Category Archives: Novella Reviews
#Review: Susceptible to Him by Lynn Burke: A Stellar 5 Star Debut! #Romance #Contemporary #RotG @EvernightPublishing
Susceptible to Him
by Lynn Burke
Description: Lia Risso walked in on her fiancé and three other women on Valentine’s Day. Two celibate years later, her roommate creates a profile for Lia on a dating website—without her knowledge—and sets up a date. On Valentine’s Day.
Ryan Walsh, a self-made millionaire and libertine, refuses to commit to any one woman. Tossed from foster home to foster home as a child, Ryan is on guard against becoming vulnerable ever again.
One dinner…one night of dancing and flirting with the attraction between them, puts both Lia and Ryan in danger of heart break.
They have a choice—open themselves to the possibility of hurt or walk away, never knowing what might have been.
My Review: A STELLAR 5 STAR DEBUT!!
Lia and Ryan… *sigh*
Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this RotG debut from Lynn Burke. Excellent descriptions, stellar story, and I am now anxious for more of the Risso family.
Lia Risso catches her boyfriend in a threesome, shaking her to the core. Her well meaning friend, in an effort to get Lia “back out there” signs her up for on a dating site. This is where Ryan comes in. He, of course, is the date she plans to politely enjoy before sending the gentleman on his way. Ryan is everything I like in a guy, charming, very boy next door…just what Lia needs.
Even when she doesn’t realize it.
I don’t do spoilers in my reviews, so I will leave the rest to you to find out. I devoured this one in an hour, and loved every distracted second of it. Just perfect for waiting in the doc’s office waiting room. Ms. Burke’s style is sensual and romantic without the high raunchy heat. Classy. Lovely and engrossing.
I highly recommend you get in on this series now, as I hear there is some HOTness to come from the rest of the Risso clan.
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About the Author: Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.
Her current work, the Risso Familly Novellas, revolves around four siblings from Boston’s North End.
#Review: The Trouble With Nightingale by Amaleen Ison (@amaleenison) #YALit #Horror
Okay folks…I am going to be honest with you here. I have NO CLUE why when I was working on my blog I came across the post below as a “DRAFT”. I really thought I had posted this a long time ago. Maybe I did and this will be a repost. *shrugs* Who knows.
Anyway, here is a review I did for a fantastic YA horror novella I read written by an author I consider a friend, aside from thinking she is beyond talented. *gush gush* 😛
The Trouble With Nightingale by Amaleen Ison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful short story!
I gave this one a read yesterday while on the train to NYC for work and I just LOVED it. It had been on my Nook waiting for me to find some time to read it for months and I am so glad I finally got the chance. The characters were vibrant and realistic, even in the context of a paranormal type tale. A completely unique twist on the dart arts and witchcraft.
Ms Ison has a gift for descriptive tales or the supernatural, and The Trouble with Nightingale is no different. I fell in love with the characters, most especially Fabian. Just too cute for words. I don’t put spoilers in my reviews, so I won’t get into too much detail on him, but I bet if you give it a read, you will agree with me.
I highly recommend this for anyone interested in paranormal tales appropriate to a YA audience and those who enjoy reading stories about the occult or witchcraft.
Really enjoyed this one.
Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I brought this novella on the plane with me when I flew to California and I have to say, reading it made the time fly by. Before I knew it, I was at the end of the story and looking for more.
Im not one to give spoilers in reviews, so I will stay away from anything too specific, but will say that I loved the descriptions and Ms, Blume really did a spectacular job of describing the dystopian world Cressenda lives in. I was hooked from the first page, and really enjoyed the interactions between her and Beckett as the story unfolded. The romance developed nicely and I never felt any lags in the story or action. A really stellar read.
I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
A review of Eternal by J.A. Belfield
Eternal by J.A. Belfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read Darkness and Light, the first novel in the Holloway Pack series, so I was really interested to see what this prequel novella had in store for me. I was not the least bit disappointed.
In this short, we meet the original Sean and Jem (circa 1800’s). If you read Darkness and Light, you understand what that means. I really enjoyed getting a look at the beginning of the Sean/Jem saga, and seeing how that first pair managed to “make it”.
I love the Sean in this one and how adorably gruff he is. I particularly liked the way he was so afraid of Jem’s mom when he was trying to muster the courage to ask for her hand in marriage. Ms. Belfield did a great job sinking the reader into the historical 1800s setting and dealt with the…
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Book Review: Truly, Madly, Deeply, You by Cecilia Robert
Truly, Madly, Deeply, You by Cecilia Robert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I received an ARC copy of this contemporary romance novella from the publisher, Inkspell Publishing. Since I enjoy a nice short romantic read, a one-nighter as it were, once in a while, I dove in anxiously.
The story introduces us to Liese, a tortured young woman in self imposed mourning over a loss two years before. For the prior two years, she has spent the four days before Valentine’s day in solitude. Her plan to do so again.
Her best friend, Frey refuses to allow her to torture herself for another year, and vows to spend the four days by her side. He says he drew the short straw with her family, who is just as worried about her as he is, but we learn rather quickly that Frey has harbored feelings for Liese for a long time. What ensues is a very sweet, friends to lovers romance.
I was really drawn in by Frey’s sweetness and his obvious devotion to Liese as the story unfolded, especially when the first of the “notes” arrives–the card reading simply. Truly. The little notes continue to come, as does the time Frey and Liese spend in each others company. Ms Robert tosses in a few obstacles to their reunion, but we know these two are meant to be together in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the short ride Ms Robert takes us on with these two characters. Some of the writing was a bit stiff for me in places, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t able to tell the story was written by someone whose second language was English, but despite that, I really did find the story engaging and enjoyable. Ms Robert shows some real flashes of brilliance in some of her descriptions and I look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer her readers.
Review: Mile 81
Mile 81 by Stephen King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
At $5.99 for the ebook download, I really expected a novel instead of a short story. I can’t even call it a novella — it was that short.
The story was interesting and I did enjoy the read, but I have to say it was missing some of the dark sparks I expect from Mr. King. Not so much a disappointment for me, as just *meh, it was okay*
Hoping the novel due out in November has more of what I read Stephen King novels for, originality and dark twist you dont see coming.
Book Review: Fated Encounter
Fated Encounter by J.A. Belfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After delving into the world of the Hathaway pack this summer with Ms. Belfield’s Darkness and Light (gave it 4.5 stars in my Goodreads review at the time),I was anxious to dive into Sean’s head and get his perspective on one of the pivotal scenes in the novel — the first time Jem “scents” Sean at a local shopping center. I have to say I wasn’t disappointed in the least.
Fated Encounter takes us with Sean as he runs an errand for his (quite hot) demanding brother, Ethan. Without knowing why, Sean drives past a few stores to visit one in particular. The one where Jem is shopping. I found the touches of awkward male humor refreshing and thought Ms. Belfield gave Sean added dimensions here that we didn’t get in Darkness and Light.
While the story is a “mini” and meant to be short, I was disappointed to find I had come to the ending when I got there. Even having read the novel and knowing what the scene entailed, I was thoroughly entertained throughout.
I guess if I had one negative comment to make, I would say that I was put off slightly by the way Sean’s emotions and reactions always seemed to be happening to him and he only reacting — he almost felt like a bystander in his own body in some places.
A nice, fun read and an excellent companion to the Darkness and Light novel– or any of the stories Ms. Belfield may have in mind for the Hathaway pack. Yummy *winks*
Bex Book Nook 