Review: Sold to the Enemy by Sarah Morgan

ETA: I forgot to mention that I received a review copy from the author.

You guys know how much I like Sarah Morgan (and if not, now you do), so I’ll skip that part and go directly to the review.

The plot is quite simple: Selene is a sheltered young woman with an abusive powerful father. She has dreams of escaping, but she can’t do it because she has no money, her father is super evil and her mother is too afraid. So she comes up with this plan that takes her directly to Stefan Ziakas.

And who is this Stefan? I’m glad you ask! He’s a player with a secret pain that killed his soul and turned him into a ruthless man.  He’s also Selene’s father’s nemesis. Years ago he was nice to her, because he’s not as dead inside as he would like us to believe. So she has nothing but fond memories of him. She tells him her plan, which involves a very simple business idea as well as the necessary loan. After a lot of convincing, Stefan agrees because he likes her and helping her would mean getting some revenge on her dad.

Review: The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley

This book caught my attention because of its interesting premise and because I seldom read Sci-Fi. The blurb did mention a love story, but we know that when the book isn't a romance, love stories tend to end tragically, so I wasn't expecting a happy ending. It took a couple of chapters for me to realize that as much as I wasn't expecting anything, what I got wasn't what I was expecting at all. 

The Best of All Possible Worlds tells the story of Dllenahkh. It’s not clear whether the book is set in an alternate universe that looks futuristic, or if it’s supposed to be a very distant future (1). Regardless, what we do know is that there are different planets and different types of humans that have some genetic differences between them that manifest in their appearance and some psychic traits. 

Review: Time Dancer by Inez Kelley

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I’ve been known to really enjoy Ms. Kelley’s Contemporaries, but what you probably don’t know is that I’m also a fan of her Fantasy trilogy of which Time Dancer is the last installment. Each book takes place in the same universe but features a different leading couple, yet they don’t stand alone that well, especially this book. You could read the first two in any order, but this one ties everything together and brings the series to a closure. Maybe this review will tempt you to try the books!

The setting is a fantasy land that somewhat resembles medieval Europe, but with magic. Jana, the heroine, has some magic but it’s fairly useless because it only gives her insight into the past, and even then, she’s not that good at it. But when her best friend, who happens to be the prince and heir to the throne, receives assassination attempt after assassination attempt, she asks the prince’s mother, a powerful sorceress, to create a spell to protect him.

Review: Addition by Toni Jordan

Warning: There will be spoilers.

Kaetrin reviewed this book a few weeks ago and it sounded interesting and unique, so I bought it. I’m glad I read it. For the most part I found it entertaining, and it has stayed with me after I finished it. But I also keep having more and more issues with it, so this review will be mixed at best.

Grace’s life depends on number. It’s obvious to the reader that she suffers from some type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, even if she doesn’t admit it. Yet she’s quite frank about how numbers dominate her day and how she has rearranged her life to fit all the numbers in it. 

Counting, mathematics, weird trivia and numbers rule her life, but she’s comfortable and somewhat happy with it, because they also ground her. There are certain longings and thoughts that sneak in and wreak mini havocs at times, but she’s very good at keeping them at bay, so it’s hard to tell whether she’s miserable, content or happy.

Same New, Same New: Social Media, Hype, Book Discoverability, ARCs and Blog Homogenization

Source: Someecards
Sounds random, but it's somewhat related if you think of the Hype-Machine.

The past week the blogosphere had an interesting conversation about social reading, hype and over-promotion. The general consensus seemed to be that too much of anything is never good, and that constant talk, as positive as it may be, can be overwhelming and off-putting. To anyone who habitually reads review blogs or actively uses Twitter, it’s fairly evident that trending authors and books routinely take over these mediums and that the noise they generate can be louder than any other book talk simultaneously taking place. It only takes not being part of the buzz (whether because we disagree with the majority or because we aren’t familiar with the subject) to notice how annoying it can get. Yet, I’m sure we all have been guilty of doing it at least once. After all, it’s difficult not to talk about a book we feel passionate about, especially when we are in the business of talking about books. 

Review: Trick of Time by JL Merrow

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Ms. Merrow is one of my favorite authors, so every time she has a new book out I do a tiny happy-dance. I admit, though, that I prefer her straight contemporaries over her PNR’s, so I was just a bit apprehensive about this one. But I ended up enjoying it a lot. 

Ted is a widower whose husband and parents died in a car accident over a year ago. He works as assistant in a small theater in London and deals with his grief as best he can, but mostly by ignoring it. One night during the show he goes out for a smoke break and finds himself in Victorian London. He meets a rent boy named Jem, they have a sexual encounter and when he goes back to the theater he realizes he’s back in the present. At first he thinks he was hallucinating, but he can’t stop thinking about Jem, so the next night he goes out again in the middle of the show, and finds himself, once again, in the past. Ted and Jem develop a relationship, but is there any hope for them? Of course there is, this is a romance, after all, but it’s a very clever resolution.

Winners: Crystal Cove and Dead in L.A.

I have a couple of winners to announce, but first, thanks to everyone who took the time to visit and comment.

The winner of Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas is: Ronnie Buck

The winner of Dead in L.A. by Lou Harper is: Anon comment #2

Congratulations, guys! I'm emailing you right now.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Lou Harper for providing the prizes.