2014 eBooks

Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett

November 12, 2014 by Darlene

Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett is a moving story about the angels in our lives and second chances. Our main character Sean Magee is a firefighter who becomes trapped in a burning building. Just as he is sure he’ll be taking his last breath he is led to a window by what he is later sure is an angel and he just jumps. Despite severe burns and injuries he survives.

The whole experience causes Sean to take a closer look at himself and how he has been living his life. He’s just been existing in his life not really living and now that he’s been given another chance at life he wants to change that. To do that though he has to look to his past and deal with all the issues that caused him to withdraw from his life in the first place. Issues like the family he’s run from as well as make amends to the one woman he’s always loved and never forgotten.

Sean is one of those characters that is easy to connect with because he’s looking for the same thing a lot of us are … the meaning of our lives and what we ultimately want from it. Despite his issues he’s a pretty wise guy. One of my favorite quotes from the book came from Sean…

‘… sometimes miracles happen. Great stuff happens out of the garbage of everyday life. Like seeing a dog surf or being in the right place at the right time so that you can actually save a life. Or admitting, just admitting once that life is more than just work, it’s about the people in it.’ (from eBook copy)

Words well said. Too often we don’t see all the little things in our lives that are really good. Many times we don’t take the chances we should whether it be in forgiveness or love. This novel really brings that to light. Second chances are meant to be taken and life is meant to be lived fully. Above all keep yourself open to the angels that touch your life!

Recommended for fiction lovers! I really enjoyed this one!

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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received and all opinions are that of the blog owner.

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Raindrops on Roses by Millenia Black & Giveaway (US/Canada)

November 11, 2014 by Darlene

Raindrops on Roses by Millenia Black, releasing on November 18, is the first book in her Favorite Things Novella Trilogy and it’s an exciting start! There’s a love triangle, romance, betrayal, and a woman bent on revenge. This book comes in at about 140 pages which makes it just perfect for snuggling up by the fire or in your cozy chair and enjoying for a few hours.

Priscilla Bauer lives a good life due to a very hefty inheritance but that doesn’t help take away the pain from the loss of her grandmother who was a Hollywood icon. She desperately misses her and this leaves her vulnerable. Into this walks Michael Frost, a brand designer, who has worked for Priscilla’s grandmother. Priscilla is taken with Michael’s good looks but even more so by his kindness and concern with how she’s doing. Micheal is completely besotted by Priscilla and knows that he has to have her. Of course it isn’t long before sparks fly between the two. The problem is Michael is already in a relationship and Amber has no intention of ever letting some other woman get her claws into her man. Someone has to pay for ruining Amber’s life – the only question is who?

The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so I’m looking forward to reading the next one to see what is going to happen. I really like Priscilla and hope she’ll come through this all unscathed but somenhow I doubt it. So far I think Michael is a jerk but we’ll see and Amber – well Amber is nuts. All in all a great combination for a really good story!

Recommended for lovers of dramatic love triangles! I really enjoyed it!

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GIVEAWAY – OPEN TO US & CANADIAN RESIDENTS

2 winners – 1 copy of Raindrops on Roses and 1-$10 Amazon Gift Card

*CLICK HERE* and fill out the form to enter

Draw Date November 27/14

Good luck!

Source: Digital review copy provided by the author for an honest review. Giveaway materials provided by the author. No compensation was received and all opinions are that of the blog owner.

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The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton & Giveaway (US only)

November 6, 2014 by Darlene

Stephanie Thornton is one of my favorite authors for historical fiction because when I sit down with one of her novels I am immersed in another time and place that is so brilliantly brought alive in my mind. I adore her writing and her newest The Tiger Queens is nothing short of amazing. Rich in historical detail and with the intricate weaving of the stories of the women of Genghis Khan this novel is fascinating. I simply couldn’t put it down and I’d be remiss in not mentioning the cover. It is absolutely gorgeous!

I knew nothing about Mongol history before reading this novel. To learn about it through the women who stood behind Genghis Khan is genius. The novel shifts between four women – Borte, his first wife, Alaqai, his daughter, Fatima, a captured woman, and Sorkhokhtami, his mother. Each woman has a story to tell, each woman is strong, and all have a great instinct for survival despite the harshness of their environment. These women were honored by their husbands but god forbid they fall into the wrong hands as the men of this era didn’t hesitate to rape, murder or make slaves out of the women of rival clans. Thornton doesn’t hesitate to write their situations as bluntly and harshly as they would have happened. Many times as I was reading I couldn’t imagine ever living through what these women did and not only in the face of men who could be cruel but the environment itself. The hard work they faced each and every day, the many children they bore, the wars they faced – it just all seems so unreal to us now in modern times. Yet their spirits seemed to soar above it all and they were able to find happiness.

Of all the women I think Borte was my favorite. The story begins with her and she captured my heart right away. She becomes Genghis Khan’s first wife and they shared a special bond throughout. Borte is such a strong woman and more courageous than I could ever imagine being. Her daughter Alaqai was a favorite as well though. She was her father’s wild girl and had women been allowed to be leaders she would have made a far better one than any of her brothers. She too had the strength and resilience of spirit that her mother had. Fatima before being captured had been a noblewoman and she had a strong desire for vengeance against those who had destroyed her clan. And then there is Sorkhokhtani who seemed to be in the background of things and yet she never really was as she had the strength to hold all together in the harshest of times. I have the utmost respect for the women of this time. I loved reading about them but I would never want to have lived their lives.

For fans of historical fiction The Tiger Queens is not to be missed. It’s always great to read stories that are new and fresh in historical fiction and it’s a treat to learn of women and a time in history that isn’t widely known. I loved this book, so much so that it’ll be on my list of favorites for this year! Highly recommended!

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GIVEAWAY – OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY

1 paperback copy up for grabs!

*CLICK HERE* and fill out the form to enter

Draw Date November 22/14

Good luck!

Source: Digital review copy was received from the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received and all thoughts and opinions are that of the blog owner.

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A Day of Fire by Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, and Vicky Alvear Shecter & Tour Wide Rafflecopter Giveaway

November 5, 2014 by Darlene

A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii is an amazing novel by six historical fiction authors – Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, and an introduction by Michelle Moran. Can you hear me say Wow! This book is a compilation of separate stories that are linked together by place and people and from the opening words of this novel I was hooked! Despite being separate stories they flow together seamlessly to form a cohesive tale and it’s one I won’t soon forget.

This book centers around the deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the time of the Roman Empire. Each story features one character and one part of the story although a few of the characters appear throughout. As you follow each story and each person you can feel the tension starting to build as at first there are only tremors and as they begin to get more severe people are becoming terrified and many begin to try and leave the city. Once the rock and ash begins to fall though many realize that it may be too late for them to leave at all and you feel like you are living in the pages of the book with them as you feel your own lungs constricting as you imagine the smoke and ash filling them.

Normally when I read a collection of short stories I have distinct favorites and ones I just didn’t like but that isn’t so with this book. The way these stories flow you couldn’t even tell you were reading different authors. You can definitely see the work that the authors put into this book to make it so. I can’t say I had a favorite because with the way the stories related to one another I kept getting one more piece of the story and that made all of the stories good. So many of the stories touched my heart though especially ‘The Mother’ by E. Knight and ‘The Whore’ by Stephanie Dray. Both of these stories are taking place during and in the aftermath of the eruption and are written with such passion and sadness that I find them hard to forget even though I put the book down a few days ago.

A brief word on the authors. I have read all of these authors except for Ben Kane and I will be taking a closer look now at his work. The ladies though are some of my favorite authors and I am so impressed with what they did with this novel and I certainly hope they will all get together and grace us with another book in the future. The only thing I missed having had an advance copy is that I didn’t get the introduction by Michelle Moran and I would have given anything to read that which only means I’ll be picking up a copy for myself to get it!

While this is a tale that is pure sadness at its core it is also a story of courage and hope in the face of disaster. It shows the resilience and goodness of people from all walks of life coming together to survive what is surely the worst that could happen to them. The authors did an amazing job of adding a story that brought alive this devastating time in history. A Day of Fire is a book that will touch you as it did me. It is most certainly not one to missed for the historical fiction fan. Highly, highly recommended!

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GIVEAWAY

To enter to win this beautiful one-of-a-kind Roman style Necklace (18″) and Earring set, hand-crafted with real carnelion, and inspired by jewelry of the ancient world, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open internationally.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on December 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on December 6th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Source: Digital review copy was received from the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received and all thoughts and opinions are that of the blog owner.

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Memory Card Full by Liz Weber

November 3, 2014 by Darlene

Losing a pet is never easy and when Liz Weber’s dog Rufus begins showing signs of old age and ill health she knows that sooner or later she will have to face the fact that she may lose him. Memory Card Full is a memoir of Liz’s life before, during, and after losing her Rufus. As any pet owner knows our pets are a constant in our lives and they love us no matter what and with Liz going through some issues in her own life Rufus was the one thing she could always depend on. Needless to say the loss of a pet makes for an emotional story.

Liz had a pretty busy life with working in a bar, as a part time model, and at a lawyers office. Her dream is to become a writer but in the meantime she has to do whatever she can to pay the bills although she has very supportive parents who help her out if she really needs it. Still Liz feels stuck in her life. She can’t seem to move forward though and it’s driving her crazy. So when Rufus starts to show signs of something being wrong Liz is concerned about being able to pay the bills but will do what it takes to get Rufus help. As Rufus gets worse Liz has to make one of the hardest decisions of her life and put her boy down. Afterwards even though she continues to work her emotional state seems to spiral downwards. As time goes on though Liz decides to take a writing class, attend a conference, and even start dating. Liz began to feel as though having Rufus had kept her from really living her own life and she knows that finally she needs to let go of her grief and move on.

I have mixed feelings on this memoir but I think really the reason is that all of us have different ways of dealing with loss and our feelings on things. There were many decisions and thoughts that Liz had that I disagreed with but again each person does things or feels things their own way and can’t be judged on that. I lost Buddy four years ago and the pain is still there for me and I’m not always positive I’ve moved on from it despite having the wonderful Sammy to love. The raw emotion of having to put her dog down really hit me hard as the anniversary of losing Buddy passed just a few weeks ago so that made some parts of this memoir really difficult for me. All in all I enjoyed reading Liz’s memoir. It was a fun read in a lot of parts because to me she lives a fairly exciting life that I never will but other than the shared experience of losing our pets I couldn’t really connect as I would have liked to which I’m positive is due to the differences in our lifestyles and our thoughts on some things. Despite that Liz seems like a really great and caring person and hopefully the writing of this memoir was one more way for her to heal in her own life.

Recommended for those who enjoy memoirs!

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Source: Digital review copy received from the author for an honest review. No compensation was received and all thoughts and opinions are that of the blog owner.

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Highland Hunger by Eliza Knight & Giveaway (International)

October 31, 2014 by Darlene

I was first introduced to Eliza Knight’s writing when I began reading her Highlander novels and really enjoyed them. These novels are a little escape from the day to day reality of life and I always look forward to snuggling up with the dog and indulging in one. Highland Hunger is no exception and from the first word to the last I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading this book. This book reminded me of the Hunger Games but with one sexy Highlander hunk of man to drool over and one independent and spunky woman both set on winning the war games so they can rule their Scottish land. Very exciting!

Ceana never intended to compete in the war games but when her brother is killed she is named laird and has no choice but to go in order to protect her clan. Macrath has been sent to the play in the war games by his stepmother who despises him as he is the bastard son of his father who is a powerful earl. Macrath would like nothing better than to win and set his stepmother and half brother in their place once and for all. When Ceana and Macrath set eyes on each other it is an instant attraction but Ceana knows that she has to concentrate on the games not a man. Yet she can’t help herself especially since Macrath is set on trying to protect her. As the games wear on the passion between the two grows and their only goal is to win the games and rule together. Will they get through the increasingly difficult challenges and manage to not get themselves killed? Will Macrath finally exact his revenge? And just who is Beatrice who lords over the war games?

This was a great story with non-stop action and very steamy and sexy trysts between Ceana and Macrath. These two make a great couple and since this is the first book in a series I can’t wait to see what will happen next when they begin to rule over their lands. It should be very interesting! If you love your steamy Highlander stories then Highland Hunger is a must read! Highly recommended!

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