Review: Book: Damsel- Elana K. Arnold

 

Title: Damsel 

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Elana K. Arnold

Publisher:  Balzer + Bray

Genre: YA Fairytale Retelling

Page Count: 320 Pages

ISBN: 9780062742346

Author or Book Website: http://elanakarnold.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: Damsel

Link to Goodreads: Damsel

Release Date: October 2, 2018

How I Got the Book: ARC

Summary of the Book:

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. There is a lot to say about this book and there are a lot of trigger warnings in this book. Just be aware of that when picking this book. I am not saying that you should not read this book. I am saying there are some dark themes but in my opinion it was not done in a distasteful way. It did at times make me a little uncomfortable, but to me that was part of it being a little to real. I don’t want to tell you too much about the book. I don’t like spoilers so I try my best to not tell you too much. I would say give the book a try I think Elana did a masterful but dark retelling. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars

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Review: Book: Kiss Me in Paris- Catherine Rider

 

Title: Kiss Me in Paris

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Catherine Rider

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Genre: YA

Page Count: 216 Pages

ISBN:  978-1771388672

Author or Book Website: N/A

Link to Amazon purchase page: Kiss Me in Paris

Link to Goodreads: Kiss Me in Paris

Release Date: September 4, 2018

How I Got the Book: ARC

Summary of the Book:

Serena has just flown all the way to Paris for a special pre-Christmas weekend with her sister, Lara. They plan to retrace the steps of their parents’ long-ago honeymoon in Paris, and create a scrapbook for their bereaved mother to remember it by.

It’s supposed to be serious sister bonding…until Lara takes off with her boyfriend instead.

Jean-Luc is Serena’s Plan B, a friend of a friend of Lara’s, who has some space in a place where Serena can stay. Just like his latest relationship, his photography final has been an epic fail. He has one night to retake all his pictures if he is to stay in school.

Jean-Luc can’t stand Serena’s loud voice or her bright orange sneakers.

Serena can’t stand his haughty manners or the way his camera is always in her face.

Together, though, they set out into a cold night that will warm their hearts, creating unforgettable photos and fresh romantic sparks in the City of Lights.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I read the other book by this author and it was sweet. I got the same feeling from this book. It is a sweet and cozy story. Going from strangers to a little more on while they are on a little adventure. This one through Paris. I would not be very happy if my sister left me in some other country all by myself. I would be so mad. Serena does not let it her completely down. She is trying to follow the most romantic moments of her parents’ honeymoon. But she seems to do all right for herself and figures out the right clicks for Jean-Luc along the way. You will have to read it to find out what I am talking about. Happy reading. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Book: A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams- Dax Murray

 

Title: A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Dax Murray

Publisher: Moon Cat Books

Genre: Fairytale Retelling

Page Count: 268 Pages

ISBN: 0692142436 (ISBN13: 9780692142431)

Author or Book Website: https://daxmurray.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams

Link to Goodreads: A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

How many half-truths could loyalty shoulder before it broke from the weight of deception on its back?

A sweeping LGBTQ and polyamorous retelling of “Swan Lake”!

Strange things can be said of the forest that spans the border of two kingdoms long at war. An evil sorcerer has made it his dominion, or an elegant enchantress has claimed it as her domain and grants wishes to those who chance upon her, or maybe the forest is guarded by an ancient and wrathful spirit.

Katya calls the forest home, living a life of magic and charms with her partner Ivan. But a threat looms over their forest, some darkness and danger that Ivan swears to protect her from. Katya finds herself caught up in a web of grudges and deception spanning generations, but most dangerous of all is the beautiful princess who stumbled into their woods. A princess who sets Katya’s heart fluttering with both desire and fear.

As forces rally to rescue the princess or go to war, Katya must take measure of her own powers and decide what she is willing to sacrifice. Will she retreat to the safety of what’s familiar or give up everything she knows to spread her wings and fly?

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I actually got a physical copy of this book from the author. Thank you for that Dax. This was an amazing retelling of Swan Lake. I grew up with the classic fairytale. I love how this did not make any of the character sexual preference awkward or abnormal. It was the norm for them. The describe and world building had me drawn in and going on the adventure. There are a lot of different kind of relationships going on in this book. I have to say just how much the cover art and some inside the book just added to the experience that I had. It is definitely a book that I will read again. 

My Rating of the Book: 5 Stars

Review: Book: Accidental Shifter- E. J. Bennett

 

Title:  Accidental Shifter

Series: Twisted Roots

Author’s Name: E. J. Bennett

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Paranormal Romance. 

Page Count: 148 Pages

ISBN:  B079QN2GSS

Author or Book Website: N/A 

Link to Amazon purchase page: Accidental Shifter

Link to Goodreads: Accidental Shifter

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

Jenna Jenson finds herself in a deadly situation that results in a chemical accident.
As she struggles to come to terms with the accident, secrets and lies start to reveal themselves.
Jenna searches for answers and soon doesn’t know who she can trust. Her family or her new found friends?
A legend in Dem’Say Woods is more than just a chilling tale and Jenna finds herself in the thick of it all.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this for a fair and honest review. This is a story of Jenna who takes it on herself while the rest of her family is off have date nights she decides to go to a party and that is just the start of her journey. When she is going home she is being chased and is attacked. She breaks into the building where her father works. This is where things get more complex she spills the contents of a beaker on herself. She starts to experience changes in herself. This is the first book I have read by this author. I am willing to read more.

My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars

Review: Book: Fetish Girl- Bella Levey

 

Title: Fetish Girl

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Bella LeVey

Publisher: She Writes Press

Genre: Memoir/Erotica 

Page Count:

ISBN:  B0798MPL5S

Author or Book Website: https://bellalavey.com

Link to Amazon purchase page: Fetish Girl

Link to Goodreads: Fetish Girl

Release Date: November 13, 2018

How I Got the Book: ARC

Summary of the Book:

Fetish Girl is a kinky roller coaster ride through addiction, violence, motherhood, sex, and the creation of Evil Kitty, Bella LaVey’s larger-than-life dominatrix persona. It is a singular memoir that shows that a heavily tatted BDSM sex worker can be courageous enough to come to terms with her painful truths and raise a healthy, loving child, even as she remains boldly sexual and authentic. It’s the story of a woman attracted to extremes who is willing to go to great lengths to uncover and make peace with her true nature.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This book gave me a sense of empowerment and healing. It tells the story of one woman and her struggles and journey to finding what makes her who she is and how she defined her life. I think that it takes bravery and understanding of one’s self to be able to write something that is so close to one’s soul. I was not really sure where this book would take me when I started to read it, but it took me on the path one woman took to find herself and do what she could for her child as a single mother. I am glad that I was allowed to read this book. It touched me and made me see the world through a different set of eyes. Thank to the author and publisher for allowing me to experience this tale. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Book: Dater’s Handbook- Cara Lockwood

 

Title: Dater’s Handbook

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Cara Lockwood

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

Genre: Romance

Page Count: 203 Pages

ISBN:  B07CL98VS7

Author or Book Website: http://www.caralockwood.com/

Link to Amazon purchase page: Dater’s Handbook

Link to Goodreads: Dater’s Handbook

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

Cassandra Barber has a history of picking bad boyfriends…and she’s ready to change all that. She turns to Dater’s Handbook, the bestselling self-help book by relationship expert Dr. Susie, to improve her ailing love life. Surely, Dr. Susie’s advice will help her choose between her two new suitors: the laid-back, fun-loving Robert, and the sophisticated, dependable George.

The two men take her on very different kinds of dates, often with hilarious results. Cass juggles the opinions of her mother and her sister as well as Dr. Susie’s rules and checklists. But is she forgetting how to listen to her own heart?

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to admit that I saw this movie on the Hallmark Channel. It is funny and I could see scene from the movie while I was reading it. It was crazy, lovely and down right romantic. Cass is a wonderful character just trying to find her way with some help to finding the perfect man for her. Reading about how she does this and with the opinions of her family weighing on her as well. She is trying to put the past of her dating experience behind her. If you want to know how it turns out and more about the two guys you are going to have to read it yourself. Happy reading. 

My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars

Review: Book: Bollywood Invasion- Ricardo Alexanders

 

Title: Bollywood Invasion

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Ricardo Alexanders

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Genre: Romance Fantasy

Page Count: 295 Pages

ISBN: 9781981590193

Author or Book Website: ricardoalexanders.com

Link to Amazon purchase page: Bollywood Invasion

Link to Goodreads: Bollywood Invasion

Release Date: September 18, 2018

How I Got the Book: ARC

Summary of the Book:

A fantasy novel about a modern-day American boy who wakes up in 1958 India as the reincarnation of John Lennon ( Book trailer https://youtu.be/CUN5Md-tXJk )

Bollywood Invasion opens when the protagonist, a sixteen-years-old boy from Brooklyn, finds himself with riches and power beyond his wildest fantasies in India, thirty-five years before he was born.

Brooklyn is readily forgotten. Life becomes a constant stream of debauchery, coming to a stand-still only when he meets “the one.” However, love doesn’t come easy. He must become a better man, a pursuit ignited by his memories of Beatles songs on his iPod.

Will these legendary songs change his life?
Can he escape Lennon’s eventual tragic fate?

His fate will unfold in Bollywood Invasion.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I got a copy of this book from the author. I was so happy when it came in the mail. It is a retelling of a tale some of us already know. It follows the adventure of a teen who is late for school that he is hit by a bus and wakes not only in another body but another time. He is a prince in India in 1958. He does not understand it after first and he meets a girl and that changes everything for him. Her father does not approve him and sends her away. He has to do something and he and his friends for a band. It does not go so well at first but then he starts to remember things from his other life and they start to get notice with the song Yesterday. He wants fame and fortune for his friends and that will give him a chance to find the girl. How that all works out you are going to have to read for yourself. I did like who the author put little explanations at the book of the page with a number so you would what things meant. It made the story flow and more enjoyable. A story that is should to become a classic in its own right. 

My Rating of the Book: 5 Stars