Book Reviews

For the past few years I have kept a journal, which then turned into a notebook file on my computer, of all the books I’ve read, including the date and time I started them and the date and time I finished them. Now I’ve decided to modernize my original notebook idea, and write a review of each of the stories I read.

Review of Gifted Thief by Helen Harper

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Gifted Thief
Highland Magic Book 1
By Helen Harper

Star Rating: 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Number of Pages: 348

Date Started: November 22, 2017
Date Finished: November 24, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Orphan. Runaway. Thief.

Since the moment I was ripped from my mother’s womb, I’ve been an outcast amongst my own kind. The Sidhe might possess magical Gifts, unbelievable wealth and unfathomable power but I don’t want a thing to do with them. I ran away from their lands in the Highlands of Scotland when I was eleven years old and I’ve never looked back. I don’t need a Clan. I’ve got my own family of highly skilled thieves who mean more to me than any Sidhe ever could.

Unfortunately for me, the playboy heir to the Moncrieffe Clan has something I desperately need. To get it back, I’m going to have to plunge myself back into that world, no matter what the consequences may be. I suppose it’s just as well I have sense of humour. I think I’m going to need it.

Review:
Perhaps I was too lost in The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic world because I found this hard to get into. While the setup wasn’t bad, it took me quite a while to feel connected with the story.

I enjoyed Integrity’s determination and loyalty to her morals and her family. She’s a good heroine that’s easy to empathize with. I found the secondary characters equally amusing. Although some might find that they treat each other callously, I thought the way her real family interacts was realistic.

It was frustrating that at one point she gained great leverage, but then did nothing with it– it was as if it only mattered for that one chapter. While it served to bring forward other things, it was annoying to not see more happen because of it.

Towards the end I started to become more invested in the novel, but it seemed over too soon, with nothing truly resolved. A good set up for the next book, but not exactly satisfying. Although it may seem there are a decent number of pages in the book, the end of the book is a preview of the next in the series.

I plan to read the entire series, but I do not think it’s on par with The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic. Slow to start, but once I became involved, I looked forward to seeing what else might happen.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that’s she lucky enough to do so!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

She currently lives in Devon in the UK with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.

Review of Chosen By the Prince by Calyope Adams

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Chosen By the Prince
By Calyope Adams

Star Rating: 
Genre: Historical/Medieval Romance
Number of Pages: 300

Date Started: November 21, 2017
Date Finished: November 21, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)

He can choose only one woman. He chose her…

Spoiled socialite Jillian is at the Royal Palace for a party when the King’s Advisor pulls her aside. He informs her that she’s been selected to be the Prince’s personal plaything for the remainder of her days, or until he releases her from servitude. It is her duty as a loyal subject to try and please him, no matter what the cost to her pride.

Jillian stares at the handsome Prince in shock as the guards lock the jewel encrusted collar around her neck. He doesn’t even like her!

He’s been giving her odd, dark looks for years. What she doesn’t realize is that he’s been biding his time, waiting for her to grow up, to be ready to be Chosen By The Prince… 

Review:
Bad. The one word I can think to describe this novel is bad. The characters aren’t fleshed out, and the plot is all over the place. There are three distinct different “issues” that must be gone through, but together it feels as if these could have been three short stories about three different sets of people instead of thrown together in one book. Firstly, Jillian and the Prince don’t get along, and she feels she has to do what he wants to keep her family safe. Secondly, Jillian’s past comes back for vengeance. Thirdly, the prince’s future attacks due to jealously/envy as well. When finally the third part is resolved, one wonders why the Prince wouldn’t have taken that path once the first major issue or second were resolved, instead of waiting until there is another huge problem.

The jeweled collar seems to denote some sort of BDSM relationship, but frankly, it’s impossible to see that in this book. The Prince’s attitude abruptly changes throughout, from being caring and considerate to callous because of Jillian’s displeasure.

Perhaps most annoying, is the foreword that this is the third edition of the book, and yet it is rife with grammatical errors which easily could have been found by an editor.

Although a quick read, the book doesn’t given any emotions other than- oh, well, that’s over now. The ending is nice, but there was a lot of slosh to go through from the beginning to get there, and it would have been a much nicer, short story if half of the issues were cut out. The second and third problems really served no point to the central story and while providing conflict didn’t change any part of the relationship between Jillian and the Prince.

Perhaps her other novels are better, but I would not recommend this one.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Calyope Adams is a life long avid reader and writer, usually found with her head in a book. Most recently she has been exploring the sensual side of life. She’s fascinated by history, mythology and the power dynamics inherent in romantic relationships.

You can find out more about Calyope’s work on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Calyopeadams/

Please visit https://tinyletter.com/calyopeadams to join her mailing list!

Thank you for visiting and happy reading!

Review of Spirit Witch by Helen Harper

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Spirit Witch
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic Book 3
By Helen Harper

Star Rating: 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Number of Pages: 268

Date Started: November 19, 2017
Date Finished: November 20, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
If anyone appreciates what it means to be dead to the world, it’s Ivy Wilde.

Barely recovered from her brush with necromancy, Ivy is flung once more into a world of intrigue, adventure and potential death and disaster. It’s not her fault – it just so turns out that she’s now the only person in the entire world who can communicate with the dead. And they’re a chatty bunch with a list of demands.

When the ghosts offer information about a witch-hating mass murderer in return for Ivy’s help, she has no choice but to get involved. She might be getting herself into more trouble than she realises though – and that’s even before she’s dragged to Sunday dinner so she can meet Winter’s family…

Review:
Winter seems to go through a bit of an existential crisis, and it’s interesting to see him so capable but unsure of the direction of his future. It becomes obvious that spending so much time together is rubbing off on the two main protagonists. While Rafe and Ivy work on figuring out a mystery, while trying not to let their relationship get in the way, one finds another relationship far more pressing and urgent–theirs with Brutus. Brutus is, by far, my favourite character in the series. His random quips of intense insight make up for how lazy he is most of the time, not to mention the hilarity of claiming an inability to do more–much like our slouch witch used to do.
“You like Eve.”
“Love Ivy.”

In the end, I felt that everything and everyone was mostly where they should be. I wish it had been a bit more longer, and not thrown into the epilogue. Most of what I’d hoped would happen throughout the entire series had come to pass, though I would have liked to see more happen to Tarquin. I am quite sad to see the series finished, but have since started another book by Harper, and look forward to reading more written by her in the future.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that’s she lucky enough to do so!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

She currently lives in Devon in the UK with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.

Review of Star Witch by Helen Harper

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Star Witch
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic Book 2
By Helen Harper

Star Rating: 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Number of Pages: 334

Date Started: November 18, 2017
Date Finished: November 19, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Ivy Wilde, the laziest witch in the West, is still entangled with the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment. That’s not a bad thing, however, because it gives her plenty of excuses to spend more time with sapphire eyed Raphael Winter, her supposed nemesis. And when he comes knocking because he needs her to spy on the latest series of Enchantment, she jumps at the chance. Hanging around a film set can’t be hard … or dangerous … right?

Review:
The relationships in this novel were spot on! Not just Ivy and Rafe, but the interactions between all the characters were realistic and believable. Seeing Ivy thrown into an uncomfortable situation and need to adapt while Rafe stays nearby, their reactions to each other gave as much entertainment as the reality show bits they were supposed to be enthralled with.

I didn’t see this coming, her going on the television show that had been hinted about in the first book, but once more was learned about the television show, how it was essentially survivor meets people needing to use magic, it sounds like something I would also want to watch. Because of this reality television section, the mysteries were multiplied, and I am not ashamed to admit that I hadn’t figured out who it was before the reveal.

Like any book series, I do have a favourite character. While I empathize with Ivy, wanting to get results without work (who wouldn’t want to do that?!) I LOVE Brutus.

I loved this second book, and I couldn’t wait to read the next in the series! It’s a great series, and one I highly recommend!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that’s she lucky enough to do so!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

She currently lives in Devon in the UK with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.

Review of Slouch Witch by Helen Harper

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Slouch Witch
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic Book 1
By Helen Harper

Star Rating: 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Number of Pages: 342

Date Started: November 14, 2017
Date Finished: November 18, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Hard Work Will Pay Off Later. Laziness Pays Off Now. 

Let’s get one thing straight – Ivy Wilde is not a heroine. In fact, she’s probably the last witch in the world who you’d call if you needed a magical helping hand. If it were down to Ivy, she’d spend all day every day on her sofa where she could watch TV, munch junk food and talk to her feline familiar to her heart’s content.

However, when a bureaucratic disaster ends up with Ivy as the victim of a case of mistaken identity, she’s yanked very unwillingly into Arcane Branch, the investigative department of the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment. Her problems are quadrupled when a valuable object is stolen right from under the Order’s noses.

It doesn’t exactly help that she’s been magically bound to Adeptus Exemptus Raphael Winter. He might have piercing sapphire eyes and a body which a cover model would be proud of but, as far as Ivy’s concerned, he’s a walking advertisement for the joyless perils of too much witch-work.

And if he makes her go to the gym again, she’s definitely going to turn him into a frog.

Review:
I put off reading this book. It was recommended to me by a good friend that previously recommended a series I really didn’t care for. This time, he was on the mark, and I am in love!

Laziness can only get you so far in life, that is, unless you develop your own hacks to make life that much easier. When suddenly stuck with a workaholic, Ivy is forced to get up and move a lot more than she’s used to.

This novel has some great characters, one of which is Brutus, a cat. While I won’t spoil anything, most will find that Brutus is probably what their own cat must be like. Cats are definitely a force to be reckoned with!

Getting to explore Ivy’s past while she works with Wintry was well done without any parts that were simply thrown in–Ivy never tells Wintry what happened in the past, allowing him to either believe the lies spread, or figure it out himself.

I love one of the messages of this story– you may take a different job, but you can’t change who you are.

If you like magic with a dab of mystery, this book was made for you. I absolutely love it!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that’s she lucky enough to do so!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

She currently lives in Devon in the UK with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.

Review of The Mermaid Bride by Lidiya Foxglove

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The Mermaid Bride
Fairy Tale Heat 6
By Lidiya Foxglove

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance
Number of Pages: 164

Date Started: October 27, 2017
Date Finished: October 29, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
I was never a conventional sort of mermaid. I’ve been a scavenger and a thief. The surface world has always called to me, and now I’m not the thief, but the prize; my memories lost, my tail turned to legs. In this strange new land, my protector is none other than Prince Wrindel of the high elves. They say Wrindel is a playboy, but he feels so familiar to me. He says he is saving me from a witch, but he can’t tell me anything more. Is he my savior…or did he steal me from the sea?

When I am in his arms, I hardly care. Every sensation of my newborn body is like nothing I’ve felt before, and the more he shows me of his world, the more I never want to return to the ocean. I just can’t shake the nagging feeling that I left something—or someone behind. How did I get here? Who is this witch? And if she is my enemy, why did she deliver me into the arms of a handsome prince?

I’m not the first mermaid to live at the Palace of Waterfalls. The pools and fountains of this famous palace of water hold dark secrets, and if I don’t unlock them, we might never find happiness. But unlocking the secrets might also mean giving up my newfound legs, and I will have to choose between losing the man I love or being his willing captive…

The Mermaid Bride is a standalone fairy tale combining elements of The Little Mermaid and the mermaid/selkie bride tales of Ireland, for those who like an unabashedly adorable happily ever after with a side of serious steaminess! 

Review:
Oh my goodness. Ms. Foxglove has hit her mark, and I believe this to be her very best of all that I’ve read from her so far.

The combination of The Little Mermaid and selkies is excellently done, adding an extra element and depth to the mermaid’s story that wasn’t there before. What was even more awesome, was that all of the side characters were well developed and fun too. I enjoyed her sisters, and the sea witch– oh the sea witch. The Sea Witch was phenomenal. Is she good? Is she evil? What is she exactly? Read to find out.

The romance is stunning. While Prince Wrindel may have been a playboy it’s difficult for our heroine to care, given how dedicated and attentive he is. Together, they have quite the mystery to solve, while he teaches her the mysteries of her own body.

This book was short, but it was every bit as long as it needed to be absolutely amazing.  If you like fairy tale retellings and romance, this book will be absolutely perfect for you. It’s my favourite by Foxglove so far.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Lidiya Foxglove likes her fairy tales to be very naughty indeed. She grew up on a steady diet of fairy tales, folklore and fantasy and loves the swoon-worthy romance and happily ever afters, but thinks the best fairy tales also have the thrill of forbidden desires. If she’s not writing, she’s probably reading. Come hang out with her on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Lidiya-Foxglove-1702249670069437/
Contact: lidiyafoxglove@lidiyafoxglove.com

Review of Fausta Borja’s Beauty and the Beast by Fausta Borja

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Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance
Number of Pages: 296
Season Read: Fall

Synopsis: (From Amazon) 
Folks wonder what sort of woman I am, that I would sell myself to The Beast.

Cursed with a hideous form, the mysterious La Bête never leaves his enchanted castle. No matter: his riches are as endless as the steady stream of women willing to serve him. Those women say his appetites are as monstrous as his visage.

I may be young and innocent, but I am also practical. Five chests of gold for one year of servitude seems fair. Especially when my family is desperate for money.

When La Bête needs a new woman and offers for one of my father’s daughters, my family accepts his terms.

I am the willing sacrifice.

But La Bête is unlike any man I’ve ever known.

And I am about to learn what it means to love a beast.

Review:
Beauty in this novel comes from a very large family, that isn’t doing so well. With a couple of sisters and a couple of brothers, as the eldest sister she’s expected to do her part to help gain the family fortune. Despite what she’s willing to do for her family, it is obvious that they see her as many see others–the ends to a means, which is, for what they can get from her. This makes for an interesting dynamic as she meets and gets to know the Beast.

I do like that Beauty is smart, and has interests, however, there was quite a bit of backstory shoved in with the regular story. In some parts, it is told in a way that flows well with the story, but in others it is haphazardly thrown together in more of a tell instead of show way.  While the past is very important, it did feel as if she was reciting the same things again and again, which while that may be a realistic thing to do, it got grating after a while.

I loved the beggar woman she met in town. She was well done, and it was neat to have one person on Beauty and the Beast’s side. The other secondary characters, unfortunately, were mostly stock characters.

The reason the Beast became the Beast was interesting and well thought out, and I thought it flowed well with the rest of the story.  Getting to learn the tale was quite satisfying after reading for so long–it did not disappoint.

Overall, I thought this was a fairly decent book. It was over a bit soon, the conflict resolved a bit too easily, and some character depth for secondary characters would have been nice, but altogether it was a good tale.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
There is no info on Fausta Borja on Amazon.

Review of The Frog Prince by A. G. Marshall

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The Frog Prince
Fairy Tale Adventures 2
By A. G. Marshall

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
Number of Pages: 391

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
All she needs is a clue

After a disastrous Princess Test, Carina tries to pick up the pieces and prove she is still a trustworthy spy. But all her evidence points to magical interference, and her father won’t believe such preposterous theories without proof. She’ll have to solve this mystery fast to salvage her reputation, but can she do it alone?

All he needs is a kiss

When Carina refuses to attend his brother’s wedding, Prince Stefan crosses the ocean to change her mind. But the perfect surprise turns into a perfect disaster when a witch transforms him into a frog. Only a kiss from Princess Carina can break the curse, and she doesn’t seem inclined to kiss anyone. Can Stefan win her heart before it’s too late?

Or will dark magic sweep them all away?

Review:
I was inclined to like this book given how much I loved The Princess and the Pea by the same author and I was not disappointed!

As I read I realized just how amazing this series is. There is a damsel, there is distress, but there isn’t the typical damsel in distress. This series focuses on the abilities of women and how capable and underestimated they can be, something that most can resonate with.

Unlike typical fairy tale stories where you wonder how characters gained feelings for each other so fast, this was gradual. You could understand how indispensable the characters become to each other, and why. All of the characters have great depth.

Can’t wait to read more from the same author!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
A.G. Marshall loves fairy tales and has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She is a professional pianist and perfected her storytelling by writing college papers about music (which is more similar to magic than you might think).
​
She fills each book she writes with magic, adventure, clean romance, humor and other random things she loves. Her stories are designed to sweep you away to magical places and make you laugh on the journey.

Get the exclusive short story “Gemstones and Gremlins” for free by joining her newsletter at: http://www.angelagmarshall.com/email-signup

And be sure to check out all the other free bonus content on her website!
http://www.angelagmarshall.com/freebies

Review of Unsightly: A Modern- Day Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Amber Garza

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Star Rating: 
Genre: YA Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Number of Pages: 222

Date Started: October 22, 2017
Date Finished: October 24, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Layla has grown up hearing the rumors of the beastly boy who lives in the forest on the edge of town, but she knows there is no such person. It’s nothing more than an urban legend. On the night of her high school graduation she drives through the forest to get home from a party when her tire hits water on the road, sending her car spinning into the trees. She slams her head and is out cold. Fortunately, a mysterious stranger shows up to help her. Hours later she wakes up in an old abandoned house, her savior shrouded in darkness. Over the next couple of days, he nurses her back to health, but she never sees his face. He wears a mask and refuses to take if off. In the final minutes before her departure, curiosity gets the better of her and she yanks his mask off. Immediately, she is horrified. His face is deformed and unsightly. Angry, he tells her that she’s made a terrible mistake, and now she can’t leave. While held prisoner, her captor waffles between cold and kind. It’s in those kind moments that Layla feels drawn to him in a way she’s never been to anyone before. As days morph into weeks, the coldness melts away and the two grow closer. She realizes that the stories the town has heard about the beastly boy are false. He’s not the monster they’ve made him out to be. But Layla knows better than anyone that their love will never survive in the outside world. Therefore, she has a choice to make. One that she fears will end badly either way. This modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast reminds us that love is powerful, and it truly can conquer all.

Review:
Layla is superficial. You can’t exactly blame her, given how she grew up. Unfortunately, most of the characters within the book are superficial stereotypes and don’t seem fleshed out as real people, more like stock characters. Layla and the Beastly Boy are fairly well developed, but there seems to be a lack of reality– everyone seems as if the author has just dreamt them, without any real depth. There are a lot of instances of things being told instead of shown, especially in regards to how Layla was brought up, and her past in general.

As much as the author tries, even within the book, to claim that Layla isn’t feeling Stockholm Syndrome, there is a depth missing to the story. All in all, it’s an interesting take on beauty being only skin deep. I especially enjoyed that the book was not over when most are used to the story closing. Although the story was very beauty and the beast inspired, it isn’t exactly a retelling. Keeping that in mind, you could still enjoy this novel.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Amber Garza is the author of the Playing for Keeps series as well as many contemporary romance titles, including Star Struck, Tripping Me Up and Break Free. She has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they’re real people. She currently lives in California with her amazing husband, and two hilarious children who provide her with enough material to keep her writing for years.

Amber loves to connect with her readers. You can visit her at ambergarza.com, or find her on facebook or on twitter @ambermg1.