"Twixt" Book Review!

Hey y'all! It's New Year's Eve and I'm ready to go out of 2015 with a book review just for you guys! Twixt is book one in the Enchanted Outlaws series, written by the charming and charismatic Diane J. Reed, and to get this review started, here's the synopsis:

Everyone in Ophir Creek, Idaho knows the wild legend of Corvine O’Dannan, a mysterious Irish woman with “fairy powers” who came to town during the gold rush to find her fortune, only to be betrayed by her lover and meet a tragic end. 

Fast forward to the twenty-first century, and her descendent Rose doesn’t have time for such nonsense! After a crash-and-burn marriage, she’s returned to her hometown to renovate her father’s gold-panning business and to start over. But everything changes on her 30th birthday when her friend talks her into doing a love spell. Unbeknownst to them, they conjure the spirit of the very same man who once tormented Rose’s ancestor. Why? Because Rose was Corvine O’Dannan in a past life—and her really bad habit of attracting Mr. Wrong still haunts her, and now jeopardizes her very life. 

What Rose doesn’t realize is that along with this dark curse comes an extraordinary blessing—in the form of a soul guardian named Chance Murphy who’s been protecting her for centuries. But this time around, the evil spirit that plagues Rose has stolen Chance’s body. So the only way that Chance can reach her is late at night in her dreams, when he appears as a magical raven who escorts her to an enchanted island off the coast of Ireland. There, Chance becomes a man again, and he shows Rose how to heal her past through the fairies’ special brand of magic. But will Rose finally be able to forge a new future and make the man of her dreams become real? Only if she can once again believe . . .

Review:

Being of some Irish descendancy, I have always loved the Celtic scenery and culture and the music, especially. When the book opened up in Ireland back in the "olden days", I was immediately intrigued by young Corvine and her struggles to understand the difference between love and deception. However, once it did fast-forward to the 21st century, some things did seem to move a bit slowly, although it allowed for some beautifully written descriptive details (which those of you who have been with me for awhile know that I absolutely adore details!!). I fell in love with Crystal immediately, understanding the want to simply stay silent and distant from the world to escape to a better place, and I related to Rose in the fact that I never like accepting anyone's help, and I always, sometimes at my risk, take care of others first. Now in the romance area, can I just say that I have never seen such an accurate written description of love before in any prose I've ever read? It was raw and innocent and real and I couldn't get enough of it. Hey, Diane, can you get me a dream island too so I can make out with some tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious raven guys? ;) Haha, overall, I truly enjoyed this book, and I loved the magic that permeated everything. However, I will have to knock off a half star since it did take so long for the story to pick up pace, but still extremely high recommendations for readers of every age, both boy and girl, although girls may enjoy this story a bit more due to the incorporation of fairies and magic.

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars (:

Well, there you guys have it! My last review of 2015! Later on tonight or tomorrow I will give some details on a new monthly update thing I will be starting at the end of each month as a sort of wrap-up, with the books I read, bought, and even tv shows or crafts or any other obsessions I had that month. So stay tuned for more info! To check out Twixt or any other books by Diane, you can visit her website at:

www.banditsranch.com

"The Summer Solstice: Enchanted" Review

Hey guys! Since I've found myself on a "reading roll", I've got another review of a pretty great book for you guys. The book is titled "Enchanted", book one in "The Summer Solstice" series. The author of this novel is K.K. Allen, an amazingly sweet woman who sent me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

After her mother's mysterious death, Katrina Summer is hurtled into life in the quaint, seaside town of Apollo Beach where she learns of her Ancient Greek ancestors from which the Summer family descends. Leading to her birthday, the day of the Summer Solstice, enigmatic visions and disturbing dreams haunt her, but when her visions start to become reality, her fear turns to terror as powerful forces threaten the lives of those around her. Her world becomes filled with mythological enchantment and evil prophecies that lurk around every corner...

About the Author:

K.K. Allen is the Author of the Summer Solstice series. Enchanted and The Equinox are now available in Kindle and Paperback formats. Ms. Allen was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, raised in Seattle, Washington, and currently resides near Orlando, Florida. She has always had a passion for reading and writing and has done so every day since the young age of 12. Writing has even transitioned into her career as Media Industry professional. "There's just something about telling a story that drives me in everything that I do. Whether I'm creating a content outline for a website or writing a script for a video project, it's all about the storytelling." Ms. Allen is proud to say that she's worked with stellar professionals who have provided her with additional opportunities to grow into the writer that she is now.

Rating:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Review:

Although I say 3.5 stars, overall I enjoyed this book. The only complaints I have is that I feel that it took too long in the novel to introduce the scenario and events that were occurring that it left me a bit confused and bored. However, once the real action and plot of the story picked up the pace, I devoured the rest of the book. And of course, who doesn't love an adorable ship to root for?! I love how original the idea for the story is; it's not just your typical Greek mythology book, it's something much more in depth and undiscovered. I will be receiving the second and third books soon to review, so keep your eyes posted for those. Until then, have a splendid week and a blessed Holiday Season!

To check out more from K.K. Allen, visit her website at:

www.kk-allen.com

"Afognak" Review!

Hey y'all! How are your pre-holiday festivities going? I hope you all are doing fantastic! I have a review for you guys over an AMAZING book that I just finished up, titled "Afognak" by author James Rains. I was contacted by him and was requested to review his book in exchange for a free copy (which is always lovely!) Let's dive in shall we?

Synopsis:

Run. Fight. Die.

The island of Kodiak, Alaska has been harboring a dark secret for centuries, and that secret is about to be unearthed.

Dr. Joseph Karikoff and a group of survivors race against time to flee the horrors unleashed on the island in this apocalyptic biomedical thriller.

Rating:

SIX OUT OF FIVE STARS

(But since that's not technically possible, a five out of five, hands down)

Review:

"Afognak" is breathtakingly real. It os chaotic, messy, violent, and utterly terrifying to imagine. There is absolutely no sugarcoating to the details, allowing any reader to completely immerse into the story. On top of the excellent prose, it has a surprisingly sinister under plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has twists that will leave you astonished and heart-broken, and the unification of all the different perspectives and characters is almost, if not completely, flawless. The use of dramatic irony is superb and makes you want to smack a couple (ahem, ALL) of the characters for their ignorance. Tying it all together is a cliffhanger that left me searching the following pages for more. I cannot wait to read the upcoming sequel, "Chiniak" and to figure out the questions left open-ended in the epilogue.

For more information on James Rains, or "Afognak", visit www.jamesrains.com