Review - Madison's Song by Christine Amsden

TITLE:    Madison's Song
AUTHOR:    Christine Amsden
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 275 pages
PUBLISHED:   Twilight Times Books, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Author 

FROM GOODREADS:  Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black....

Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer - then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison's nightmares are not.

Despite her fears, when Madison's brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton's home only to discover that he's vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she's not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott's are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.


MY TAKE:    When I received this book for review from the author as part of this blog tour I was not (yet) familiar with Christine Amsden's Cassie Scot detective stories. While the main character Madison was introduced in the series, Madison's Song is a stand-alone story. I think it will be great to read the previous books though as I'm hooked on Ms. Amsden's characters and want to meet more all of them.

Character development is one of my must-haves for me to really like a story. I'm happy to say that it is definitely a strong suit for this author. I immediately liked Madison and felt for her and her tumultuous history. Scott is definitely another person that draws you into his turmoil and feelings right from the start. I enjoyed seeing the two of them progress both individually and ultimately towards each other. It was especially gripping with Madison's shyness, lack of confidence and her perceived need to keep her gift under wraps. Her understandable fear of Scott and the devastating attraction she feels at the same time make for some very emotional situations.

The fast-paced rhythm of the story creates an energy that keeps the reader involved and engrossed. I pretty much read the book in one sitting,with only a short break or two. The world that the author has created along with the inhabitants make for a lovely break from our own reality. When I can become completely lost in a book and not want it to end, it is a winner.

I highly recommend this story and author to anyone who enjoys YA, paranormal and romance books. It has a skillful blend that will suit most readers.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

You can grab your own copy from Amazon and start reading right away! 

I am officially hooked and now looking forward to reading the entire Cassie Scot series:

        

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley

TITLE:    Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact

AUTHOR:    A.J. Hartley
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 431 pages
PUBLISHED:   Penguin Razorbill, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different - but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imaginings!


Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet - a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Scrobblers on motorbikes with nets big enough to fit a human boy. Gnashers with no eyes, but monstrous mouths full of teeth. Flittercrakes with bat-like bodies and the faces of men. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and a mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world - something that only human children possess.

MY TAKE:   I love being taken on new adventures.  Darwen Arkwright takes us on a grand one with his new American friends.  In Darwen, A.J. Wright has created a very likable and relatable hero.  Darwen is truly a fish out of the water when he's dropped into a new life in America.  The proper young English boy is having a hard time fitting in when he accidentally sees a strange creature in the mall and follows it into a dusty old mirror shop.  Little does he know that the odd owner of the shop will soon set him on a dangerous and mysterious path to a world on the other side of a magical mirror.  


This is a fast-paced and fun story that will appeal to adventurous explorers of all ages.  I especially think that boys of about 9 or older will get a kick out of the various creatures and gadgets that Darwen comes across. Wannabe archaeologist Rich is a stalwart friend to Darwen as well as an interesting character on his own.  Girls will enjoy the eccentric Alexandra as she becomes a surprisingly stout supporter of the awkward Darwen.  I was quite engrossed in the tale and enjoyed imagining the creatures that the author described. 


This story is destined to be a classic and definitely has a place on the keeper shelf.  I highly recommend this story, especially if you or the kids like jumping into another world for a while.  Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact would also make a great gift this holiday season. I have a couple of young readers in mind to receive a copy.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Get your copy:

Amazon 

Kindle

The Book Depository

Barnes & Noble

Nook

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

TITLE:    The Kitchen Daughter
AUTHOR:    Jael McHenry
INFO:    Hardcover, Fiction, 272 pages
PUBLISHED:   Gallery Books, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish.



A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cook from dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

MY TAKE:    This was one of those books that you start reading without really knowing what to expect.  The publisher's blurb promised ghostly magic, cooking, an unconventional heroine with Asperger's Syndrome, and a lot of family drama.  I wasn't really anticipating learning everything that I did and enjoying the story quite so much.  It was a real treat to lose myself in this sweet and uplifting debut novel. 

The author has done an amazing job of creating memorable and endearing characters.  She has the reader running the entire range of emotions as they become more ensconced in the life of Ginny.  We are right there rooting for her as she meets her challenges, grieves her losses and celebrates her successes.  Ginny is a fantastic protagonist.  You empathize with her, laugh and cry with her, share her frustrations and marvel at her grasp and love of cooking.  Her sister Amanda is annoying, especially in the beginning, but you do understand her behaviour as the story progresses.  The sympathetic housekeeper Gert is a lovely addition as well as that of her grief-ridden son David.  They both play pivotal roles in Ginny's bid for independence and acknowledgement of herself.

I learned quite a bit about Asperger's Syndrome from The Kitchen Daughter.  Ms. McHenry is very adept at enlightening the reader about this often undiagnosed condition while entertaining us with a warm and thoughtful tale.  The story truly is a lovely blend of magic, family, cooking, love and loss.  And let's not forget ~ hope.  This debut novel is just the beginning for this very talented author.  I am very happy to have had the chance to read this book.  It is on my "highly recommended" list!
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda

TITLE:    The Art of Disappearing: A Novel

AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Ivy Pochoda
INFO:    Hardback, Fiction, 311 pages
PUBLISHED:   St. Martin's Griffin, 2010
ISBN#:   978-0-3123-85859
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from TLC Book Tours for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  How do you know if love is real or just an illusion?  


When Mel Snow meets the talented magician Toby Warring in a dusty roadside bar, she is instantly drawn to the brilliant performer whose hands can effortlessly pull stray saltshakers and poker chips from thin air and conjure castles out of the desert sands. Just two days later they are married, beginning their life together ...more How do you know if love is real or just an illusion?


When Mel Snow meets the talented magician Toby Warring in a dusty roadside bar, she is instantly drawn to the brilliant performer whose hands can effortlessly pull stray saltshakers and poker chips from thin air and conjure castles out of the desert sands. Just two days later they are married, beginning their life together in the shadow of Las Vegas, where Toby hopes to make it big. Mel knows that magicians are a dime a dozen, but Toby is different—his magic is real.


As Toby’s renown grows and Mel falls more and more in love with his wonderments, she starts to realize that Toby's powers are as unstable as they are dazzling. She learns that he once made his assistant disappear completely, and couldn’t bring her back. And then, just as Mel becomes convinced that his magic is dangerous, a trick goes terribly awry during his Strip debut.


Exiled from the stage, Mel and Toby flee the lights of Las Vegas for the streets of Amsterdam where a cabal of old-time magicians, real magicians like Toby, try to rescue him from his despair. But he’s haunted by the trick that failed, and obsessed with using his powers to right his mistakes, leaving Mel to wonder if the love they share is genuine or merely a fantasy, conjured up by a lost magician looking to save himself from being alone.


Ivy Pochoda’s spellbinding and cinematic storytelling seamlessly fuses timeless magic to modern-day passion. Haunting and beautiful, The Art of Disappearing is an imaginative and captivating love story destined to enchant readers for years to come.

MY TAKE:   I would like to thank TLC Book Tours for inviting me to do a review of this book for the tour.  

This book was a very interesting read.  I thought that the premise of the story was very well thought out.  The book starts with the quickie Vegas marriage of the two lead characters and proceeds from there.  They don't know each other at all, but are pulled to each other like magnets or magic! 

Mel's relationship with fabrics and textiles is interesting as they "talk" to her.  She gets stories from pieces of material.  The author does an amazing job of describing this connection and what Mel hears and sees. 

Toby is a magician who really does have magic.  He isn't your run-of-the-mill illusionist or rabbit in the hat magician.  He literally pulls things out of thin air and sends things there too.  This is where the problems start for him.

Ms. Pochoda has created a very readable story of love, loss, and magic that will leave you wondering "what if"?  She is a master of the art of description.   I am looking forward to seeing what comes next for this talented debut author.  This book would be a great choice for a book club or discussion group.  Thanks again to Lisa at TLC Book Tours.

MY RATING:    3.5/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:  Amazon, The Book Depository, IndieBound

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Black Magic by Cherry Adair

Blog Tour participants:  Welcome to One Book Shy of A Full Library.  I hope you'll stick around and get to know me and come back again soon!  A big hello to all of my regular readers - I appreciate ya!

Black Magic

TITLE: Black Magic

AUTHOR/EDITOR:  Cherry Adair
INFO: Paperback, Fiction, 389 pages
PUBLISHED: Pocket Star Books, 2010
ISBN#: 978-1-4391-5381-9
HOW'D I GET IT: From Publisher for Review & part of a blog tour

FROM THE COVER/PUBLISHER:  She hates using magic...Ever since the death of her parents, Sara Temple has rejected her magical gifts.  Then, in a moment of extreme danger, she unknowingly sends out a telepathic cry for help-to the one man she is convinced she never wants to see again.

He's a powerful wizard...Jackson Slater thought he was done forever with his ex-fiancee, but when he hears her desperate plea, he teleports halfway around the world to aid her in a situation where magic has gone suddenly, brutally wrong.

They've been chosen to save the world...But while Sara and Jack remain convinced they are completely mismatched, the Wizard Council feels otherwise.  A dark force is killing some of the world's mos influential wizards, and the ex-lovers have just proved their abilities are mysteriously amplified when they work together.  But with the fate of the world at stake, will the violent emotions still simmering between them drive them further apart...or bring them back into each other's arms?

MY TAKE:  I enjoyed this book, devouring it quickly in an afternoon. The action started immediately and you were drawn into the thick of things well before getting to know the characters. You do learn more about their troubled relationship with each other, with magic, and the tangles with others that tend to take a toll on their happiness. The story comes to a quick and climatic finish in a whirl of magic and great adventure.

While I did really like the steamy scenes, I felt there could have been one or two less just to make room for a bit more of the wizardry and background on the magical aspect of the story.

It is an enjoyable book to spend a hot summer afternoon with. 

Thank you to the author and Stephanie at Simon & Schuster for including me in this book tour and for my review copy of 'Black Magic'.

MY RATING: 3.5/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:   Amazon

Happy Reading!