SYNOPSIS: What is God? Who am I? Why am I here?
These are questions Victoria has been endlessly trying to answer all her life. Things take a turn when she comes across a book, “La Très Sainte Pyramide.” The three centuries old alchemist, The Count of Saint Germain, has authored the book. How can it be? Is he alive? Is the book legitimate or is it a scam? Victoria sets out to answer! MY REVIEW: Victoria finds and old book written by Count St. Germain. Despite the fact Germain was alive in the 1600’s, the book is published in 2015. Rather than assume the book is a new edition, Victoria decides to believe the count is still alive and jumps on the next flight to Paris thinking she can find him in the louvre. After a tour of museums and catacombs, she finally runs into a man named Giuseppe who lives in Italy but has an American accent. (Weird). After one night, Giuseppe confesses that he is in fact the Count and he has been looking for Victoria all this time and would like her to remember. (Wierder) I'm all for the soul exchanging, body hopping, sail across time love story's, but this one was too brief with the characters hardly fleshed out. Their actions are almost idiotic which makes the plot entirely unbelievable. It's literally as if I read Anna Karenina then hopped on the next flight to Russia looking for Leo Tolstoy because my edition was a 2020 publication. See what I mean. As if this story couldn't get any more bizarre, the Count had a party and the Rock was there. You know . . .Duane THE ROCK Johnson! (Wierdest!) The ending was just as confusing as the entire book and I was left wondering what the heck I read. I kept waiting for a plot twist. Was Germain going to become an evil villain like Al Capone In the Devil’s Advocate? Would they fight this epic battle between good and evil? Instead, after a week of bickering, the two decide to get married. The end. So all this biblical verse reading, dimension hopping and unexplained business, turns out to be nothing more than an HEA romance. Uff. Major disappointment. I did enjoy the theory of the soul ascending. I love all theories that have to do with the afterlife. I just wish the author focused more on this, and less on giving me a tour of Paris. This story could have been mind blowing, but a story willing to take on God, the afterlife and travel plains just cannot be done with a novella. A full length book with better explanations of the concept would be needed for this one. Buy Links: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0986286737/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0986286737&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 SYNOPSIS: In 1863, Civil War is raging in the United States. Victorine Meurent is posing nude, in Paris, for paintings that will be heralded as the beginning of modern art: Manet's Olympia and Picnic on the Grass. However, Victorine's persistent desire is not to be a model but to be a painter herself. In order to live authentically, she finds the strength to flout the expectations of her parents, bourgeois society, and the dominant male artists (whom she knows personally) while never losing her capacity for affection, kindness, and loyalty. Possessing both the incisive mind of a critic and the intuitive and unconventional impulses of an artist, Victorine and her survival instincts are tested in 1870, when the Prussian army lays siege to Paris and rat becomes a culinary delicacy. Drēma Drudge's powerful first novel, Victorine, not only gives this determined and gifted artist back to us but also recreates an era of important transition into the modern world. MY REVIEW: Drudge’s novel, provides an intimate look into the life of French model Victorine Meurent, a Parisian artist born in a time where women artists were not taken seriously. The only way to express her love of art was to pose for male painters. A muse to Edourd Monet, the book gives the backstory to each of his paintings. A lifelong relationship is formed between the two and although it is clear Manet loved Victorine, maybe even respected her, he continued to remind her of her inferiority and never quite allowed her to reach his level of class, friends or other artists. Throughout the entire book, Victorine surrounded herself around selfish artists, and gave everything but her blood to be included in that circle. All she wanted was for the men to acknowledge that she was not just a model, but a painter, like them. But even when her work was accepted into the Salon, a place that rejected Manet’s work several times, he still could not give her the praise she deserved. Drudge blends Paris culture, Art, music, fashion and sexuality into a very colorful life of Victorine Meurent. Had she been born a man, we probably wouldn't remember her, but a woman screaming so loud to be both seen and heard, she's left quite an impression in history. As I read the story, I kept thinking how one dimensional the characters are. One minute they're talking, the next someone's crying, then everyone's laughing again. The relationships are never fleshed out, just suddenly people are having sex then everyone's married…or maybe they were married but still having sex with everyone else…it happens so quickly, it’s tough to keep up, but eventually, I learned the rhythm of the authors writing style, and even grew to appreciate what she was doing here. Where personal details and emotions are lacking, the description of paintings are exuberant. I think the author did this on purpose. Victorine constantly dwells on the fact that she can feel nothing for anyone or anything but art. The writing style supports that. Her marriage is brushed over because it's secondary to her. The days spent as Monet's muse are plentiful because that's what matters to her. A very well written, unique take on the art history of Paris. Buy Links: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0996012036/ref
SYNOPSIS: An elderly resident of an inner-city tower block is brutally attacked and left for dead. Her neighbours, a pregnant alcoholic, a vulnerable youth, a failed actress and a cameraman with a dark secret, are thrown together in their search for answers. Misfits and loners, they are forced to confront uncomfortable realities about themselves and each other, as their investigation leads them towards the shocking finale.
MY REVIEW: Shenstone Tower. Home to an old, senile woman, a pregnant ex addict, an unemployed actress, a cameraman and a highly autistic teenage boy. The Tower is a safe haven for mentally unstable residents to have a chance at a normal, well-balanced life. But when one of their own is assaulted and left for dead, the residents no longer feel safe. They decide to band together and uncover the mystery of who the attacker is. Along the way, they learn the weaknesses of each resident and build a relationship and discover their friendship can help one another. They are no longer left alone to fight this world on their own. But will that all change once they discover who the attacker is? This is the second book I have read from this author and she always seems to capture my interest from page one. The characters are all very fleshed out and I find myself truly caring about what happens to them. I especially enjoyed this story which addressed disorders such as ASD and went so far as to enter his head and give us an understanding of how a brain with autism may function. Great job. I highly recommend. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tanya Bullock is a college lecturer, writer and award-winning filmmaker. She lives in the UK with her husband and two young children. She has a passion for foreign culture and languages (inherited from her French mother) and, in her youth, travelled extensively throughout Australia, America, Asia and Europe. As a filmmaker, she has gained local recognition, including funding and regional television broadcast, through ITV’s First Cut scheme, two nominations for a Royal Television Society Midlands Award, and, in 2010, a Royal Television Society Award in the category of best promotional film. On maternity leave in 2011 and in need of a creative outlet, Tanya began to write That Special Someone, the story of a mother’s quest to help her learning-disabled daughter find love. It was a finalist for The People's Book Prize and The Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award 2016. Her second novel, Homecoming, a love story with an unexpected twist, was published in 2016. The Lonely Hearts Crime Club is Tanya's third novel. A psychological thriller with a shocking finale, it will be published in the spring of 2019. All Tanya's novels are published by Blackbird Digital Books. BUY LINK: www.amazon.com/Lonely-Hearts-Crime-Club-devastating-ebook/dp/B07MVKKY6H SYNOPSIS: Detective Sean Malone always thought he would follow in his father’s footsteps. Some roads, however, are better left untraveled.
Patrick Malone had everything he ever wanted. A career, a family, and the respect of his community. Until one night on the beaches of Clearwater, it was all taken away. Now, twenty years later, his son Sean is in the same position. In love with Andie Markos, he is about to become a father. About to realize all of his dreams. About to lose it all. What happened twenty years ago threatens to happen again. As the deadly secrets that should have died with Patrick Malone rise, ready to capture his son and everyone he knows in a web of addiction, doubt, and betrayal, Sean will discover that some family secrets never truly die. MY REVIEW: Doctor Markos and Detective Malone’s relationship has escalated from casual to committed. With a baby on the way, Andy is faced with a tough decision when Sean asks for her hand in marriage. It seems both of their dreams are coming true, but there are still nightmares from Sean Malone’s past and they begin to surface in this fast paced suspense novel. Family secrets are unraveled and boundaries are crossed. Ms. Adam’s did it again and wowed me with her realistic, very likeable characters. I love the Greek culture she throws into the storyline which always makes me hungry for some delicious dolmas. She went a little deeper into darker waters with this novel and explored the dangers and downward spiral addiction can cause. Truly a remarkable story. BUY LINKS: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M77QLL6 SYNOPSIS: After her fiancé abandons her on their wedding day, Talia walks off with her head held high and her bridesmaid’s in tow. She expects to wash his memory away in a wave of tequila, maybe flirt with a hot cowboy, but what she doesn’t expect is to run into an old flame.
Now, with new sparks flying between Jessie and Talia, she’s even more convinced that her wedding was never supposed to happen. But it seems that her ex-fiancé wasn’t quite finished destroying her life, and the next bomb he drops leaves her devastated. When Talia finds out what part Jessie is playing, and the truth behind his motives, she is left with a choice that will change everyone’s lives forever. Once upon a kiss is a reverse fairy tale. No one needs to save the princess this time around, this time, it’s her turn to save the day. MY REVIEW: We all have that one ex that we can think back on and say, "Thank God I never married him." A blessing in disguise it's called when you dodge that bullet. For Talia, that moment of clarity happened on her wedding day and she was more relieved than disappointed when Stephan didn't show at the church. Six months later, Talia's rekindled a new romance with an old flame. Everything is perfect until Stephan shows up with news that hes selling Talia's fight studio. Given 30 days to come up with a large sum of money she doesn't know how she can stop this sale. She's on the verge of losing everything and her world just might implode when she learns the role her new man plays in her dilemma. A fast paced romantic novel where Ms. Tamayo has yet again created a world with fun, likable characters. I finished this book in one sitting and find myself still thinking about it days later. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I'm a police dispatcher/ 911 operator, and a romance writer. I like to say that writing is my full time hobby, but it's in my blood just as answering 911 is. I'm a wife and mother. I live in the Houston, Texas area with my husband of twelve years and our three year old son. We all live happily with our yellow Lab, Daisy and our African Grey parrot, Sassy, When I'm not writing or working, you can usually find me at home enjoying quality time with my husband and son, or maybe a large family get together with my fantastic extended family. BUY LINKS: www.goodreads.com/book/show/41881996-once-upon-a-kiss?from_search=true SYNOPSIS: Palace Hills...The very name struck shivers down the spine of the affluent city of Goldendale.
Unfortunately, eighteen-year-old Nina Sharman has no choice but to call the poverty-stricken neighborhood her new home. Life for Nina seems bleak until a chance meeting with Conner Hale changes her mind and captures her heart, leading her to believe that maybe Palace Hills wasn't so bad after all. However, one tragic case of mistaken identity changes everything and leads to an event so horrifying that Nina believes she could never recover. My Review: “Always remember that sometimes, bad things happen so that even greater things can be born.”Oh, the flood gates opened for this one! Where to even begin? I guess Palace Hills would be a good start. Nina and her family moved there after her big shot father lost his job. Adjusting from the country club to the players club, Nina found herself stuck in the low-income housing projects. With self-absorbed parents, Nina and her seven-year-old brother, Matthew were on their own. Searching for the silver lining in a horrible situation, Conner Hale, a lifer of Palace Hills makes it his mission to get Nina to see the good in his slummy community. It may not be much, but the projects had taught him the importance of family, something Nina never learned with her parents. That first summer in Palace Hills was the first time Nina fell in love. Despite the awful neighborhood, Conner showed Nina and her little brother what acceptance felt like and they welcomed it with open arms. But not everyone in the ghetto was as welcoming as Conner Hale and one night, something unforgiveable happens. The books immediately changes from a young adult romance, to a teenager dealing deeply with depression, emotional abuse and self-harm. Without giving too much away, Nina’s life is turned upside down and sets her on an incredibly hard path. I shed a lot of tears reading about her trying to overcome that event. The ending of story didn’t end with the traditional happily ever after. I mean, sure she was happy, but she didn’t choose the path I wished she had. She didn’t end up with the one I was rallying for, and due to that, it brought up the same bitter sweet feeling I had when I read The Hunger Games. So, I’m left with the reminded words of another readers consolation when describing the end of Katniss Everdeens’s story, “The effects of war destroy everything. Every hope, every dream is tainted by violence. A survivor of such a horrific event loses everything they knew, including their first love. They cannot come back from such a horrific event.” Years later, I now find that explanation comforting me again and understanding Nina’s decision. An incredible book I will be recommending for years to come! BUY LINKS: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NCRUCTW/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00NCRUCTW&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 SYNOPSIS: She became prey. In her innocence, Kathleen Colby trusted a man no woman should ever have believed. She dreamed he would take care of her, and would help her care for her helpless sister. Instead, in a drunken rampage, he assaulted her and left her shattered on the muddy streets of an Alaskan boomtown.
Kathleen does not let him stop her. She escapes Skagway with her paralyzed sister Josie, in spite of her attacker. Just before winter closes in, on the last ship of 1899, they sail away to the south. Their dangerous journey is only beginning. They travel across America at the turn of the twentieth century, by train, on horseback, and on foot. One man, a man of many secrets, travels as Kathleen’s companion, but she cannot allow him into her heart. She knows that she cannot trust another supposed rescuer, that she alone must rescue herself. She is sure that she must learn to stand on her own legs before she can build a relationship with any man. Yet, Kathleen is drawn to this strange and passionate man, but perhaps the brutal assault she endured in Skagway has closed off her heart to the possibility of faith in someone else. She carries a gun, and is willing to shoot to kill or to take what she is owed. She trains herself to survive at any cost. For her unspeaking sister’s sake and her own, she learns to live in a savage world. Whether or not she reaches the great city of New York, she has been on a harsh road too long. Will she ever learn to live as a woman again, and to open her heart to love? MY REVIEW: My first Western Novel and I loved it! I basically just discovered a whole new genre of books that I could fall in love with and I am STOKED! Cathleen Colby is a young girl who has travelled to Skagway, Alaska with her mother and paralyzed sister. They are searching for their father, a dreamer, who basically has left the family in debt while chasing his dreams to be a gold miner. They soon learn her father has perished in an Avalanche. Without money, or a man to protect the family of susceptible women, Kathleen’s mother decides they must head to New York to find some family members. There, Kathleen can find a husband who can take care of her. But that will never happen if Kathleen is chained to her quadriplegic sister, so her mother decides Josie must be institutionalized. Refusing to accept such a horrendous fate for her sister, Kathleen does whatever she can to protect her sister. But a single woman in the Wild West proves harder than Kathleen could imagine. Thrown into a world of rape, murder, starvation and disparity causes her to grow up fast. She quickly learns why her mother was constantly reminding her she must turn her heart to ice. Will Kathleen be able to withstand the harsh treatment in a man’s world? She must, in order to keep her sister alive. Holding on to her prized possessions, she loses herself in her books and romanticizes about a better life. As long as she has those books, there is still hope that a light will shine though the mist of despair. By far one of the bests books I have read this year! Kind of freaking out there’s no more books from this author. BUYLINKS: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481843583/ref=x_gr_w_glide_ku_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_ku_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1481843583&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 SYNOPSIS: The ability of the horse to sense emotion, energy and spirit is way beyond what most of the human world realises. A must-read for those wishing to understand the spiritual connection between horses and humans.
When Pam’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she began to notice the way her horse responded to her emotional turmoil. Thus began an exploration into the spiritual relationship between horses and humans and their infinite capacity to help us heal. Building on her remarkable discoveries, Pam began her pioneering work as a horse-led coach and therapist. By sharing her own path to redemption through personal tragedy, and other stories of healing inspired by the incredible interactions she has observed between horse and human, Pam puts forward her uplifting insights about the true nature of the horse, setting out some simple principles to help the reader transcend life's challenges. MY REVIEW: A story of a corporate therapist using horses as a way to awaken peoples emotions and learn how to acknowledge and change their behavior. This is the first book from Blackbird Digital I did not enjoy. Probably because it's a self-help book and there are very few books of this genre I can stomach. Especially when the author had a strenuous relationship with her mother and father, was not close or connected to her two siblings and constantly ran from every relationship she ever formed. Is this person really qualified to give advise on how others should be behaving? Nothing wrong with the writing, I did actually enjoy the stories of the authors life, but I did not enjoy the stories of the therapy sessions with the horses. Basically, someone experiencing trouble connecting at the workplace would met Pam, Pam would introduce them to a hose, the horse would reject them, then they would realize it was their tense body language and bad behavior. They left with a whole new "outlook" on life simply because they got rejected by a horse... Buy Links: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0995473552/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0995473552&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 Sara Conrad just about had it all, wealth, beauty, a prominent place in Las Vegas society as the owner of a popular nightclub, and a reputation that was second to none.
There was only one thing Sara failed to possess… Her life. That’s because it was dominated by a despicable sociopath, her husband, Ezra Silverstein, who rarely let Sara out of his sight and manipulated her every move. Out of desperation, Sara turned to a bodyguard at her club, Max Tobias, for sanity and salvation. Before long they are on the verge of a torrid affair that threatens not only to engulf them personally but their very lives, as well. When Silverstein catches wind of Sara and Max’s relationship, he is determined to make them pay for their betrayal. He makes it his mission to inflict a blood thirsty punishment on his beloved Sara and her romantic rescuer. As events reach their dramatic climax, Sara is stunned to discover Max is not really a bodyguard at all. This revelation turns her entire world upside down leaving her vulnerable and unable to trust anyone, especially the man to whom she had given her heart. Riveting. Unpredictable. Page turning The story of a good woman trying to survive in Sin City where Satan himself has set up camp in her own marriage, and the only man she had truly loved turned out to be a virtual stranger. God help her. Buy Link: www.amazon.com/Pennys-Worth-Cynthia-Austin/dp/1625266286/ref=sr_1_4/134-1297955-0072330?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501529381&sr=1-4&keywords=A+Penny%27s+Worth |
Author Spotlight
Each month, I will be showcasing my reviews of various authors. Each review will be posted here as well as on my goodreads profile. Feel free to add me to goodreads by clicking the button below.