Blog Tour Review: WATER SO DEEP by Nicole Giles (Jelly Bean Press, 2015)

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  Water So Deep by Nichole GilesWater So Deep Seventeen-year-old Emma Harris is drowning on dry land. No one knows what’s happening to her, and she’d like to keep her evolution from human to mermaid a secret, but the truth is getting harder and harder to hide. From her adoptive family, from her friends, and especially from the irresistible James Phelps. Her time in the ocean is spent dodging a possessive merman, while her time on land is split between caring for her special-needs brother and squeezing in every last possible moment of human life. She soon realizes falling for James is unavoidable when he constantly comes to Emma’s rescue and somehow manages to see through her carefully constructed icy facade to the vulnerability she lives with every day. Everything about James makes Emma yearn for a life on land she just can't have. When Emma’s brother disappears on her watch, James is the only person she trusts to help her save him. But even if they can save her brother, nothing can prevent her return to the sea. Whether she likes it or not, Emma is changing—unable to breathe without yielding to the tide—and it's only a matter of time before she's forced to surrender forever.

Amazon

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My Review

Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 294 pgs

Rating: 4

Review: Isn't the cover so gorgeous?! I am so intrigued by mermaid fiction. I know there's a ton out there but I haven't sat down with any yet, so Nicole's is the first. I loved the way she portrayed how Emma was changing, and it was easy to feel the panic of being on land too long and then the release in the water, even though she hated it. Loved the conflict that drove her to and and away from the water! Emma was super easy to love, though frustrating sometimes in her decision making--though I understood why she did what she did. Good frustrating, I guess. James is a great co-main character for her. Sometimes it was difficult to see what drew them together beyond their physical attraction, but they made a good pair. It was great to see James there for her. Merrick is such an awesome puzzle. I can't wait to see how things play out for him. It was great to see a character who was not all good or not all bad. Though it wrapped up well (which is more than I can say for another book I read recently...), the first thing I did was go to Nicole's website to see about how long the sequel would be. :) I had a few picky believability issues. MILD SPOILERS: Rumors about Emma and her ex, Tom, are all over the school, yet it takes several months for James to hear the full story, he doesn't even get surface talk. If Tom was arrested, wouldn't there be some kind of news story with at least bare facts? And the kids in school were talking about it. It also feels like far too into the story when we start to learn about some of Emma's backstory and see interaction with her Gran. At some points it felt like I'd missed a book--things the narration assumes we already knew are alluded to but not talked about.

Content:
Language - 3+ (Frequent use of damn and hell, 6 Sh*, 3 A*, 1 B*)
Sex - 3 (Nothing is ever onstage just a handful of discussions about the two main characters having sex, about other characters who have, Merrick is described as being seen naked in a few instances)
Violence - 2 (Nothing graphic. A sexual assault occurs, but nothing described. There is a fight between Emma and some merpeople)
Overall Rating - PG-16

Source: Review copy as part of a blog tour event.

   Author Nichole Giles 

Nichole Giles, the author of the Descendant trilogy, has lived in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas. She loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

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Blog Tour Review: DIAMOND RINGS ARE DEADLY THINGS by Rachelle J. Christensen (Shadow Mountain 2014)

 

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Diamond Rings are Deadly Things by Rachelle J. Christensen Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she is especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success–that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim. With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.  

Amazon

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My Review

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: 3+

Review: This book was just plain fun. I'm not the biggest cozy mystery fan, but every once in a while I read one and truly enjoy it. This one reminded me a lot of the Josi Kilpack mystery I read, Baked Alaska. At the beginning of the chapters it had great, wedding-inspired crafts, and many that I look forward to trying. (Most would be nice, elegant decorations for everyday things). I liked the way the romance was handled in the book and the mystery was good. I wasn't hugely surprised at who the bad guy turned out to be, but I didn't exactly guess either. I am so curious about how Adri's love life will progress through these books, and about how her relationship could possibly change with a certain police officer (not that there's any indication in this book about it. Just a dream of mine... :D)

Content:
Sex - 1+ (Passionate kissing, discussion of taking things further, but in a very vague way.)
Violence - 2 (Things are stolen, Adri is attacked twice. Nothing too graphic. It is a {cozy} mystery.)
Language - 0
Overall rating - PG

Try this. If you like cozy mysteries, try Josi Kilpack's Sadie Hoffmiller series.

Praise

“I love Rachelle J. Christensen’s stories and characters, and Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things is another thrilling mystery to add to my collection. Don’t be surprised if you have to stay up all night to finish he book!” ~Rachel Ann Nunes, author of Before I Say Goodbye Diamond Rings are Deadly Things pulled me right in from the first page and held me captive until the very end. Great characters, a compelling plot, a surprising twist at the end … Rachelle Christensen knows how to craft a great mystery. ~Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries A cunningly crafty mystery with just the right mix of romance. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Adrielle Pyper, stunning party-planner turned heroine. ~Nichole Giles, author of Descendant

Author Rachelle J. Christensen

Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Rachelle has an amazing husband, five cute kids, three cats, and five chickens.

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Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 2/25/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romance Rant

Just in time for Valentine's Day, right? ;)

Let me confess something. Six or seven years ago I would not have pictured myself as a romance writer. I knew that I loved to write those sweet, swoon scenes into the YA novels I was writing, but I didn't consider that my genre. And another confession--I sort of agreed with a lady in my ward then who called LDS Romances "literary fluff."

But friends, hold on to your pitchforks a moment. I was ignorant. I hadn't read a lot of LDS romance at the time--honestly, I think my only interaction with the genre was a couple books I found in a bargain bin when the LDS Bookstore went out of business in Laramie. So. Yeah.

Since then, not only have I broadened my horizon and found a lot of amazing romances out there--both in the LDS niche and out--but the category itself has come a long way. Romance, as a genre, has had a big surge. It's become a lot more popular in recent years, and much of the writing in the genre is just as superb as any other--which is why it shocked me to come upon a blog post throwing it into a big pile with pornography.

Um. EXCUSE ME??

The site (which, most the time, I actually applaud for the awareness they're spreading about pornography and how it actually affects people and relationships) published a post with some statistics that ran along the lines of a percentage of males and females read romance novels, read sexually explicit magazines, or visited sexually explicit chat rooms or forums.

Based on that right there, I am in the percentage of people who do one of those three things. (Pssst. If you don't know me, I read romance novels, not the other two.)

Now this is not the first time this site has spouted this stat. Last time I ranted on my sweet SILs Facebook post on it. That's not nice. This time I'll say what I think here on my own space.

In case you are among the masses of people who don't know this: Romance DOES NOT EQUAL Pornography.

Yes. There are genres of romance that are sexually explicit. (It's called erotica.) There are novels all along the spectrum--"sweet" romances, which are clean (no sex, usually not even implied), to the erotica, and everything in between. When the site spouts this stat, lumping all romance in there,  it's like saying (as a dear friend and fellow romance writer put it), "##% of people have watched a movie, watched a pornographic movie, or viewed pornography online." Because yes, certainly there are movies out there that are pornographic, but certainly not ALL.

I know. I shouldn't get hung up on that one line of a message that's, in general, good. But as a romance writer, I'm just insulted. This is degrading to me. I do not write pornographic books. I know dozens of other romance writers who do not. I know of hundreds--thousands--of awesome, lovely romance novels out there. (Anybody heard of a certain lady, Jane Austen? Romance novelist.) Many of us care a great deal about how women are portrayed in the books we write. We fight to overcome cliches of the genre and misconceptions people have. We work to make our characters people our readers want to really know, to make the conflicts real so they resonate with people. To insinuate that our work is just the same as the trash out there that degrades women (and men too!) and makes them objects is the worst thing you could say to me about what I do, and I will (obviously) take it personally.

One more time before I leave you at that: Romance DOES NOT EQUAL Pornography.

Thank you. Rant over. *steps down from soapbox*

Robyn Reviews: TRA All Regency Collection by Annette Lyon, Heather Moore, Sarah M. Eden, and More!

Story descriptions below review

Audience: Adult

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: 5

Review: This is another winner in the Timeless Romance series. This is a clean and enjoyable read. Each author does a great job of telling the various stories. Each is sweet and fun.

Anna Elliot, in her THE WEDDING GIFT: A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE STORY does a fine job of telling a fun and mysterious story about our favorite Jane Austen characters. The story is told in first person by Elizabeth Bennett. First person is not my favorite writing style, but after a few pages I was interested enough in the story to keep reading. It's fun knowing what Elizabeth's thoughts are, and perhaps this story is meant to see thing from a young lady’s point of view, but the story is a little far fetched as to how Mr. Darcy ends up rescuing Elizabeth. However, that's why it is fiction :) I liked the story and the lesson that emerges of the gift of love.

DREAM OF A GLORIOUS SEASON, by Sarah M. Eden is another winner from Sarah. She writes in the style of Georgette Heyer with lots of fun and mishaps along the way to true love. I enjoyed this story of unrecognized love and how our hero, Julian thinks he's just a friend and wants to help Elizabeth. The characters are real and have depth, especially for a novella. You will love the fun and feel for Elizabeth as she navigates the road to love.

Carla Kelly’s story, THE MENDER, was another one that was out of the normal and I wondered about reading it. But, as I started reading it, I really got involved and was really curious how Thankful was going to find her love and adventure. This story drew me in quickly and had me wondering how Thankful and Adam we're going to resolve their problems. The character were well developed and I enjoyed growing, laughing and crying with them.

In BEGIN AGAIN, by Josie S. Kilpack, I was drawn quickly in and felt like it was experiencing the frustrations and misgivings of the hero and heroine. Their misunderstandings were both funny and frustrating. It was interesting dolling them through their discoveries about each other and watching them forgive and let go of preconceived ideas about what and why the other did something. I felt like these characters were real and they experienced real life.

THE AFFAIR AT WILDEMOORE by Annette Lyon was another surprising story. It was not what I was expecting. I loved how it turned out. I enjoyed the character development and growth of both Ellen and Anthony. I laughed at the way each perceived the same event and the misunderstandings the resulted. I loved the lesson about nurturing a marriage and listening to each other and communicating. I really liked how their daughters got in the plan and helped their mother be romantic. It was fun and enjoyable.

THE DUKE’S BROTHER by Heather Moore was sweet and fun. Even though Mabel is a bit different, I loved how Gregory saw what a sweet woman she was. I enjoyed their mishaps and misunderstandings. They were a fun couple. I liked that Mabel could be herself and still find true love with the right man.

You will love reading these stories. These authors don't disappoint.

Content

Sex - 1 (Some romantic kissing)

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG 

Source: Review Copy

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Review: CURTSIES & CONSPIRACIES by Gail Carriger (Little, Brown and Company, 2013)

From Amazon: Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this bestselling sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Science Fiction & Fantasy, Steampunk
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: 5

Review: I adore Carriger's voice, the characters, the Victorian-ness of it all. Sophronia is just fantastic, and I just adore her BFF Dimity more and more. I read so quickly and every time I had to put it down, I couldn't wait to get back into it. I loved seeing Sophronia's arc continue and show her becoming a strong young women, but she still has slip-ups and mistakes she needs to take care of. I had one tiny sticking point--early in the novel the teachers pit Sophornia's schoolmates against her, and when they all stop talking to her, Sophronia accepts it without even trying to convince Dimity to be on her side. She just took it in stride, which was necessary for plot movement, but was not believable. Overall I loved it and can't wait to read the third book in the series.

Content: 

Sex - 1 (Sidheag admits to seeing men/werewolves naked when they transform and describes in somewhat polite terms how unimpressive they are.)

Language - 0

Violence - 2 (There are fights and blood and such, but it's all handled very nicely.)

Overall rating - PG-14 (Only because of the above discussion of naked men--everything thing else is PG)

Source: Review copy via NetGalley

Try this. Want a historical with a quirky fun voice? Read Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering.

Review: TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han

From Amazon: What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: YA Contemporary

Length: 368 pgs

Rating: *** (More like a 3 minus, but how do you show that??)

Review: Disclaimer up front: I listened to the audiobook and didn't like the narrator at all, which may have contributed to my view as the MC Lara Jean coming off way whiny.

A second disclaimer: I despised the ending, which may have contributed to my dislike of the book overall.

A third disclaimer...well, warning. There will be spoilers in order to adequately describe why this book was so off for me.

The positives: Good writing. It's professional, and though it lagged for me, that's more in line with my attitude of not loving YA contemps. I really liked the close relationships between the sisters--for the most part. I loved the dad and little sister Kitty.

What through me off: Characters and not relating to a lot of what they were doing. As I mentioned before, the main character, Lara Jean is whiny and not proactive, and in many cases that makes her unlikable. For instance, when people criticize her {somewhat fake} boyfriend, Peter and/or his friends, she doesn't defend them. She'll often think how the criticizer is wrong in her head, but not out loud and so she seems weak, ungrateful, and unlikable.

Margo (her sister) and Josh (sisters {somewhat ex} boyfriend). Even though they're supposed to be her closest friends, at NO point do they ever support her and Peter, and the way they go about degrading him (oh, yeah, and constantly because they're "looking out for Lara Jean," of course) makes them seem more shallow than Peter is portrayed.

It took me about halfway through the realize that Peter was the love-interest, not Josh and that threw me quite a bit. 

And {BEWARE BIG SPOILER COMING} she doesn't even end up with Peter. I once read a five series book where the two people who spend the entire series trying to be together don't end up together--it was a colossal waste of time, so at least this was just one book. It was hard to watch Lara Jean and Peter grow and realize their opinions of the other are wrong, and for them to see each other in a good light, to grow to be friends, to see their real feelings start to come out and then. 

See how I didn't finish that sentence. That's what it feels like.

The fourth disclaimer: I only like a few YA contemps, so I need to stop trying to read them and like them and end up being frustrated instead.

Content:

Sex - 4 (Mostly for a lot of talk about sex. I suppose many times in the not-always-respectful way teens talk about it. I actually don't know because I'm never around teens that talk like that. Ha.)

Language - 5 (D,H,Sh, God's name in vain sprinkled all the way through. Lara Jean doesn't swear, but has a friend who uses it a lot, so when that character appears, the language is bad for one or two pages. F-bomb dropped once.)

Violence - 0

Substance Abuse - 1 (At a party teens get drunk; Lara Jean's friend talks about getting drunk and doing drugs.)

Overall Rating: PG-18

Source: Library Audiobook via OneClickDigital

Try this. YA Contemp I like? THE CHAOS OF STARS by Kiersten White . . . but that's cheating. It's actually got some fantasy. ;)

Review: SPY BY NIGHT by Jordan McCollum

From JordanMcCollum.com: After watching her parents’ marriage crash and burn, CIA operative Talia Reynolds doesn’t believe in “happily ever afters.” Besides, her job entails eighty-hour weeks, juggling a dozen covers and disguises, and tracking down a dangerous Russian spy ring. She hardly has time for romantic entanglements, even if she could let her guard down enough to get close to anyone. But all the rules she lives by could be broken when she meets aerospace engineer Danny Fluker.

Danny moved to Canada for a great job — and a chance to start over after a bad breakup.Dating definitely isn’t in his plans . . . until beautiful and enigmatic Talia throws a perfect storm right in his flight path. When he catches a glimpse of the real woman behind her façade, he has to get to know her better.

Talia has to find a Russian spymaster before he figures out she’s not who she claims, and failing to keep her two lives separate in the process could mean the death of more than just her budding relationship. Danny has to decide if a future with Talia — and facing the past — is worth the risk of getting hurt again. If they can break through the barriers keeping them apart (and avoid a major international catastrophe), they just might have a chance at being happy together.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Length: 331 pgs

Rating: 5 (I really loved it!)

Review: I am SO a fan of these books. I remember reading the first one, a year ago, right after I moved to Alaska. I'd lucked upon getting a review copy and I DEVOURED it. Fast forward a few months and I've read Every. Single. Book. in this series. This was lived up to all of them. I love Talia's voice, and I loved finally getting into Danny's head too! It's weird going back in time with Talia and back to where she began but super cool. This one is definitely more of a romance than the others, but still oh, soooo good. 

Content:
Sex - 0
Language - 0
Violence - 1 (It IS a spy book and there IS fighting. Nothing graphic.)
Rating - PG