It all started with a mistake. Would it ever start if it wasn’t for that special happening? Is the attraction between Jenny (the student) and Jared (the teacher) accentuated by the fact that their relationship is a forbidden one? Most of us fancy some teacher briefly during our school years, but how many made the step into having a relationship with one? It is commonly known that this kind of relationship is not permitted and the author makes it clear in the introduction to her story. Still, as a reader, I went beyond the forbidden issue and I enjoyed so much this sweet story of lust and youthful desires, with elegantly described steamy scenes. Does having a secret relationship offers you a short-term satisfaction only behind closed doors? Can a ‘no strings attached’ relationship transform into love? Even if started from a mistake, can this lead to a happy ending? I don't want to reveal anything anymore, I just want you to enjoy every little detail on your own. The author did, by no doubt, wrote a great story, every word was in its place, nothing missing and nothing unnecessary, surely no mistakes about it. I really loved this brilliant heartwarming story.
Type of reader: I couldn't put down this fantastic gripping book and read it in one sitting. I recommend it to any fan of romantic genre, with or without the steamy details. Age 18+. My favorite quotes from this book: “Pulling on her oldest, softest pajamas, she crawled into bed, wanting and not wanting to see him ever again. Hoping for and dreading school in the morning, it took her a very long time to get to sleep. Her last thought as she dropped off was, I hope he’s worrying this much about school tomorrow too.” “The two conflicting wants were pulling her in two, one part excited to go and one part wished to stay. Not for the first time, she wished she could just tell Sandra everything. She always had, and it felt wrong to hide something this important from her.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon
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We live in a fast world full of obligations and not enough time for ourselves. Either having some trauma from the past or new situations that we face, at one moment we may end up suffering from depression that may lead to anxiety. If we don’t become aware that we need to do something about it, the situation will only get worse. What I liked most about this self-help guide is its simplicity. First, we are presented with the possible symptoms and then with simple steps that could help cure ourselves or make us more qualified to offer our help to someone dear to us. There are many messages in the book that I liked and I agree with, therefore I congratulate the author for being able to create a concise guide that hopefully will help many people.
Type of reader: If you suffer from depression and/or anxiety or have a family member or a friend that suffers and you wish to help, I recommend you give this self-help guide a try. It’s short but concise, and if applied it can make the changes you are looking for. My favorite quotes from this book: “... if you do not take timely action to overcome anxiety and depression, your symptoms could exacerbate to a point where they take complete control of your life.” “It is a great way to rewire your mind to think positively, align your focus on a goal, and create positive thoughts that attract positive experiences your way. ” “You are now aware that the answer to all your problems are within you. ” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon This was a fast and interesting read. The author has an easy and very understandable way of putting words together. Everything starts in 1988 when Hannah’s sister Hailey was wounded and disappeared one night in the woods in the vicinity of an abandoned cemetery. Rumors were saying that some Satanic cult has taken her away and the media have reported amply on the subject. Hannah was only 16 then and she struggled how to cope with the events. Years went by but she couldn't live even for one day wondering what happened to her sister. Twenty years later, without any news about Hailey, Hannah receives some strange phone calls, messages, and witnesses other little things that make her think that she is being stalked and what’s worse that she is next. She couldn't go to the police at first as she was sure they wouldn't believe her, even, later on, she wasn't believed as she didn't have proof. By now she was seeing a therapist and actually, this is the way how we get to know everything, from the sessions that Hannah has had. Happenings made it that another person died and it seemed similar to her sister’s disappearance, but now Hannah is the major suspect. I will not reveal the ending, but I can only tell you that it surprised me. Either is a result of post-traumatic stress disorder or the crazy reality, I let you discover for yourself.
Type of reader: Occult/mystery/Thriller readers and all the others that love a book that keeps your attention wondering what will follow next and also trying to figure out what stands behind everything. My favorite quotes from this book: “I think my sister is out there, alive, somewhere, but I don’t know where to look. When I walk to work, I look behind every bush, peer around every corner, and look into the face of every stranger I pass on the street, wondering if it’s Hailey.” “I wanted her gone. I wanted to be the special one. The one always in demand. I wanted to look down at others the way Hailey looked down at me. Please don’t judge me. It was a moment of desperation.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Big Jim (James Peck), the main character after whom this gripping novel was named, is a professional big game hunter who leads organized safaris in the jungles of Africa together with his partner Caesar Wilde. The action takes place in 1950s and I had to keep this in mind as it was a very common practice at the time, together with Hollywood promoting the life in the safari through many movies. “Not to mention that the kills we make feed villagers in need of meat.” With this line in mind, I managed to get over the thought of being bothered by the hunting that it is a big part of the plot. I just let myself enjoy the trip in the safari, got to know many things about the nature, wild animals, bit of Swahili words and the most important about all the danger while sitting comfortably on my sofa. The more I turned the pages, the more the pictures were displayed in front of me. While there may be a bit of romance between Big Jim and Mary, a journalist going on a shooting safari and asking a lot of questions for her piece in the magazine, the main happening was something else. Maybe not fully understandable for a westerner, but totally believable for the locals, we are presented with a Jabilo (medicine man) that wants to regain power by mystically controlling an amazingly big Cape Buffalo to help him achieve his goal. The Mnyama (beast) seems unbeatable, killing a lot of locals, destroying villages and fighting the white hunters. Someone had to stop the buffalo and not having much of a choice, Big Jim takes the deal. What happens next I will let you discover on your own, not to spoil the suspense.
Type of reader: f you are looking for a read of action, a non-stop adventure into the heart of Africa in the 1950s, just grab the book and join Big Jim on his greatest adventure! My favorite quotes from this book: “There was something about the Dark Continent which drew people from all corners of the earth. It had romance. There was danger and adventure beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Hollywood provided people a taste of this in the cinema, but there was nothing close to the real thing as an African safari.” “How next should I strike? This was the question plaguing him. The tribes were falling in line with fear. They scurried for help from the government against the beast wreaking havoc against them. It would only be a matter of days before chiefs sought his magic to rid the territory of the curse. But he needed something more to solidify his power as jabilo. I need a victory against the white hunters……..I need one of them to die! Only then will my power be unquestioned. Mokonzi only needed to choose his next victim. The Mnyama would take care of the rest. But which hunter?” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon The story is told by the mother of sweet Livvy. I am aware that for Sarah it wasn't easy to go through all the events again, but for me it was so sad getting to know the story of Livvy and the struggle and pain she and her family had been through. I felt tears in my eyes through a big part of the book, but there were parts that made me smile too. The author has done an amazing job, not only writing about it but also playing an important role in creating awareness about Rett syndrome and help raise funds for a cure to be found and used in order to save precious lives. It is heartbreaking knowing that these little girls are suffering so much in their too short lives and they aren't offered the opportunity to experience life with everything beautiful it has to offer, or at least being able to walk, talk and breath normally. While the book was written and published for an admirable cause, I do believe that many families should consider reading it as they could relate to the story and find strength and comfort in whatever terrible disability they are fighting with. Believe it or not, there is also some humor in it and when you get to that point you will see things differently. I warmly suggest you give it a try, to enhance your knowledge, to help for a cause or simply to hear someone else’s honest and heartbreaking story.
Type of reader: While the book was written and published for an admirable cause, I do believe that many families should consider reading it as they could relate to the story and find strength and comfort in whatever terrible disability they are fighting with. My favorite quotes from this book: “People kept telling me that I had spoilt her and it was all my fault. I knew that wasn’t the reason and this was something much worse. I knew it was not a behaviour thing, I just didn’t know what it was.” “I didn’t know why she was screaming constantly. I felt that I was having to make up explanations all the time and I was apologising constantly for her behaviour when I knew it wasn’t just behaviour. I didn’t really have a clue what it was.” “When talking about days out and activities we had a rule that we would never said “We can’t do that,” because of Livvy. Instead we would always say “How shall we?”” “A person should not be defined by their disability. We never look at the limits but look to the possibilities.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Link for donations to help Reverse Rett Layla and Adrienne, two young beautiful women with a tough past spend a month together prior Christmas. While Layla is in town for the holiday visiting her Nana, Adrienne found its home their for the past years under Nana’s wing. Even though they weren't related, Nana became pretty soon her own family. Spending time with Layla was something that at first was expected from her, as to entertain the granddaughter of Nana Harvey. It is a sweet story that doesn't start with an immediate sympathy for each other, on the contrary, they both find annoying things to one another. But it looks that Nana Harvey is quite the matchmaker. It is not just Christmas that does the magic, it is only the fact that they are right for each other, but until feelings are spoken they both think the feelings are only one-sided. It surely does have a happy ending but be prepared to shed a tear or two now and then.
Reader type: If you like lesbian romance, the cheesy sweet type and love Christmas, this novella it is especially for you. If you realized that you read it in one sitting, it won’t surprise me. I can recommend it to YA readers too. My favorite quotes from this book: “It always amazes me how naive kids could be. But I guess that was the beauty of childhood. You could believe in everything because the world hadn't proven otherwise yet. If only life could stay that way. My life would be a whole lot easier if I could just believe in things like a child would.” “If you keep an open mind, I bet you’ll find something that is even better than you ever dreamed. It could be in front of you the whole time and if you don’t give it a chance, you could miss out on something spectacular.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon What would you do when your family pressures you into having a child using as a reason something that you hardly believe in? You have your doubts but you will think your parents got a bit crazy and even if you love them, you simply can’t believe that they are telling the truth. But then you start to believe and you also realize that you wish to have a child more than anything in the world. Wanting a child is one thing, but conceiving one in a gay relationship seems a bit complicated. Well, nothing would be impossible if you would be able to get pregnant. Despite the seriousness of the topic, the novel is full of humor also. As the main character comes from an Indian family and the big secret is related to India, the book gives you some insights in this area too. It is mysterious, sweet, funny and entertaining at the same time. The words are flowing nicely and you get caught up in the story before you even realize.
Reader type: If you like romance, with or without lesbian characters and with a bit of mystery, this is the book for you. Give it a try if you didn't already, I am sure you will love it. My favorite quotes from this book: “Sometimes the answers are right in front of our face, but we just don’t listen.” “It’s not just ‘old stuff’,” her grandmother said adamantly. “It is proof that you are related to our Great Teacher and are the last in line. Do not take this lightly. It is not just a matter of faith. It is your responsibility and the greatest of all honors.” “Sometimes we’re so close to a situation or problem that we can’t see the solution, even when it’s as close as our own womb?” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website There is no need to use our logic when reading a paranormal story. And this definitely applies to this book. Once I managed to give up on using my down-to-earth logic I found myself enjoying discovering what was going on. How would you feel to discover all of the sudden that you are a succubus (a creature of female form who has sexual intercourse with us in our dreams and fantasies) and you dream about being hunted by a vampire and at the same time searching and feeling safe in your dreams only because of the man that made you fall for him from the first time you laid eyes on him? The story of Emily and Matthew is by far a different kind of love story on a different level, not known to us ordinary humans. I enjoyed seeing a new modern approach to the vampire world, some of them with more respect towards human lives and consuming special medication created for them. This medications are keeping them from hunting humans for their blood. It was thrilling to read about different ways how some of the characters in the book became vampires, werewolves or succubi. I did, however, lack something in feeling the big love between Emily and Mathew. The words were spoken, the gestures were there, but I couldn't just feel this strong connection between them. I did enjoy though every other aspect of the story and I must admit that the author surely has a rich imagination and good writing skills in displaying a great show in front of reader’s eyes.
Reader type: Any fan of paranormal, occult, vampires and other supernatural powers that love to read a well-written story that will not disappoint you but will make you wanna read more. My favorite quotes from this book: “I saw something that I could never forget. He was both old and young at the same time, with two faces inhabiting the same body.” “The unwelcome beeping of my alarm broke through the dream, and I sat up, catching my breath. He was real. I had felt him, as if he was there right in front of me, once more. I had seen him change with my own eyes, and I knew I had to find him again.” ““Who are you?” I asked him. He told me his name was Mathew. This is how we first came to know each other. I didn’t fully understand what had happened that day in the street, but it had brought me to him. I wanted to stay like that forever, in the dream with him.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Everything happens to, around and only because of Poppy. She seems to have it all: beauty, character, good manners, intelligence, love, success...but as there is no such thing as perfection, life was often cruel to her. Even though she never lost her smile and her good heart, she did at moments lost her hope. The hope to have again something that she once lost. Page after page, with a gradually increased intensity, the story of Poppy becomes addictive and you simply can’t put the book off, curious and surprised to see what’s happening next. It is definitely a plot that proves that everything does happen for a reason and the author worked it brilliantly. Wonderfully written, smartly deployed, a novel I surely recommend. This is the author’s debut novel and it simply makes you wanna read the sequel and find what more had happened in The Hamptons.
Reader type: If you like romance, chick lit or a lover of women’s fiction with twists and turns, look no further. The book is so wonderfully written, perfectly crafted and you will not even realize what is going on around you as you are breathing with the story and its characters. A true page-turner. My favorite quotes from this book: “Then, suddenly, Poppy recalled her thoughts from earlier in the day, making her gasp. Hadn’t she’d wished for an urgent drama to appear, enabling her to escape tonight’s dinner? Completely horrified at having harboured such thoughts – which had now become reality – her hand flew to her mouth in an effort to stifle the sob that was currently rising in her throat. Of course, she knew it wasn’t her fault really, but that didn’t stop the small feeling of guilt from blossoming deep in her gut.” “She was quite taken aback; no one had ever been this forthright with her before. Ever. And anyway, what did he mean she intrigued him? Irked, she turned to look at him, her eyes flashing dark with anger.” “His gaze fell to her dark hair, cascading gently around her face and shoulders. She was so beautiful; all he really wanted to do was to envelope her in his arms.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website: http://www.tinamariemiller.co.uk/ Knowing this novel is lesbian fiction, my first thought was that the name OUT means that one of the characters will come OUT (I admit I didn’t read the blurb at that moment:-)) and, while reading it, soon I realized that OUT it’s also the name of a gay bar, cool wordplay. I liked that this coming out was for a movie star, which makes it harder in a different way than for not-famous people. Gorgeous movie star Shelly Hamilton falls in love with blue-eyed blonde Cam, the owner of the gay bar. While for Cam this means finding love again after a harsh breakup, for Shelly this means finally following her sexual orientation. The story is sweet, nothing very new as a concept, but still lovely and some twists and quite steamy at times. It features a fair amount of betrayal and angst but the happy ending will do. I liked the writing style of the author and hats off for this being her debut novel.
Reader type: If you like lesbian fiction and you're looking for some sweet romance with steamy scenes, look no further! Or better say, if you like romance, curl up and enjoy reading it. A real page-turner. My favorite quotes from this book: “...and it burned her to the core to see it so up close and personal. Watching as someone else leant in and kissed her, those same soft lips that until two weeks ago had been solely hers to kiss.” “Even under these circumstances, with her heart hurting the way that it was, Cam still saw the beauty of it all.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads |
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Message to you:In order to be a good writer, one has to read a lot. And I do and I love it....and I chose to share my readings with you. Feel free to share with me any of the books you have read or wrote, if I find them interesting I will add them to my list. I'll post my reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and all my social accounts. |