Tag Archives: reviews

Book Review: Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay

10 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publisher: Berkely
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating:  4 Stars

Melanie and Angie are two friends that, with a third friend who more of a silent investor, opened their dream shop. Fairy Tale Cupcakes. Despite the stress of a local bakery owner not liking the competition everything seems to be going will. They even have their first big customer – a bride-to-be who wants 500 cupcakes for her wedding.

But when Melanie finds the bride-to-be dead, she becomes the main suspect in a murder that could not only put her in jail but sink her new business. Determined to find the real killer, Melanie starts digging herself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I ended up starting it at 7pm one night and every time I tried to put it down to go to sleep my brain refused and I found myself continuing. I finished it about three hours later, and I’m already planning to pick up the next book in the series.

Now, I know, this book is far from new. It was originally published in 2010 and I purchased my copy through a used bookstore. But that’s really not the point, is it? What is the point is that it’s a quick read, as most cozy mysteries are, and it keeps you hooked and wanting to know more.

I enjoyed exploring the whodunit with Melanie to race against time to figure out the culprit before her shop took the brunt of the problems with the murder.

As well, I am in love with the cupcake recipes in the back of the book and can’t wait to try my had at making them. The cupcake recipes are for ones that were mentioned in the story that the shop itself sells and I think that putting them in the back like that is just a beautiful touch that a lot of cozy mysteries these days are missing.

Over all, while it’s not new, I highly recommend reading this cute book if you’re looking for something and enjoy a cozy mystery.

 

Holiday Weekend

02 Sunday Jul 2017

Posted by in Personal Thoughts, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This weekend is going to prove to be a loud one. It already has been, truthfully. Last night, there were a ton of fireworks going off even though there is still some time before the 4th. I don’t mind them over all, so long as they’re not from the neighbors coming into my yard, but my cats don’t particularly like them or know what to do with the sounds and scares they get from the super loud noise. I expect that they will only get worse as we head toward the 4th.

Over all, my whole plan for this Holiday weekend is to try and relax some, get some reading in, and of course, getting some writing done. Camp started yesterday, after all. And Camp is all about writing. Getting those words on the page is my goal. And it shall happen. I believe in myself.

I also ended up finding a used online bookstore. So I might do a bookhaul blog once they all come in. And hopefully after some quick reads, they’re all cozy mysteries, get a couple reviews up on here. Reading and writing! It’s important for days off!

Though, tomorrow I do have half a day of work. But it’s better than a full day I guess.

How are you spending your 4th of July weekend? Do you have Monday off?

Photo by Mike Enerio on Unsplash

 

Book Review: Sideswiped by Kim Harrison

18 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by in Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

sideswiped

Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: Pocket Star
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating:  3 Stars

Sideswiped is the pre-novella for Kim Harrison’s new series, and while the series stars Peri Reed, this pre-novella focuses on Silas with only a small glimpse of the soon to be main character. The idea behind releasing a short before the first novel, I am sure, was to let the readers get a taste of this new world she’s created. It’s a vastly different world from her Hollows series, and takes a little getting used to over all.

The main characters in the novella fall into two main categories at their University that is the setting, Drafters – who can ‘go back’ in time to fix something anywhere from ten seconds to a minute – and Anchors – who help the Drafters remember what they changed and for why. Without an Anchor, the Drafter doesn’t remember any of the time they changed – first version or the second.

Over all, the premise is interesting. I’m intrigued by the ability, and I’m intrigued by this new world Kim is trying to share with us. But I’m really unsure about some aspects of the ability. I don’t understand why the Drafter remembers nothing in the time that they’ve changed – it doesn’t make sense that they’d just have this serious hole in time when they’re the one changing time. And I’m not entirely sold that this is an awesome ability when most can’t shift more than a few measly seconds.

The story itself, Silas’s whole reason for being at the University and studying, is because he’s trying to prove that Drafters don’t actually go BACK in time to change things, but side step into a parallel universe and draw that start back with them (ultimately creating a parallel universe for those moments in time to subsequently draft them into the current time, so they can fix something).

We do meet Peri in this novella, as a secondary character, though it doesn’t give me the greatest impression of a character that I’m ultimately supposed to want to continue reading about. She’s from money, all of the characters you meet are because the label dropping for who they’re wearing is large in this book, and because of who her guardian is, she gets away with basically anything she wants to because he can get her out of it. Over all, I feel like she’s a spoiled brat that can’t do wrong. I’m not sure that’s the intention, but that’s what I took away from her personally.

Did the novella make me want to read The Drafter?

Yes. Which I guess, in the end means that it did its job.

I’m interested enough, and hoping more of the abilities actually get explained, that I’m willing to give The Drafter a shot. I’m hoping that things get flushed out a little better in the full novel, and I’m hoping that I come to get to know Peri and like her as a character I’ll want to follow. But right now, all I know is I’d read another novel/novella about Silas, because his backstory and emotions connected me enough that I really like his character.

Have you read Sideswiped? Leave your thoughts on the novella in the comments!

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

23 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

red queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA Dustopian Fantasy
Rating:  3.5 Stars

The story follows Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old girl living in poverty with the rest of her cast, those who bleed red. Red blood means that you’re a working, slaving for the better of the people in the silver blooded station above, or worse that you’re shipped off to the lines of a pointless war with another nation who has the same hierarchy based on blood. But one day sees Mare in the Silver Court as a servant, and in an accident she finds she has a dangerous power similar to those that have silver blood.

Over all, the story was pretty interesting. Mare herself has no real skills of her own, at least none that she can sell like her sister’s ability to sew and embroider. Mare’s skills are more solidly in stealing, pickpocketing, and evading the police force that her little town has. But, having no marketable skill means that once she turns 18, she’ll be shipped off to the war to fight like her brothers before her.

Things in her little town start off a little slow, though that’s to be expected some because the author is setting up the world, the hierarchy of the class system, and letting us know that those with silver blood, those that rule, have different powers that make them more than the red they rule over.

Once we get to Court, everything picks up pace, and things are far more than they seem. As in any Court where the strong rule and the weak are usurped, no one is trust worthy, and everyone is suspect.

The intrigue, growth of Mare into herself and her strange new found power is fairly believable and well written. The plot twists were just the right amount of jerky that they kept you guessing, wondering, and at the end, for me anyway, stunned because I didn’t see the final twists coming.

Why then did I only give it 3.5 stars? Because there were somethings that I wish were done better. The description of the world is jarring over all. There’s electricity, there are power generators, there are televisions and cameras, even an underground tram and yet most live in simple houses, travel by boat or horseback, and short of the smaller things electricity isn’t used. So it’s in this odd not quite fantasy with no electricity but not quite dystopian either. From what I’ve heard from others that have talked to the author, it’s supposed to be expanded on and explained better in book two which comes out in 2016, but that’s a LONG way away to wait for a better description and explanation of exactly what kind of world Mare is living in. Setting wise, that should be ironed out in book one. If we live all of book one in it, we should know it.

The other reason is because I found some of the names for the powers a little… trivial. You have a power that allows command over people, down to being able to wipe memories, with just a voice called Singers, which feels quite appropriate given the power. And then you have the ability called Eyes, which is the ability to see into the future. It’s like she came up with powers but didn’t want to really think on names for some of them, and they were last minute additions to just make sure they had names. It makes it feel a little sloppy to me.

Over all, it’s definitely a good read, and I am curious on where book two will go when it’s finally out in a couple years.

Book Review: Easy Bake Coven by J.D. Shaw

04 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by in Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Author: J.D. Shaw 
Publisher: Independently Published via Kindle Direct & CreateSpace
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating:  3.5 Stars

Vivienne Finch has her dreams set on opening ‘Sweet Dreams Bakery’ in her little seaside town. But when the mayor’s wife ends up dead in her dumpster on opening day, the tiny town is pushed onto its side, and Vivienne is dragged right along with it.

Right up front I will say I liked the book. The plot was interesting, and the twists did keep coming with the who-dun-it part of this book. The town was well described too. The author was good to detail how the little main street looked, especially since the mayor’s wife had been planning to give main street a face lift to better attract more tourists, and the characters were fairly engaging to read and follow. I definitely look forward to book two come the winter season.

However, there’s a reason why it doesn’t have a higher rating. For all the good, there were some issues that I had with the book too. Between the synopsis posted and the title, you knew that it would have something to do with witches in the story. I just didn’t realize that it would be so far into the story. I feel like, as a whole the title was kind of a let down, because Vivienne doesn’t find out she’s a witch until a good part of the book, and really? There is no coven. It’s a vague, hand wavy reference through her grandmother and then at the very end of the book.

As well, I think that things were taken far too well, far too sugary sweet toothed. Things that any normal person would freak out about finding out, especially when it comes to try and kill you, Vivienne just absorbed and kept on walking like it was a normal day in her tiny Cove town. In that respect, the character fell a little flat and two-dimensional to me, because it’s not JUST the witch part that she takes with just a bat of her eyes, but secrets about other supernaturals as well. I wish she would have freaked out, thrown a fit, something to show that this was completely out of her norm and out of the reality she’d lived in for all of her life.

Will I read book two? Probably. Would I suggest this book to people to read? If you don’t mind a little light reading with a few issues, sure. At $2.99 it’s not too heafty of a price to enjoy the story and plot.

Upcoming Reviews

15 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

This is going to be a really small update today. So, not only am I behind in my writing and word count goals, but I’m a little behind in my reading and reviewing.

I plan to finish reading and get the review of Storm Moon Press’ Blood and Lipstick Anthology this week. I’ve been sitting on it for a while now, though I only have two stories left in it, and I am looking to push and get it done. So watch for that review probably tomorrow or Saturday.

After that, I am going to be slipping out of the Storm Moon Press stuff and hit up two fantasy books.

ARC of Flag of Bones: Voyages of the Dragon Wynd by Elle Pepper (A reduex of her original release)

and

Scarlet Sails by TS Rhodes

I am very much looking forward to getting into some swash buckling fantasy with these two books. And hopefully you all will enjoy coming with me on my travels through them.

Reviewing – A Question For The Masses

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Reviews, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

So, I’m fairly new to the whole aspect of reviewing books. It’s no lie. I’ve only got a couple under my belt as a whole and only on on this blog right as it stands. Though looking at other reviewers I’ve noticed that most people give stars for how much they liked a book, or in the case of an anthology each story gets a star and they average them out for the book as a whole.

So I guess my main reason for posting this is to ask, do you find it more helpful when reading (or receiving for those that have work out there) a review if it has stars attached to the over all comments on each story/book?

This is me. Considering revamping the way I do reviews before I do too many of them and it looks weird to change the style I do them in.