Review: Canticos: Los Pollitos / Canticos: Little Chickies

Canticos: Los Pollitos / Canticos: Little Chickies by Susie Jaramillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy via Netgalley.com for my honest opinion.

As soon as I started reading this with my 6 year old (who happens to be English/Spanish bilingual) I thought I recognized the words, but it wasn't until I got to the Spanish section that I realized we were reading a very popular Spanish nursery rhyme! My 6 year old began to sing along with the words and was so happy!

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Review: My Fair Princess

My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book started out great. An original story idea, strong characters, and plenty of personality. In the end, this book is no different than the 1,000's of other books of it's genre.

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Review: The Rebel Heir

The Rebel Heir by Elizabeth Michels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(I love the idea of arranging my thoughts like this :p)

Pros:
1. Evie and Ash's relationship
2. Amazing character growth
3. The ultimate satisfaction
4. BEST EPILOGUE EVER!!!!

Cons:
1. Evie's mother
2. Moments of unbelieveability
3. Misleading title

Ash and Evie.... probably my new favorite 2016 book romance. Ash is every woman's emotional fantasy and Evie is the woman we all secretly wish to be. I literally can't get enough of them. ASh won't let Evie hide away from him like she does everyone else, and he refuses to allow her to give up on herself. Likewise, Evie allows Ash to really see himself and he becomes a better man because of her. they have passion, romance, chemistry, friendship, and a bond that leaves me envious. I am so satisfied that the Ash and Evie from the beginning of the book are completely different from the Ash and Evie at the end.

Now Evie's mother on the other hand is that villain that we cheer for when she gets her just rewards. The overbearing, rudeness, controlling, abrasiveness, and worst of all... the whining! Ugh, that blasted whining makes me want to claw my own hair out, but it is so in character that if she didn't speak in such a manner she wouldn't be as believable. I don't know about you, but I've had that one friend who talks like that when she wants to get her way. Gaaaah!

Even though I listed Evie's mother as a con, the story is all the more real because of her, so I didn't take off a star because of her. The deducted star is only because I can't believe the scene from Evie's betrothal ball. When all hope is lost Mr. Dean swoops in at the last moment to save the day? I don't buy it. Honestly, I want him to be carted out with Evie defending him to everyone, him sit in jail for a day or so, THEN Mr. Dean show up and everyone forgets about Evie's outburst with her mother and talk about how romantic it is that she defended Ash when it looked like all the accusations where true. One more thing, the title. Ah is a 4th son, so why title the book "The Rebel Heir"?

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.**

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Review: The Secrets of Lizzie Borden

The Secrets of Lizzie Borden by Brandy Purdy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have read every review of this book I could find, and I have no idea how anyone ever finished it. I didn't make it very far before I realized this was nothing more than a jumbled mess of nonsense. Maybe all of the beginning ramblings lead up to something great, but even skipping whole chapters in an effort to find some piece of depth I was disappointed.

The trial of Lizzie Borden is infamous, so it really wouldn't take much effort to find out the details, which I noticed the author did include. That wasn't the problem I had, but rather with Lizzie herself. Given the era in which she lived and the life experiences she had, I expected to read about this very complex, deep, intriguing woman. What I got instead was the ramblings of a grown woman who seemed to think more like my 15 year old niece than a woman of well over 30. Lizzie came off as childish and incapable of staying on topic.

I never made it to the "good parts". What I read there where no dialogue, no opposing points of view, and the barest of character growth. In the few chapters I did read I wanted to shout at Lizzie to grow up! I always try to put myself in the stories I read, but as I was unable to tolerate Lizzie on paper, I doubt I could tolerate her in my real life.

I do have something nice to say about this book, because it wasn't all bad. I like the writing style the author chose, and I'm looking forward to reading something else (Something completely different from this subject material) by her. The problem with this story wasn't the author, but with the main character. The problem was with Lizzie herself.

I received a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Review: Forbidden Legacy

Forbidden Legacy by Diana Cosby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The writing style needed work, there wasn't much dialogue, and the secret keeping really bugged me. Other than that, I adored this book. The female lead was strong and dealt with the cruelty life threw at her the best way I have read yet in a historical romance. The male lead on the other hand was gentle with an underlying tenderness that counteracted his warrior spirit perfectly. The writing was well researched, the story engaging, and the characters believable.

I received a free ARC via Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: The Highlander

The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**Free ARC from Netgalley.com**

I really enjoyed this book and had no idea it was art of a series until I looked up the expected publish date. The author wrote this book with the reader in mind, as it reads wonderfully as a stand alone. That being said, let's get down to the bare bones of it shall we?

I loved how descriptive this story was.
Every detail was meticulously written and it gave little way for interpretation. I always love books like this because the author clearly has a picture in their mind of how everything looks, feels, and smells and writing like this allows the reader to see, feel and smell exactly what the author did.

I enjoyed the different character dynamics.
It was wonderful reading about Andrew, Gavin, Mena, and Liam.... I even enjoyed Hamish. The way the author played the characters off of one another was beautifully executed.

The Epilogue was refreshing.
I fully expected to read about how a few years after the final sentence in the main story was finished we would get a glimpse of Liam and Mena's future life. They would be surrounded by their beautiful children or she would miraculously have gotten pregnant after repeatedly stating that she was "barren". That wasn't the case and I was physically relieved when I read the Epilogue. I also want to mention Jani. He was by far my favorite character and I hope he gets his own story, even if it is only 100 pages or so.

I hated how drawn out some parts were.
Some areas of this book stalled. Such is usually the case when the author spends so much time trying to recreate the exact scenes in their head. Although this was a bit annoying, I really valued the clear picture it painted for me. This only cost the story 1/2 a star.

Hamish
Laim's crimes are so great that even he can't speak of them. Apparently no one can... but Hamish bates Liam at one point and bares his most damning secrets (in his opinion). Yet, why didn't Hamish spill some of the other crimes Laim had committed? Why did it take him so long to act? Why were there only 2 attacks in the months that Hamish was in the book? Hamish just seemed like a character that really didn't belong in the story, but maybe the author wanted to tie up a loose end with his character, or perhaps use him as a plot twist. He most certainly wasn't the climax, although he almost was. Hamish's role cost the story another 1/2 of a star.

The sex scenes were ridiculously long.
Just about every one of these books have long, drawn out sex scenes. In the monarchy of sex scenes, this book is the Queen. Just like everything else in this book, the sex scenes were almost stalled in their descriptions. It made for an interesting read, but I really could have done without the multiple pages of the multiple times Liam and Mena were physically intimate. This cost the story 1 star.

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Review: Lowcountry Book Club

Lowcountry Book Club by Susan M. Boyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first requested this book from Netgalley (Thank you for the ARC by the way) I had no idea that it was book 5 out of a series. Thankfully I had trouble putting this book down. Now I can't wait to find the previous books to see if this author is really that good of a writer or if this was just some kind of one time success book. Believe me, I have read book series where every book was horrible with the exception of usually the last book.

There were a few words that myself and Webster didn't recognize, but that didn't take away from the story. I did have some issue keeping all of the characters straight, and by the end of the book I gave up trying. That, and only that, is what kept this book from being a true 5 star book. I really hope there will be more Liz Talbot books in the future!

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Review: A License to Wed: Rebellious Brides

A License to Wed: Rebellious Brides by Diana Quincy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**Free ARC provided by Netgalley.com**

There wasn't anything in this book that I haven't already read at least a dozen times before. The author made a good attempt at originality, but this book was just lacking.

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Review: Together at the Table: A Novel of Lost Love and Second Helpings

Together at the Table: A Novel of Lost Love and Second Helpings by Hillary Manton Lodge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy via the Goodreads giveaway.

So, having not read the previous 2 books, this book had its moments of less than clarity. However, I was able to piece together most of the gaps and really enjoy this book. Finding out Alice and Gabrielle's history was well worth the read, but watching Juliette work through the hassles of managing the restaurant was an interesting series of events.

DID I MENTION THE FOOD? Oh the Heaven I was in as I tried some of these recipes . They are to die for. Seriously, I want to find the first two books just to see what culinary treasures they hold.

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Review: One Less Problem Without You: A Novel

One Less Problem Without You: A Novel by Beth Harbison
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received a free ARC copy via Netgalley.com.

Wow..... just wow. There was nothing in this book that I expected there to be. I mean, I get it. One bitter little boy grew up to be a bitter, but powerful, man and destroyed so much in the 30-something years he was alive. Let's just skip to the pros and cons before this Review gives me a headache.

LIKES

1: The Characters
Beth Harbison did an excellent job of writing well rounded characters that had real emotion in them.

2:(view spoiler)[Lief Tiesman dies
Normally a character dying wouldn't make me so happy, but by the end of the story the only way this book was getting any type of stars was if he either went to prison or died. (hide spoiler)]


DISLIKES

1: EVERYTHING
I hated how the book would jump back and forth from random times in the past to the present. I understand that the author was providing back story, but there had to be a better way to do it. I hated that there were so many different stories going on in this one book. I hated how Diana's story was in first person while EVERYONE else was in 3rd. I hated that Chelsea didn't share her story about Lief with the 2 women closest to her. I hate that everything seemed to wrap up into a nice little bow at the end, and it drives me nuts that after Lief died each additional chapter read like it was going to be the last, but nooooooo, there had to be at least 3 more that really made no sense, but since the book had already been written that way, I guess the ending chapters were a necessity.

I am a Beth Harbison fan, and I can't believe that this is close to a final draft of hers. This book is set to come out July 2016, but it reads (in my opinion) more like it needs another years worth of work.

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Review: MacLean's Passion

MacLean's Passion by Sharon Cullen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**Free ARC provided by Netgalley.com**

A bit, and I mean a bit, better than it's predecessor, MacLean's Passion was a decent read that only slightly held my attention throughout. I didn't have to force myself to read this, but I did get disgusted a few times at the repetition. First things first though.... what I liked and disliked.

LIKED
1. Maggie. Plain and simple, Maggie was my kind of heroine. She was fierce, brave, vulnerable, unsure, strong, and all woman. She used her brain when she needed to, her body when necessary, and her sheer stubbornness when left with no other option.

2. The Writing. Sharon Cullen has the ability to really pull you into her stories. Her writing is clear, concise, and she really makes an effort to make every characters accent and personality their own. I'm not saying her books are for everyone, but I think as she evolves as an author, her work with lose most of it's rough edges.


DISLIKED
1. Evan, Colin, Campbell.... literally every man in this book. Before anyone starts shouting "feminist", hear me out. Most of the time I hate to read a book with a strong male/weak woman scenario. I also hate reading books where the opposite is true. While there were so many similarities between Colin and Maggie, I felt like Colin's strength was mostly a facade whereas Maggie went out of her way to prove her strength.

2. Repeated, and detailed, sex scenes. I get it, they're married, they're really attracted to each other, the sex is incredible between the two of them, and passions are running high all around them. Honestly though, did we need literally a dozen pages telling us how much Colin enjoyed sex with Maggie?

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Review: Beauty and the Highland Beast

Beauty and the Highland Beast by Lecia Cornwall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley.com for providing me with a free ARC of this book.

This was not the story I was expecting. Wonderfully written, great plot twists, intense character connections and growth.... *sigh*, magic. I liked how the author took us on this journey while still maintaining the important historical facts. Yes, most Scottish people were superstitious at this time. Yes, some did still pray to the old Gods. Yes, being found guilty of witchcraft was the biggest sin a person could commit. I digress...

Now, I'll make this small paragraph for what I The final chapter and the Epilogue simply felt rushed. The author wrote so beautifully throughout the book, and then just seemed to push the rest of the story at us because there really wasn't more to tell. Sadly, this is the case with even the best of authors at times. Once the reader has experienced the hype of the climax and 90% of the issues have been resolved, the author tries to tie up the loose ends without dragging the story out and as a result, we see things such as this.

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Review: Stealing Jason Wilde: A Novel

Stealing Jason Wilde: A Novel by Dee Ernst
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I thought this would be a fun, light-hearted read that I could get through in a day or two, or so the synopsis would have me believe. I promise you, I now know more about the Hamptons than I do about the characters in which I read about. There were also these stupid little mistakes that made me want to tear my hair out. One example: The FBI come by to do a house to house check so the girls switch the tags to fool THE FBI. Now, I come from a small town in Georgia (I currently live in a city, but that's not the point) and let me tell you, when you get pulled over and don't have the correct tag on your vehicle, the officer that stopped you will know about it. THEY HAVE COMPUTERS PEOPLE! You mean to tell me that the FBI, involved in a high-profile celebrity kidnapping with 50 million dollars on the line doesn't have the same technology that my backwoods hometown police have?

None of the characters made any sense, the small bits of romance that the reader experienced sounded like something my 14 yr old would come up with (minus the sex) and not something more fitting to a 50 year old woman.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Review: The Beast of Clan Kincaid

The Beast of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book, but it wasn't the best. Yes, I am interested in reading the remaining books in this series, because in this time in literature EVERYTHING is a series. I just felt like this is a story that has been told already, too much in fact.

I received a free ARC via Netgalley.com

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Review: Wooed by You

Wooed by You by Sophia Knightly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ARC provided by Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.

Linc is one of those characters that has a larger than life personality, and for him it works. However, given everything Isabel has been through, I honestly can't see her being with someone with such a forceful personality. Once you get past that, and the constant sexual tension, this is a decent book. I was hoping for a little more drama from Isabel's past, but I suppose I can make do with Linc's drama instead.

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Review: Wooed by You

Wooed by You by Sophia Knightly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Linc is one of those characters that has a larger than life personality, and for him it works. However, given everything Isabel has been through, I honestly can't see her being with someone with such a forceful personality. Once you get past that, and the constant sexual tension, this is a decent book. I was hoping for a little more drama from Isabel's past, but I suppose I can make do with Linc's drama instead.

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Review: To Wed a Rebel

To Wed a Rebel by Sophie Dash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book in spite of myself. Let me explain, when I first read the synopsis on this I loved the concept so I requested to review it. After waiting a week to get approved, reading the 3 books I already had in my queue, and re-reading the synopsis, I found I wasn't so interested in this book after all. Still, I had already made the request and been approved so I had to see this book through. I'm so happy that I did.

I think every woman can relate to Ruth in some way. We've all wanted to avoid conflict, ease the tension, or simply want to be wanted by a man. Not to mention we've all had that one awkward relationship, usually our first love, where we weren't sure how to go about things and too embarrassed to just come right out and say what we want. I loved seeing Ruth and Issac's growth throughout this book.... I have a soft spot for characters who have more personal growth than romantic.

My reasons for chopping off the final star are simple....

1. There was a brief moment where the author had Ruth in a dress that, after reading that chapter twice, I still can't tell what color it is. Usually this wouldn't bother me, but the author went through a lot of trouble to be very descriptive when describing the dress, so I couldn't let it slide.

2. As is the case with many books, I found the ending to be a bit rushed. The author seemed to have told the story she wished to tell, but had no way of tying up the loose ends so she just threw things together. Mind you, it did work, but it just didn't feel as natural as the rest of the book did. I liked how the events unfolded, just not how the author chose to jumble everything together the way she did.

That concludes my review of To Wed a Rebel which was generously provided as an ARC through Netgalley.com

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Review: A Pledge of Passion

A Pledge of Passion by Victoria Vane
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Mediocre, Bland, Boring, Predictable.... the list goes on and on. There really isn't much I can say about this book in a positive light. It moves as slow as molasses, the characters are unbelievable, and the dialogue is beyond pathetic.

I want to write a lengthy review on how much this book irritated me, but it isn't worth the energy. I will say this, I wasted almost a week trudging through this mess trying to hold out for that silver lining that would somehow make everything ok. It never came.

I recieved a free AREC from Netgalley.com

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Review: The Broken One

The Broken One by Christine H. Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Someone could have told me that this book was based on true events and I would have believed them. What I liked most about this book is how the author left us with questions. The ending offered no real closure, instead forcing us to either be ok with the world being how it truly is or get mad and demand the author wrap this story up in a nice little package. Usually, endings like this drive me insane, but since it fit the story I have no issue with it. By writing, and ending, the story the way she did, the author forces the reader to remember that sometimes in life there is no real closure. Sometimes you have to make peace with all the crap life throws at you and move on. I could have liked to know how Ferris and Jun processed everything, but I guess it will just have to be another one of those "suck it up" moments.

Every character stayed true to themselves, but there were a few ends that were left unnecessarily untied....

1. Why did Dad and Lucy need to have the engagement party so soon?
2. How did Jun feel about the whole Paul situation?

I guess we may never know.

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Review: Much Ado About Highlanders

Much Ado About Highlanders by May McGoldrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley.com for a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I didn't like it, but I didn't dislike it. This is one of those books that could have gone either way, but just stayed neutral for me. The conflict was the same throughout the book. There really wasn't anything to break up the monotony of it. Each couple had experiences so similar, it was as if the writer just gave up trying to make the couples unique from one another.

I did like reading about the Relics and their powers, but there was very few scenes in which Kenna's relic was actually used. I wanted to scream I was so frustrated with this book. If you're looking for a romance story with a bit of something extra thrown in for the sake of a story line, then look no further. If you want a book that engages you and pulls you back to it each time you put it down, I suggest you pass on this book. Hopefully the next book in this series is better than this one, but somehow I doubt it will be.

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