Winter's End

Title:  Winter's End
Author:  Clarissa Cartharn
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Medium:  Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:
When young widow, Emma Winston leaves her life in London with her two children for the quieter Breakish in the Isle of Skye, all she wants is a simple life. And for a while, she thinks she has it. 
That is until she meets the mysterious Mrs Kinnaird who suddenly feels that Emma might make the ideal bride for her wealthy playboy grandson, Chris Cameron- a man who holds his own dark secrets. 
Further still, when Emma's brother-in-law, Richard Winston follows her to Skye to tell her he loves her, Mrs Kinnaird manipulates all her power to keep Richard away from Emma. 

Will Emma finally let go of her past and learn to follow her heart?


Sometimes a girl just needs a good old-fashioned love story. Boy meets girl, girl falls in love, boy is mean to girl, boy really likes girl, girl stomps her feet and harrumphs out of the room, boy apologizes in some big over the top way that only happens in romance novels, and they live happily ever after. And the setting is somewhere way over the top and they all fly helicopters to meetings and for the occasional long weekend on an island. 

Winter's End isn't exactly like I described above although there is a helicopter and there was a bit of harrumphing. It is a very well-written love story that while a bit predictable at times, I really enjoyed. It was a nice change of pace especially coming right out of reading about serial killers and a monster of a thinker for my book club (more on that soon). 

Winter's End is set in the Isle of Skye which is fascinating! There's a potential love triangle, which is always fun! There's the wealthy old woman that we all would love to be taken under her wing and doted on. There are some eccentric folks, because what's a love story without the quirky BFF?  There is some conflict and tense moments.  There's a really good back story and there's an evil villain. But as a reader, you have to pick out who the evil villain is. Is it Richard? Is is Chris?  I think you will be pleased and surprised.  Emma will surprise you also, and I can't believe I didn't see that from a mile away!  Good going Clarissa!!

I think that's what I like most about books and reading in general.  I love the escapism that reading allows me, but then when I sit down after the last chapter and put my thoughts in order, I realize that I am getting a glimpse into someone else's mind and how they think.  Which if you think about that, is utterly fascinating.  I believe that we all have a novel inside of our minds, but it really takes a special something to be creative enough to get it out of the brain, through the fingers and into a medium that can be shared. 

It's summer and it's hot out, but here in sunny Florida it's been rainy and gloomy. I think Winter's End makes a perfect companion for a day by the pool, a day at the beach or, like for me, a day hiding from the lightning bolts outside your front door. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Winter's End

Son of a Serial Killer

Title:  Son of a Serial Killer
Author: Jams N. Roses
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Medium:  Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:
Detective Inspector Summers hates dealing with drug addicts, thieves, violent men and women, rapists, child molesters and murderers. She wants to be a doctor in a surgery, saving the lives of the sick. Instead, she deals with the sick and twisted.Finally, she gets handed the case she wants, the reason she joined the force…
A serial killer, nicknamed ‘The Phantom’ by the media, has been randomly killing for years, never leaving evidence and not close to being caught. Then one day, the frequency of murders in the city takes a turn for the worse.
Her investigations lead Summers closer to Ben Green, a troubled young man losing his mind and hearing voices, and his involvement to the case slowly becomes clear…


I've mentioned in another book review that I have a special place in my reading loves for books about serial killers. This is totally my mother-in-law's fault for getting me hooked on true crime books many years ago. While the subject matter isn't something that I read a lot of, it's a nice change from what I normally delve into.

When I was asked to read and review Son of a Serial Killer I jumped at the chance. The concept and ideas behind the story really appealed to me. I found that while the above synopsis starts out discussing Detective Summers, the main character of the book really is Ben Green. It was his story that was told and the character in the book that I found I cared for the most. I could never figure out how a medical doctor could become a top detective and really wanted more background on Detective Summers. 

While I liked Son of a Serial Killer, the lack of editing was distracting and took away from my enjoyment of reading - I know I could have really liked this book.  I had to go back several pages a few times to get things straight. It took away from the reading rhythm I had going and for psychological thrillers, pace and rhythm are tantamount.

The book is extremely graphic (duh, it's about serial killers), which for me was not offensive at all, but it takes a lot to make me cringe. For those of you who are not into this kind of thing, it might be a good one to skip. For those of you who don't mind graphic writing, this might be a good little story to check out sometime in the future -- especially with the hopes that the author will do another edit sometime really soon.

James. N Roses

Dangerous Ally

Title:  Dangerous Ally
Author:  Michelle Grey
Publisher:  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Medium:  Kindle

Amazon Synopsis:

Lacey Jordan is expecting dinner, and hopefully, an engagement announcement. Not her own, of course. After two serious screw-ups, she’s all but sworn off relationships. When she arrives at her father’s house to celebrate his future happiness though, he’s nowhere to be found. As the hours pass, the worst scenarios Lacey’s mind can conjure send her rushing into action. However, reality proves even more frightening as she discovers that her father’s recent scientific breakthrough is one that people would kill for. To make matters worse, the source of the information is the one person she’d hoped to never see again. Caleb Mansfield, her father’s former protégé and her former lover, needs Lacey’s cooperation, and the very trust he’d stolen years before. But Lacey can’t be certain if Caleb’s working with her or against her. Running out of time, she has nowhere else to turn. As the trail leading to her father narrows, Lacey becomes a target, risking her life to save him. Too late, she understands that with Caleb back in her life, she’s risking her heart as well.

Everyone loves a good mystery now and then.  Sprinkle in a hot romance with a gnarly history, and you have the makings of a fast-paced book that will keep you up way past your bedtime because you promise to read just one more chapter, but end up reading 5 more.

I loved the character development.  I loved the way the book flowed.  I loved how Lacey wanted to go one way, but her heart took her a completely different way.  I loved that (again) I was sure I had everything figured out and yet another author sucked me down a zig zag of an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole, and I made a promise to myself that I won't be so cocky next time (we'll see about that).  I loved how Lacey put the love for her father out in front to risk even her own life in order to save him.

Romantic thrillers are always a fun read for me.  Dangerous Ally was no exception.  Ms. Grey wrote in such a way that it was easy to make an investment in the characters and actually get a pay off.  The pay off was good, but you'll have to read it and see for yourself.

Thank you Michelle Grey - I hope that you have something just as exciting on the tip of your pen very soon!  

Michelle Grey

Mea Culpa

Lo Siento.  Es Tut Mir Leid.  Mi Dispiace.  

Really, that's all I have.  I don't really have a good excuse. 

No one was sick this time.  

No one visited. 

I caught up on a lot of Netflix. 

My garden is beautiful.  

My bees are making honey. 

I've been on vacation to Key West.  

I've even finished two books for my book club (and those books are not blog material).  

I've been to book club.

I've been reading books for the blog.

I've thought of you all.

I've missed my blog.

I've missed writing.

I've missed you.

Enjoy the photos while I write and get caught up.

Naples

Gator

Coral Castle

Bougainvillea

Mallory Square

Southernmost Point, USA

Key West Rooster

Hemingway Hosue

Chopin

Key West Sunset

Key West Butterfly

Our Beach

Nobody's Damsel (Someone Else's Fairytale #2)

Title:  Nobody's Damsel (Someone Else's Fairytale #2)
Author:  E.M. Tippetts
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Medium:  Kindle


Goodreads Synopsis:
Chloe has finished her masters degree and taken a job as a forensic scientist back in her home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico, only the press will not leave her alone. They follow her to crime scenes and report on her every move, eager to show that her marriage to Hollywood A-lister, Jason Vanderholt, is on the brink of collapse. Millions of fans who dream of their own celebrity romance with him want this more than anything. This scrutiny comes at a particularly bad time as Chloe's first case is a crime against a child roughly the same age that Chloe was when she survived a homicide attempt.

Now that she sees the case from an adult's perspective, she realizes it's much harder than she ever dreamed. It's even worse for Jason, who is two steps removed from the crime. He must watch and try to support his wife as she battles with past demons and tries to keep up with a nameless suspect who evades identification and capture. Never has Jason been more frustrated with his job, its frivolities, and its lack of connection to the real world. When he storms off the set of his latest movie, the press goes wild with conjecture. Perhaps he never was anything more than a pretty face after all.

Together, Chloe and Jason must find their way past all the popping flashbulbs and through the dark maze of the criminal investigation to discover whether they can balance their professional goals with the demands of a celebrity marriage. The odds are entirely against them.


At the end of this month it will be Ravenous Reader -Book Reviews first anniversary. I've learned a few things this year about blogging, about myself, and about authors. Especially about Indie authors. I chose to focus my book reviews on the Indie author for a couple reasons. Mainly because if you go into any main stream NY Times best-selling book, you are going to find a gazillion reviews. I'm sure the authors love the reviews, but probably could give a hoot about what some red headed chick from the West Coast of Florida thinks. I imagine that reviewing popular books might give my blog a larger following, because everyone loves what's popular, right?


Well, that's not me. I've never been one to follow the crowd, and just kind of like to do my own thing. My thoughts are that maybe Indie author's are the same way. Just because a book doesn't make it to some top 10 list somewhere, doesn't mean that it's a bad book. On the contrary, there are a TON of wonderful author's out there - you just have to stay on the end of that pier when everyone else is walking off to be able to find them.




I do read mainstream, popular books - I just choose not to blog about them. I'd rather spend my time giving those writers that veer away from the crowd the blog time, and hopefully it will spark one or two people to check them out and tell their friends - a build it and they will come kind of mentality. The biggest thing I've learned about Indie authors is that they are very generous. E.M Tippetts is one such author. Her first book in this series, Someone Else's Fairytale, was actually the first book that an author gifted to me to read and review. You can see my review here. I was just starting out my blog and wondering if I would ever see a review request in my inbox.




Even much more to my surprise, I received an email from Ms. Tippetts to review the sequel, Nobody's Damsel! I actually liked this book better than the first one. Maybe because I had an already established relationship with the characters, plus I was anxious to see what the next step in their relationship would be, and how Chloe would adjust to being married to someone so famous. Would she become one of those Hollywood wives? Would their relationship even survive the first few months? How would she cope? Was this even going to work? How?




Nobody's Damsel is a well-written sequel that reads quickly, but only because there are bits and pieces of suspense sprinkled heavily within that makes you want to keep turning page after page and not put it down until the very end. Like I said in my first review, this series of books may be on the younger end of the age spectrum for me, but they definitely bring me back to my younger self. While I still have dreams and fairy tales, I did marry my Prince Charming, but I do remember way back when of dreaming if that hunky movie star would just see me in passing one day, he'd be hooked - hey! a girl can dream, can't she?




Ms. Tippetts allows the reader to be taken back, to dream, to suspend belief, if just for a few hours and believe in fairy tales once again. I think we get caught up in our every day grown up lives and need to remember to take a step back once in awhile to dream.




Thank you E.M. Tippetts!

E.M. Tippetts

Mental Pause

Title:  Mental Pause
Author:  Anne O'Connell
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Medium:  Kindle

Amazon Synopsis:

Abbie is riding the hormonal roller coaster and hanging on for dear life. She finds herself in a body she no longer recognizes, a marriage that feels overwhelming, and she questions her very sanity. Her existence has become one big hot flash inflamed by killer moods. A chance meeting seems to give her the escape she's desperate for but at what cost? Accused of murder she finds herself in a jail cell accompanied by her regrets and the gnawing fear that her life may be changed forever. It’s a kind of mental pause that Abbie has never imagined, in a story that offers no letup from start to satisfying finish. Change of life, anyone? Mental Pause promises to take you way beyond.

Change is good, right?  I have to say that a lot of changes are good, and even some of the ones that may seem difficult and scary end up have life lessons in them.  Most of the time I don't really mind change.  I just kind of roll with the punches.  There is one change that's going to happen to me, and I think I might be a ticking time bomb.  Hopefully it's quick and painless.

I'm still relatively young, compared to the folks I golfed with yesterday (every single one over 65, and the couple my Dad and I were partnered with were in their 80's), I'm really young!  Starting on Monday, I will be the youngest person in my office.  My husband and I are the youngest people on our street - okay, the guy across the street fought in WWII, so that makes me really, really, really young!  Age really is only a number.  My husband is 6 months younger than I am, we are both in our 40's and he still gets carded.  I'd give my right leg to be carded, just once more!

Anne O'Connell wrote a witty, funny, suspenseful and meaningful book that focuses on change.  Ladies, I'm talking to you!  Gentlemen, ya'll should listen up too, because this will affect you also.  Get ready for it!  I know several women who have gone through or who are going through menopause (yeah, I said it!) and they are doing pretty well, considering.  None of them have snapped...yet.

Mental Pause is the story about Abbie and how she handles going through menopause.  She does things a little more, shall I say, unconventional than any of the women I know although I know one or two who might rival her shenanigans!  The life lessons in her book touch on the bonds of family and friendship, and what even the most desperate of people do sometimes.  Ms. O'Connell paints a picture for women who are dealing with the frustrations of menopause that it is okay to be moody and sweaty and a little crazy at times.  

I really enjoyed Mental Pause.  It was a quick little read that would be perfect for a book club or group of friends to read together - especially if any of the group is 'changing'.  

March 8 is International Women's Day, and is Mental Pause's official publish date, how fitting!  And in the spirit of women all over the world, Ms. O'Connell is donating part of the proceeds from the sales of her book that day to Rooms to Read.  Pretty cool charity, pretty cool author!

Mental Pause

Coming of Age...AGAIN

Title:  Coming of Age...AGAIN
Author:  Carol Mizrahi
Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services
Medium:  Kindle


Goodreads Synopsis:
“Coming of Age...AGAIN" is the story of four friends of a "certain age" who prove that with a mix of moxie, wisdom, humor, and a weekly mahjongg game, coming of age can happen more than once.

THE PLAYERS:
As long as BARBARA's husband had his affairs with women who bought their perfume at Walgreen's, she was content to look the other way, but when she sniffs $400 an ounce Coco Chanel on his jacket, she hires a private detective who uncovers more than she bargained for.

IRENE, an incurable romantic, has been looking for the perfect man ever since her husband died. She thought Mel was "the one," but that was before he moved in and before the "up" toilet seats, the snoring, and the scatological breakfast talk. "He's not who he used to be," she complains. "Neither are you," she is warned.

ROCHELLE, recently divorced, wants to return to an aborted art career, but her two daughters have turned her and her home into a virtual day care for their children. Despite professional counseling and the wise advice of good friends, Rochelle is incapable of taking her life back... until the death of a Butterfly.

SYLVIA believes she will choke to death if she lives alone. Her daughter, Mary, has agreed to live with her until she marries, but all potential husbands flee the scene after Sylvia invites them home for dinner. When Simon also dumps her, Mary goes over the top, taking Sylvia with her.




Sheesh, who would have thought getting older would get harder? I've had a birthday recently, and this one actually went pretty smooth with no meltdowns or major issues since the number was quite boring. As always, I drew it out for about a week of celebration. Thank goodness for rain, in-laws, a parent who lives close, but not that close, and the fact that I think everyone should have an entire week to celebrate! As I gained another number, I am starting to realize a lot of things that never really mattered in years past. I can tell that I am changing, inside and out. Not all changes are for the good, but for the ones that are bad, I know and understand that I am the only one who has the power to change those.

Making a change is hard. Whether you are a 20-something just getting started in life or older and possibly looking at the closing chapters in your life. There really does come a time, when quality trumps quantity. I think younger people should look at quality first - might give them a different perspective.

Coming of Age...AGAIN is just such a book that delves into the changes that many women face as they start to grow older. Ms. Mizrahi gave a wonderful account of four childhood friends who grew older together. Over cake and Mah Johngg they share and hide their deepest secrets. They are quick to tell each other just how things should be, but never want to listen to their own advice. They love each other unconditionally the way long-time friends are supposed to, and they catch each other when they fall.

The four friends live, laugh, love and cry. They throw temper tantrums and they celebrate victories. Ms. Mizrahi really put into words the true meaning of friends - not just your work buddies and bar friends, but you know the ones. I know I don't have very many of those kinds of friends. Just a few - each special in their own way, each willing to give and willing to take. True friends through thick and thin, through happy times and tears. I shared my cradle with one and met the others a couple of decades ago. I'll probably never find another one like them, but that's okay.

Coming of Age...Again is definitely a book that steers away from the young and the perfect. It's a breath of fresh air in a world of plastic and pretend. I recommended this to a few women I know, and I hope they liked it and laughed out loud as much as I did.

A must read for any "older" women out there who are looking to laugh and reflect a bit inward. A must read for "younger" women out there, because you are gonna get older too one day!! I'll let you all decide if you are "older" or "younger".

Carol Mizrahi

Life Gets In the Way

No, that's not the title of some new awesome book by an awesome author...it's the song I've been singing these last couple of months.  It seems that life took over and reading got pushed to the side like an old sock that can't find it's mate.

I won't bore you all with the details, but there were holidays, sickness, health, more sickness, more holidays, a milestone birthday, my second favorite past time (football) and bees.  It's been a whirlwind that started at Thanksgiving and finally ended this week. 

 

I am happy to say that the cable company has picked up their box and I am stocking Vinny up with lots of great books.

I apologize to the wonderful author's that I am so lucky to have filling my mailbox every week, to the readers who hopefully find as much joy in reading as I do and to the wonderful followers of this blog.  

March will be bring not only a new Season for us all, but a one year anniversary of this blog for me.  I have stuck to my goals for this blog for this first year, and have almost accomplished everything that I intended to.  I hope for my second year to bring much more interaction with YOU, the followers!  I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve, so stay tuned, tell your friends, and enjoy the ride as I sputter and stammer back into ravenously reading again.

Godspeed: a love story

Title:  Godspeed: a love story
Author:  Dan Chabot
Publisher:  Babop/Dan Chabot; 1 edition (September 28, 2012)   
Medium:  Kindle

Amazon Synopsis:

How far will a man go to atone for guilt?

When Derry and Amedee meet during her first day on the job at the Milwaukee Ledger, it is a collision of destinies. Their love affair is so intense and perfect and pure that they are certain it will be eternal. But when it ends in heartbreak, compounded by the ignominy of a disastrously mismanaged funeral service, Derry descends into an abyss of devastation and remorse and despair.

In his overpowering grief this tormented newspaperman embarks on an obsessive crusade for redemption, an astonishing twist that will leave readers tearful yet smiling in sympathetic admiration. His improbable, tender quest eventually will lead him to peace of mind, and to someone who will help him build a new life from the ashes of the past.

"Godspeed" is a bittersweet story of laughter and tears, irrepressible humor, reckless devotion, the value of true friendship, and unimaginable longing for the "forever" that can no longer be. And as the story and its astonishing twists unfold, a poignant question lingers: How can a lie be wrong if it makes so many people feel so good?

I've been out of reading sorts for the last few weeks.  Not sure why.  I've started and put down more books than I can count.  A few were just not readable.  Some were not what I expected. Others were just not capable of keeping my already shortened attention span.  My reading mind was restless.

Then I picked up Mr. Chabot's Godspeed:  a love story.  

This book couldn't have come at a better time for me.  I started reading this a day or so before the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.  While so far away, I think this senseless act has touched everyone in some way.  I'm still grappling with it, and can't bring myself to discuss it out loud because just the thought of mentioning it makes me choke up and words fail to form.  I think Godspeed:  a love story is just the kind of book that is needed at a time like this - at least for me, because it calmed my restless mind.  Reading kept me away from the news and from the sadness for a little while.  

Godspeed:  a love story, yes, first and foremost is a love story.  Love can come in multiple forms such as friendship, family, co-workers, a lover, and it can be found on the pages of this wonderful book.   My readers mind was full again.  This book is also about friendship.  It goes to great lengths to show the meaning of true friends, and how they are there for you when you need them most, even if you don't realize it.  Cherish them.

Godspeed:  a love story is poignant, touching, heartbreaking, uplifting, laugh out loud funny, cleansing, has a cast of characters you wished were your friends, and is one of those books that you want to share with everyone you know and don't know and tell them that they HAVE to read it.  It has twists and turns that bring you to an scenic view of beauty and colors you can only find in nature and see with your soul. If you've had a bad day, week or month, it will bring you back to a place that you thought you had lost.  It will restore you faith in whatever you believe in most, if only for a few hours.  

I cherished my hours with Derry and Amedee.  

Thank you Mr. Chabot for those hours.  

We are mourning together as a country.  We need Derry more than ever, today.

Dan Chabot

Love of Shadows

Title:  Love of Shadows
Author:  Zoe Brooks
Publisher:  White Fox Books (October 10, 2012)
Medium:  Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:
"I had always felt most alive, when I was healing. Without healing I was a tin top spinning out of kilter soon to catch the ground. It took all my energy to hold myself from skidding into chaos."But in the city of Pharsis traditional women healers are banned from practising and the penalty for breaking the law is death by hanging. After being arrested and interrogated twice Judith is careful to avoid suspicion, but then scarlet fever breaks over the city like a poisonous wave, leaving in its wake the small corpses of children. What will the young healer do?
Love of Shadows is the second novel in The Healer's Shadow trilogy, which began with Girl in the Glass, and follows the lives of Judith and her Shadow, Sarah. It is a study in grief, love and defiance.


In this season of being thankful and giving, I am most thankful for authors.  I am thankful for the authors that fill my inbox daily asking me to read and review their book.  I am thankful that author's are patient, because sometimes life gets in the way of doing what you love.  I am thankful that very soon, this blog - only 8 months old - will have 2600 page views.  I am thankful that people who read my reviews and take my recommendations find that they too love the books and authors that I have shared.  I am thankful for the Indy author, who struggles on a daily basis to weave words into sentences that become a beautiful tapestry known as a book.  

I'm very thankful for Zoe Brooks.  She asked me several months ago to review her book Girl in the Glass which I fell in love with immediately.  It is a book that touches on your senses and begs you to slow down and savor every word as the ending draws near.  As I mentioned in that review, I was to happy to find out that the book is a first in Ms. Brooks' Shadows Trilogy.  Whew!  And I am even more thankful to Ms. Brooks because she asked me to review the second book in that series.

Sometimes a series can let you down.  You invest so much time into the characters only to find the next book in the series disappoints you.  Well, let me tell you, Love of Shadows does not disappoint.  It picks right up where Girl in the Glass leaves off.  Ms. Brooks doesn't miss a beat getting right back into the lives of Judith and Sarah.  There is adventure, there is tragedy, there is love, there is pain and there is healing. 

As a reader I was never bored and I was never left unfulfilled.  I was so pleased with this second book of Ms. Brooks, in the fact that she gives such beautiful descriptions and answers all of the questions that rise when one is reading a book.  I really think you should get both of these books, snuggle up and spend your weekend in the city of Pharsis getting to know Judith and Sarah.  You will be so happy to know them.

Zoe Brooks