Shadow of Death

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YFJ5UO/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_img_sol_0

Rating:  4 stars

I admit, from the first page this book had me comletely hooked.  The premise of story, such a controversial time in history, has always fascinated me, and this was no exception.  I love medical dramas, being in the medical field myself, so this was right up my alley.  The story started out strong, and the tension never stopped building, not even up to the last pages.  That being said, though, there were definitely some jarring errors I noticed within this novel.

First, the drama that is involved right at the beginning of the book between Laura and Johnny seemed a little...rushed, a little brushed off.  I understand it was written within a rush of riotous scenes, but still.  The casualness in which her husband brushed off their lack of love life bothered me a little too. I know for one my husband would at least find it suspicious.

The book, though, hit quite a few things right on the head as far as accuracy goes, especially the affair and the failed relationships between the human doctors.  From what I have seen, it's all too common for that to happen in the medical world.  The action was intense, and the story kept me clinging to the pages until I got to the last page.  

Double Dare

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061YAUG8/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_img_sol_0

Rating:  4 stars

I very much enjoyed this short little story.   The characters of Lou and Sam were connectable, and enjoyable to interact with.  The storyline started off a little odd, but as soon as the two met, instant chemistry was in the air.  I love the idea of Double Dare, and I love that there could be something like this where you plan your own adventure.  I would have loved to have more of this to read, and I would have loved the author to continue the story, more time with Sam and Lou.  There were some spelling and grammatical errors within the novel, but they weren't enough to detract from the story, and the story kept me occupied from start to finish.  I got this book for free, and it was not a regrettable acquisition.

Awaken His Eyes

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051BBHGE/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_img_sol_0

Rating:  3 stars

This book started out well, and it was a very interesting premise, but the author lost me at a few critical points.  The first was that time jumps happened frequently, and with no announcement except in the next paragraph.  I don't like books that leave me jumping around trying to guess what it is I'm reading, and when it takes place.  The storyline was a unique one, and I found myself becoming personally invested in especially the story of Kael and Maeryn, but the other characters weren't so memorable for me.  Too many things were left unanswered, leaving more questions than anything.

Soul In Present Condition

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EN0ZOC2/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Rating:  3 stars

This is the first book I have read from this author, and I got a copy in exchange for an unbiased review.  Upon receiving the book, there were a few things that immediately caught my attention.  At the very beginning, the author starts by writing out descriptions of people, then giving them first names, then whole names.  That, to me, was a little thrown off.  It made it difficult for me to follow if she was talking about the same people, or someone new entirely. 

The storyline itself is a unique one, that much I can say.  The idea of a real estate agent who can talk to ghosts was one that made me raise my eyebrow, but the story itself did not disappoint.  From the very beginning, when she encounters her first spectre, the story grabbed me and sucked me in.  The characters are vivid and pleasant to read about, even if I did want to punch a few vampires in the face.  That was another thing--I liked the blending of paranormal entities in this novel.  It was a smooth transition, and the fact that vampires were involved in the human world, with the ghosts, didn't deter from the story at all. 

As far as critiques go, I felt that this novel needed quite a bit of polishing, which is why I couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars.  I cringed at the amount of fragmented sentences and inappropriate punctuation thrown in.  At first, I was about to give up on the novel because of the grammatical errors, but I stuck with it, and I wasn't disappointed.  When I got a copy of this novel, it was called a "stand-alone" or part of a series.  I don't think this novel could stand by itself.  There were certainly some points where I was confused about what the connections were between characters, or why relationships were the way they were.  However, if you are looking for a decent read, and are not a grammar Nazi, this will be the book for you!

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.