Tag Archive | kindle

This book is a modern-day version of Greek mythology meets the X-Men. There are people with special powers and mortals. A person who is considered a halfling is a person with a parent with superpowers and the other mortal. Once they reach the age of 25 they have a decision to make. They have to decide whether they want to embrace their powers or to become fully mortal.

So in the story, Zoe is almost at her 25th birthday and she’s trying to make a decision whether she wants to become mortal and reject her powers or whether she wants to embrace her powers. In order to embrace her powers she has to tell her mother about them. Which is made a little bit more difficult because her mother rejected her father when she found out about his powers years ago.

So while she has this inner struggle going on, she meets Taylor. She’s always stayed away from guys but for some reason Taylor and her have an instant attraction. Her mortal friend Deena tells her that she should pursue the relationship with Taylor even if it is just a fling.

One of her powers is hypersensitivity. She can barely eat food because of all of the sensations that she has in her mouth from eating them. So she’s trying to figure out how is she going to deal with a physical relationship with a guy having this hypersensitivity. Deena tells her that she should see this as an opportunity to enjoy her life, while her brother (who is very overprotective) tries to tell her not to pursue it at all. Zoe ends up pursuing the relationship. Yay.

The characters were very sweet. Taylor was hilarious and Zoe was conflicted but she had good reason. Taylor is looking for a girl that is without drama without excitement. At first Zoe seems that way. He falls hard and then he finds out the truth. But just like Zoe, having to embrace her powers, he embraces his love for her. I won’t give away too much of the story but it has a lot of different twists. It’s very interesting how Zoe comes into her own to embrace her powers. I like the dynamic between her mom and her and her mortal friends.

It makes for a very interesting story. Zoe was the type of person who seem to stand out, never really fitting in with the group. So it is good that she is able to find friends that support her and care for her. Since I have expounded numerous times how much I like happy endings and I like Aphrodite’s Kiss (Protectors (Superhero Series)) , it had a happy ending.

Romancing in the workplace is only for story books

Dec22

As the story starts, Violet is a secretary for attorney Blake. She likes her job but she does not appreciate his brusque treatment. He seems to save the especially unkind words for her and this is worsened when he found out she has a crush on him. Considering he has been treating her like crap, I cannot understand why she cares for him.

In any case, she cannot take it anymore and ends up quitting her job and working for his enemy. He created a hostile work environment and, in my opinion, she could have sued him. We all know that would not have made a good love story, but I digress.

While in her new job she improves her wardrobe loses weight and begins to get her hair done. Since this is a small town Blake still sees her quite often. He gets a tinge of jealousy and make subtle hints for Violet to return to work for him.

The author description of Violet makes me think she was kind of homely and overweight. As a result Blake was not interested in her. But once she started exercising wearing make up and getting her hair done he took notice.

Does that make him shallow?
Or is it that she began to have more self-confidence she was ready to be in a relationship?

I have not figured out which is the case for this book. If you read it, let me know what you think.

Other than that, Boss Man had some surprises that thicken the story’s plot and made it very interesting. In the end Blake might technically be the boss but Violet has a lot to say too.

Its cold outside and she is conflicted inside

Dec20

The Book Of Love (Baby Its Cold Out)

Lila is the manager of a book store that is located in a building that was bought by developer Grayson. All the legal notifications regarding the necessity to relocate the store were sent to her parents since their names are the listed as the owners. Throughout the book, there was a lot of misdirected anger at Grayson from Lila who she decided was foreclosing on her parents’ (mostly her father) legacy. If anything, it was her mother’s fault. But I won’t even get into that.

First of all, my impression of this books has a lot to do with my stance on Christian or religious contemporary fiction. It is my personal opinion that when romance novel authors try to make them “Christian” they should at least say somewhere in the blurb about the book. Reading a romance novel and having “God” references liberally throughout makes it a Christian contemporary. Not knowing that from the beginning because makes me feel as if I’m being preached to. I am not saying that I have anything against books with a religious slant, but at least I can set my expectations based on that.

Lila is trying to be a “good” Christian and has made a vow that she would not indulge in premarital coitus. But that was before there were lighting sparks between her and Grayson. So now she’s relapsing but she’s so conflicted the whole time. It got kind of annoying to me because the story had a Debbie-downer feel every time Lila focused on her guilt. And that took some of the fun out the reading the back and forth banter between them. I knew that they would end up in bed and the next day she was going to be regretting her lack of self-control.

To top it off, Lila has the thought that maybe she shouldn’t get with Grayson because he’s not a Christian. Then he agrees to go to church with her just because if that is what she likes, he will go along with it. I really don’t like that. I don’t think anyone should convert or change religion or become more religious because of girl or boyfriend. The person is just going through the motions and it may or may not last. I don’t know if in the long run Grayson would become a Christian, but there needs to be more of a basis than “I’m doing it for my girlfriend”.

Another point with which I take issue is Lila’s hot and cold attitude with Grayson. She seemed almost to the point of bi-polar to me. One minute she is flirting, ready to jump his bones, and the next minute she is telling him to get out of her house and she is not speaking to him. He had a lot of patience to deal with her. I would have told her “Crazy girl, get your store off my premises before I have forcibly vacated and get out of my life. Period.”

In closing, in The Book Of Love (Baby Its Cold Out) I liked the male character Grayson but the female Lila was super annoying. Some readers might find it humorous.
And to the author, let me know what to expect. If you are going to use the character’s religious relationship as part of the storyline, give readers a heads up and note Christian contemporary genre.

Resort mixup leads to romance

Dec14

His Island Bride (The Bride Series)
– Shadonna Richards

Jessica and James had the same idea: Go to Jamaica for a relaxing vacation. They did not plan on going together. Through a mix-up at the resort, they were put in the same room. Since the resort and all other neighboring resort were booked, Jessica and James were left with no choice but to share the room.

Jessica, who at home has been unlucky in lover, is pondering her mother’s suggestion to agree to an arranged marriage. James has been too busy with business to contemplate having a relationship. Since they have been thrown together and there is a strong mutual attraction, they decide to enjoy each other in Jamaica.

This was a sweet novella romance. The love scene was written well and not too graphic. I was happy about the way the story it ended.

This is worth buying if you want a short story. Some might say that you have to suspend belief in reality but I belief have to do that for most romance novels/novellas. Who really reads books like these for their realism? That is not to say that I like a corny, contrive story. I thought this story was original enough not to be mawkishly sentimental.

Another hot Westmoreland going after what he wants and The Chase is ON!

Sep10

The Chase Is On (Silhouette Desire) by Brenda Jackson

Chase Westmoreland owns a soul food restaurant and Jessica opens a bakery next door. And since a romance novel is nothing without a little drama, Jessica is the granddaughter of the assumed nemesis of Chase’s grandfather. She is trying to find out what happened to cause the rift between the two men.
Chase’s grandfather told him never to trust any member of Jessica’s family. So it gets complicated. Jessica knows who Chase is hoping she can find out what really happened before Chase finds out whose family she is part of. Jessica’s reasons for leaving that information out of the introductions has a lot to do with the fact that she was hoping to prove and present Chase with the proof that will substantiate her grandfather’s innocence. But she knows that the longer she waits, the harder it will be when the truth comes out.
While Chase turned on the charm as soon as he realized he has a cutie for his business neighbor, Jessica began a losing battle trying not to reciprocate. Once she gives in hesitantly, the immediate attraction seems to be smooth sailing until Chase finds out that she has withheld some pertinent information pertaining to her ancestry. With both of them having relationship issues because of previous experiences (e.g. her father was class A jerk), it is interesting to see how they end up together at all.

The Chase Is On (Silhouette Desire) is entertaining, funny, and a little nail-biting at the same time. As the reader, I had information that Chase did not and as I got to know his personality, I wondered how he was going to react when he found out. This is another must read from Brenda Jackson.