Sunstar by Annalise Whelan: Book Review

Sunstar by Annalise Whelan: Book Review

by | Nov 11, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

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Amina is special – or as her father would say – a freak. With the ability to move things with her mind, she dreams of joining the Interplanetary Peace Squad, but her family won’t hear of it. So she sneaks away one night, takes a leap of faith, and joins the training program. This beginning portion of the book was a bit choppy and rough. The initial interactions Amina had with people at the training program were a bit cliched. They were very stereotypical – the shy girl, the flirty rich girl, the cute slightly older guy every girl wanted.

Once we got more into the heart of the story, things took a really great turn for the better. People started becoming a little more dynamic (but still a tad on the cliche side), and personalities started showing up. Amina is assigned her first training mission, and she has a chance to show the crew and her captain (the hot guy everyone wants) that she can handle herself. And she handles herself well, but not perfectly – which is great.

The romance that has been budding throughout the story didn’t always seem to fit in. There were too many times that the mission should have fallen apart because of the flirty-times going on. Eventually, the romance starts to straighten itself out, and by the end, I felt more like it was a natural thing between the two characters. But getting there was a bit rough.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Title: Sunstar (Peacekeepers #1)
Author: Annalise Whelan
Genre:​ Young Adult, SciFi Romance
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Amina has a secret her father’s rage and shame has forced her to keep. When she finds an invitation that offers to set her free she’s determined to accept it before it’s too late. First, she must escape her father’s world of prejudice and fear. She must find within herself the strength to stand against everything she’s ever known and enter a new life. But that’s just the beginning of her journey. She discovers others with Abilities like hers, discovers within herself heart and confidence and skill as she trains, hones her power. She’s no longer alone but she’s part of a specially trained unit that patrols the star system maintaining peace. Now that she’s discovered freedom nothing will take that away, even love, and she must tread a treacherous ledge to protect her heart. Two men tempt her heart and her peace but one may not be who he seems and the other may hold the power to destroy her. She finds mystery friendship value in her new life but also the heat and emotion of passion, the greatest depth of betrayal and grief and possibly the truest form of love. A YA scifi adventure romance with heart. Clean romance. ​

Overruled by Fate by Leila Snow: Book Review

Overruled by Fate by Leila Snow: Book Review

by | Nov 8, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Romance

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I feel like Overruled by Fate really hit the nail on the head with how living as nobility – or within the world of the nobility – really was. Madeline is told she will be marrying a much older man – and she’s lucky that he’s a good man. Her feelings are not taken into consideration, because her father knows what’s best for her. Only too late does she realize that her feelings for her childhood non-noblility companion are much more that she first believed.

Said childhood companion, Nathaniel, has known his feelings, but he also accepts his place and knows that nothing will come of them – at least he thinks he’s accepted it. When Madeline’s marriage is announced he goes off the deep end. And while I appreciate his feelings and need to drown his sorrows – his method of drowning said sorrows left me with a bad taste in my mouth for him. And he doesn’t really improve much until the very end. While this was probably very historically accurate – I wanted I little bit more out of my hero than I got.

It took a long time for the HEA to appear. And I really appreciated that. It wasn’t easy for this couple, but even when it was hard, the author found highlights and good things for them to be occupied with. There was plenty of pining for each other and scheming at times, and when the king makes an appearance I just felt awful for Madeline (but no spoilers so I can’t tell you why).

There is plenty of intrigue, betrayal, plots and plans woven into the storyline that wrap around our main characters, forcing them to make hard decisions and sometimes take paths they wouldn’t have otherwise chosen. When our couple does finally get together (this is a romance after all), it was sweet and touching. I felt like they had finally beat the odds stacked against them. A great story that has a feeling of epicness to it.

Title: Overruled by Fate
Author: Leila Snow
Genre: Historical Romance, Medieval Romance
Amazon
Nathaniel and Madeline are childhood companions, though mismatched to be sure. He is the son of a servant and she, the daughter of the Lord of the castle. Nevertheless, they are inseparable, each unaware of the deep emotions of the other until it is too late. One stolen night is all they are granted before Madeline is given in marriage to the wealthy and titled, Earl of Marbourne, who is fast friends with the king. 

A whirlwind of intrigue and contrivance follows Nathaniel and Madeline as they join the court and Madeline catches the eye of the king. A story of love, lust, betrayal, greed, and even murder. It seems that the twists and turns of cruel fate conspire to keep Madeline and Nathaniel apart despite their desperate love. ​

A Wolfe Among Dragons by Katheryn Le Veque: Book Review

A Wolfe Among Dragons by Katheryn Le Veque: Book Review

by | Nov 7, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Romance

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 This was my first book in the Wolfe Pack series by Kathryn Le Veque. When she says they can be read as stand alones – she’s correct. While there may be a little family history that is missed, for the most part, I didn’t feel like I was missing out for starting not at the beginning.

It all starts with a battle, leading to missing memories, deception, love, more battles, finding truths, and so much more. Blayth is a bit of a mystery man, he remembers nothing of his life before a few years ago when he recovered from a very serious head wound. Everything he knows about himself has been told to him, and not by the most reliable person. His struggle to find who he really is, is a key part of the story. Le Veque did a fantastic job showing his struggle with reconciling what he is learning to be true with the lies he has been told.

The Dragon Princess is a legend in her own right. Asmara has worked hard to earn her name and place among the Scottish warriors – none of which have even had a chance at capturing her heart. But the strong and silent Blayth with the mysterious past works his way under her skin. She is instrumental in helping him discover the lies he has been told and finding the courage to look for the truth. I loved their conversations. Both the serious and fun only proved to me again that these two were meant for each other.

There were a few times that Asmara and Blayth had to lie as they looked for the truth – and those lies seemed to have caught up with the author. In a few scenes, people suddenly knew the truth when they had been told something different – nothing huge or story-breaking, but it did make me go a re-read part to make sure I hadn’t missed something.

Title: A Wolfe Among Dragons: Sons of de Wolfe (de Wolfe Pack #8)
Author: Kathryn Le Veque
Genre: Historical Romance, Medieval
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Get ready for perhaps the greatest de Wolfe adventure yet…. 

The sons of William de Wolfe (The Wolfe) are immortal, so they say. Men who are known as ShadowWolfe… DarkWolfe… Nighthawk… are as legendary as their father. The eldest four sons – Scott, Troy, Patrick, and James have always run in a pack. They are all to each other, in both brotherhood and in strength. But in 1282 A.D., James de Wolfe, the endearing and gentle brother, is killed in Wales as the Welsh rebel against Henry III. 

… or was he? 

Tales of a Welsh warrior known as Blaidd Cryf, or Blayth the Strong, are making way to English ears along the Welsh Marches. It’s 1286 A.D., and a Welsh warrior who can somehow read the minds of the English armies is rising to power among the last princes of Wales. With Blayth leading the Welsh armies, the English are being handed defeat after defeat. No one knows who Blayth is, or where he’s come from, but the English warlords are coming to realize that they will lose Wales once and for all if Blayth and his brilliant tactics aren’t stopped. 

No one seems to realize that Blayth (the phoenetic pronunciation for Blaidd, meaning wolf in Welsh) may be the most deadly warrior Wales – and England – has ever seen. 

Bhrodi de Shera, the hereditary King of Anglesey and husband to Penelope de Wolfe de Shera, youngest daughter of William de Wolfe, has no real grasp of who Blayth the Strong really is. An icon for his people, Bhrodi has been instrumental in helping the Welsh and English peacefully co-exist, and he very much wants all of Wales to know peace with England, but with Blayth leading a resurgence of rebellion along the border, Bhrodi seeks to meet with Blyth to discover who this man is and what he truly wants – a fractured Wales? Or is he determined to unit Wales under his rule? 

When Blayth finally appears at Bhrodi’s stronghold of Rhydillian Castle, his identity is shrouded in mystery. It is said that the English, if they discover him, will execute him without question, so Blayth is well protected by his contingent of teulu. But when Penelope catches of a glimpse of the man who has single-handedly caused a resurgence of Welsh rebellion, she can hardly believe her eyes. 

Lazarus has indeed arisen – and her brother, James, is back from the dead. 

Discover the epic adventure of A Wolfe among Dragons, a tale of mystery, of hope, and most of all, of romance and redemption. When a dead son returns, it can be the greatest of joys and the deepest of tragedies. A Wolfe Among Dragons is truly a story for the ages. ​