Forbidden – A Review

I LOVE reviewing works. I love getting a peek at new things and reading something that I may not have snagged if I weren’t asked to review it. This time I got to review a very, VERY hot piece of work – Forbidden, by Em Petrova. Forbidden isn’t one story, it’s actually three short, HOT (did I mention hot?) stories.

Camp Buddies—Ian embarks on a camping trip with his best friend Guy, only to discover Guy has nurtured a flame for him for years. Swiftly, he gives himself up to the passions two men can share, but as their time together draws to a close, Ian despairs, unsure whether this fledgling relationship can withstand the pressures of the world.

Rock/Star—When Magnolia Marks meets rocker Sig Locke backstage after a concert, she thinks their instant connection is a one-time deal. After his roadie shows up on her doorstep with a ticket to exotic Maldives, she jumps at the chance to spend a week with the man who haunts her. She expects to relax at his beach house, but instead she finds Sig is keeping her separate from his world. Can she scale the emotional wall between his life in the spotlight and her simpler existence? And is Sig hiding something, or guarding his heart?

Mystery Lover—Noelle is leery when she’s invited to an all female Murder Mystery Party held at a nearby mansion. The invitation boasts a memorable night of conspiracy and corruption among contestants. And though she’s never considered intimacy with another woman, it’s obvious that her hostess Rosalyn thinks it’s high time she did. As Noelle uncovers the whodunits, she learns exactly who she’d like her first girl-on-girl experience to be with. And it’s definitely not in the bedroom with the usual tools.

THE PROS: Hot, HOT, HAWT! These three stories are seriously, seriously hot. And yet there is a story behind each one of them, and they seem to get better as the book goes along. Camp Buddies is good, for instance, but for me Rock/Star was even hotter, and Mystery Lover, the hottest! Even though each of the stories are short, they’re filled with enough good stuff, and character development, to make the stories very fun to read.

THE CONS: Um….there are supposed to be cons?? There were a few little editor glitches (seriously, I keep catching editors who are sleeping – what the heck!) but other than that, I see no cons. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do – entertain and titillate. What more can you ask for?

THE VERDICT: If you’re looking for a hot read, BUY IT NOW. I’ve read quite a few hot reads lately, and this one was perfect for a short, hot read.

Red Mojo Mama – A Review

I love it whenever an author contacts me asking if I can review their work. It’s a delicate process – you want to do an honest review but you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. It takes a LOT of guts to write a novel, whereas it takes next to none to write a blog post about whether a book rocks or sucks donkey balls. I was contacted by author Kathy Lynn Hall to review Red Mojo Mama, and I eagerly accepted the challenge. You know me – I’m always up for a challenge!

So what’s it all about?

Lydia “Red” Talbot has lost her mojo after three years of mourning for her husband, but not for long. She’s inherited a valuable mobile home park in the Gold Country of California, filled with a cast of eccentric characters. Her plans to sell it and take a world cruise are threatened by a hot handyman, a sizzling story in the rapidly growing town of Nuggetville and the appearance of her husband’s ghost, who has decided to hang around awhile as he searches for his next life.

Boredom sets in as she waits for her fortune to materialize, so she takes a part-time job as a reporter. Fancying herself the community newspaper equivalent of Christiane Amanpour, Lydia uncovers some shady doings by the City Council and a slick land developer. Citizens are bullied and her life is threatened, as she struggles to both expose the crooks and stay emotionally independent of the community of crazies she has been left by her beloved Aunt Esther.

Red is a spunky, smart-alecky thirty-something with more heart than she’d like others to see. She’s absolutely fearless and too honest for her own good sometimes. She’s also torn between love for her dead husband, Mac, and the new man in her life, Joe – handyman and chef.

Okay, let’s break this down. Lydia’s husband passed away a number of years before. She’s not old, but she definitely feels it. She’s lost what her husband called her “mojo”. She decides to leave everything to move to the mobile home park her aunt left her, at least until it sells. When she gets there she meets a hilarious cast of characters, a new love interest, and…her dead husband?

PROS: The cast of characters in the mobile home park are priceless. They’re funny, smart, and give Lydia a different way to look at things. When you’re talking about comic relief, you’re talking about these characters. Lydia’s dead husband’s ghost – classic. I actually wanted to see a lot more of him. And Lydia herself is a great character. She’s flawed, funny, and, I’d say, a “ball buster”. Her interactions with people are always fun to read, which makes the story something worth reading.

CONS: Nothing is perfect, and Red Mojo Mama, unfortunately, isn’t. Firstly, there’s the name – Red Mojo Mama. While I can tell that the author was trying to give readers an idea of what the story is about, it just doesn’t work. Red Mojo Mama sounds like an alcoholic drink, not a novel. It could’ve been named The Springs, or really any number of things, but Red Mojo Mama just doesn’t do it for me.

While I enjoyed reading the work, I found one major problem – too much goes on. First you’ve got Lydia’s emotional situation, getting over her husband’s death. Then you’ve got the addition of Joe. Then you’ve got Lydia trying to figure out if she’s going to sell the park or not (granted that is a small part of the story, but it’s there). Then add in Lydia’s dead husband Mac appearing and disappearing, and a few minor situations that happen in the park that Lydia is taking care of. And just in case all of this wasn’t enough, let’s throw in a huge real estate mystery/fraud situation. Whenever I read something where there are too many variables going on at once, it makes me feel like the base story wasn’t strong enough to stand on it’s own. If Lydia never worked for the newspaper, the book would probably have become a short story. I do think it’s possible to throw a lot of these things together, but it needs to be done differently. For instance instead of Lydia living off of the residuals from the park until it sells and then opting to get a job just so she doesn’t get boring, she could have merely inherited the trailer and HAD to find work. This makes things much more plausible, takes out a few characters, and can make it all work together.

As it is, though, the story reads more like two short stories meshed into one rather than one cohesive story, which makes me very sad, because the premise is a good one.

THE VERDICT: I’d say wait for a sale, but the price that you’ll find it at on Amazon is actually very decent. It’s a good read for a summer afternoon at the beach, as you can read it, put it down for a bit, then go back to it. It was a great idea, and while the execution is not as good as I would have liked it to be, I’m interested to read something else from Ms. Hall.

Hart and Soul – A Review

I’ve read a lot of books. A. LOT. And yes, I tend to go towards a specific genre of books: mainly those that have some sort of romantic undertones in it, or those that are straight-out romance. And I do enjoy erotica as well. But there are very few times when I’m shocked or thoroughly surprised by a novel. But this time, I was.

Raised by the Kehani tribe since birth, orphaned Niann remains an outcast, denied even a visit to the dreaming-place to discover his spirit guide. Compelled to make the journey anyway, Niann is chosen by the Kala Deer, known for its ability to strengthen the animal spirits of others through sex. Now the tribe’s shaman is determined to use Niann’s power to transcend into the spirit world…

Hunter and carver Jennar swore to love and protect Niann always, but when his attentions interfere with the shaman’s plans, he’s forced to leave the tribe-and Niann. Haunted by dreams of the Deer, Jennar returns home, horrified to find Niann changed in body and mind from living under the shaman’s influence. To save the man he loves, Jennar must face his secret shame-and risk the destruction of the spirit world by the shaman’s relentless ambition…

Yes, it’s an erotic story. Yes, it’s a gay erotic story. But I’ve reviewed these works before and have found that they can be done extremely well. But this is the first time that I’ve reviewed a gay erotic story that was based in the native american world.

THE GOOD: This is definitely not your average story. It’s got tons of depth that I didn’t expect to find and it is a story that will definitely make you think. There are some parts of it that are a bit, well, disturbing, but not in a gory way – more in a “wow, um, okay” type of way. Yes, I know, that doesn’t give you much description, but it’s the best I can do without giving things away. It may make you feel a bit uncomfortable, but it’s worth it to read the story.

THE BAD: It’s not the type of story that’s everyone’s cup of tea. It’s something that you’d have to be open minded to enjoy. I was trying to think of how the story could be made more reader-friendly and how it could appeal to a wider audience, but I honestly don’t think it’s possible without getting rid of the best of the story.

THE VERDICT: GIVE IT A TRY – I’m not labeling this with my usual review because, as I said, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re interested in a story that is unique and that will make you think, this is definitely one to give a try.

Hart and Soul will be available through Amazon in May.

South of Salem – A Review

I’ve been into paranormal stories lately, so getting the opportunity to review a paranormal story from the publishing house is definitely something I’m into! This time around we’ve got South of Salem.

My mother thinks my job is crazy. I’m a paranormal investigator; she’s Nancy Reagan crossed with Martha Stewart. She’s always preferred my sister, Lily, who is following in her perfect footsteps.

But this time Mom needs my special skills. She believes my stepfather is possessed. I admit he’s not his usual dapper, charming self, but sleepwalking doesn’t sound that weird. Until the sleepwalking spreads through the family and cousin Donna walks right out of her apartment window to her death. Then my sister goes missing and I have to find her and solve the mystery before Lily and her unborn child are harmed.

Normally I would have assistance, but my right hand, a hunky angel I’ve nicknamed Casper, has business of his own to take care of-business that might take him out of my life forever. The stakes are too high for me to lose, but I’m not sure I can do it alone…

So we’ve got a woman who is a paranormal investigator who is home to help her unbelieving family. Oh, and don’t forget her hunky guardian angel Casper.

THE GOOD: I really liked the main character, Allegra. She’s a paranormal investigator who is spunky, courageous, and who also has a sense of style and serious class. She doesn’t get mad when her family doesn’t accept her job, but instead just sighs and does her work anyway. Casper is a great character as well – I only wish we saw more of him.

THE BAD: There’s just something off about this story and I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s because we know that Casper and Allegra can’t be together. Part of the fun in romantic stories is that you can actually have some romance. But Casper and Allegra aren’t allowed to be together due to Casper’s, um, employers, and so you know that there is no potential for a happily ever after, which definitely throws me off.

THE VERDICT: WAIT FOR A SALE – it’s a decent book, and will be a good summer read, but it’s not the best book I’ve read lately, so it only gets a “meh” from me.

If you’re interested in reading South of Salem, you can purchase it through Amazon on May 30, 2011.

Too Close to Home – A Review

One of the things that I LOVE about having a Kindle is that there are a number of different free books you can get. It seems like every week they’ve got new free books for you to snag and enjoy. Many times the books are ones that are part of a series, or are from publishers trying to get their authors noticed. I tend to snag free books from Amazon whenever the story seems to strike my fancy.

Sunday I snagged Too Close to Home. This is what the synopsis of the story said:

Samantha Cash is the FBI’s secret weapon. Her methods are invisible, and she never stops until the case is closed. When missing teens begin turning up dead in a small Southern town, Samantha is assigned to help local chief Connor Wolfe find the killer. And he has two problems with that. There’s her faith–in God and herself. And then there’s the fact that she looks exactly like his late wife.

As they get close to an answer, the case becomes personal. The killer seems to be taking an interest in Connor’s 16-year-old daughter, who thinks her dad is getting way too protective. Can’t a girl just have some fun?

Too Close to Home ratchets up the suspense with each page, and will have readers cheering for the characters they love as justice is served and love grows even in the face of danger. Read this one with the lights on!

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

I have to commend anyone who wrote this synopsis – and yell at them. See the synopsis sound great, which makes you want to snag and read the book. But the story definitely was not anything like the synopsis.

Too Close to Home is about Samantha Cash and Connor Wolfe. That’s about as far as the truth goes.

Let’s start with the story – boring and predictable. In just a few chapters I knew what was going on, who was doing it, and why they were doing it. I even figured out very quickly who the “boss” was. And reading with the light on? Ha, um, no. Not scary at all.

And then there is the message – “GOD IS GOOD”. That is all this story was about! It was a way to preach to anyone who thought they were getting a great suspense story, because it definitely wasn’t a suspense story and it definitely was very preachy.

Look, I’m all for religion. I have no problem with any religion and believe that you should be able to believe anything you want to believe in, as long as you’re not pushing your religion on anyone else. But this story definitely does push religion onto everyone and anyone who reads it.

Here’s one thing that I don’t get – Christianity is supposed to be all about forgiveness – at least that’s what I’ve come to understand. And yet during this story not once, but at least twice (think it was even more than twice) characters talk about how they can’t get with someone who isn’t Christian. Um, wha? Talk about messed up – the religion is all about forgiveness but it’s not okay to get together with someone who doesn’t share your religion? MESSED UP.

This story, though, was just plain bad from beginning to end. The characters were bad, the story was very easy to figure out, and it definitely wasn’t something that I’d ever read again. When you read an erotic novel they have to put a warning on the novel’s synopsis – it usually says something like: Warning: this story contains erotic situations, steamy shower sex, threesomes, and hot nekked sex. Personally I think that hardcore religious stories like this one should have to have a warning as well! Maybe something like: Warning: If you want to get preached to without having to go to church, pick up this book.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

Protective Custody: A Review

Dear. Ms. Daniels,

I had the opportunity to review your upcoming ebook, Protective Custody. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I’d read a short erotic story you’d written only a week or so earlier. So I was pretty excited to give Protective Custody a shot, as I had enjoyed the short story.

The premise of Protective Custody actually sounded, well, a bit boring.

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust-her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding-where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

She saw a murder, her ex boyfriend is the only one she can think of to help her – blah blah blah. Been there, done that.

One of the things that I most enjoy about reviewing books is when I’m made to eat my own words, and this time, I was.

PROS: The characters were great, as was the interracial part of their relationship. There wasn’t really any mystery, but there was a decent story, for which I was grateful to enjoy.

CONS: The characters. While some characters, like Megan and Will’s “boss” Ed, were great, Will himself needed work. He definitely seemed a bit “pussy whipped”, and I didn’t like that about him. I wanted him to be a lot stronger of a character than he actually was.

While I enjoyed this story, there was much more that could have been done to make it better. I definitely think you have promise as a writer, Ms. Daniels, but I also think that you could do much better than you did. There are a few things missing from this story – a bit more action, a bit more adventure, and you would have a best seller.

Best Wishes,

Randi

If you’re interested in reading Protective Custody, it will be available on Amazon soon.

Three Wishes: Book Review

Dear. Ms. Schwartz,

I must give you a hand – you decided to take on something that a lot of people aren’t willing to take on. You took on a genie (djinn) and a guardian angel. I simply have to respect any author who decides to take on two such interesting characters. And the plot sounded great.

She is the Bringer of Death

Cali, a djinni, has sworn to twist the wishes of humans so they die by their own greed and evil. Her latest master is arms dealer David Saqr, a man Cali believes deserves the fate she has in store for him. But this time she finds herself up against Andrew, David’s guardian angel.

He is a Protector of Life

Andrew believes David can yet find redemption. He fights Cali for the man’s life, even as he tries to persuade her to give in to the sizzling attraction between them. He shows Cali another side of David, and invites her to trust again, to hope. But centuries of being enslaved have hardened Cali’s heart—it’s going to take all of Andrew’s love to convince her to open it and let him in.

That’s the thing – Cali is a genie who has to kill anyone who uses her bottle, but this time she’s up against a guardian angel who believes that his charge is redeemable. The premise sounds great.

Unfortunately the execution isn’t very good.

There’s tons of promise in this story, but unfortunately you, Ms. Schwartz, seemed like you got lost in the story. I honestly can’t quite put my finger one what was wrong with the whole thing, but I can tell you that it didn’t flow well, and that while there were some scenes I loved, the entire thing just didn’t work as a whole. How, for instance, does Cali know how mortals dress now if she’s been stuck in a bottle in a vault for so long? Why doesn’t David freak out when he sees his guardian angel? Some things just don’t make sense.

As a little story, it’s readable – but it’s nowhere near as good as I hoped it would be.

Best Wishes,

Randi

You can find Three Wishes out early this summer from Carina Press.