Category: book review

Book Description:

Do you enjoy atypical coming of age stories? Well Moxie’s Problem is just for you!

Moxie is an obnoxious princess who has never been outside of her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different then she expects and she struggles to come to grips with this reality. Her story takes place in the backdrop of Camelot but it is a Camelot from a parallel universe.

My Thoughts

This book was definitely not what I was expecting. I had thought the story would set around Moxie mainly with other minor stories woven in. The novel is narrated from the views of a knight and Merlin. The novel goes back and forth between these characters. I found this made the story a bit chaotic at times as I tried to follow it. There were so many great ideas in the parallel universe but it made it hard to follow at times.

The plot line is very good and unique but it was overwhelming with so many different characters, view points and ideas (from soccer to battles and Merlin). It almost felt like each of these characters could have had their own novel to themselves so that way Moxie could shine in this story. I think there is so much more to Moxie and I would have loved to have seen that come out in this novel. We only had small glimpses of this throughout the novel. It would have been really interesting to see her character develop fuller throughout the novel.

While an interesting read and I loved the idea, I found the novel overwhelming at times and would have loved to see the focus on Moxie. I would like to see how his next novel with Moxie plays out as I feel there is so much more to her then we see.

Rating: 3/5

About the Author:

Hank Quense writes humorous and satiric sci fi and fantasy stories. He also writes about fiction writing and self-publishing. He has published 14 books and 50 short stories along with a few dozen articles. He often lectures on fiction writing and publishing and has a series of guides covering the basics on each subject. He is currently working on a series of two humorous novels that take place in the Camelot era. 

 He and his wife, Pat, usually vacation in another galaxy or parallel universe. They also time travel occasionally when Hank is searching for new story ideas.

Visit Hank’s websites: http://hank-quense.com/wp and http://strangeworldsonline.com/wp

Get ready for Waking Amy, the first novel in this three-part series from Julieann Dove.

About Waking Amy

Amy Whitfield is blindsided when she comes home and finds a note on the fridge from her husband, Wesley, stating that after four years of marriage, he’s leaving her. Amy was in the midst of trying to spice things up, to bring life back to their boring marriage. It seems now that she was too late.

As Amy sits with her head between her knees, trying to figure out what to do next, a call comes from Mercer General Hospital. The ER nurse is telling Amy’s answering machine that Wesley has been in a car accident.

When Amy arrives at the hospital, she finds her husband in a coma. The doctors say there is no sign of brain damage, and Wesley will eventually wake up. Relieved, Amy sees this as her second chance: the chance to get it right this time. To channel the girl Wesley won’t leave when he regains consciousness, she just needs some help to pull it off.

Amy would never figure on getting that help from Mark Reilly. Wesley’s doctor! He’s a non-committer, too cute for his own good bachelor, and completely the guy Amy begins falling for. It’s a race against time to see who wakes up first, Amy or her husband.

My Thoughts

An extremely interesting and unique book that I cherished from the first chapter. Amy is a quiet, down to earth girl who just wants to be loved. Something we can all relate to! She lost her parents at a young age and always carried this burden. She is the type of girl who follows routine, likes to be home in her pjs (yes please!) and never saw the life changing moment coming. My heart broke for her when she finds the message from her husband wanting to leave her. You can feel her pain, confusion through the pages of the book. When she is called to the hospital, you think how can it get any worse!

My heart ached for her as she turns to Mark for help being the adventurous, fun-loving and daring wife she feels her husband would want. No one should ever have to feel they need to change to be loved and accepted, but somehow we do do this. We allow ourselves to change to suit the person we are with and it is only years later that we see the mistake in this. Amy falls into this trap and has to decide if this is the way she wants to live her life – trying to be someone she isn’t to make someone else happy or to truly accept herself as she is. In the midst of all of this is Mark, someone who sees Amy for who she is and loves her for that. He accepts her faults, her quietness and brings her to life-like her husband never did.

You are kept guessing throughout the novel whether Amy can love herself for who she is or if she will put her own feelings and desires on the back burner for Wesley. I loved every moment of this novel and I can’t wait for the second part of this story as I fell in love with Amy’s character.

You can purchase a copy of this novel on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Passion, peril, and a scandal that will rock American politics, you can find it all in Breaking the Story by Ashley Farley.

About Breaking the Story

Scottie Darden’s life is a disaster. Her marriage has become toxic, and her career as a photojournalist has stalled out. To attract the attention of the main players in the news industry, she needs a standout story with a unique perspective. What she finds is a scandal that could turn the 2016 presidential election upside down. But before she can release her damaging images to the media, Scottie must uncover the truth behind the photographs. She turns to handsome mystery man Guy Jordan for help. When they join the campaign trail in search of answers, their investigation quickly becomes deadly.

Hop on board for a wild ride of adventure where desire ignites, lives are threatened, and secrets are revealed.

My Thoughts

Adventure, suspense, romance and everything in between! Breaking the Story has all of this and more.

Our main character, Scottie (from Merry Mary), is a strong female lead who is still healing from the toxicity of her marriage, possible separation and concerns about her career. She is being pulled in many different directions as she struggles to deal with her own personal identity. When she heads to a presidential election party, she never would have thought this was the turning point in her life. She is faced with a huge decision that will impact her morals as a photojournalist and as a person.

She meets a handsome young man, whom she turns to in desperation with the images she has captured. What she never would have thought was that he was holding a huge secret that would compromise her trust in him.

Adventure, romance and healing all tied up in one book. I loved every moment of Breaking the Story. Scottie is a strong female lead that you just can’t help but fall in love with. Her morals and forgiveness are tested throughout this novel but she always comes out stronger in the end. It is a novel that builds up and does not disappoint at the end. You will enjoy each turn of the page.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

HER SISTER’S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women’s novel that proves the healing power of family.

MERRY MARY a heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need released October 15, 2015.

Connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.