Read "Closer than Blood" by Jayne Lockwood

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Closer Than Blood

Jayne Lockwood

Forbidden passion, blackmail and murderous intent in the cold, glittering heart of Manhattan.

Against his better judgement, slick hitman Frank Mancini falls for the sultry sister of his latest client. He is also hiding a dark secret, but can he get her into bed before his past is revealed?

Tony Freemantle is diseased, dying and desperate. His last wish is to seek vengeance on the half-brother he blames for his misfortunes. He’s never met him. He doesn’t even know what he looks like. All he knows is that he wants him dead.

Pagan Freemantle is the innocent woman who has been unwillingly caught up in her sibling's deadly plan.When she discovers she has to pay for the hit, her attempts to make a deal throws her headlong into a dangerous attraction with a man who is patently bad news.

And can she trust Richard Mason, the elusive millionaire half-brother who is just a seductive voice at the end of a telephone? When a road trip to California ends with shocking revelations, it seems she can trust no-one but herself.

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I read this a while ago, and thought I had posted a review, but I can't find it anywhere. So I'll give the quick and dirty version of it. Closer Than Blood is a dark romp through forbidden territory. There are twists and turns, drunken nights and passion-filled trysts. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say, if you like dark-ish reads with a taste of the forbidden, with plenty of spicy sex - and you don't mind a bit of violence or rough language - you will enjoy this book. Very well written and the plot is thoroughly thought out. Read it today!

I've been writing for many years, starting out at County College of Morris in New Jersey with a course in Journalism. Since then I've published five novels for Black Lace Books under a pseudonym (Savannah Smythe) and one ghostwritten book for glamour celebrity, Abi Titmuss, in 2005 (10 Fantasies.) Also, I've published two M/M erotica stories as S. A. Smythe, Lexington Black and Docklands Diamond, both available on Amazon and Smashwords.

Since then I’ve published The Cloud Seeker and Closer Than Blood, both romantic suspense novels under Hollow Hills Publishing. At the moment, I'm and I’m working on my third Jayne Lockwood novel. I draw from my experiences as an Englishwoman and my time in New Jersey. The area of the Chilterns where I grew up and where I live now is rich in inspiration, secrets and tales from the past. As an author, I have more stories inside me than time to write them!

Finally, I also write book reviews for WROTE Podcast (http://wrotepodcast.com.) WROTE stands for WRitten On The Edge, and features authors and other creatives from the LGBTQ community. I’m very proud to be a part of this venture, which was started in 2014 by myself, S.A. Collins and Vance Bastian, both terrific authors and friends. The podcast is going from strength to strength, and is a great way of getting to know some fantastic LGBTQ writers and artists.

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Review of First Crush by Ashley Ludwig

This book is fantastic. It kept me engaged and guessing through much of the book. A couple things I figured out fairly early, but I didn't know how events were going to unfold. I very much liked Nick, and I loved Natalie's strength of character. She might have saved herself some trauma by listening to Nick and Dalton a little more often, but honestly, I rather think I might have done the same thing in ignoring them.

The characters were all well drawn and fully realized. None of the main characters were hollow caricatures, and even the secondary characters felt real. I was fully invested in Nick and Natalie's relationship, and the success of their venture. I loved Corie, and Nick's mother.

The romance built realistically enough that I'd call it a love story rather than a romance - except that it really did move quite fast. If I had one quibble with the story, it would be that the flow of time was a little confusing to me. There would be mention of days passing, and the work on the property progressing at super speeds, and then come to find out only a couple days had passed when with the amount of stuff going on it felt like it had been weeks. Probably distracting enough to knock off half a star.

I liked getting inside the bad guy's head - it really kept the suspense up for me. Early on, I thought I had worked out who the Slayer really was, and I thought that it would be quite the feat to pull off, but turned out I was wrong. LOL 

As for content, there is mention of faith, but it did not feel in any way preachy. This is a clean read - one that doesn't stand out as clean, in that I wasn't thinking, "oh look, she replaced this dirty word with a cleaner one." It read smooth and there was no loss of interest for all that there is no sex or swearing. There is a bit of violence that mostly happens off screen, though we're given details of some of the fairly graphic results. I'd probably call it PG17, due solely to the two or three instances of violence. 

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Review of Four Weddings and a Vendetta by SJ McCoy

I like this book, but it definitely isn't as wonderful as the other books in the series. Probably because I don't care too much about details of weddings, and so much of the book (about 1/4, I think) was all about the four weddings. Not that that is bad, necessarily, I just don't find it interesting. 

The vendetta part of the story was far more interesting to me, which is good, because the bulk of the story was about the Remingtons trying to figure out how to deal with the thorn in their side which is Guy Preston. I thought the author did a good job of drawing it out and finally into the resolution. Not to give any spoilers, but the trick was to tie the law's hands so that it was up to the Remingtons to deal with him - without breaking the law themselves. I thought SJ McCoy walked that line pretty well.

We also got to see a lot more of Chance in this book, whetting our appetite for his story - which I understand will be a three book spinoff. Chance is a very complex character, and I enjoyed getting to know more about him. I don't know what his story is going to be about, but I'm quite sure I will enjoy it.

The four stars is entirely because of the way I couldn't get excited about the weddings. It has nothing to do with the writing, which is very good. 

As far as content, I would rate this PG17. There is a bit of innuendo, and plenty of swearing, including f-bombs - though not too much by my standards. I don't remember any graphic sex scenes, although there is reference to it, and at least one "closed door." There is also some violence, both 'on screen' and off, and plenty of suspense.

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Review of Charming Academy, by Jessica L. Elliott

I loved this book. It is very well written, and brought me to tears (of joy and sadness) on more than one occasion. I loved how it followed the wonder and angst of being young adults who are expected to fulfill their destiny by having the character of "prince charming" or "fair damsels" in a fairy tale world come to life. 

The dramas the students went through felt very natural, even if it was angsty. I'm generally not a fan of angst. Some YA books I've read the angst feels forced, but here the ebb and flow of friendships, and each character's development as they grew throughout the school years was captivating without being annoying. 

I enjoyed seeing the various characters and trying to figure out which of the classic fairy tales they were going to become. I'm not sure I figured out what the main characters' tale was, though. 

All in all, this is a sweet, family friendly storybook that does deal with some harsh worldly truths, like death, bullying, making mistakes, and standing up in the face of something that isn't right. There are lots of good life lessons, but no hint of it being preachy or boring. In short, I loved it!

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Review of The Nanny Song by Misty Mount

I had a hard time reading about these characters. They were all so...flawed and at times seriously unlikeable. They were so well drawn that I felt a lot of discomfort in the beginning - like watching someone have a meltdown in a restaurant or something. I felt bad for Mallory, having to deal with those challenging children, and I felt embarrassed for the whole Colt family that the fallout from their failure to deal with their grief was on such public display. And even Mallory did some things that had me shaking my head, wanting to shake her - especially when she'd drift off into la la land at the most inopportune moments. 

That being said, reading about realistic - and flawed - characters gives me a look at a world I don't normally see, and makes me appreciate what I have in my life: No kids, no drama. There is definitely a place for that in fiction.

The further I got into the story, the more I was drawn in, and I actually stayed up pretty late a few nights, reading more than I had intended. I had to see what was going to happen next - how would Mallory deal with the next crisis, and would she get caught snooping around her employer's house? And most importantly, would any of them grow out of their poor behaviors? (Spoiler - they do! Which makes it totally worth all the cringe-inducing moments.) 

I found the story arc believable, the characterizations solid, and the character growth timed to perfection. The characters - with the possible exception of the mother - were totally redeemed in my opinion. Their poor behavior lasted no longer (nor shorter) than necessary to be believable and compelling, and there was just cause for every turn and bump in their interrelationships. (Any faster and it would have been too easy. Any longer, and a sane person would have given up.) 

So why not 5 stars? Well, the ending was quite abrupt. We weren't given a real sense of what the future would really hold for everyone. I did like the building relationship between Mallory and Brendan, but I questioned their declaration of love for each other at the end. I could definitely see it building toward that end, but I didn't quite think she had enough to go on to love him. Of course he would love her, but since he was a jerk for most of the book, I'd prefer to see her waiting to see that he was really mending his ways. I also had a bit of trouble with...not their age difference, per se, but the way Mallory is so often described as a "girl." It just made it hard to see her as a potential love interest for Brendan when so often it felt like she and Meela were being described as though they were sisters. And finally there were a few style choices that I found jarring. Not really errors, just small things that jarred me out of the story a few times. So, I'll have to leave it at 4. Maybe 4.5 

As for content, this is a sweet, clean story. Probably PG, but only for some references when Mallory and Rashelle are talking to each other. There's no swearing, no hanky-panky, and no major violence - although there are references to a rough childhood for Mallory, a couple run-ins with the schoolyard bully, and some speculation as to what really happened to Brendan's wife. Don't take that to mean the story is dull, though. There are a couple exciting scenes, and plenty of drama. 

All in all, I recommend The Nanny Song as a fine clean read.

Review of Fletcher, by AJ Adams

I'm thrilled with this installment of AJ Adam's Prydain novels. Fletcher is witty, dark, sexy, riveting and just all around fantastic. Ms. Adams gets the mix just right in this twisted tale of one man's quest for revenge and one woman's quest for freedom.

Lind is a terrible thrall, and I totally believed her character, from her foul mouth to the way she's developed means to deal with a master's right to use his thrall in any way he chooses. She totally blindsides Ware, until he doesn't know she has him wrapped around her little finger. The Master Fletcher's story is heartbreaking, and I could totally root for him to get revenge for the personal devastation he experienced. Despite his quest, he has a heart of gold, and his character growth throughout the book is refreshing to see. The story unabashedly deals head on with issues of social justice ranging from slavery to sexual abuse to caste prejudices and greed. It covered a lot of ground, but I never felt like I was attending a lecture.

In short, from start to finish, Fletcher had me enthralled. If you don't mind a darkish tale that is oddly infused with a flare of light and hope, and aren't put off by sexual content that is at times dubious consent, and some quite inventive profanity, then you will enjoy Fletcher. R rated for profanity and sexual content.

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.

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.

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.

My reviews now include "content ratings"

For those of you who care about "content ratings" in books, I'm beginning to add my best guess at the ratings of the books I review on my blog. As I have time (meaning don't hold your breath, lol) I'll be going back to the ones that posted before I made this decision, and adding them in. 

The ratings will be modeled after the movie system (All Audiences, PG-13, PG-17, R, X, etc.) and will include codes like you see in TV shows that says what the rating is for: L = language, V = violence, A = adult content [i.e. Sex] and so on.

I know my readers come from diverse tastes, and some are more interested in this kind of information than others, and since I read across the board, it is a small service I'm happy to provide.

Happy reading!

Review of Becalmed, by Normandie Fischer

Oh my. This one had me glued to the tablet to finish. 5 Stars, easy.

I have read so much indie work that has great story, but not always the best execution. There are notable exceptions, and Becalmed by Normandie Fischer is one of those.

This story is simple but beautiful, the characters are well-rounded and believable - Jilly especially was adorable - the setting gorgeous, and the sailing scenes made me want to get back out there. The description of riding out the hurricane made me feel like I was right there. (I'd never considered that being in a boarded up house when the lights go out would mean not knowing whether it was day or night outside.) All in all, the "world" was built so well it easily transported me into the story. The final 50 pages or so I totally shirked my schedule of things to do in order to finish.

The editing was superb. I didn't make any notes, which almost never happens with me. So either there were no errors, or I was too caught up in the story to mark them. Either way, well done!

My only quibbles that keep this from being a full 5 stars is the bad guy. I guess I didn't quite buy Alex's motivation? Something about him didn't sit right with me. I mean, I get it that he is going through a divorce, but why does he decide he wants Tadie? I didn't gather that information from the narrative. Why become stalker-ish on her? And why would he ever think that what he ended up doing was a good way to win her back? (Trying not to give a spoiler, here. I didn't quite believe the escalation. The other quibble I had with the end action was Tadie's response to it. I'm pretty sure if that happened to me, I'd either be way more angry, or way more freaked out. Especially in her circumstance. Not sure I could joke about it quite as quickly as she does. But maybe she's a stronger woman than I. And it is a minor quibble, really - all things considered.

The final quibble would be a spoiler if I spelled it out, so if you don't like vague spoilers, don't read this paragraph. I did think things moved rather quickly in the romance at the end, considering how much time they spent apart. Then again, they're in their 30s, they should know their hearts by now, right?

If you like a well written, sweet love story (I'd give it a PG-17 rating, for the end action) the you will be more than happy with Becalmed.

Review of Agnes Hopper Shakes Up Sweetbriar, by Carol Guthrie Heilman

This book came to my attention through the Beach Reads Bonanza 2016 (a Facebook event) and I bought it because it sounded cute. Amazon gave me the option to add the audio version for a couple extra dollars, so I did. 

At times silly and heartbreaking, Agnes' story was also often poignant and heartwarming. Agnes herself is a perfect storm of happenstance and tomfoolery. I was transported to Sweetbriar Manor and listened to her adventures with bemused enjoyment. 

My only quibble with the story is that I wasn't sure how it should be categorized. I'd thought it was a cozy mystery, but I thought Agnes did very little in the way of actual sleuthing. She mostly bumbled into questions and answers, and powered her way into and out of trouble through sheer obstinacy. She was more of the catalyst for others to come forward and see their way to sharing their own pieces of the puzzle, and therefore solving the mystery. I was a little confused by the ending, and whether or not the perpetrators got their just rewards or not.

The characters were all well drawn, and made for a delightful cast of characters with stories that ranged from tragic to delusional. They stayed true to character throughout.

The performance was delightful - although Agnes' voice could get to be a little whiny at times. I did have my own ideas of what the characters should look like based on the voices, and then a bit of narrative would remind me of how wrong I was. That was a little jarring, but hard to help, as everyone comes with their own preconceptions when it comes to a character's voice.

All in all, I'd recommend this to anyone who thinks a clean cozy mystery involving slightly daffy senior citizens would fit the bill for the day. Be prepared with your hanky if you are prone to tears at the misfortunes of others.

      

Review of Pieces of Me, by Carrigan Richards

So this was a tough read for me, for all the right reasons. It was well done enough that the subject matter made me uncomfortable; both the situation Corinne was in and her emotional state, but especially concerning one "friend's" behavior.

This story deals with some tough topics, and I think it deals with them with deft determination. 

I was a little put off by the style - you know me and first person narrative - it's not the easiest for me to get lost in. Also, the flashback setup of much of the book was a challenge for me, because by its very nature, it became a lot of telling rather than showing. But despite these, my usual complaints against a first person narrative, I was able to connect with Corinne and feel with her - enough that I felt acute discomfort for her. The author did a good job of making me feel empathy for Corinne.

This book will put you through the wringer, and it did indeed wring tears out of me at the end - and that doesn't happen often. If you're up for an emotional challenge, then I recommend Pieces of Me.

Review of Hope Falls: If I Fall by SJ McCoy

This short novella from SJ McCoy set in the Hope Falls Kindle World is wonderful. In typical SJ fashion, her characters are honest and open, and there is little in the way of angst. Just a story of two people who find each other in a small town, away from this crazy world we live in, and they make it work.

SJ McCoy crafts stories I love to read as an escape from the world. They're light, fluffy, and steamy. Like dessert in the desert of modern times. 

Review of The Flame and the Arrow by Emigh Cannaday

I'm going to have to stop trying to write reviews on my tablet.  Lost another one.

I'll sum up what I said. First, I'm not putting on a star rating because this read to me like a New Adult novel and I've come to realize that I am not a fan of New Adult. That is not the fault of this novel - but because I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't be able to give it more than 3 stars. 

I was approached by the author and given a copy for an honest review - and I only hope I gave her my standard spiel about honest being honest, and she might not like what I have to say. In future, I will be sure to pass on any New Adult novels that come my way, as I can't think of one I've read that I really enjoyed. So, that is why I'm not rating it. 

It should be right up my alley, with an epic journey, magic, elves, and a battle to reopen the portals between worlds so our heroine can go home. And those elements are what would get the three stars from me. Minor errors aside, there isn't much wrong with the book, other than being a genre that is not one I enjoy. 

Why do I say it's New Adult? Because the focus is on the roller coaster, hot and cold romance between Talvi and Annika, and planning for parties, and parties, and bar hopping, and cooking - all things I found very dull, and I wish I had skipped through them. Oh, and chapter after chapter about helping the troll family behave, in order to get the troll Dad to come with them on their journey, only to have him play such a very small part in the final battle.

That being said, if you like New Adult stories, I'm sure you'll like this tale. However, if New Adult is not your thing, you might want to give this one a pass.

Review of Across Our Stars: Victor, by A. Payne & N.D. Taylor

I enjoyed this story. It took a while to determine where things were going, but the setup/world building is important to the series I'm sure. There is mystery at first in what is happening, and then in who is perpetrating the crimes against whole colonies. To me, it is very realistic, as in life we don't always get all the facts at once, so we don't always know that there is danger, much less that it is headed our way. Because the POV is mostly with our heroes, we learn as they do that all is not well Across Our Stars.

I like Victor and especially Zoe. They are definitely heroes, and they do seem to belong together. Their romance is sweet and gets a bit steamy, but it is not the primary focus of this story. When the action really picks up after the halfway mark, be prepared to hold onto your seat!

The ancillary characters are well developed, too. I felt like I really got to know the crew, and that they weren't all simply cardboard cutouts just there for window dressing. I felt like the Jemison could be a proper starship, run by capable and quirky crew.

Best of all, for me anyway, is that I didn't feel like I needed to be a rocket scientist just to read this. Frankly, I started drifting away from Sci-Fi when it became so technical that I had to skip whole paragraphs and sometimes scenes because I don't CARE about the Kelvins produced in a dwarf star, or whatever. If a reader likes that much detail, they might consider Across Our Stars a bit fluffy, but this hearkens back to my favorite character driven Sci-Fi novels, like John Varley's Steel Beach.

I am definitely interested in reading the next story, as Hamish will have quite a story to tell after all he's been through.