The final element I want to address is the presence of religion: faith and conviction. I'm not someone who likes being preached at, and this book definitely did not push me off with overt "bible-thumping" or a holier-than-thou-attitude. Believe me, I wouldn't have finished if I'd felt put upon. No, the threads of Rochelle's faith and how she lived it, and her dreams for a life steeped in it, were very present but not overwhelming. The way her faith affected her relationship with Ed was touching and one especially beautiful moment even got a tear in the corner of my eye. So in short regarding the religious aspect, I think people who like a strong element of faith in the books they read won't be disappointed, but neither will the casual reader be turned off by it.

Overall, I recommend this as a clean read that retains plenty of suspense and excitement. The rating would be PG-13 - with an added caveat for violence. Any survivor of sexual violence and (mild spoiler) those who have lost babies may be triggered by scenes in this book. 

I purchased an e-copy of this book, and then won the paperback in a contest. I will be sharing the paperback with my mom, because I think she would enjoy it. 

Review of Heavy Weather by Normandie Fischer

Wow, this was a great book. I wouldn't classify it as a romance, per se, because we don't really get to see the romance building between Annie Mac and Clay. They do fall in love, but that is not the focus of the book. It is so much more than a romance. The core group of friends rally behind Annie Mac and help her and her children recover from an abusive father/ex-husband's brutal attack, and we get to spy in on the affects one family's drama has on a small town community.

So much happens and I don't want to let any spoilers slip, so I won't do a recap. But I loved reading as Hannah and Matt's story unfolded. I loved catching up with Tadie and Will, Rita and Martin, and meeting Clay. What a standup guy! I loved watching his transformation from a man content with his solo life to his becoming a family man. (I totally got him as a 'leave me alone with my solo existence' person, since I am very much that way. He was very well drawn.)

Annie Mac gets her own paragraph. She felt very real to me. How does a woman end up in an abusive relationship? And once there, how does she have the courage to leave? Annie Mac has made more than one mistake in her life, and my how she has paid for it. Yet she worked to pull herself up out of a horrible situation, and continued to fight against all odds to improve her life and the lives of her children. She is the picture of a strong woman who doesn't let life beat her down, even when a key person in her life has. Her story is a tough one, and may trigger survivors of abuse, but she is inspiring to watch as she grows and learns to heal and live again. 

And as with other Normandie Fischer books I've read, she does a fantastic job bringing the children to life. I fell in love with Katie, and the little man, Ty, melted my heart with his determination to help his mama. I'm a grouchy old woman when it comes to kids - I can take 'em or leave 'em, generally. (Excepting my own grandkids - and I married into them, I have none of my own.) That these youngsters found their way into my heart says a lot for how masterfully they were portrayed. And revisiting Jilly from Becalmed was an added bonus, as she was another young character I very much loved.

I will say that this story is brutally honest. It pulls no punches and for me, personally, I felt deeply and profoundly as the characters moved through tragedy and triumph, and everything in between. In life, I'm not much of a crier. I will confess good fiction has the ability to make me cry faster than real life - and this certainly qualifies as good fiction. I cried more than once, both happy tears and tears of sadness and outrage. 

Oh, and let me not forget how much I appreciated getting in the head of the bad guy. Roy was a real piece of work, and had we not been privy to the workings of his mind, I think the story would have been more bewildering and not nearly as tense. Getting in his head was not pretty, but I think it was necessary to build tension and really understand the depth of danger Annie Mac and those who were helping her were in.

Very well done story. If you haven't yet read it, you won't be sorry.
Content Rating: PG-13 for scenes of abuse and dramatic (though not overtly graphic) violence - but language and romantic content are "clean" and flinch free.