Book Review: Ice Rift, by Ben Hammott

This book was like nothing else I’ve read and I’m a fan!

The book:

http://amzn.to/2djLjnf

Pelican Freak’s 5-star review:

Wow!

I came into this book not really sure what to expect.
The prologue left me still unsure of what to expect.. it was a great introduction to Mimic, who turned out to be a fascinating character but left questions. Did suck me in though.

The book is set in present time, but has futuristic technology if that makes sense. Really, it’s alien technology that humans stumble upon. Hammott manages to make it seem plausible. It’s not hard to believe that any other race would be more advanced than humans as… clearly we humans cannot get past superficial issues long enough to grip the big picture and just get our shit together.

This book centers around smarter-than-average humans so they sort of stand a chance against what they find… slim as it may be.

There’s nonstop action, almost.
Despite all of the action, there’s still plenty of opportunity to get to know the characters who are brilliantly developed.

I absolutely loved to hate one of them, was fascinated by a couple of them… rooted for the bulk of them and there was even a little romance worked in. Though it was subtle, it still managed to hold my attention and cause me to root for it.

This book also has laugh out loud moments and a little bit of heartwrench.
Lately, I’m having a hard time becoming engrossed in anything… as everything’s been done before. This is like nothing I’ve ever read and I’ll absolutely seek out more rom Hammott.

No complaints at all.. 5 stars.

Book Review: The Biker’s Property (Ghosts of the Prairie Motorcycle Club Series Book 1) – Regina Fox

I normally only share reviews that are 3-stars and above here on the blog. However, this one is such a waste of time and money, that I feel the need to let the review run and serve as a warning. Some of her descriptions can be disturbing. Seriously, skip this one, or go into it imaging it as satire and laugh at it if, like me, you’re sick of the same old drivel that is repeatedly put out by some “authors”. (I’m using the term ‘authors’ loosely here, clearly.)

The Book:

The Biker’s Property (Ghosts of the Prairie Motorcycle Club Series Book 1) by Regina Fox

http://amzn.to/2cbpY0z

 

PelicanFreak’s 1-star Review:

Cover: Amateur graphics, displaying little to no effort and generic.

Editing/Proofing: Don’t think this author used an editor or proofreader for this one. If they did, I hope they didn’t pay.

Character Development: Considering the author doesn’t even seem to know her characters’ names, I feel I shouldn’t spend my time analyzing them.

This book just needs soooo much help.
There actually could be something here if either – someone who knows how to be a writer became involved, or an editor were used.

Characters are semi well developed, semi-consistent in personality… but the author couldn’t be bothered to give them regular names. One of the main characters literally has name changes throughout the story – it’s horrible. If the author couldn’t even be bothered to give her character one consistent name, and/or edit the book even a little bit to be sure her own characters’ names were consistent, then I’m not sure why anyone should spend their time reading it.

That said, I became intrigued and it’s a really shallow, quick read so I did read it.
There is … sort of a plot. If that makes sense. There are biker gangs, and rivals but… much of the rivalry seems just that: an unfounded rivalry, that feeds stereotypes. This could be developed into something a bit deeper, more complex though, and make for a fun book.

The sex scenes are a joke.
I would NEVER discourage anyone from writing or from ANY of the arts. This author should certainly keep trying… but I do think she should NEVER attempt sex again. While I realize there’s something for everyone / everyone for something… I’ve not been able to find ANYone who can wrap their head around phrases like “meaty bits” and “alternate entrance”.

At times, I was confused as to whether the sex scenes were supposed to be serious? They almost read more like satire. When a clitoris is not even once, but routinely, consistently referred to as “meaty bits” and the like (imagine: other meat analogies that I’d much prefer to forget), it’s impossible to take the scene seriously.

Of course if you’re looking for something to mock, and aren’t easily traumatized, perhaps give this a look. Fair warning: I traumatized everyone I told about the author’s analogies for human anatomy, so do not come at this with a weak stomach.

Book Review: Lux, by MJ Vieira

The Book:

http://amzn.to/2cboyDj

After being found, inexplicably, standing over a brutal scene involving a pair of recent murder victims, Jade comes to in a hospital with limited memories. Labeled as paranoid by the seedy medical team and locked up, she seems more a victim than a deviant. Promptly drugged and plunged into sleep, she is submerged into a chronic dreamland that seems controlled by another, she soon gives in to a lavish life with a Malum who seems all too eager to see to her every desire. She awakes in yet another reality with no memories of her past, or even herself. Something is making her forget… and just like that she steps into her new life.

Malum is deeply in love with Jade and is only agenda is to give her the world… Or so he claims. Blindly followed by his people, the Luxans, he works tirelessly to keep them safe from the Rebels, with Jade by his side. Surely his motives are pure… yet, the more time Jade spends with him, the further she seems to fall from herself.

All the while, Jade is plagued by vivid dreams of another life… one she struggles to understand while Malum works to make her forget. As Jade struggles to hold onto her soul and discover her past, Malum seeks to possess all that she is.

PelicanFreak’s 5-star Review

I absolutely will never be able to say enough about this book.

I had the pleasure of reading it for edits and I actually missed it every time I had to step away. It really sucked me in. Vieira has a way of setting the scene, and with the descriptives – so that the reader feels like they’re there. I love when that happens, unfortunately it doesn’t very often any more.

The characters are a very interesting cast and you’ll find that you love to hate them, or totally root for them… there is sex, violence, romance. There’s a little bit of raw anger – that these characters are able to draw out and I’ve never said this about fiction – I don’t get emotionally invested easily – but I did with this book.

I truly hope that Vieira keeps writing as she clearly has a rare gift. With so much to read, literally millions of choices, it still is hard to find something of this quality.
I eagerly await more in this series and I will greedily submerse myself in anything this author writes going forward.

Brilliantly designed, complex characters.
Good continuity.
Spelling/grammar/ etc. on point.

Great cover, fitting. Dark like the book…
As I’m writing this review, I miss the book still. Pretty sure I’ll be re-visiting it in the years to come, as a rare favorite.

Highly recommend.

Book Review: Dying to Know, by Trish Marie Dawson

The Book:

http://amzn.to/2cewrZs

In the fourth installment of the bestselling Station series, Piper Willow finds herself not only struggling to juggle her new responsibilities as a Mentor, but her love life as well. After the Station loses one of its own, Piper’s past returns, and she realizes that the happiness she seeks out for herself and her friends may come with a steep price. As her world changes and crashes down around her, Piper realizes that love isn’t meant to be easy in the afterlife, and that happiness can’t last forever…or can it?

 

Pelican Freak’s 5-star Review:

Cover: Professional and fitting with the rest of the series, no complaints.

Editing/Proofing: Professionally done. No distractions from the reading experience, good continuity, etc.

Formatting: Unable to comment as I was provided with an advanced reader’s copy in order to evaluate the book.

I’m a long time, huge fan of Dawson. I enjoy the Station series an all the little novellas (teasers as I call them) she also put out while we waited for this, fourth installment of the series. As always with Dawson, it did leave me wanting more which drives me nuts because historically there’s a lot of time in between her books. But – this one isn’t killing me. I want more, more out of curiosity and attachment to the characters than a burning need to know (which is what I have going on with her Find Me series – she is KILLING me).

Piper is still true to character and her situations with Sloan and Rush, respectively, went as predicted – in a satisfying way if that makes sense.

The book’s prologue is a great refresher for the series, which was much-appreciated since it’s been so long since #3.

Early into the book, we are shown Bug’s story – Piper shares it with the reader and it is profoundly heartbreaking. I rarely get any real feels from fiction – but this was so well done, and sadly, so true to life for so many people today – that it physically hurt, as I ready the heart-wrenching details. I was impressed with Dawson’s ability to draw that out of me and as sad as the scene was, I found it to be brilliantly and perfectly executed. Now I was emotionally invested (as if I wasn’t already with this whole series). Pay attention to Bug’s story, because it contains a very important message that we need to remember when back to reality.

Piper is both kind of wise beyond her years and at times, still kind of a boy-crazy teenager so that dichotomy is fun to read, as it was in the rest of the books too. For all the serious, Dawson brilliantly arranges some fun as well.

Overall the book fits well with the rest of the series; I don’t think it’s my favorite installment, I think Book 1 still is, as it’s the one that hooked me, but it’s very well done and did not disappoint even after the long wait for it.

I also enjoyed something Rush said that most people would do well to remember:
“…every failrure leads to a more fulfilling success.”
Words to live by.

Anyway- well done. No complaints, wouldn’t change anything and see no reason to rate this any less than five stars.

#NewRelease…

Title: His Dark Canvas

Author: Alexandrea Weis

Genre: Dark Erotic Paranormal Romance

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb: 

Ella Winston is a talented chef with a problem–the slightest touch can reveal anyone’s darkest secrets.

</div>

Hired to cook for the artist, Ren Plancharde, she struggles to keep her ability under wraps.

</div>

After accidently uncovering Ren’s underground activities, the eccentric painter offers Ella a glimpse into his world of pleasure and pain. Intrigued, he decides to make Ella a part of his sinister Corde Noire Society, but his chef isn’t quite ready to commit.

</div>

Absolute submission isn’t all Ren wants from the stubborn woman. He has big plans for her gift, too. The only question is … will Ella be willing to give in to his desires when the time comes?

</div>

The darkness within can hide a lifetime of secrets.

<span style=”font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;”><br /></span></div>

From New Orleans, Alexandrea Weis was raised in the motion picture industry and began writing stories at the age of eight. In college, she studied nursing and went on to teach at a local university. After several years in the medical field, she decided to pick up the pen once again and began her first novel, To My Senses. Since that time, she has published many novels. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning books, she believes creating vivid characters makes a story memorable.

</div>

Alexandrea Weis is also a certified/permitted wildlife rehabber with LA Wildlife and Fisheries. When she is not writing, she rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She is married; they live in New Orleans.

</div>

Author Links: 

Facebook 

Webpage 

Twitter 

Amazon 

Goodreads 

Fan Club

Instagram

Pinterest

Buy Links: 

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon Ca

Kobo

iBooks

B&N

<br /></div>

Through the haze of her apple martinis, Ella spotted someone across the wide dining room. He was different from the other patrons there to celebrate the restaurant’s two-year anniversary. With an arrogant walk, he strutted across the stone floor. Lean, muscular, and blessed with one of those bodies women would always notice, he had dark blond hair and disquieting dark green eyes. He was the kind of guy who knew he was good-looking and let everyone else know it, too. She wasn’t usually attracted to that type, but this man—his confidence intrigued her.

“You’re Ella, Ella Winston,” he said in a voice like dark chocolate fondue: deep, and wickedly sexy. 

“Yeah.” She almost dropped her drink. “I’m the sous chef.”

“I know. Marcus told me.”

As his smile sank to the depths of her belly, he extended his hand, but Ella ignored it.

Don’t touch him. You know what happens when you touch them. 

“So, how do you know Marcus?” Ella quickly asked, hoping to make up for her rudeness.

He laughed, looking her over. Above the din in the room, she could sense something different about his laugh. Unlike the insincere chortle of others, this man’s laugh got to her. 

She was having an unusual physical reaction, something that never happened to her. When most men laughed, Ella usually ran away.

“Marcus and I share the same friends.”

“What friends are those?” she asked, craving another martini.

“The wealthy kind, who like to support the arts.” He raised a green bottle of sparkling water in his hand. “I’m a painter. Marcus and I know a lot of people who like to pretend they’re patrons and keep us gainfully employed.”

“Painter?” Ella shrugged, finding it hard to believe Marcus knew any painters. “What do you paint?”

“Portraits of women. Usually with very little clothing.”

Oh yeah, I need another drink. “Is that lucrative?”

“For me it is.”

Her eyes wandered around the dining room, desperate to find a rescue. Ella needed to get away from this man before she said or did something really stupid.

“Do you like art?” he pressed.

“Some art. I think it would depend on the passion I see in a painting.”

“The passion in a painting?” That laugh again. Her toes tingled. Not good. “You sound like a painter, Ms. Winston.”

The martini glass in her hand suddenly weighed a ton. “Isn’t painting a passion for an artist, like cooking is a passion for a chef? Having a passion is a healthy thing. It reminds us that we have a soul.”

    He nodded, seemingly approving of her drunken ramblings. “That’s very profound and also very true. I think you have a lot of talents yet to be discovered, Ella. May I call you Ella?”

“Ah, sure. Ella is fine.” Her mouth went dry. “What makes you think I have any talents outside of cooking?”

“I have a sense for these things.”

She tensed. Can he tell? The same thought always haunted her when she met new people. Ella fought so hard to keep her secret under control. Time to make a run for it.

“Don’t let Marcus know I have other talents. He’ll probably fire me.”

She was about to depart when he stopped her. He leaned in, and she could just make out the small cleft in his pointy chin. “I promise, if you ever need a job, I’ll hire you.”

His mouth was so close she could have kissed his perfect, thin lips. Frightened by the notion, Ella backed away. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“I hope you do, Ella.”

She should have done a million different things: asked his name, gotten his phone number, or stayed to flirt with him some more. Instead, Ella walked away. She figured it was one of those moments in life she would live to regret. Fortunately, Ella found the bar and drowned her disappointment in another apple martini. 

Ella reasoned that was the way of it. You meet people and move on, and one day, if you’re lucky, you meet the interesting ones again.

<h2 style=”clear: both; text-align: center;”>

<span style=”font-family: &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;”>OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES</span></h2>

<h2 style=”text-align: center;”>

<span style=”font-family: &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;”>99 CENTS EACH!</span></h2>

<h2 style=”clear: both; text-align: center;”>

<a href=”http://amzn.to/2c4MFlS&#8221; target=”_blank”>AMAZON</a></h2>

<br />

<h2 style=”clear: both; text-align: center;”>

<a href=”http://amzn.to/2bz3YtM&#8221; target=”_blank”>AMAZON</a></h2>

a Rafflecopter giveaway

</div>

</div>

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

</div>

Tags #amreading, #amreviewing, #kindle

Categories Bookish

Rehab is For Witches

“We will make a searching and fearless moral and magical inventory of ourselves.”

When six magical miscreants dabble with black magic, they end up together at Incantations, the town’s rehab center for witches gone awry.

BN: http://bit.ly/1QhszBz
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FZeBUC
iTunes: http://apple.co/1P7rEWX
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1Jvmkoe
US: http://amzn.to/1R8mdVL
UK: http://amzn.to/1iBDFGk
CA: http://amzn.to/1LdtXqM

Tags #amazon, #amreading, #amreviewing, #kindle, #paranormal, #rehabisforwitches, #rescue, #sidestreetcookiepublishing, #witches

Categories Bookish

It’s Release day! If you’ve been waiting to find out what Piper’s been up to since her return to the Station in the third book, the wait is finally over. ‘Dying to Know&#821…

Source: Piper’s 4th Story Is Here

Categories Random

« Older Entries

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Back to the top

pelicanfreak

Blog at WordPress.com.

Post to

Cancel