The Vanishing - Review

Title:  The Vanishing  

Author:  Sophia Tobin

Synopsis: “On top of the Yorkshire Moors, in an isolated spot carved out of a barren landscape, lie White Windows, a house of shadows and secrets.  Here lives Marcus Twentyman, a hard-drinking but sensitive man, and his sister, the brisk widow, Hester.

     “When runaway Annaleigh first meets the Twentymans, their offer of employment and lodging seems a blessing.  Only later does she discover the truth.  But by then she is already in the middle of a web of darkness and intrigue, where murder seems the only possible means of escape…”

Review:  I’m going to be straight up and tell you right now that The Vanishing is dark and terrifying.  I read it in pretty much one sitting.  I started reading it sitting on the couch after dinner last night while SuperSteve was watching television.  I took a break midway to brush my teeth, put on my pajamas and climb into bed.  I finished at 11:30pm last night.  That’s an hour and a half after my bedtime, but I just couldn’t put it down!

     I requested this novel to review based solely on the cover.  It’s different, it grabbed my attention.  I thought it might be a light historical romance.  It is not!  Be warned, it is full of triggers.  There’s rape, drugs and the death of a child within these pages.  It started out a little slow, but the description of the moors, and the isolation found there, drew me in.  It was probably around 30% of the way in when I realized I was not going to sleep until I was finished with The Vanishing.  Even after I finished reading and turned out the light I lay there in the dark wide awake and thinking about Annaleigh and White Windows.  I'm immediately buying more books by Sophia Tobin and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who can deal with the aforementioned triggers.
*****I was provided a free copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.****

Publisher:  Simon Schuster UK

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

The Widow’s Confession by Sophia Tobin

Lady of Ashes - Review

Title:  Lady of Ashes

Author:  Christine Trent

Series:  Lady of Ashes #1

Synopsis:  “In 1861 London, Violet Morgan is struggling to establish a good reputation for the undertaking business that her husband has largely abandoned.  She provides comfort for the grieving, advises them on funeral fashion and etiquette, and arranges funerals.

     “Unbeknownst to his wife, Graham, who has nursed a hatred of America since his grandfather soldiered for Great Britain in the War of 1812, becomes involved in a scheme to sell arms to the South.  Meanwhile, Violet receives the commission of a lifetime: undertaking the funeral for a friend of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  But her position remains precarious, especially when Graham disappears and she begins investigating a series of deaths among the poor.  And the closer she gets to the truth, the greater the danger for them both…”

Review:  I really enjoyed Lady of Ashes.  There aren’t many novels out there about undertakers, much less a female undertaker in Victorian England.  Trent’s character building and world description was well done.  The descriptions of Victorian funeral practices, and etiquette was fascinating.   Violet is a likable heroine and I couldn’t help but feel for her.  I hated Graham and truly felt throughout the novel that Violet would be better off without him, despite her being a woman in a male dominated society. 

      I don’t read a lot of mysteries, because I can always guess what is going to happen and get bored.  Lady of Ashes was a perfect blend of history, mystery and romance.  I did not get bored and even stayed up past my bedtime to finish, because I just HAD to find out what happened.  A big thank you to my Tattooed Cupcake for recommending this outstanding novel to me.  I can’t wait to read the next installment!

Publisher: Kensington

If you like this book you may want to read:

Stolen Remains (Lady of Ashes #2) by Christine Trent

Jackaby (Jackaby #1) by William Ritter

A Deadly Affection (Dr. Genevieve Summerford Mystery #1) by Cuyler  Overholt

Beauty's Beast - Review

Title: Beauty’s Beast
Author: Amanda Ashley

Synopsis: “Beauty:
           “Fair of face and figure, Kristine is young, innocent, pure. Yet she has been condemned to the gallows for killing a man. The only one who can save her is a lord so infamous that some say he is the son of the Devil himself…
           “And the Beast:
         “Erik Trevayne is called the Demon Lord of Hawksbridge Castle, but few know of the curse he lives under. Or the terrifying changes slowly gnawing away at his humanity. When he weds her, all he wants of Kristine is a son. But when he beds her, a wild hope is born – that love that can tame even the most monstrous of beasts…

Review: Beauty’s Beast started out great. I loved getting to know Kristine and I really felt for her when they were preparing to execute her. Then there’s a last minute rescue and it’s all downhill from there. Erik is selfish and condescending; I have no idea why Kristine falls in love with him. And there's the sex.  He practically rapes her and the language used to describe the act itself is old fashioned, archaic and clunky.  Kristine is a weak simpering woman until the very end of the story when she suddenly grows a backbone made of steel, which is not very convincing. And the ending is rushed. It’s as if author Ashley suddenly realized she had reached her word count and decided to end the novel in 2 paragraphs, which left me feeling empty and cheated. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
 **I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley.**

Publisher: Kensington/ Zebra

Skip this book and try these instead:

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

Master of Shadows by Janet Lorimer

The House of the Four Winds - Review

Title: The House of the Four Winds
Authors: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Series: One Dozen Daughters #1

Synopsis: “The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes.
      “Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.
    “Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own—but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won’t give him up without a fight.”

 Review:   Mercedes Lackey is my favorite author. It’s hard for me to choose a favorite because I love books so much, and I have several favorite authors, and several favorite series. But Mercedes Lackey is my favorite, of my favorite, authors. I have read her Valdemar series over, and over, and over again. I will never get tired of it. I will read anything with her name on it. Most recently I read The House of the Four Winds.        
     The House of the Four Winds is a fascinating read. I had a busy week last week, and couldn’t read it as quickly as I would have liked, every time I started reading it was torture to have to put it down. This novel has everything you could want in a good read: pirates, adventure, action, romance, cross-dressing, magic and lovable characters!  And can we talk about the cover for a minute?  What a gorgeous work of art!  I want to frame this cover and put it on my wall!  If I could change one thing about The House of the Four Winds I would like a bit more information about what Clarice did after leaving home and before meeting Dominick. Don’t get me wrong, this novel is wonderful just the way it is but adding a bit more information would make it perfect! I highly recommend that fans of fantasy, fans of pirates and fans of romance all read this book!

 **I received this Kindle ARC through NetGalley. **

Publisher: TOR

If you like this book you may want to read: 

The Cipher by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey

Touched by an Alien Review

Title: Touched by an Alien
Author: Gini Koch
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance
Series: Alien Novels #1

Synopsis: Katherine “Kitty” Katt thought she was witnessing a domestic disturbance as she left the Pueblo Caliente courthouse after her day of jury duty. However then the man she thought was about to get violent with his wife sprouts wings and turns into a superbeing hell-bent upon destruction. Instead of running away Kitty kills the monster with a pen. She is then whisked away by impossibly handsome Armani wearing men (one of whom has already proposed marriage five minutes after their first meeting) and is invited to join a secret, alien run, agency that attempts to eliminate these superbeings.

Review: I found Touched by an Alien to be a fairly entertaining story, although I did get tired of the clichés that popped up on every single page. The reader needs to be familiar with comic book characters. For example, if you don’t know who Daredevil is, or what cerebro does, you will probably be a bit lost at times. Most of the aliens were too perfect, making it hard to get lost in the story because their characters were not very believable. I loved Jeff’s character though and found it sweet that he wasn’t afraid to tell everyone he met, including her parents, that he wanted to marry Kitty and have lots of kids. The story was full of exciting action that kept me interested even when the clichés and flat characters were grinding on my last nerve. I will be reading the sequel when it’s released and I do recommend this novel for anyone looking for a light read.

Publisher: DAW Books
ISBN: 978-0756406004

If you like this book you may want to read:
Those Who Walk in Darkness by John Ridley (ISBN 978-0446612029)
The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson (ISBN 978-0060898915)