The River Between

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AUTEI6/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Rating:  3 stars

This story would have been extremely enjoyable for me had it not been the extremely Christian overtones running through it.  Yes, I understand that it is a period novel, and religion was more of a prominent discussion then, but there is a point where religion becomes preaching.  I don't like my books to preach to me.  The characters were interesting, although I found the main character somewhat of a user, leading on the men she was involved with and then crying when something went wrong.  It is only remotely historical, with snippets here and there mentioning the Civil War.  It was an all right read, but it was very slow to get into, and I almost gave up, but kept reading.  Read this novel carefully.

The Reluctant Heir

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005H2SLOI/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Rating:  5 stars

This story was a quick, enjoyable read with just enough sexy fun thrown in to add to the story.  The characters really made the story, Adelinde over the loss of her brother, Clarke over his guilt from her brother's death.  The story between these two is electric, and their connection is instantaneous and inviting.  It's a quick read, which I enjoyed, and I felt myself wanting to read more of this story, but the author managed to wrap it up nicely and still make the reader feel like they were fulfilled.  Enjoyable.

The Reiver

 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JN0GAI/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

 Rating:  2 stars

I received this book for free, like everyone else, and because it was free I wasn't expecting much, truth be told...but I was shocked at the pace that everything went, I was surprised at the quickness of the story, and not pleasantly so.  The story seemed to go well enough, a captive in a Scottish castle, but then it begins to just go in a very weird direction where the woman falls in love with her captor out of nothing in particular he did, then he lets her go...and then finds her again.  The entire story was just a blink and then done, and not very well explained.  It's a quick read, and an adequate way to pass a half hour, but for me the story was just too unbelievable.

The Road To Nowhere

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1105749460/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Rating:  4 stars

I enjoyed this book from the getgo.  The description of the book, from the description of zombies to survival, all sounded intriguing.  But, as the book was being read, it began to read more like the Walking Dead than anything.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it read a little too similar for my tastes.  I liked that Kurus were the explanation, instead of zombies, and I liked that it wasn't zombies specifically.  The characters were connectable, I just wish we would have found out more about our main character before the end of the book.  I liked the development, but the story was too similar to something already done for me. 

The Puzzle Master

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009AVD1BA/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Rating:  3 stars

This book held so much potential for me. I enjoyed the premise, and I enjoyed the story the author told, but something about the dates revealed kept pulling at me.  And then I realized:  all the dates said 2011.  The book is supposed to be set after Bin Laden was killed, well after the 9/11 attacks.  I tried to ignore the date issue, trying to get into the story more, but the dates just kept pulling me.  It was difficult to follow, and difficult to keep everything straight, especially with all the jumping around the author does.  It would have been fantastic, but I really think the author needed to do a little more streamlining with his timeline.

A Bookish Escape: Book Review : Traveler by Ashley Bourgeois & Kathr...

A Bookish Escape: Book Review : Traveler by Ashley Bourgeois & Kathr...: Traveler Authors:   Ashley Bourgeois & Kathryn McGowan Source:   Author 551 pages ( ebook ) Goodreads S...

The Shopkeeper

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZVSCK4/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Rating:  5 stars!

This book grabbed me from the very beginning, enthralling me with its words describing the wild west of old.  I loved the main character right away, Steve Dancy seemingly a normal shopkeeper, though at the beginning of the book we don't know from where.  But then, all hell breaks loose and you see Steve for who he really is--a gunsmith, and one of great renown.  You begin to see the depth and the layers of this character as the story progresses, and the book sucks you in more and more as the pages turn.  I was beginning to think there would be a romantic element, and I was pleasantly surprised to not see the author go into that direction.  I loved the ring of authenticity of this novel, and I loved the way the author brought the West to life for me.  I recommend this book to anyone, and everyone.  If you haven't read it yet, you are missing out.