Category: Guest Review

Guest Review and mini-interview….Phoebe Chase reviews The Inheritance Part I and chats with author Olivia Mayfield

Please welcome my good friend, and guest blogger, Phoebe Chase as she reviews The Inheritance Part I by Olivia Mayfield.  Phoebe was also able to have a little chat with Olivia and you can find that following Phoebe’s review.  

Thanks for stoping by and enjoy!

The Inheritance Part 1 COVER

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads 

The Inheritance, Part 1

The Will

Synopsis:

Maggie Willings knew that returning home for her estranged grandfather’s funeral would not be easy, but she never expected the reading of his will to be the most difficult part. The four people named in the will—Maggie, her brother Robert, her ex-boyfriend Andrew, and her grandfather’s far-too-young girlfriend Bethany—are given a challenge: find out the truth about what happened to Maggie’s younger sister Cassandra, who vanished over eight years ago, and win the entirety of the estate.

Maggie is thrown by the strange request, reluctant to drag up painful memories of her sister’s disappearance, and bothered by her lingering attraction to Andrew, who wants to team up to solve the mystery. But there are ten million dollars on the line and Maggie has no idea where to start—or who she’ll be able to trust.

 

Phoebe’s Review:

The Will is the first part of a six-novella mystery-romance serial by Olivia Mayfield. I had so much fun with this first installment! Let’s get some basics out of the way. Part 1 released on Oct. 15th and each subsequent novella will release in the five weeks following. The Will was just about 60 pages on my NOOK.

So, back to the fun. When I finished The Will I felt like I had just finished watching a really good weekly mystery show with a mini cliffhanger ending, whetting my appetite for what’s to come next. I liken it to watching Scandal or Revenge and really looking forward to the next episode. I immediately went to B&N.com and pre-ordered the rest of the series. I’m loving the serial format and the anticipation of what I’ll find out next week.

Mayfield has good descriptive writing that doesn’t try too hard. It’s just the right amount to give you a feel for the setting or what the character is experiencing. And she hooks you from the get-go, with Maggie walking into the lawyer’s office for the reading of the will. They mystery elements are fun and you get just enough clues in this first part to get your sleuth on. I already have a theory (which will probably turn out to be wrong, but that’s part of the fun!)

If you’re looking for something a little different in the romance game, try this serial out. See what the author has to say about The Inheritance and writing in serial format below.

 

 

Interview:

I love the serial format. What made you decide to publish The Inheritance in installments?

This story was begging to be a serial, actually. lol I crafted the plot with a serial format in mind!

 

I enjoy surprises and the anticipation of waiting for something. I think that’s part of why I find this serial format so fun. I’m so looking forward to my NOOK pinging me when the newest installment is ready! Do you like to be surprised or are you an instant-gratification type of girl?

Insofar as delayed vs. instant satisfaction…depends? When it comes to gifts, I’m greedy and want then NOW NOW NOW. But for some books, it’s soooo delicious, the anticipation of waiting to see what happens. 😀

 

What are some of your favorite mysteries? Books, TV shows, movies, you name it!

A few of my favorite mysteries are Veronica Mars (holy crap, I adored that series!!), the movie Clue (it still makes me laugh, despite seeing it a million times), and the romantic suspense Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I love mystery splashed with drama, and that book delivers!!

 

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About the author:

Olivia Mayfield has been an unabashed fan of romance since she was a young teen, secretly devouring her mom’s Harlequins. She has a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, as well as a Master’s degree in English, and lives with her family in Ohio. In her free time, she loves reading, shopping, wearing absurdly high-heeled boots, cheesecake, singing karaoke, and harassing her friends. Visit her website at http://www.oliviamayfield.com.
About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

 

 

Guest Review….Phoebe Chase reviews Bite Me by P.J. Schnyder

Fit muscular man exercising with dumbbell

Book Links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads 

Synopsis:

Few people walk the streets of London since the zombie outbreak, but that’s not an issue for Seth. As a werewolf, he can handle himself and save humans reckless enough to take a nighttime stroll. While on patrol he comes across a group of people under attack. The one woman brave enough to take a stand against the zombies catches his eye—and not just because of her way with a gun. Learning the beautiful woman is homeless and fends for herself only intensifies his urge to protect and care for her.

Maisie can’t help but admit that she’s attracted to her werewolf rescuer. She’s drawn to Seth’s strength and ferocity, and finds herself opening up to him in ways she never imagined, even though she’s determined to not rely on Seth or anyone else. She doesn’t want another person to get hurt—or die—for her sake. She has enough scars, physical and emotional, from the last time…

But when Seth realizes something is drawing the zombies to Maisie, there may be nothing he can do to save her…

 

Phoebe’s Review:

I quite enjoyed this novella (94 pages on a NOOK). It managed to jumpstart a series centered around a zombie-infested London and the werewolves who try to protect the city and what’s left of the human inhabitants.

The best thing about this story was the writing. It’s polished, smooth, and tight. Which is probably why I also thought the world-building was particularly good. And part of the great world-building is the dialogue. It made me feel like I was watching something on BBC.  Bonus points for using the word idjit! I got a great sense of a scarcely populated London barricaded in by the military to try and contain the zombies through detailed descriptions of the parks and city streets.

Each of the main characters was strong in their own way. Maisie, our heroine, is smart and knows how to survive in her environment. She isn’t tough and a kick-ass heroine because of epic fighting skills or unexplained strength, she’s street-smart and calm. Though she does ill-advisedly wander into the park at night, you forgive her for her lapse in judgment when you discover the reason. Also, it’s where she meets our hero, Seth.

Seth is a werewolf. Alpha pack leader. He rescues Maisie when she gets in over her head trying to rescue a family. His instincts kick in and he wants to protect her, especially when he learns more details about her life. As his urge to protect her escalates, we get some really great interactions between him and Maisie. There was some fun give and take between them, but some of the best moments came from Seth’s internal dialogue. I laughed out loud a couple of times and it reminded me of the scenes were the Beast is trying to woo Belle and reigning himself in.

There wasn’t a lot of sexual chemistry between the two of them, but the author manages to build enough emotional depth into their relationship that the ending didn’t feel rushed.

Definitely recommended!

 

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About the author:

Born and raised in the North East, PJ Schnyder spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every fantasy and sci-fi novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She scored fairly high in the verbal portion.

She was introduced to the wonderful world of romance a decade later by her best friend at an anime convention in Seattle.
She now lives somewhere temperate watching the seasons go by with her two dogs and super stealthy ninja kitty, writing her stories.PJ would love to hear from you. Whether it’s questions or comments regarding her stories or this website, please feel free to email her.

 

About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

Guest Review…Phoebe Chase reviews Just What He Wanted (The Holloway Series, Book Four) by Helenkay Dimon

Just What He Wanted COVER

Buy from Amazon  ~  Buy from Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

Travis Yardley thought he had everything he needed, but one look at Andrea Patterson shows him he was wrong. Andie is a gorgeous, curvy blonde who moves to town to manage a nearby campground. Seizing the chance to get close to her, Travis volunteers himself as tour guide and “bodyguard.’

After a bad breakup, Andie is looking to start over and determined to put her heart on hiatus. She’s working on her self-esteem, and she is not ready for the likes of Travis. He comes on strong, with all the energy of a guy almost ten years her junior, which is exactly what he is.

Even as Travis’s troubled past catches up with him, he pulls out all the stops to convince Andie he deserves a chance. And with the spring thaw hitting the Mountain View Resort, Andie discovers her own temperature rising whenever Travis looks her way…

 

My Review:

When I approached Jillian about doing an occasional review for Read-Love-Blog, I wanted to focus on stories that were out of my wheelhouse, my wheelhouse being quite narrow the last few years: paranormal romance, fantasy, YA, and, yeah, that’s about it. So this contemporary novella with a zaftig heroine who has 10 years on the hero was right up my alley.

Andie is a 35-year-old woman who comes to small-town Holloway after a break-up looking to simplify her life. She takes a job as manager at Mountain View campground and promptly runs into 25-year-old hottie, Travis. Travis is the nursery foreman for the company that owns the campground. Sparks fly, but Andie is hung up on the age difference and uses a  few hang-ups about her body (even after dropping 20 pounds) as excuses for reasons to not get involved with Travis. I loved their first meeting. It was sweet and funny and sexy. Travis is not without his baggage. An abusive childhood means he has some issues that speedbump the happily ever after. But they do get there.

I liked this couple. I liked the accurate representation of women whose size is in double digits. And even though it’s a novella, it has emotional depth. Andie and Travis’s interactions rang true and the sexual chemistry was high. I loved the small-town setting (makes me want to pack up and hit the mountains this weekend!). This is the fourth book in the Holloway Series, but can be read on its own. I’m planning on revisiting Holloway and reading the first three books.

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Four Loves

About the author:

HelenKay Dimon spent the last twelve years in the most unromantic career ever – divorce lawyer. After dedicating all that time and effort to helping people terminate relationships she is thrilled to write romance novels full time. Her books have earned praise, appeared on besteller lists and won numerous awards. Her first single title, YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY, was featured in Cosmo as a “Red-Hot Read” for August ’07 and spotlighted at E! Online. Her novella, “It’s Hotter At Christmas” from the KISSING SANTA CLAUS anthology, was featured in Cosmo as a “Red-Hot Read” for November ’09.

Website  ~  Goodreads  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter 

About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

 

Guest Review…Phoebe Chase reviews Bayne by Misa Buckley

Bayne cover

Buy from Amazon  ~   Buy from Champagne Books 

Synopsis:

Malia dreams of a life less ordinary but when her planet is visited by the Bayne, Destroyer of Worlds, she surrenders herself to him in order to give her people time to collect the tribute that the Overlord demands. Despite Bayne being as much machine as man and having a violent temper, he rescues her from the unwanted attentions of his second-in-command and gives Malia a glimpse at the battered heart lying beneath the steel and scars.
As they start their relationship over, Malia discovers a man very different to the reputation that precedes him and probes deeper. However, her investigation uncovers a dark truth: a truth that someone wants to remain hidden no matter what the cost.

 

Review:

In just 70 or so pages, this sci-fi romance  whisked me away to another time and place. I wish this story was longer so we could really get into all the interesting twists and action.

The characters were well developed and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop from one of an arrangement to an actual partnership. Both Malia and Bayne are quite interesting. Malia with her affinity for technology and Bayne with a ruthless reputation built on a mysterious past. The twists and intrigue kept me turning the page.

The world building was good. I got a good sense of their environment and could easily picture both the station on Malia’s home world and Bayne’s ship. I think with a longer story we would have gotten more, but for the length of the story it worked well enough.

Would definitely read more from Misa Buckley.

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 Four Loves

 

About the author:

Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to a happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter (@MisaBuckley) or at her website (www.misabuckley.com)

 

About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

 

Guest Review….Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney

Please welcome my friend, Phoebe Chase, and her guest review of Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney:

Clockwork Mafia Cover

Buy from Amazon  ~  Buy from Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father’s duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can’t resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.

His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason’s strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.

With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He’ll have to win over Henrietta’s trust, and her heart, before it’s too late…

 

Phoebe’s Review:

Lots of adventure mixed in with a little romance and, of course, gadgets.

This is my second steampunk novel, the first being Delaney’s prequel to Clockwork Mafia–which I recommend both because I liked it and it helps set up this book–and I’m now calling myself a steampunk fan! Also, a Seleste deLaney fan.

The thing that shines the most in Clockwork Mafia is the adventure. If you like a fast-paced, fun romp that includes corsets, airships, strong females, and steampunk gadgetry, this is the story for you. Let me get back to that list for a minute and talk about the strong females. Delaney does an excellent job of creating women who have strength in one way or another that doesn’t make you roll your eyes with it’s over-the-top, hear-me-roar-I-am-woman feel. I love her characters.

The romance is secondary to the action, but it’s sweet and is weaved in quite nicely. I like Henrietta and Carson’s first encounter. The instant attraction is believable, but as always, I have a hard time buying the depth of those feelings right off the bat. Delaney does a good job of building on that through the rest of the story.
The steampunk elements are fun. And cool. And a little nerdy. I loved them. Animals and people enhanced by clockworks to become something stronger and, in some cases, very hard to kill. Henrietta’s own inventions are pretty and can be functional or deadly–or both.
I’m looking forward to more from this author!

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About the guest reviewer:
Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.
About the author:
Author of speculative romance (aka Julie Particka, young adult author).Two series coming soon from Entangled Publishing!My steampunk romance series is from Carina Press: BADLANDS and CLOCKWORK MAFIA (coming April 2013).The Blood Kissed novels (KISS OF DEATH and, coming soon, KISS OF LIFE) are available from Mundania Press.

The short stories that begin the Blood Kissed series (OF COURSE I TRY and THE GHOST OF VAMPIRE PRESENT) are available at Decadent Publishing.

My short stories YES,ALANA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS; MAKING THE NAUGHTY LIST; and A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS are part of Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthologies, in addition, Evernight is the home of the Cupid’s Conquests multi-author, shared world series. (GUNSHY–book 1, and LOVE & OTHER INDOOR SPORTS–book 4)

Also writes young adult fiction as Julie Particka.