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Meri's Corner

~ A Writer's Thoughts and Reviews

Tag Archives: Urban Fantasy

November Is Here! – Only a week late

08 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by MBenson in NaNoWriMo, Personal Thoughts, Writing

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amblogging, amreading, amwriting, balancing, creativity, discoveries, enjoy, fantasy, goals, inspiration, life, musings, NaNo, nanowrimo, NaNoWriMo 18, NaNoWriMo 2018, online presence, original fiction, original work, ramblings, real life, thoughts, time, update, Urban Fantasy, what do, WIP, word count, writing

I can almost not fathom that it’s already the 8th of November. I wish I could say ‘where did the beginning of the month go?!’ but honestly, I know where it went. It went into my writing.

October’s TBR list didn’t get read. The hazard of NaNo Prep during that month. I ended up being more than a little ambitious considering just how much I really had on my plate. I’m ALMOST done with the werewolf short from October, however not completely. And of course, with the start of November, I’ve started my planned November WIP – also werewolf based but a completely different cast of characters. I haven’t fully decided if I wanted the two to exist in the same world or not.

NaNo specifically has been going fairly well for me, and I hope *knocks on wood* that it continues to go well for me. How well, I know you’re thinking. Well here’s a breakdown of the first seven days of my month:

November 1 – 526 words (I started out a little rough, not going to lie)
November 2 – 4,547 words (NaNo Total: 5,073)
November 3 – 1,949 words (NaNo Total: 7,022)
November 4 – 2,399 words (NaNo Total: 9,421)
November 5 – 2,655 words (NaNo Total: 12,076)
November 6 – 2,355 words (NaNo Total: 14,431)
November 7 – 1,771 words (NaNo Total: 16,202)

I know it’s the 8th as I write and post this, but I’m not including today because It’s only 10am. I still have most of the day to get more words in before I have to tally what I’ve written today, though I know that it’s around 800 already.

I always get into work a little early, so I’ve been trying to get words in before I officially start, and if I haven’t reached my word count for the day by the time I get home I make sure to sit down and get the words in after dinner before I get to read, watch tv or video game. It’s been a real motivator recently because I’ve started playing a new game that has daily stuff to do and I enjoy winding down and just getting those dailies done. Which gives me a great motivator for getting my word count in so I can do that.

I’m also being a NaNo Rebel this year. I’m not working on one full-length novel, but instead my goal is to get three 20,000 word shorts done – which does mean that keeping ahead of the word count isn’t a bad thing but it’s almost mandatory because I have to be able to squeeze an extra 10,000 words into my NaNo Goal personally this month.

And on top of working on NaNo, if I’ve reached my word count for the day and I’m feeling it, I’ve been adding to my October WIP to continue to try and get it finished. I’ve currently got about 1,300 words that I’ve written on it during the month of November that I haven’t counted toward my NaNo word count. I haven’t decided if I’m going to add them in at the end or not. Technically they are words written, toward a body of fiction, during the month of November so they should count. But part of me wants to be stubborn and only count my dedicated November WIP because it will push me to ensure I get those words on that work.

How is your NaNo going so far? Not participating, how is your November going so far? Let me know down in the comments.

Where oh where did October go?

22 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by MBenson in Personal Thoughts, Writing

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amwriting, balancing, creativity, discoveries, enjoy, fantasy, goals, life, musings, NaNo, nanowrimo, NaNoWriMo 18, NaNoWriMo18, online presence, original fiction, original work, ramblings, real life, thoughts, time, update, Urban Fantasy, what do, WIP, word count, writing

I do not know where my month has gone. I’ve been elbow deep in a werewolf story all month, pushing to get it written before November arrives. It’s one less story that’s off my mind while I strive for 50,000 words in 30 days.

The weeknights have been what have caused me to lag a bit, and it’s something I need to work out before November gets here because there are no excuses for my November daily word count and it must be achieved.

I’m close to the end, so I am pretty confident I can get it done before November. And I’m slowly working on planning out my November story so it’s ready to go on the 1st.

Reading is going slow but is going. I’ll get that updated soon. Mostly I’m just super focused on my current WIP and the planning for my November WIP. I have faith for getting November done and getting a win!

And this is going to be a super quick update because I need to get back to writing. Plus, aside from being elbow deep in words, I nothing else is happening. Like literally, my last two weekends I’ve been locked in my room writing.

When not writing, I binged Haunted and The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix, and caught up on all but the final two episodes Wynonna Earp. And to be fair, I wrote while watching Wynonna Earp, so multitasking for the win there.

Are you ready for NaNo? Are you a pantser or a planner? Let me know in the comments!

Also, if you want to be my writing buddy on NaNo’s website, my name is MerisCorner.

September Wrap-Up / October TBR

02 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by MBenson in reading, TBR, Writing

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amediting, amreading, amwriting, balancing, books, creativity, discoveries, dragon stories, dragons, enjoy, fantasy, goals, inspiration, life, musings, NaNo, nanowrimo, NaNoWriMo 18, NaNoWriMo 2018, online presence, original fiction, original work, possible wip, ramblings, real life, thoughts, time, update, Urban Fantasy, werewolf stories, werewolves, what do, WIP, word count, writing

So, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. I went through a stage where I hadn’t been reading as much, and when I was it tended to be absolutely nothing off my TBR list. And so doing the lists fell by the wayside for a while.

But.

and I do mean BUT!

I’m picking them back up again. Dusting them off gently. And refreshing them so they are 100% doing well again.

Now, not to date my poor TBR list, but back in May *coughs softly* I had set myself a list to read. And SOME of it ended up being read. About 50% of it if we’re being honest.

The books I finished in August and September are:

  • Twisted gifts by Jessi Elliott
  • The Elite by Kiera Cass
  • Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau
  • Doppelganger by Alyssa Drake
  • Daughter of Persephone by Helen Scott
  • Vicious by VE Schwab
  • Tasting Gretel by Lidiya Foxglove
  • Prisoner of Silk by Lidiya Foxglove

Three of those books were on my May TBR list. But overall seven books is nothing to shake a stick at for reading purposes and all. And to be fair to me, Stalking Jack the Ripper would have been read if I could have found the book. I remember finding it when I was cleaning, but I was reading something else so I put it aside for later. After finishing the book, I went back to grab Stalking and it was gone. -_-

So, the May TBR that was not complete was:

  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
  • Chosen by Harlow Thomas & Anastasia Jones

For An Ember in the Ashes, it was less I didn’t want to read it and more, my Mother has a kindle that’s attached to my library and she’s currently reading it (63% done with it) so I’m going to wait until she’s done before I try and read it. If that happens in October and I am doing good on my TBR list I may dive into it. Otherwise, it will be back on my list in November.

For October I only have five books on it officially, and then there are two that are on it, if I finish my list early and still have some October left.

  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
  • Hope in Paris by Donnalyn Vojta
  • Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
  • The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  • Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

The two maybe’s are:

  • Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaar Tahir

For Stalking, I’m planning to borrow it from the library so I can read it if I can’t find my hard copy. I don’t want to have to buy it again if I don’t need to, and I already know that the moment – and I do mean the moment – that I purchase a new copy and get three chapters in the original copy will magically appear and be all ‘what, I was just chillin’ next to this chair you checked by seventy times’. Because that’s always how it goes. The dragons and/or the ghost of my dad – or both teaming up together – have a very twisted sense of humor.

Writing wise, I have two shorts that I’d like to get finished, one a dragon story and one a werewolf story. As well, I have my Prep’Tober work to do so I’m ready and Prepared for NaNoWrioMo in *checks calendar* 30 days.

Currently, my NaNo project has the main characters name, nickname, minor description, her two brothers have names, and the town has a name and the center of town has a layout. oh! and the series itself (it’s a collection of 12-13 shorts) has a name!

I have a vague idea of where I’m going to start for plot and the like for each short, but nothing concrete, nothing set in stone, and nothing that will make sure I can get myself through the month with actual words on the page. But, I have a few weeks to get it there. I have goals! And they shall nay be ignored! =)

What are you reading for this October season? Are you participating in NaNo next month? Are you ready for NaNo next month? Leave me an answer in the comments below!

Book Review: Twisted Gift by Jessi Elliott

19 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by MBenson in Reviews

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amreading, creativity, discoveries, enjoy, fantasy, inspiration, Jessi Elliott, musings, New Adult, paranormal romance, published work, review, reviews, Romance, Twisted Fate, Twisted Gift, update, Urban Fantasy

Author: Jessi Elliott 
Publisher: Jessi Elliott
Series: Twisted #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy (New Adult Romance)
Release Date: September 21, 2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Find Twisted Gift on GoodReads

WARNING – There may be Spoilers for Twisted Fate (Book 1). Pick up a copy here before you continue with this review of book 2!

Let me start out with the fact that I have been pining for this book since I finished Twisted Fate. The way Aurora and Tristan ended up leaving things kind of broke my heart. So to say that I needed to know what had happened to them, so the anticipation of this book was nothing short of zomg where is it excitement.

Becoming Fae was never something that Aurora planned for, and hadn’t expected. But life didn’t leave much in the way of arguing for Aurora after she killed the leader of the light fae and took on his powers, becoming that leader herself. Suddenly she’s forced to figure out how to feed, how to use her powers, and how to manage the emotions of those around her when she can barely hold onto and manage her own as her world shifts upside down.

Not to mention that while she’s adjusting, the world continues to turn and the war between the light and dark fae rages on.

Wanting to help the fae find peace, Aurora swallows her pain and agrees to work with Tristan despite all the emotions and memories doing so brings up. But when they come together to end the war and bring their people together, they find that there are twisted creatures lurking in the dark.

Everything I loved about Twisted Fate is present in Twisted Gift. Realistic characters with heart-wrenching pain and smiling inducing happiness, captivating plot, and addictive prose. I devoured this book, never wanting to put it down for fear of taking too long to find out what happens next.

The story picked up effortlessly from book one, while still carving its own path of enjoyment. The plot was well wrapped up by the end of the book, as was the overarching storyline for the characters between the two books. I recommend picking up a copy if you love a good romance story, good urban fantasy, and a bit of magic.

I can’t wait to see what Jessi will publish next!

Disclaimer: I did receive an arc of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. All thoughts are my own, and were not colored for receiving the arc.

Remember to find Twisted Gift on GoodReads

Synopsis

Being the new leader of the light fae really puts a dent in your post-grad plans.

Aurora, once a snarky business major, struggles to adjust to fae life—and the diet of human energy that comes with it. A change made worse by the overwhelming ability to feel the emotions of everyone around her, especially when she can barely manage her own.

Agreeing to work with her dark fae counterpart, Tristan, in an attempt to bring peace between their people is a painful reminder of how strong they are together. Even still, Aurora fights the urge to keep her distance. She needs to be sure what she feels for him is real, and not a result of the former light fae leader’s manipulation as a part of his plan to eliminate Tristan.

Aurora thought she’d encountered the worst thing since early morning lectures when she stumbled into the world of the fae. She’s about to find out that they may not be the most twisted creatures out there.

Available September 21st

Amazon | iBooks | KOBO | Signed Paperback

TWISTED FATE (Book 1) IS ON SALE FOR 0.99c!

Amazon | iBooks | KOBO

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads | YouTube

Jessi Elliott is a law clerk and author of both young adult and new adult romantic fiction. Her love of writing was born after many years of reading and reviewing books on her blog.

She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her adorable cat, Phoebe. Yes, named after the Friends character.

When she’s not plotting her next writing project, she likes to spend her time hanging with friends and family, getting lost in a steamy romance novel, watching Friends, and drinking coffee.

You can find Jessi at www.jessielliott.com, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can join her newsletter to stay up to date on book news and upcoming releases.

Join her Facebook reader group, Jessi Elliott’s Twisted Sweethearts, for exclusive news, promos, review opportunities, and giveaways!

Cover Reveal: Twisted Gift by Jessi Elliott & Giveaway!

21 Tuesday Aug 2018

Posted by MBenson in Cover Reveal

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amreading, amwriting, Cover Reveal, Giveaway, goals, inspiration, Jessi Elliott, online presence, review, reviews, thoughts, time, Twisted Fate, Twisted Gift, update, Urban Fantasy

TITLE: Twisted Gift
SERIES: Twisted #2
GENRE: Urban Fantasy (New Adult Romance)
RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2018

 

GOODREADS LINK

 

SYNOPSIS
Being the new leader of the light fae really puts a dent in your post-grad plans.
Aurora, once a snarky business major, struggles to adjust to fae life—and the diet of human energy that comes with it. A change made worse by the overwhelming ability to feel the emotions of everyone around her, especially when she can barely manage her own.
Agreeing to work with her dark fae counterpart, Tristan, in an attempt to bring peace between their people is a painful reminder of how strong they are together. Even still, Aurora fights the urge to keep her distance. She needs to be sure what she feels for him is real, and not a result of the former light fae leader’s manipulation as a part of his plan to eliminate Tristan.
Aurora thought she’d encountered the worst thing since early morning lectures when she stumbled into the world of the fae. She’s about to find out that they may not be the most twisted creatures out there.

 

 PRE-ORDER
AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | SIGNED PAPERBACK

 


TWISTED FATE IS ON SALE FOR 99c!

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO

GIVEAWAY
Prize: Kindle Copies of Twisted Fate + Twisted Gift

Rafflecopter Link
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Elliott is a law clerk and author of both young adult and new adult romantic fiction. Her love of writing was born after many years of reading and reviewing books on her blog.She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her adorable cat, Phoebe. Yes, named after the Friends character.

When she’s not plotting her next writing project, she likes to spend her time hanging with friends and family, getting lost in a steamy romance novel, watching Friends, and drinking coffee.

You can find Jessi at www.jessielliott.com, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can join her newsletter to stay up to date on book news and upcoming releases.

Join her Facebook reader group, Jessi Elliott’s Twisted Sweethearts, for exclusive news, promos, review opportunities, and giveaways!

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | YOUTUBE

Book Review: Null and Void by Susan Copperfield

09 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by MBenson in Reviews

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A Royal States Novel, amreading, discoveries, Magic, Null and Void, Paranormal, review, reviews, Susan Copperfield, thoughts, update, Urban Fantasy

Author: Susan Copperfield 
Publisher: Pen & Page Publishing
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars

Born without magic, Mackenzie Little has few prospects in her null caste, but when her mother pushes her into participating in a charity auction everything changes. Bought by ex-boss, Dylan Mason – an elite magic wielder, she gets to live the fantasy life for a day. Nine months later, despite all precautions, Mackenzie gives birth to a little miracle of her own. Having someone other than herself to fight for, she strives to give her little miracle the best life offered, even if that means having to change a few rules to do it.

The Royal States of America presents as an interesting world to read and learn about. The world itself has territories ruled by kings and queens, the highest of the caste system that has been set into place by those with magic. Mackenzie falls to the bottom of that caste system, born a Null – someone who doesn’t have any magic of her own. Limited by her caste, she is forced into limited office work or manual labor in New York.

But when opportunities present themselves, she jumps from New York to Texas in order to fight for Null rights and push to help make her caste more equal in the eyes of the laws within the Kingdom of Texas. And she’s not only armed with her tough skin growing up a Null, but also with the ferociousness that comes from being a new mother, one who wants to be able to give her little miracle the world and opportunities she had.

This book had many ups and downs, and I felt incredibly lucky to be able to come along for the ride with Mackenzie. I enjoyed every page, and I can’t wait to continue in this world. The next book does not continue Machenzie’s story, but I can’t say that it discourages me one bit, quite the contrary, it has me more excited because I’ll be able to see more of this world through the eyes of someone new, with a different outlook on life and potentially within a different caste.

Book Review: Twisted Fate by Jessi Elliott

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by MBenson in Reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

amreading, creativity, discoveries, enjoy, fantasy, goals, inspiration, Jessi Elliott, musings, New Adult, published work, review, reviews, Twisted Fate, update, Urban Fantasy

 

Author: Jessi Elliott 
Publisher: Jessi Elliott
Series: Twisted #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy (New Adult)
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Everything in Aurora Marshall’s life is going smoothly. She’s in her final year of her business degree, she’s on track to graduate, and she has plans for her own business after she graduates. It looks like everything will happen the way she’s planned it to.

One night changes everything when she meets Tristan Westbrook. Dragged into the Fae world, Aurora’s carefully planned out life tilts sideways and she struggles to keep her life as normal as possible while handling the dangers that come with being of interest to the dark fae’s leader and plunged deeper and deeper into all things fae.

I have to say, honestly, I loved this book. The characters were engaging, the world was built beautifully, and while time did pass quickly the author did it in a very organic way. I found myself rooting for Aurora as she faced obstacles, wanting her to come out the other side unscathed. Caring about Aurora and what was going on with her life, and with her family, became second nature and at one point in the book I felt as deeply sad as she was.

Now, lets be clear, I’ve read books where sad things happen before. But I will say, it takes a special kind of talent to get your readers so involved with the characters that they cry with them. Jessi has a beautiful way with words and how she weaves this tale.

The story of the fae, and their world and everything about them interests me with how Jessi made it her own and weaved her own mythos for them. I feel for the fae, for everything they’ve been through even as Aurora gets the raw end of a deal with having to deal with them and move in their world.

The completion of the book left me both satisfied with the ending of the plot within its covers, but also craving the next installment of the series.

Disclaimer: I did receive an arc of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. All thoughts are my own, and were not colored for receiving the arc.

Synopsis

Being kidnapped by the leader of the fae really puts a dent in your senior year.

Aurora Marshall is sharp, witty, and always has a plan. Ready to finish her business degree and graduate, her life is going smoothly—until the night she meets Tristan Westbrook.

Tristan, the overbearing, gorgeous fae leader, and an admired businessman in the human world, is all kinds of dangerous. While he finds Aurora intriguing, her refusal to bend to his will keeps them locked in a constant power struggle.

Entering into a deal is the only way to escape Tristan’s clutches, which only plunges Aurora deeper into the fae world. With her future at stake, she is forced to handle his arrogance and extraordinary fae abilities as she fights to stay grounded in her mundane life.

Not to mention her struggle to ignore the growing attraction she knows she shouldn’t feel for the man who kidnapped her.

When people said college would be the most exciting time of her life, Aurora never thought this is what they meant.

 

Available February 13th

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | IBooks | Signed Paperback

 

 

About The Author

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | YouTube
Jessi Elliott is a newly graduated law clerk and debut author of both young adult and new adult romantic fiction. Her love of writing was born after many years of reading and reviewing books on her blog Living Within Fiction.She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her family and two adorable cats.
​
When she’s not plotting her next writing project, she likes to spend her time hanging with friends and family, getting lost in a steamy romance novel, watching Friends, and drinking coffee.You can find Jessi at www.jessielliott.com, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on book news and upcoming releases.

 

Time – I know not how

29 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by MBenson in Personal Thoughts, reading, Writing

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amediting, amreading, amwriting, books, creativity, discoveries, enjoy, fantasy, goals, inspiration, life, musings, online presence, original fiction, original work, ramblings, real life, sea of thieves, thoughts, time, update, Urban Fantasy, video games, what do, WIP, word count, writing

Sometimes I really don’t know how time flies in my life. I look around and the day is gone, or the week is gone. Take last week as an example. I’m not sure how, but I completely phased through last week and I’m not sure how.

Or I guess to a point maybe I do. A good chunk of the first part was spent editing Chapter 1 of my drafted novel. I’ve been wanting to get to editing it, get to plotting book 2 for the series, and get everything moving along. And I sat down last week and I worked my way through Chapter 1.

Unfortunately I got tangled up enough in my words that I missed getting a blog post out last week. But fear not! I have not forgotten you, my dear readers! This week I’ll have two posts up. Today’s update of how things are going – great, I got Chapter 1 edited! I’ll also be doing a January Wrap-Up/February TBR post on the 1st! So thankfully I’ll make up for missing the post last week.

Aside from editing, I have been video gaming, not going to lie. Microsoft and Rare have a new game coming out called Sea of Thieves (March 20 – not sponsored). It’s a pirate game where you sail the seas, hunt for treasure and glory, and defend or attack other pirates as they too hunt for treasure and glory. The Closed Beta is currently in full swing for another couple of days and my friends and I got in so we’ve all been taking advantage of being able to spend some time together on the high seas.

To make it even more enticing, the game really is stunningly beautiful. You have to really, truly learn how to sail your ships from a one/two man boat to the beautiful galleon you can see behind my friend and I in a screenshot our third friend took.

It’s been an incredible time playing it, and I will truly be sad when the Beta closes in the next few days. This is completely and totally how I spent my weekend. Not going to lie.

I also stopped long enough to read a book, and while I have certain books on my January TBR list, I think I’m going to slip past them briefly because the one I read left off in a cliffhanger and I’m dying to know what happens next so I may skip to that book instead and slide my waiting TBR list forward to Feb. We’ll see how fast I can devour the second book. I do have a few more days left in January, after all.

Also, We’re a few days out before we finish with the first month of the new year. Can you believe it’s almost February yet? Can you believe we’ve had a whole 31 days of 2018 yet? Is the year treating you well so far? I’d say it’s treating me pretty well currently. No real complaints here.

Twisted Fate by Jessi Elliott Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

09 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by MBenson in Cover Reveal, Personal Thoughts, Reviews, Writing

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Tags

amreading, amwriting, Cover Reveal, Giveaway, goals, inspiration, Jessi Elliott, online presence, review, reviews, thoughts, time, Twisted Fate, update, Urban Fantasy

Title: Twisted Fate
Series: Twisted #1
Author: Jessi Elliott
Genre: Urban Fantasy (New Adult)
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Cover Design: Okay Creations
Pre order your copy today!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | IBooks | Signed Paperback
Synopsis

Being kidnapped by the leader of the fae really puts a dent in your senior year.

Aurora Marshall is sharp, witty, and always has a plan. Ready to finish her business degree and graduate, her life is going smoothly—until the night she meets Tristan Westbrook.

Tristan, the overbearing, gorgeous fae leader, and an admired businessman in the human world, is all kinds of dangerous. While he finds Aurora intriguing, her refusal to bend to his will keeps them locked in a constant power struggle.

Entering into a deal is the only way to escape Tristan’s clutches, which only plunges Aurora deeper into the fae world. With her future at stake, she is forced to handle his arrogance and extraordinary fae abilities as she fights to stay grounded in her mundane life.

Not to mention her struggle to ignore the growing attraction she knows she shouldn’t feel for the man who kidnapped her.

When people said college would be the most exciting time of her life, Aurora never thought this is what they meant.

 

About The Author
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | YouTube

Jessi Elliott is a newly graduated law clerk and debut author of both young adult and new adult romantic fiction. Her love of writing was born after many years of reading and reviewing books on her blog Living Within Fiction.

She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her family and two adorable cats.
​
When she’s not plotting her next writing project, she likes to spend her time hanging with friends and family, getting lost in a steamy romance novel, watching Friends, and drinking coffee.

You can find Jessi at www.jessielliott.com, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on book news and upcoming releases.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

 

 

 

I think the cover is absolutely Stunning! Let me know what you think of the cover in the comments below! Will you pre-order the book? Enter the giveaway?

Book Review: Esme Novella Trilogy by Lizzy Ford

03 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by MBenson in Reviews

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amreading, Christmas, Christmas Esme, creativity, discoveries, enjoy, Esme Trilogy, fantasy, Halloween, Halloween Esme, HEA, inspiration, lizzy ford, musings, published work, review, reviews, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Esme, thoughts, update, Urban Fantasy, YA, YA Urban Fantasy

Author: Lizzy Ford 
Publisher: Lizzy Ford
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars

Esme is a half angel living in a tiny town with her full angel mother and a zoo. Her home life is warm, loving, and she loves it. However, she’s bullied and alone at school. Everything shifts for her when two strangers come to town and start renting a couple rooms from her mother in their house.

This review is for all three Novellas as a whole, because honestly while the author calls them novellas, they read more like a serial trilogy than three separate novellas. The plot doesn’t resolve itself at any point during the first two, Halloween and Thanksgiving, instead everything builds and builds until the final installment, Christmas. As well, both Halloween and Thanksgiving both end in serious cliffhanger reveals, which push you to pick up the next one. While not a bad way to lead someone to buy and read the next installment, is a little frustrating when called a Novella. I expect some resolution at the end of a novella, even if it’s part of a trilogy for an over arching storyline.

Over all, it did take me a little bit to get into Halloween but I was curious enough that I persisted. About half way in, Halloween hooked me and I consumed the rest of it, and the other two, in record time. The three are fairly quick reads at only roughly 100 pages a piece, so it is easy to pick them up and finish them in a short sitting. The plot is interesting, and I was very curious how it would wrap itself up.

You’re probably asking, but Meri if you liked the plot and enjoyed the books as a whole, why is it only three stars? Well, unfortunately, there were some grammatical errors littered throughout the first two that for me (maybe because I’m a writer myself) pulled me out of the story as my brain paused to fix the error before continuing the story. And while the auto-fixes for my brain were fairly quick it happened enough times that it made it noticeable to me. It’s something that a little more time editing them would have fixed.

As well, there were times that I was incredibly frustrated at the lack of details given. An example, in Thanksgiving Esme wears a dress to the Thanksgiving event at the Community Center of their small town. We’re told that this is something she never does. We’re told that she’s going to wear her boots with it anyway. And we’re told her mother bought the dress for her. But we are never told what the dress looks like, on a hanger or on her. Not the color, not the cut. Is it floor length or tea length? Is it blue or pink? is the neckline sweetheart cut or scoop neck? Does it have a pattern on it?

This may sound like something trivial in the grand scheme, but it wasn’t just the dress that wasn’t described. After reading all three, I still honestly can’t tell you exactly what Esme looks like. I know she mentioned she doesn’t look like her mother, the blonde angel, but that still doesn’t tell me what Esme looks like. And when I’m trying to envision this story playing out in my mind, these details that were missed or skipped over leave shadowed patches in my head and it disconnects me from the book some. Which does make it less enjoyable as a whole.

Would I recommend these books as a read? If you’re looking for a quick, cute, HEA ending read? Completely. They are a good read, and the plot is engaging enough to be worth it.

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