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The Field Trip by R.A. Andrade
The Field Trip by R.A. Andrade
Published: May 1st 2015 by Selladore Press, 272 Pages
Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
An adventure mixed with a touch of fantasy. Add a twist of love.
Although clumsy with women, botany professor Ross Barton possesses the quality of fearlessness when confronting danger. Relieved to be escaping routine school work and a bad relationship for a field research trip, a strange woman and danger are the last of his expectations.
Jay, an awkward young woman unwilling to disclose her past, begins a solitary hike into the forest with a pet concealed in a box. She claims the pet is a cat.
Rumors are spreading about odd lights in the night skies of New England.
A flight instructor reports that the government quarantined an area of Vermont woods.
All trails intersect on The Field Trip.
I’ve struggled writing this review, while there were some good qualities in this book; I just didn’t connect with it.
Ross: Professor of Botany Ross Barton is 35, terrified of woman and single. He is sweet, naive, gullible and later on in the story bizarrely develops into an action hero.
The story starts off alternating between following Ross and a group of unnamed men in white lab coats at an unnamed facility. Ross is easily likable and the mysterious white coats are interesting, driving the story forward.
We meet Jay via a run-in Ross has with her while getting supplies for his trip. It’s not long after Ross starts his trip that the two story lines meet up and we are just following Ross through.
Jay: I guessed Jay Jay and Oswald’s secret earlier on and at first I really liked Jay’s character, she was aloof, aggressive and mysteries. The emotional turn around she does just felt too fast and rushed. I would have liked to see Ross and Jay’s relationship build more before blooming.
Oswald: Funny, twisted, sarcastic, but far too intelligent to be believable as a pet on any planet.
I could never tell where the story was going and that unpredictability was at times frustrating, but also one of the books better qualities, as more often than not you can guess what’s going to happen in a story.
The ending was a little hard to swallow. I liked that Jay was back. I was over the moon that Oswald was back. But no one asked Marsha what she wanted – It felt like body snatching and didn’t sit well with me.
I feel bad giving it only Two (It was ok) Stars, but I can’t bring myself to give it Three (I Liked It) Stars. I would be willing to read more work by R.A. Andrade, as the story wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me.
Ron writes from a small community in Michigan, sometimes at three in the morning when ideas wake him from sleep. He was born and raised in New England, sometimes drawing on those childhood and teen experiences for his novels. Driven to write, his goal is simply to entertain by bringing you the unexpected.
Website – http://www.raandrade.com/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10531683.R_A_Andrade
Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Book One) by Lily Luchesi
Detective Danny Mancini is on a case, following a murder suspect. When he catches him, he finds out that the perp isn’t even human: he’s a 200 year old rogue vampire!
The department doesn’t believe him, and puts him on early retirement, despite his many years of service to the Chicago Police Department, which sends him into a downward spiral.
Two years later, Danny gets an invitation from the beautiful, young and very attractive Detective Angelica Cross to join a secret branch of the FBI to help her track down Vincent, the wayward vamp.
But renegade werewolves, meddling immortal witches and Danny’s strange visions of a life lived a century ago with Angelica make things more difficult than it should be.From the beginning it is easy to care about Danny – A detective doing his job and doing it well, who witnesses’ something unbelievable. And of course no one believes him; he is pushed out of the CPD, labelled as crazy and unfit for work. Danny is barely surviving, living on bottle after bottle of booze when along comes Angelica Cross and the PID (The secret paranormal investigation department of the FBI). A Vamplet, Angelica is the daughter of a human male and a vampire female. Angelica is sexy, strong and determined to catch the bad guys. Though the whole book Danny struggles, he’s had so much thrown at him and never really recovers. I hope that in the next or third book his life can come together for him. At the very end of the epilogue, I felt like there was hope of that, as he’d realised his mistakes.
Even though it was easy to guess Angelica Cross’s big secret early on, I loved that Danny didn’t. There are all sorts’ twists and turns along the way, some expected, some not. The story was fast paced, action packed, entertaining and emotional. I was swept up in Danny and Angelica’s world.
In this the first book, we meet two villains, but only one of them dealt with, leaving what could be an epic show down between Angelica and the powerful and malicious witch Fiona Gullifoyle.
I am really looking forward to the next installment. Bring It On.
My favourite parts:
The flash backs to Danny’s previous life, I loved the whole epilogue (even read it twice).
The vampiric history lesson Angelica gives Danny – Fascinating.
All the little snippets of song lyrics that accompany each chapter break – It is a really lovely, quirky touch. The emotion in the song lyrics matched the chapters perfectly each time.
Lily Luchesi is a young author/poet born in Chicago, Illinois, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle by the time she was twelve, and, as her family has always been what they now call “Gothic”, she doesn’t believe she shall ever change. She is also a hopeless romantic and avid music-lover, and will always associate vampires with love, blood and rock and roll. Her interest in poetry came around the same time as when she was given a book of Edgar Allan Poe’s complete work. She then realized that she had been writing her own poetry since she could hold a pen, and just had not known the correct terms. She finished her first manuscript at the age of fourteen, and now, at twenty-one, has two contributing credits in anthologies and the debut novel, Stake-Out.
Twitter – www.twitter.com/LilyLuchesi
Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/LilyLuchesi
Facebook Profile – www.facebook.com/lilyluchesibooks
Instagram – www.instagram.com/lilyluchesi
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7369101.Lily_Luchesi
Prev post with Lily discussing the writing off Stake-Out http://wp.me/p431Gp-my
Fast and Loose by Nicholas J. Johnson
Fast and Loose by Nicholas J. Johnson
Published: 1st July 2015
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Joel Fitch used to be a con artist.
That is, until his scam paid off but his life went belly up. Now, two years later, at the ripe old age of 22, Joel has a mattress full of cash and no idea what comes next. The movies never tell you what to do after you’ve walked into the sunset.
Besides, Joel’s past is catching up with him. One of the victims from his con artist days has hunted him down. Far from exacting revenge, though, he wants Joel’s help. Danny Hemming is a TV journalist on television’s trashiest current-affairs program and he’s looking for someone to give him the inside scoop on the latest scams. And he’s not taking no for an answer.
Once again, Joel finds himself in over his head as he enters the murky world of tabloid television. Blackmailed into helping Hemming uncover and expose the country’s biggest swindlers, Joel is making more enemies than ever.
I liked this book and the fact that I enjoyed it even though it wasn’t filled with forbidden or unrequited love, fantastical creatures or other worlds, like the books I normally read, for me shows how good a story teller Mr Johnson is.
The main characters; Joel Fitch a 22 year old millionaire ex-con-man and Danny Hemming TV “Journalist” with his eyes on the top producers’ job – Neither character is really all that like-able, but they don’t need to be. This book is fast paced, easy to read and flows well. It is set in Sydney, so it’s just down the road from me (kinda). I found it interesting taking a peek into a criminal world that goes on every day under all our noses. Now I’m not stupid, I know this stuff goes on, but obviously not everyone does as the Con-men out there are still thriving.
I mainly read stories that let me escape the world we live in – this story is the world we live in!! Even though I wasn’t glued to the pages, it was well worth the read and I’m looking forward to reading more from Mr Johnston.
Nicholas J. Johnson knows scams.
After decades of rubbing shoulders with fraudsters and liars, he now works as a performer, writer and consultant, educating the public about the tricks of the con artist’s trade.
His live shows have featured at corporate events, schools and private events simultaneously entertaining and educating audiences about con artists and scams.
As an expert on fraud and deception he has appeared on A Current Affair, The Project, Sunrise, Kid’s WB, Today, Radio National, Triple J and more. He has consulted with everyone from magician David Blaine to Circus Oz.
A critically acclaimed comedian, Nicholas has performed at Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and the Melbourne Comedy Festival where he was nominated for the Golden Gibbo award for best independent comedy.
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/NicholasJJohnson
Website – http://www.conman.com.au/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/countlustig
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/TrickyNick79
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/honestconman
Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking
Ice Kissed (Kanin Chronicles #2) by Amanda Hocking
Publish Date: May 5th 2015
A big thank you to Net Galley, Amanda Hocking and her publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Ice Kissed.
In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…
Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…the glittering palace of the Skojare.
The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss Ridley Dresden is overseeing the mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.
As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it’ll change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.
I liked the synopsis of this book and requested to read and review it without realising it was the second book in a trilogy. OOPS!! But I read it anyway. I kinda wish I’d read the first book Frostfire first. I really enjoyed Ice Kissed anyway. I grew to love the characters, but I assume I would have already loved them if I’d read Frostfire first. And more than likely the big moment at the end would have meant more. I didn’t understand the depth of the ending of Ice Kissed until reading the synopsis of the first book while doing up this review post and I had an “Oh Snap!” moment.
A lot of the books I’ve been reading lately have been third person. It was so refreshing to step into a first person story via Bryn. I find first person to be so much more emotional and personal, I know it doesn’t work with every story – but it works wonders with this one.
The story starts with Bryn recapping a failed mission with Ridley and beating herself up over the failure. From the beginning scene of Bryn riding on horseback through the snow along high city walls, I was thinking “yeah I love medieval times, bring on some epic king Arthur settings and battles”. Then the words drove and SUV popped up and I was like “um, what, where the hell am I!”
Magic: After reading further on I was able to figure it all out: this is a story of trolls. I saw them in my head as human, oops. It is set in current times. The human world still exists, just as it is and the Trolls use a lot of our modern technology, hence the Range Rover they were driving in. I’m sure in the first book the whole world would have been built and I’d have already known this. We don’t see this Troll world thanks to magical Troll enchantments. Amanda Hocking really has beautifully blended our modern world with that of a Troll world secretly going on under our noses.
Romance: Bryn and Ridley have a forbidden romance thing going on. Ah it’s always sweeter when it’s forbidden. It’s always more exciting – well that’s my opinion.
At the 34% there is a sex scene which I wasn’t expecting, it’s not over the top or porno feeling. Stress less people. But it did make me realise I had no idea how old the characters were supposed to be. Also my brain went “Troll Sex, Um, well Trolls are humanoid, yes, yes, I’m imagining this correctly”. And really they are very human these trolls, they just live in secret from humans and have magical abilities. I’d been imagining Bryn as about 17-ish, but she may have been older, I really don’t know. She started working at twelve and after that I found it hard to figure out her time line.
Action: After the 34% mark the books takes off at light speed with Bryn leaving Ridley and her home with the Kanin to help the Skojare. At this point I delved into a fast flowing world of danger and mystery and Bryn fighting for what she feels is right. And I loved it. And I’m devastated that I have to wait until August to read the next book and see how things turn out. And I’m not going to tell you anymore about it or I’ll give away all the twisty turny awesomeness.
I really enjoyed being in Bryn’s head, I found her really engaging and her life captivated me. FIVE STARS.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3486415.Amanda_Hocking
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_hocking
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandahockingfans
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/aehocking/
Wattpad: www.wattpad.com/AmandaHocking
Website: www.worldofamandahocking.com
Nobility by Kayla Bain-Vrba
Nobility by Kayla Bain-Vrba
Published March 18th 2015 by Less Than Three Press LLC
I received a copy to read and review through Net Galley, so thank you to the Author and Publisher for allowing me this opportunity.
Determined to escape an arranged marriage, and with very few options available, Danna brings a curse down on herself and settles into life in an enchanted tower. The very last thing she needs or wants is to be rescued, no matter how beautiful or compelling her unexpected rescuer is.
Nobelle is desperate to avoid the hangman’s noose, and as last ditch efforts go her life could be worse than rescuing a bratty princess. But an easy way to stay alive turns into a complicated tangle of lies as she and Danna grow closer and Nobelle has no easy way to admit that she’s no knight in shining armor…
I so wanted to love this, but it all moved way too fast and I didn’t get a chance.
The story is a cute, quick, insta love story. Nobelle is the arse kicking outlaw and Danna is the pretty princess with more to her than meets the eye. There are little snippets of humor the whole way though keeping the story light, fresh and entertaining. There was definitely a really strong background for what could have been spun into a longer and more thrilling tale.
I really loved the sound of this story, its synopsis and the cover. I think if the author had had the extra pages to build the characters and the world more, I would have loved it. I wish it had been a longer story so that we could have watched the Women fall in love – I know it’s only a short story but it just felt too rushed for my taste.
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KaylaBainVrba
Tumblr – http://kaylabainvrba.tumblr.com/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5357735.Kayla_Bain_Vrba
Live Journal – http://kaylabainvrba.livejournal.com/
Benjamin Buckingham and The Nightmare’s Nightmare
Benjamin Buckingham and The Nightmare’s Nightmare by Gregory Gershwin
Published December 16th 2014 by The Gregarious LLC
I received a copy of this book from the Author in return for an honest review – so thank you Mr. Gershwin
WARNING: Do not read if you hate talking dinosaurs.
DOUBLE WARNING: This book contains adventure and castles and nightmares and faraway lands.
TRIPLE WARNING: Do not read this book while riding roller coasters.
What happens when you wake after a night of dreaming to find your favorite dinosaur character from your favorite TV show talking to you in your bedroom? You and the dinosaur panic!!! After nine year-old Benjamin Buckingham calms down, he chooses between chasing after the dinosaur into a secret world or… going to school. What Benjamin finds is an imaginative world with castles filled with people who create dreams. But, Benjamin discovers something else, something awful, something treacherous. An evil castle creates nightmares and the ruler of this castle wants to destroy all the dreams. Benjamin begins a quest to save a kidnapped king and finds talking animals, magical castles, and frightening monsters along the way. Will dreams survive? Will nightmares be destroyed? Will dinosaurs continue talking forever?
Nine year old Benjamin Buckingham from Pennsylvania doesn’t fit in with the other kids at school. His only friends are the action hero talking Dinosaurs he dreams of at night. So it’s no surprise when he awakes one morning to find one of his dream Dinosaurs in his bedroom that he follows it into an unknown new world.
Benjamin finds sympathy and friendship in the form of the dream worlds King. The trouble starts when the King tries to return Benjamin to his world and they miss the portal (thanks to bad guy interference of course). Things only get worse for Benjamin as the King is kidnapped and he finds himself banished from the castle. Being that the king is the only one who can send Benjamin home, he does the only thing he can do – set off to save the king.
In this story we see Benjamin transform into a confident, happy boy, who learns his self-worth and makes friends along the way (be it with a talking caterpillar and a squirrel that runs with its eyes shut).
The story has a kind of Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of OZ, Never-ending Story vibe – It entertains you and makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. There are plenty twists and turns in the story to keep even the adults riveted. Not to mention there are some really good character speeches, imparting some important life lessons. This story has everything; action, adventure, bad guys, good guys, dinosaurs, dream studios, classes about creating dreams for grumpy old men, and a nine year conquering his fears and saving the day with his creative imagination – what more could you want.
I enjoyed this as an adult and I could really see a child eating it up, loving Benjamin and the dream world Mr Gershwin has created.
Website – http://www.benjaminbuckingham.com/
Gregory’s Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5585946-gregory-gershwin
Benjamin’s Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24505266-benjamin-buckingham-and-the-nightmare-s-nightmare
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/benjamin-buckingham-and-the-nightmares-nightmare-gregory-gershwin/1121199701?ean=2940150199491&isbn=2940150199491
Incite by Erica Crouch
Incite (Ignite #2) by Erica Crouch
Earth is in ruins, and the war of Heaven and Hell has spilled over into the mortal world. In the frozen wasteland of the apocalypse, Azael and his band of cohorts search for Pen and Michael with orders to kill. Little does he know that his sister has incited a rebel army of her own.
Angels and demons alike stand side by side, ready and willing to fight for a future they didn’t realize they could have. Change doesn’t come easy, though. Pen is wary of joining New Genesis’s revolution, but when Azael shows his hand and Pen learns all that he holds over them, she chooses to fight back, no matter the risk. She only has to survive, one hour at a time.
“Strength does not come from remaining untouched and unaffected. It comes from picking yourself up again and again, no matter how many times you’re thrown to the ground and shattered.” Micheal – I loved this quote in the book.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first. I was apprehensive going into it thinking that I was going to hate reading from Azael’s perspective, but I did enjoy it.
Nothing is accomplished in this book and we are left with a rather large cliffhanger. It’s really just a bridge from a good first book to what feels like it will be an epic finally (hopefully in the third book).
There is a lot of running/flying away from danger, which does lead to a fast paced story. We meet New Genesis a group of Angels and Demons banded together by the same beliefs that we saw bring Pen and Micheal together in the first book.
It was well worth the read and I am looking forward to the next installment, until then I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Pen’s heart will beat again :-).
My Review of Ignite >> https://sarahfairbairn.com/2015/02/04/1257/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21971646-incite
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ericacrouchbooks
Twitter – https://twitter.com/erica_crouch
YouTube – http://youtube.com/moreerica
Blog – http://ericacrouch.com/
Paranormal Keepers by Jen Naumann
Paranormal Keepers (Paranormal Keepers #1) by Jen Naumann.
Published March 11 2014 by Phantom Owl Press (Patchwork Press Cooperative).
I received a copy to read and review through Net Galley, so thank you the Author and Publisher for allowing me this opportunity.
Everyone thinks Harper Young killed her boyfriend. No one will say it to her face, but the signs are everywhere.
It’s almost been a year since Gavin was torn from Harper’s arms and brutally murdered. The police wrote it off as a freak accident, deciding Harper’s strange testimony was given under duress. But she knows something unnatural was involved and refuses to stop looking until she finds his killer, even if it means her reputation as a senior is ruined. Even if it means there really are monsters living among us.
With the discovery of the mothmen, witches, vampires and all the creatures she always suspected were out there, Harper finds herself amidst a complex bundle of unseen heroes who call themselves “Keepers”, sworn to keep the secret of the paranormal creatures that walk this earth. As she tries to understand what’s so special about her that she’s able to break an old Keeper law, Harper has a baffling vision of kissing a mysterious guy before a blade is brought down on him. Before she can get a handle on her future, she becomes central to a battle between the questionable “heroes” and the evil she’s been training to fight, leaving her to wonder if there’s any way to change the fate that has been foretold before it’s too late.
I was drawn in from the start. I was drawn to Harper and Gavin even knowing that something bad was going to happen to them.
The drama starts with a Ouija board and sophomore party, that then leads to us witnessing Gavin’s Death, then following Harper’s struggle and search to find the truth. Harper’s search brings her to the attention of the Keepers; they abduct her and take her to Guardare Academy –Guardare Academy is a cross between Hogwarts and St. Vladimir’s Academy– where she goes on to meet Human Keepers, Paranormal Creatures and Human /Creature cross breeds. At Guardare Harper finds herself with many enemies, but she manages to find friendship in a Keeper named Dexter and later on love. After discovering dark secrets about Harper’s heritage, we are left at the end of the book with Dexter and Harper on the run.
This story was quite fast paced and especially action packed for a first book of a series. It laid the grounds for a new series and a new world, without feeling bogged down with information like some firsts can. The story was very easy to read and the writing flowed beautifully. I really enjoyed this book. It can’t really say much more without giving away the twists and turns, so I’ll stop and finish with “Four Stars”.
Naumann’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/naumannbooks
Naumann’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennaumannauthor
Naumann’s Instagram – https://instagram.com/jennaumann/
Naumann’s Website – http://www.jennaumann.net/
Naumann’s Book Blog – www.paranormalYA.blogspot.com
Naumann’s Goodreads – www.Goodreads.com/JenNaumannAuthor
So I Married a Werewolf
So I Married a Werewolf (Seattle Wolf Pack #3) by Kristin Miller
* * * * *
Carter Griffin, enforcing officer for the Seattle Wolf Pack, has a problem. He’s been offered the promotion of his dreams…if he can find a wife to prove he’s over his playboy ways. But Carter’s already walked the matrimonial road and bought the stinkin’ T-shirt. Besides, a werewolf only gets one fated mate. Been there, done that.
All werewolf dog trainer Faith Hamilton wants to do is earn enough green stuff to put her younger brother through college. Okay, okay, so she also totally wants Carter, her sexy next-door neighbor, to look at her as more than a friend. It’s too bad size 12 and plain isn’t his type. At all.
The two friends strike a deal to help one another out. They must face a variety of challenges from a psycho ex-girlfriend to a Yorkie with a shoe fetish…and that pesky problem of only having one-fated mate in a lifetime. Will a relationship ruin their friendship…or spark a love neither anticipated?
* * * * *
Let me first just say that this is the first book I’ve ever read my Kristin Miller and straight after finishing it I went out and bought another one of her paranormal romances! – Be it about dragons instead of werewolves – So I think that speaks for its self as to how impressed by her I was.
The book reads as a lovely sweet romance – girl (Faith) wants guy (Carter) who doesn’t see her as anything more than a friend, then he finally wakes up to himself but is too scared to do anything about it for fear of ruining the friendship – I was really enjoying reading it but got a shock when at about 67% through the book we get a steamy love scene between the pair. I wasn’t shocked that they hooked up as the story was building to that, but it’s obvious I don’t read many romances that aren’t considered YA, as you don’t come across such descriptive sex scenes in the material written for a younger audience, haha Well Darrrr, of cause not. Never the less It was a delicious and enjoyable addition to the already fun story that really propelled the desire to finish the book. At around the 85% mark Carter turned into a raving manic jerk-face and nearly ruined the whole book for me. I was saying to myself “Fuck him Faith you deserve better, leave that asshole for dust” but he redeemed himself via having an epiphany as to how much of an arse-wipe he had been.
And they lived happily ever after. I love happy endings. Books need to have happy ending because in reality things don’t play out the same way and all us girls that have been heartbroken need a happily ever after world to escape to.
