Review: The Loyal Heart by Merry Farmer

The Loyal Heart is the first book in Merry Farmer's fun, sexy, and very knightly Noble Hearts series. 

"...This is a really entertaining book with love, lust, action, intrigue, humour, stress, happiness and sadness and is well worth taking the time out of your day to read." - Lindsay and Jane’s Views and Reviews

About The Loyal Heart

Lady Aubrey has a problem. Several problems. Her childhood love, Ethan, has returned home from the Crusades, but he’s more interested in winning his land back than wooing her. She has to rescue a pair of nuns who are being held prisoner in Derby Castle’s tower by the sadistic Sheriff Buxton. And to top it all off, she’s developing scandalous feelings for Buxton’s lackey, the dark and devilish Crispin. Faced with all that what’s a girl to do but don her disguise as the Derbywood Bandit and take matters into her own hands? Sir Crispin is at his wit’s end. Not only does he have his hands full keeping Buxton from killing half the shire, now his arch nemesis, the Derbywood Bandit, has joined forces with his old rival, Ethan. And that’s nothing compared to the burning torch he carries for his ex-fiancé, Lady Aubrey. He would do anything to win Aubrey’s love … … until he suspects that there could be a closer connection between Aubrey and the Derbywood Bandit than anyone has guessed. Genre classification: Medieval Historical Romance

The Loyal Heart is available exclusively on on Amazon.

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Merry Farmer is an award-winning author of Historical Romance and what she likes to call “Sci-Fi for Women.” She lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats and enough story ideas to keep her writing until she’s 132. Her second novel, The Faithful Heart, was a 2102 RONE Award finalist and her unpublished futuristic novel A Man’s World won first place in the Novel: Character category at the 2013 Philadelphia Writer’s Conference. She is out to prove that you can make a living as a self-published author and to help others to do the same. Find Merry Farmer on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon Author Page.

Ethan paced in front of the cell door, waiting for the opportunity to put their plan in motion.  It came quickly.  When he heard the noise and leaned up against the door Jack leapt into action, Tom behind him.  Ethan pressed his face against the bars as hard as he could and tried to see what had caused the guards to get up.  He heard voices but couldn’t see a thing.  He thought he heard a crunch and a thump.  Then his eyes widened and he whipped around to Jack.

“They’re coming!”  He took two steps towards the man, made a fist, and pounded him hard across the jaw.

Jack’s neck twisted with the force of the blow and he staggered to keep his balance.  “Oy!” he shouted, holding the side of his face with an irate frown.  “What the bloody hell was that for?”

“To make it look like a fight!” Ethan explained, bursting with energy.

“Yeah, but I thought I would hit you!”  To prove his point Jack threw a hard punch at Ethan.

Ethan dodged just enough to let the blow land without doing any damage.  “Get off me, you cur!” he shouted, glancing over his shoulder at the door.

“I’ll cur you!” Jack made a run at Ethan.

Ethan was set to grapple with Jack when the door to the cell flew open to reveal Aubrey looking like a wild warrior.  “Aubrey?” he barely had enough time to say before Jack crashed into him shoulder first.  Jack expected Ethan to counterbalance and when he didn’t they toppled full force to the floor in the doorway with a thud that knocked the wind out of both of them.

Aubrey didn’t miss a beat.  She tossed her dagger in the air to change her grip, slammed her foot into Jack’s shoulder, and when that pushed him off of Ethan, she lunged at him with full force.  She planted her right foot on the back of his knees and grabbed his ginger hair. When she squatted he was forced to bend backwards, spine stretched over her leg near to the breaking point.  Her dagger was cold against his throat before anyone had a clue what was going on.

“Aubrey stop!” Ethan shouted as he recovered.

Jack was ready to soil himself.  “I didn’t do it, I swear!”

“Stop,” Ethan repeated, eyes wide.  “He’s a friend.”

Aubrey blinked at the shocked man whose spine she was about to snap.  “Really?” she arched an eyebrow.  “Any reason why he was attacking you?”

“It was part of the plan.”  There was something about the fire in her eyes that made his throat tighten and a grin play at the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah, the plan!” Jack stammered.  “Someone please tell her about the plan!”  Aubrey glanced to Ethan and when she saw the sparkle in his eyes she loosened her grip on Jack and stepped away.  Jack collapsed, legs sprawling, and squeezed his eyes shut.  When he opened them and glanced up to Aubrey’s beautiful face his eyes danced to a grin and he winked.  “Well, that would’a beat hangin’ any day.”

 

 The Loyal Heart started off with a bang for me but then fell flat for quite a while. I generally love historical romances but this one just wasn't quite it for me. It definitely follows along the Robin Hood tale (not sure if that was quite intentional but it seems it would be).

I enjoyed the spunk of Aubrey, adored Jack (by far my favorite character in the novel), and really liked Crispin once we learned his true nature. I wasn't a huge fan of the other characters though. Of course, Ethan... blah. I didn't like him from the get-go.

Anyways... overall, it just went on and on and on and on and on and on and on.... you get the point here. I had to push myself to continue reading for a while but once we get to the point in the plot where we see Crispin is actually the good guy... it took back off for me.

At that point, I became a bit more invested in the story & the outcomes of the characters. The characters you thought were the good guys during the first half of the novel are flipped to the bad guys. I did like that part of the plot but I wish we wouldn't have wasted so much time to get to that point.

So overall, for me, I liked this novel but I didn't just fawn over it. Now, give me a story about just Crispin & Jack... I think I'd love that! Those two characters truly made this novel worth reading for me. If it wasn't for those two characters, I don't think I'd have even finished this one.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars
Cover Rating: 2 Stars <-- for some reason, historical novel covers never quite do it for me
Characters: 3 Stars
Plot: 3 Stars
Climax: 4 Stars
Ending: 4 Stars

Review & Giveaway: The Donor Part 3 by @NikkiRaexX

The Donor Part 3

by Nikki Rae

PNR

Serial Novella

*Ebook obtained directly from the author in exchange for an honest review as part of the tour*

Synopsis:

Casey may have not known what was in store for her when she met Jonah Black on MyTrueMatch.com, but now that she’s with him, life has become even more unexpected. She's discovered someone else in the picture and now she cannot figure out how she fits into the puzzle.
Convinced that he doesn’t need her, Casey is torn between giving up and doing whatever it takes to help her family. But Jonah, it turns out, needs her more than she knows.
Time is something neither of them have.
Can they hold each other together as the clock runs out?

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Have you read parts 1 & 2? 

The Donor (Part One)

Casey Williams and her family are poor. Her parents work non-stop and so does she, just so they can keep the trailer roof from leaking.
They’re getting by fine enough when the headaches start. Then there’s the nosebleeds. And the inevitable doctor’s bills.
Fortunately for Casey, there’s MyTrueMatch.com: an exclusive, quick, and almost easy way to pay it all back before her parents even have to know.
All she has to do is give a man she’s never met whatever he wants from her body.
Inside or out. 

The Donor (Part Two)

When Casey joined MYTrueMatch.com, she never imagined she would meet a man who not only helps her pay the bills, but has been nothing but a gentleman.
As the nose bleeds make way for worse symptoms, Casey can’t help the feelings she has for Jonah, despite how he may never return them. And he’s been keeping things from her. Big things.     How does he make his money, and who is that girl in the picture?
With the clock ticking, can she find the answers she’s looking for?

Hmmm.... This piece to the puzzle hasn't been my favorite. For some reason, there was just something that felt missing for me in this little piece... I can't quite put my finger on what... I know, I know.... vague much? : /  

The story continues right where we left on in the last piece and continues moving forward. I enjoyed this piece. I sort of liked where the plot was taking the characters. But I wasn't gripping the pages and feeling the angst and curiosity I felt in the other parts. I felt more sadness and...well, sickness I guess. Duh - the main character is sufferring a terrible illness and (no spoilers) so I guess it's about time for me to feel a dreary emotion from the story. I'm sort of amazed that I didn't really feel it until now... Ha. Kuddos to the author - she's awesome - writing about a character with a pretty bleak background and present situation and NOT making me depressed the entire novel... that's awesome. 

Anyways, I know I'm bouncing around all of the place with this review. It's hard to write reviews that have any substance for serial novella pieces. They're so short and the story is not a new one... It's a continuation from other parts that you've already dug your toes into. 

I don't want this to be a negative review because I don't feel negatively about this part of the story. There was just something missing.  

****scrunches forehead in frustration because she can't find the right way to word this**** 

Anyways, the ending! Gaaa! I can't wait to get the 4th piece to this story! I'm still very intrigued by the characters and the overall plot of the story! 

So overall for this little installment in the series.... 3 Stars

**Blitz-wide giveaway hosted by the author**

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Review: Eternal (Sons of Heaven) by Virginia Hust

Eternal

Sons of Heaven #1

by Virginia Hust

Edited by Sarah Maddox

YA Urban Fantasy / Paranormal / Fiction

Published Jan 7, 2013

*Ebook obtained directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Three hundred years of penance, of suffering through an immortal life has left Maura praying for salvation. She joins a group bent on gaining back their souls by awakening The One and after a rather bleak few years in Cairo she thinks they’ve found him. But after a meeting with her sire goes terribly wrong she is trapped in the enemy camp. How far will she go to survive? Gabriel is a normal, if rather jaded private detective living in Seattle Washington, until a beautiful woman shows up at his practice, claiming to be a vampire and asking for his help. Suddenly his life is turned on its head as he is introduced to the underground society of Fallen Angels bent on finding their savior.

Grab Your Copy:

About the Authors:

Virginia Gamsky Hust lives in sunny Florida with her new Husband William Hust and their miniature poodle Apollo. She is pursuing a degree in English Lit and works as a wedding planner in her spare time.

Connect With Virginia on Twitter

Sarah Maddox lives on the white sandy beaches of West Florida. She and Virginia have been friends since freshman year of college and she is the voice of reason in their little group. She is currently working towards her degree in Computer Science while juggling a part time job in a tourist town.

Stop by the official Eternal Website

My Review:

I'm a lover of all things vampire... usually. Now, starting this review with this tone sounds like I'm pacing myself for a rough review. Honestly, it's not that bad but I wasn't completely loving it either.

This novel starts off with a bang - The action starting off immediately. Capturing, torture, running, traveling...I enjoyed the multitude of characters in this novel but I have to be honest and say that I was totally confused by those who had multiple names. I understood that they had a modern name for this day and age plus the name they used years ago... I understood that just fine - it was the use of the names being swapped back and forth, around and around. I had to mentally try and keep up with which character I was reading about. I became exhausted in the beginning trying to keep them straight. 

I enjoyed that this novel was following two separate events at the same time: You have Maura & you have Gabriel. I enjoyed both of their characters. Sometimes I had a little trouble mentally jumping back and forth between the two scenes & settings though because they bounced back and forth often. I had a good feel for some characters and no feel at all for others. You really don't know much about anyone to start with... little bits and pieces of each character are revealed slowly over the course of the entire novel. The novel is told in third person so I wasn't completely engrossed in the characters as I might have been otherwise. 

Oooh the traveling - I really enjoyed the fact that the characters traveled from place to place. I thought that was intriguing. I've never been off the North America continent, so learning more about the places they stopped at could've been fun.

As I neared the 3/4 way through the novel, I was captured in what was happening to the characters. I loved the twists & excitement. I have to admit that the second half of the novel held my attention more than the first half. 

I felt like the novel could've used another run through by the editor because there were a handful of areas that made me want to take out a red pen but it wasn't a deal breaker. I loved the way this novel concluded and look forward to seeing what Virginia Hust does next.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Cover Rating: 1 Star

Characters: 3.5 Stars

Plot: 3.5 Stars

Climax: 3.5 Stars

Ending: 4 Stars

Review: Return (Lady of Toryn #1) by Charity Santiago

Return 

Lady of Toryn #1

by Charity Santiago

YA Fantasy

Published May 2011

Synopsis via Goodreads:

For the last three years, eighteen-year-old Ashlyn Li has been running from her destiny. A free-spirited ninja, Ashlyn would rather loot an abandoned city or challenge a fiend to battle than assume leadership of Toryn, her father's kingdom. However, when a series of attacks reunite Ashlyn with the friends who helped her save the sun three years ago, she discovers that her kingdom is at war and her father has presumed her dead.

Suddenly Ashlyn is faced with not only fulfilling her birthright, but also making sense of her feelings towards two very different men- Drake Lockhart, the enigmatic vampire who captured her heart three years ago, and Vargo, the charismatic assassin who was once Ashlyn's sworn enemy.

Will Ashlyn ascend the pagoda and become Lady of Toryn?

Don't miss the exciting first installment in the Lady of Toryn trilogy, which also includes Regret (book 2), and Redemption (book 3), both available on Amazon Kindle now.

Grab Your Copy of Books 1, 2 & 3:

About the Author per her Goodreads Profile:

I'm Charity, and I am a book addict. There, I've said it. No denial here.

I would say I love reading and writing, but that's not quite accurate- I live reading and writing. I write every day, and I devour books like there's no tomorrow. Since my husband gave me a Kindle for Christmas in 2010, I have been ecstatic about the easy access to ebooks. I now read all my ebooks on the Kindle app on my iPad.

The books I have written include "A Carol for Ben," a contemporary holiday romance, and the YA fantasy "Lady of Toryn" trilogy, which consists of "Return," "Regret," and "Redemption." All books are available exclusively for Amazon Kindle.

I am currently working on "Blood Lust," the first installment in a sexy new paranormal romance series.

Connect with Charity:

Goodreads    Twitter    Blog

My Review:

I'm not sure where to go with my review of Return. I liked it, but then it wasn't for me... but I liked it... LoL Kinda contradicting myself right? I think I'm realizing that the older I get, the less I enjoy full on fantasy novels. I love the world that the authors create but my mind is scattered in so many different directions, that I find them harder to read lately because, as a reader, I paint the whole picture in my mind. It's getting a little exhausting LoL Yea yea, no old jokes okay. I'm not THAT old. >_<

Return is the first book I've read that's been full of ninja action so that was neat. I learned a few new words/terms and seriously dreamed about kicking butt one night. Ha.I loved all of the action that was packed into this novel. It's one thing after another.

Starting off, you're thrown right into it. I was a tad confused in the beginning - had to step back and say "wait, huh?" but the more I read, the more I caught on.The lead female character, Ashlyn, has been gone for three years and has missed quite a bit it seems. I liked the way that the author kinda threw in background blips here and there - that helped me understand everything better.

There are so many characters that I had a little trouble keeping up with who was who for a long time. However, I liked the characters. A few of them are very well defined, but then there's those that you really don't get a good feel for.

I enjoyed Charity's writing style. It flowed well for me while I was reading so it actually made the reading go by at a steady pace. Each time I put it down, I'd pick it back up and be thrown right back into the action. I loved that.

Action packed, lots of unexpected twists (gotta give it Charity on that one - great job), and a little romance.

Overall, a good read & good start to a series.

Overall Rating: a solid 3 stars
Cover Rating: 3 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Climax: 3.5 stars
Ending: 3.5 Stars

Review: The Emerald Tablet by Joshua Silverman

The Emerald Tablet

Legends of Amun Ra #1

by Joshua Silverman

Fantasy

Published September 15, 2012 by Enchanted Forest Press

*Ebook obtained directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Leoros doesn't have many friends. The son of a scientist and archeologist, he is constantly on the move. But when his parents make a startling discovery in Egypt, Leoros' world is turned upside down.

Do you wish you could have the power of a god? Would you use it for good…or for evil?

When an archeologist discovers the mythic Emerald Tablet buried beneath Egypt’s desert, her son decodes the ancient text leading him to a distant world. On that world, a slave girl begins a journey towards a destiny she cannot imagine. But when an ancient foe rises from the ashes, they will be brought together
by forces neither understands. Leoros, who dreams of being like the heroes in the comic books, must fight to unlock the secrets of the universe to save a people he never knew existed. Atlantia, whose bloody visions wake her in the night, senses the darkness coming. Together they will face an enemy with the power of dark energy, lose a mentor to the assassin’s blade, and be betrayed by someone they trust. Their fight for the future is just beginning, and before it is over, a final sacrifice must be made. When the darkness comes, will they stand and fight or will they join it?

There is darkness in everyone.

Grab Your Copy:   Amazon     Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Joshua Silverman was born in Washington DC and currently resides in Orange County, CA. He grew up watching Star Trek, Star Wars, and other science fiction series with his family when he was young. Star Trek: The Next Generation was a ritual show in his house. In his spare time, he collected a respectable collection of comic books and Magic: The Gathering cards.

When he’s not writing (or working in his day job to be able to write at night), he spends his time thinking about how to avoid traffic, what he’s going to have for dinner, watching cheesy apocalyptic or Kung Fu movies, working out, hiking, or reading. 


Connect with the Author:
 Website    Goodreads     Twitter    Facebook


My Review:

The Emerald Tablet is unlike any other novel I've read... Starting off, the first freaking scene, you see a man strangling his 6 year old daughter just to get her to feel and bring out "hate" so she can bring her powers to the forefront. I'm pretty sure my eyes crossed a tad bit during this scene because you can tell the father is willing to do anything to get it out of her. Then you jump several years forward, then you jump again. I'm not going to lie, the first several chapters of the book after that first one just dragged by for me.... There's SOOOOOOO much detail that I ended up confused more times than one. I guess that can be expected since the author is practically building a whole world and setting the scene but I like when the reader is able to also expand on what the author is giving you. There's so much detail being given that a few times I was a tad frustrated because it was literally all laid out there for me. Some people may prefer that. To each their own I guess. Haha. :)  I think the writing style may have contributed a tad bit to my confused state sometimes. I had a difficult time during parts of the novel figuring out if I was reading past tense or present tense...It wasn't so bad to the point I wanted to put it down - it was just a little confusing and I had to just stop thinking and keep reading.

Anyways, the characters, granted there are a lot of them, are really uniquely built. I enjoyed learning about each of them but I had trouble at first deciphering which characters were which and keeping it all straight in my mind. The first half or so of the novel was kinda "ehh" for me; however, a little later on when everything begins to move a little faster, I started to become more attached to the characters and root for Leoros. The creativity really blew my mind in several spots.

I'm not quite sure what the target audience is supposed to be for this novel since the characters are really young for the most part but some of the things that happen in the novel are definitely not for younger readers - Maybe New Adult or Mature YA... Since I'm in my *cough* late >_<  20's, I was fine reading it... I just wouldn't stick YA in front of this novel...

I feel like I'm starting to ramble a little bit and I guess that's because I'm not sure where to go next...

I guess overall, I'd give this a solid 3 stars.... I'm kinda freaking out though because it's supposed to be book 1 of 7 = that's right SEVEN... that's a long run for a series and I've only seen it happen the right way a few times... other times it just drags on and on and on and on and... okay, you get the point. LoL I do think that the author has a good set up for a long series so I think it can be done. :)

Cover Rating: 4 Stars <-- I really like the cover a lot!
Characters: 3.5 Stars
Plot: 3 Stars
Climax: 3.5 Stars
Ending: 3.5 Stars

ARC Review: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memior of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons:

A Memior by Lady Trent

by Marie Brennan

Published 2/5/13 by Tor Books

*ARC Provided for Review via NetGalley*

Synopsis via Goodreads:

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one’s life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Marie Brennan introduces an enchanting new world in A Natural History of Dragons.

Grab Your Copy:

My Review:

I'm not quite sure where to go with this review. I'll start by saying that if you enjoy reading novels with a writing style similar to Jane Austin's or enjoy the popular tv show Downton Abbey, then this would be for you. I have had a fascination with dragons since I was younger but the time period that this novel is set in bores me to tears. I'm not one for the classical style of writing either - I guess being forced to read them in school ruined me.

Marie Brennan does an amazing job sticking with the time period and the writing is absolutely beautiful. Her creativity is absolutely amazing too.

The artwork in the novel is hands down some of the best with regards to other dragon depictions that I've come across. Stunning! I would love to have the print version of this novel on my shelf simply so I had the artwork.

Now the plot... It's very slow - but this may just be my reflection because of the writing style & the period in time where this novel is based. Lady Trent is quite quirky so she does keep you entertained here and there - for instance: when she decides to examine the dead dragon in the yard at her house and is caught.

All of the referencing to dragons is great - honestly, I thought there would be more dragon & less of Lady Trent's day to day oddities. I guess that's another thing that turned me off with regards to this book. I enjoyed reading about Lady Trent's growing fascination with dragons but all of the in-between bored me.

Overall, I'd give this novel a 3.

I'd like to give it a higher rating simply based on how beautiful the author's writing style is & her creativity -  but overall, I just can't - it's mainly because this book just ended up not being for me.

Cover Rating & Imagery Rating: a huge 5 stars! It's really stunning artwork. Loved it.

Review: Tickle Me by Monica Bouvier

Tickle Me

by Monica Bouvier

Adult Romance

Published October 22, 2012 by Outskirts Press, Inc.

Print Version: 492 Pages

 

*Print copy obtained from author in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Aphrodite Be Damned!

In this tale of wanton love, decadent seduction, and dangerous liaisons, we meet Alice—a quiet, meek woman who, at 29, has never been touched by a man, let alone experienced the piercing pangs of love’s bittersweet kiss upon the heart. Alice is obsessed with Greek Mythology, and early on, she resigned herself to the fact that Lachesis, the Fate who chooses our lot in life, destined her life to be one without love—that is until Erik, a mysterious admirer, surfaces.

Communicating at first solely online, Erik’s passionate poems and erotic love stories slowly break down Alice’s self-imposed wall of isolation. Throwing caution to the wind, they begin to share the most intimate of emails, awakening Alice’s innermost desires. She finds herself falling in love with Erik and in the possibility that he could be her one true love—her soul mate—despite the fact that they have never met in person.

Has Zeus finally heard her cries and granted Cupid, the offspring of Aphrodite, permission to hurl his arrow of love in Alice’s direction? Or, will she get caught up in love’s unscrupulous web of deception and deceit after the identity of her mysterious lover is revealed? How far will Alice venture to recapture love lost—real or imaginary? How far would you go?

Get Your Copy:    Amazon    Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Monica Bouvier is married and has one son. Born in Spokane, Washington, Monica moved with her family to Anchorage, Alaska at the tender age of six. Her grandfather was one of the first African-American homesteaders in Anchorage, as well as, owned and operated the city’s first minority-owned construction company, of which, helped in rebuilding Anchorage after the 1969 earthquake. Her grandfathers influence and love of Alaska filtered throughout Monica’s whole family, the majority of who still make this great state their permanent residence today.
Monica, a former model, has worked in television/media industry for over two decades. She is recognized as the first African-American Public Service Announcer director in Alaskan television.

Monica’s hobbies include spending time with her family and friends, traveling, hiking, sewing, tennis, reading, and writing.

Monica, an avid self-help enthusiast, is a student of the human condition. It wasn’t until after successfully maneuvering through her own relationship obstacles that she felt qualified to add her own personal spin to the complexities of the male/female relationship in the form of writing novels. Her first novel, In Search of Mr Wonderful, The Journey From Myth To Madness, is a loosely based adaptation of this journey. Monica is currently working on her next set of novels, The Ten Commandments of Dating, Poisoned Pen, Mermaidland and The Margarita Social Club, which constitute a long secession of romantically charged tales of love, lust and unbridled imagination still to come from this author.

Connect with Monica:
Website
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook


My Review:

I'm a little torn on this novel. I really enjoyed the first 3/5 of the book... then I ended up bored because it just kept going and I felt like I was going nowhere. I ended up skipping probably 1/5 of the book and jumping right to the part where Erik & Alice meet in person. The mental journey that you take with the main character - transitioning from thinking of herself as a no one to someone who is desirable to at least one person - is interesting. It was a perspective on life that I don't read about often. Then you end up with the online relationship with Erik and it seems too good to be true. I never really found anything Erik was saying during the actual "conversations" attractive - I mean, a guy who says "hehe" and "ticklezzzz" just isn't attractive. Plus the crazy amount of smiley faces and such he uses in his emails is a little non-attractive to me. But his stories - oh man - they're intriguing. It's almost like you're about to enter a BDSM scene - spanking or one of the lighter bondage scenes - but then... it turns out to be tickling... It's a little... odd I guess I could say - but fun to read. I'm an insanely ticklish person so someone handcuffing me to the bed and having their "tickling" way with me is NOT something I'd look forward to & definitely NOT something that would get me all hot and bothered. Even though some of that sounds negative, it's just personal thoughts. The end... well... the end takes you completely off guard. Looking back, it made it quite interesting to re-read some of the conversations. It shed an entirely new light on the entire novel. Loved that spin on things.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars - It was okay but I really had to push through to the end after a certain point