A Naughty Review of Master for Tonight by Elaine Barris

Hello, Everyone.  I am very happy to review a new book tonight by Elaine Barris called Master for Tonight.  I have been looking forward to reading this book since seeing some teasers and I finally got to sit down and read it and now share my humble opinion with you.
First, the setting.  There are quite a few places in this book that work as the setting.  It has the deepest, darkest bowels of the city, a house down a country road and a shelter where the main character works.  There are other places too but there is a whole little world created in this story and I like that.  It allows the setting to work around the characters.  The settings created in this book did that and made the storytelling richer and more meaningful.
The characters were well written and I was able to relate to them.  Julian was sexy and smart with a bit of bad boy charm.  He had a heart too which is wonderful.  I was able to relate to Kate.  I love that Mrs. Barris gave her anxiety issues.  It made her very real to me.  Both Julian and Kate worked well together and you will ship them without a problem.  The bad guy (or girl in this instance) Evangeline is complicated.  I hated her but I also felt sorry for her too.  Also, the supporting characters are wonderful also.
The story is told by a master story teller.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  It has a woman who isn't perfect who deserves love, a sexy vampire...Actually, a few sexy vampires, fantasies that come true, torture, a bit of murder and a lot of sexy action.  It kept my attention strictly on the story.  The ending made me want to read more...Actually, I will have to read more...Including Evangeline's story.  So, it's safe to say, I can't leave this story alone.  I would recommend this book for adults who love vampires and erotica.  I would also recommend this book to romance readers and anyone else who wants to take a walk into the darkness.  I do NOT recommend this for minors.  There are definitely some naughty parts that they should not read.  Everyone else should read it.  To say the least, Master for Tonight was a Joy to read.

My Rating: 5+
Book Cover Rating: 5

My Review of Fifty Shades of Grey By E.L. James

Hello, Everyone.  Yes, I am finally going to review Fifty Shades of Grey on my blog.  It was naughty that I waited this long.
 Anyway, before I begin, I will go ahead and say this.  There have been many comments about this book and I will remind you that some of them have very strong opinions behind them.  Some people believe this book promotes domestic abuse.  I have seen domestic abuse up close and personal.  It has happened to me and to those very close to me.  It is ugly and will mark you for life. You have no say in what happens to you.  You don't have a choice whether someone is going to hit you or not.  Saying that, it is MY opinion that this book is NOT about domestic abuse.  It is about a consensual relationship between two people that may be unconventional to a lot of people but it is still a consensual relationship.  If you are expecting me to slam this book based on that idea, obviously I will not do that and I urge you not to continue.  However, I will review this book the way I always have.  If you want that review please continue.

As always, I will begin with the setting.  Since this book was based on fanfiction of Twilight, the setting is still in beautiful Washington state.  However, it is based in Vancouver and then, Seattle.  Washington is a beautiful state and adds beauty to any book where it is a setting.  However, it takes place in Anna and Christian's world so you get to imagine the businesses and their apartments and also their world from a helicopter which is wonderful.  I loved the setting.  It was fitting for this book and gave more of a ambiance to the story.
The characters were wonderful too.  Christian was handsome and charming in his own way.  He was broken by his past in a way that is heart-wrenching.  I was pleased to see that he had many layers.  Anna was gloriously clumsy and awkward.  Those traits are some that I hold dear considering that I possess them myself.  However, she was also strong and witty and very brave.  The other characters in the book were engaging also.  My favorite is Taylor because of the few scenes where Anna was able to break through his stoic right hand man personae.
The story was intriguing.  I was engaged though the emotional turmoil made this book a long read but in a good way.  I realize that this book isn't merely about sex though there definitely is sex in this book.  This book is a love story about a man who has been crushed by life and though successful in business, has a very immature outlook on romance.   It's a book about an inexperienced girl who falls in love with a man who needs her light.
If I had any complaints about this book it would be about Anna's inner goddess and her subconscious.  They became characters that took me away from the story.  Other than that, this was a good story.  Obviously, I recommend this ONLY for adults.  I do recommend this for people who love dramatic romances and of course, erotica.

My rating: 4
Book Cover Rating: 4

My New Book Review for Whatever It Takes By Nicolette Scarletti

Whatever It takes Review

            Hi!  As you know, sometimes I do surprise reviews for brand new books.   This is my new book review and this time it is a brand new book by a brand new author, Whatever It Takes by Nicolette Scarletti.  Since I love discovering new authors, I was excited when I began this book.

            The book opened up with scenery set in real places but with a cloak of fantasy that was alluring.  Mrs. Scarletti did well with making the scenery a character which is always something that makes the story worth reading because it keeps the reader’s interest.  This story had no problem keeping my interest.   

            The characters were wonderfully intriguing.  Dara was beautiful because not only had she been shredded to pieces, she put herself back together strong.  Josef is more than just a pretty face and he definitely has that.  He can handle his own and that’s what makes Dara and Josef and perfect synchronization.  Also, the bad guy is beautiful at least on the outside but don’t worry, you won’t have a problem hating him and wishing for his death.  The rest of the characters are beautifully written and will keep you engaged. 

            Now, for the plot.  It is beyond anything that I hoped for when beginning this book.  It is a bit dark but with a story like this, it needs to be.  I really enjoyed it.  The scenes between Dara and Josef are so hot, I was sweating just reading them.  The scenes between Dara and Sabine reminded me of the bond I have with my little sister and the scenes between Dara and Kristoff made me hate him with every I breath I took.  This story made me experience emotion and any great story does that.  Whatever It Takes is a great story.  I fell in love with each word. 

            I will end this with the obvious.  I would recommend this book though not to the kiddies.  There are some scenes not suited for children.  I would also caution against people who have a problem with torture.  There is a bit of that but for everyone else, you should read it.  I am positive that you will fall in love with the story too. 

Book Rating: 5 stars

Cover Rating: 5 stars

My throwback review of The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

Every now and then, I decide to do a throwback review which means that I reread a book that I've read previously to see if I still love it or if I didn't love it in the first place, I try to give the book a second chance because I realize that sometimes my mood can affect how I feel about a book and it's really not fair to the author but I only do this for books I have not reviewed here.  

The Darkest night is by one of my favorite authors, Gena Showalter.  I am always intrigued by her stories.  However, there are some that I love more than others.  This book is the first book in The Lords of the Underworld Series and I will say that it isn't the book that hooked me, it just helped the hook set in a little more.  

First, I will tell you about the setting which I wasn't sure about at the beginning of the story.  It is set in Budapest which I did not know much about at the beginning.  However, there are castles and a city that came alive with people who believed in superstitions and angels. So, the setting did blend well with the story.  Honestly, I ended up loving the idea of Budapest as the place where things of myth lived.  I became enamored.  I will admit that I googled Budapest and now, I've fallen in love with a place that I hadn't really thought of before.  I don't think I would have done that if it wasn't for Mrs. Showalter.  So, if you're not sure about the setting, give it a try and I'm sure you will fall in love with it too.  

Now, the characters of the story are many so I will start with the main characters, Ashlyn and Maddox.  Ashlyn was the perfect combination of many things.  She was both smart and naive.  She was daring but afraid.  She was broken but strong.  I could really relate to her on so many levels.  The most wonderful thing about her was her ability to love very deeply.  It's something that you wish to see in everyone.  Maddox was strong but gentle when everything in him should have pushed him toward violence.  He is truly a tortured, sensitive soul who would do anything for those he loved.  Together, Ashlyn and Maddox make you root for them.  The other characters of the book are nothing short of awesome.  You want to know more about them which is a good thing in a series.  I could not ask for a better temptation than the Lords to finish every book in the series.  

The story has it all.  It has romance and fights.  It has a family feud.  It has demons and Greek Gods.  This story was literally genius.  It always kept my attention.  I can not think of one page that was boring.  Mrs. Showalter is a master story teller.

By now, I suppose you can see that my opinion of this story has not changed.  If anything, The Darkest Night has gained more respect than I previously had.  I adore this story and look forward to all of The Lords of the Underworld stories in the future.  I'll end this by saying thank you to Gena Showalter for entertaining me again.  

My rating: 5 

My book cover rating: 5 

Watching out for Burglars: My review of B Is For Burglar (Book 2) A Kinsey Millhone Novel

B Is For Burglar is the second book by Sue Grafton that I have read.  The first was A Is For Alibi and my review for that book is in one of my earlier posts.  I walked into this book familiar with some of the characters.  I was also looking forward to stepping into Kinsey's world again.  

There are two settings for this book.  The first is Santa Teresa, California which I was familiar with because of the first book.  I love this place because it is beautifully described especially the buildings.  The other setting is Boca Raton, Florida.  Both are ripe with building descriptions in beautiful detail and characters that contribute to each of the town's beauty.  Sue Grafton does a terrific job of detailing each town.  

The characters are unique and beautifully written.  Even the frightening ones are to be respected and evoked emotions that caused me to see the complexity of each of them.  Sue Grafton did a wonderful job of using their personalities to amp up the mystery and the twist and turns within the story.  I also loved that she didn't make the elderly characters helpless.  She made them rebellious and strong.  It made me love the characters even more.  My favorite is Julia.  She stole my heart.  

As beautiful as the characters and the settings are, the plot is the star of the story.  What everyone wants in a good mystery are twists and turns around every corner.  This book gives that.  While reading, I was constantly entertained by the fact that things were not what they appeared at first glance.  So, I give praise to Sue Grafton for her plot.

If I were to complain about anything, it is the slight lag in the story which happened once and it lasted a very short time period.  It was certainly not anything that would keep me from reading the rest of the story.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a good mystery especially one with twists and turns.    I would like to thank Sue Grafton for her work.  Thank you for entertaining me and I am sure you will be doing so again.  

Book Rating 4.9

Book Cover Rating: 3 

Bullying Within the Author Community...Yes, it happens here too

Thankfully, I have only dealt with this once in my career and I hope to never deal with it again but sadly, bullying in the author community is becoming very real.  I have heard about it over and over again and I truly think it needs to be addressed for many reasons.  I will say that I don't believe that my blog will stop all of these bullies nor do I think that I have the power to do that.  I equally know that I may be getting looks of anger from the people guilty of this very thing and I may even receive retaliation.  I hope someone wouldn't be that childish but the possibility is there.  Still, writing this is worth it because at least I've put it out there. I think before I go any further I should note that I won't be calling out anyone.  I promise.  So, please read until you reach the end.
First, I will explain how this is happening because honestly, there may be someone who is bullying and don't realize that they are doing this.  I'm always an author before reviewer or blogger so I'll begin with how authors are being bullied.
Authors get reviews.  We get them through bloggers and professional reviewers.  We get them from people who picked up our books because they thought it was interesting because of the cover or the synopsis.  Regardless of the work we put into our books or anything else, we realize there is a chance that the person who just picked up our book won't like it.  We can't please everyone because everyone has different tastes.  We also realize they may write a bad review.  I will be honest and tell you that I love my reviews because they tell me what I'm doing right and what needs to improve.  The reviews I don't like are the ones that tear down.  I don't care if they are mine or someone else's reviews, if I read a review that spews absolute hate to the point where I wonder if there was a personal vendetta, it makes me cringe.  It makes it even worse when I can't see anywhere in their statements that they have read the book.  I wish that I could tell you that the bullying ends there.  It did in my case but I've witnessed fellow writers go through much worse. The worst example has come from a reviewer that has threatened the people who support the author they are attacking.  Understand that I believe that it is highly unprofessional.  It should not happen.  Also, know that I will not respect a reviewer who does any of these things or worse.  Yes, I do realize that it can become even worse than what I've mentioned.
Now, I will write about the flip side of the coin.  I read an article about a woman who reviewed a book and was contacted by someone claiming to represent the author asking her to change her mind about her review.  From what I understand this person became very angry when she refused and began to harass her.  As someone who can see both sides of this, I was horrified.  This should not happen.  I would like to put this out there...If I see all five star ratings and reviews and no one star or two star ratings and reviews, I become suspicious of whether they are true.
Also, just a short note on bloggers who are bullied and how to prevent being a bully:  If you don't agree with a blogger, quit reading their blog.  Don't start a campaign to stop it.  It's that simple.  It's the same thing with an author.  If you don't like their books, don't read them.
Now, to everyone who has been bullied, don't give up what you love.  Continue on.  You will find support in those who truly care.  Those are the ones who matter.  As for me, I will continue to support authors, bloggers and reviewers who are true.  I will not quit supporting them due to threats.  I will review the books that I want to review without tearing down the author's works because even if I didn't like it all, there was something in the book that I did like.  I will respect the author by pointing out the good and telling them what needs to be improved.  I support reviewers who are honest.  I'll end this by saying, don't be a bully.  Thank you for reading.

My Soul Searching Review of Dead Girls Don't Blog by Pamela Frost Dennis

I started Dead Girls Don't Blog by Pamela Frost Dennis unsure as to what I would find when I opened the book and began to read.  What I found was a story that surprised me.  Mrs. Dennis wrote her story in a way that twisted my mind and made me question what would be right or wrong.  As I journeyed through this book, I found myself questioning what I would do in a similar situation.  I will admit that I did take my time with this book because of the extreme emotions the story incited.  I had to analyze not only the book but myself.  So, please remember that as I write this review.  

I'll start with the setting.  I loved that the story took place in Santa Lucia, California.  It gave a vibrant backdrop to a very sad story.  The setting showed a nice neighborhood along with a college atmosphere ripe with fraternities and sororities.  I have to give Mrs. Dennis kudos for that.  The setting allowed some light into a dark situation.

Now, I will get to the characters.  I loved Katy.  She made me smile and she seemed like someone that I would be friends with.  Equally, I loved her mother, father, Sam and grandmother, Ruby and of course, Josh the Viking too.  Even her pets, Daisy and Tabitha were wonderful.  Surprisingly, I found that I liked Jake and Phil and that's where my feelings become conflicted.  I can understand these characters.  I can understand what led them to their fates and it shook me.

That leads me to the story itself.  When I pick up a book, I want conflicts and emotion but I also want something that makes me think.  This book did that.  It made me think and see mistakes.  This book made me experience humanity in a very raw form.  So, I am in awe of the talent of Mrs. Pamela Frost Dennis.  

So, now I am to the part where I give something that I disliked about the book.  The problem is that I couldn't find one thing wrong.  I loved it.  I can't wait to read book two.  Thank you for a wonderful story, Pamela Frost Dennis.  

My Rating: 5 

My book cover rating:  3