In Your Sights by Elizabeth Krall

07 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Romance Tags: , , , , ,

Published: 14th December 2014Goodreads badge
Publisher: Self published
Pages: 280
Format: ebook
Genre: Romantic suspense
★   ★   ★  ★  – 4 Stars

Caroline Bready is being watched. Someone has posted a photograph of her on a mysterious website.
Still struggling to rebuild her life after the unsolved death of her husband, Caroline tells herself that the photo is unimportant. She drifts into an affair with a colleague; the relationship begins casually, but quickly becomes intense and disturbing.
After Caroline discovers the first victim of a serial rapist who has begun to attack women in Sydney, another photograph appears. Are the online images a threat, or simply coincidence?
Against a backdrop of deception and lies, Caroline finds herself drawn to an enigmatic stranger. Is he protecting her, or does he mean her harm?
If Caroline cannot distinguish friend from foe, it could cost her life.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book for review.

Krall’s story is one that is filled with suspense and the unexpected which makes it a wonderful read. She is great at misdirection and red herrings and creating multiple mysteries to solve. The plot is fascinating and a wonderful approach for a mystery. There is a range of things happening in this story; romance, crime, suspense and intrigue, and Krall links them together aptly and intersects them with ease.

The characters are curious, certainly odd and peculiar, and unfortunately for some I didn’t have much of a connection with. They are not flat per se, but they were bland and despite a few being given a chunk of back story, it didn’t help bring them to life.

There is the good detective who stays awake worrying about the case he cannot solve, main character Caroline who is naive and a little foolish, she isn’t the brightest person for someone working in IT, and there is the emotionally abusive fling who Caroline has no misunderstanding about his relationship with her but she still manages to be blind to some of his faults despite it being clear to others.

The characters seem to be connected to the roles they play in the story which means they have little to them when examined on their own. They are at times simple and one dimensional but I appreciated them in the story and the support they provided in continuing the narrative. The mystery and the compelling plot pull you along so in that sense the characters play their roles well which adds to the suspense.

The events of the story appear to be unconnected but with overlapping events and characters coming together, soon the unconnected becomes connected and everyone becomes a suspect. Not knowing what to expect makes this an exciting read and Krall is skilled at leading the reader in one direction only to have it stop at a dead end or veer off entirely.

Krall’s strengths are in her ability to create a captivating story that offers suspense and intrigue and an ongoing whodunit story that never is what it seems. After a reasonable beginning the events of the early chapters come together in an exciting and fast-paced conclusion that even when secrets are revealed remains a suspenseful and thrilling read.

There is sexual content in this story, some of it rougher than most, and the threat of the Redback Rapist is an ongoing topic but Krall limits her descriptions and does not describe outright the sex scenes or makes it too graphic to read. Reece’s behaviour is clearly emotionally abusive and Caroline cannot see that which is frustrating as a reader but it makes the story believable in a way. As annoying as it is, it does show how manipulative people can be in abusive relationships and makes the victim feel like they are in the wrong. Krall uses dialogue quite cleverly to show how Reece twists Caroline’s words and makes himself out to be a nicer guy than he is. From very early on it is clear that Reece is a horrible person, but the way Krall works with this is on another level entirely and makes gripping reading as a result.

The problem I have is with the ending. On one hand it was a great resolution to the story, it was unexpected and intense, but on the other hand, around a different matter, it seemed wrong. I know Krall tries to justify it, but I still think that there could have been a better direction than the one taken. Other than that this is a great story, there is enough intrigue from the beginning to get you interested and it is maintained until the last pages.

You can purchase In Your Sights via the following

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon Aust

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Two for the Heart (#1) by Ekta R. Garg

02 Feb 2015 1 Comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Romance, Short Stories, Stories in Pairs Tags: , , , ,

Published: 3rd February 2015
Goodreads badgePublisher: Prairie Sky Publishing
Pages: 77
Format: ebook
Genre: Short stories/Romance
★   ★   ★  ★  – 4 Stars

A man and a woman get their divorce papers right after the wedding. A woman learns she’s suffering from amnesia. Two stories about relationships and the power of love. Two stories with characters to remember. Two stories for the heart.
“The Proposal”: Pooja and Akshay don’t want to bother with relationships, but they get cornered into marriage. The two devise a fool-proof plan: get married, then get their divorce papers ready. But will they have the guts to go through with the break up?
“Remembrance”: Helen wakes up in the hospital, but she has no idea how she got there. Everyone dodges the question…and then the sister she hasn’t spoken to in 11 years arrives. Why is she here? And will Helen ever remember what happened?

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.

Garg’s collection of stories is a wonderful read that explores relationships and the power love has in those relationships. The two stories, “The Proposal” and “Remembrance”, follow very different narratives but each demonstrate that love can be a very powerful tool and motivator.

I think I enjoyed the first story, “The Proposal”, more than the second, and while I enjoyed the mystery of the second story, the story itself in the first was quite heart warming and sweet.

Both of these stories are quite short, but you really are able to get a sense of character quite well. Garg expresses and explores her characters through their personalities and in part through their actions which adds a great layer of complexities to them. There is also less focus on unnecessary scenes or intense description or detail, meaning the human aspects are the main focus and the relationships they have with others is a driving force to the narrative.

There are some surprises in the stories, not greatly shocking or twist worthy per se, but Garg holds back and keeps secrets, and she also leads the reader and tells them one thing while leaving possibilities open for other things, offering doubt and intrigue.

It is also a nice idea connecting the stories and Garg does this with style and simplicity without losing any of the quality. The overlap suits both narratives while not interrupting the flow of each individual story and adds another layer in doing so. Having the cross over so simple is a great example of how people connect with one another in the real world. Both these stories show that the main character of one story can be a background character in another and even be unrelated to the main character at all.

But I think what makes them work is that being connected makes you realise everyone has a story to tell; and being a background character in someone’s story does not mean you are not the main character of your own story. Which sounds very philosophical I’ll admit, but I did find myself thing about that when I had finished reading, very clever, intentional or otherwise, on Garg’s behalf.

You can easily see how each of these stories could be extended in to a longer one, even a novel if you tried hard enough, but why it works so well keeping it this length is that is keeps the main parts of the story in focus while not losing out on the content or quality.

 

You can purchase Two for the Heart via the following

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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Instant Karma by Donna Marie Oldfield

10 Nov 2014 1 Comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, General, Romance Tags: , , , , ,

Published: 19th July 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Sonic Pop Publishing
Pages: 325
Format: ebook
Genre: Contemporary romance
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

Do you believe in karma? Materialistic, selfish estate agent Siena Robinson doesn’t – until she hits a disastrous run of bad luck that makes her wonder if she has brought it upon herself.

In Instant Karma, Siena moves to the quiet village of Fenville, where the locals are opposing a development that will see a beloved hall and library replaced by new flats and shops. What her neighbours don’t know is that she is one of the developers and stands to make millions from the deal.

But then Siena discovers that her high-school sweetheart, Aiden, is leading the protest and she finds herself acting as a double agent who is torn between her neighbours’ plight and making lots of money.

Will Siena betray her new friends and let greed ruin a second chance with Aiden? And will she ever find out who or what is behind her run of bad karma?

Note: I was given a copy of this book for review.

After having time to think about it this is more 3.5 stars than 3 I think. The story Oldfield has created is all about the effects of karma and the message that what goes around comes around and bad karma comes to those who deserve it. While this idea could be very moralistic for the reader it works because Siena is a character who is very stubborn and selfish and can’t really see or accept that her bad luck is caused by her own behaviour. This brings the focus more on Siena’s character than on the karma itself so you can ignore the “you get what you deserve” message that flows through it.

Siena is a person you do kind of dislike, but without disliking her you can’t understand why she does what she does. You wouldn’t like someone who acts the way Siena does and to do so means the story does not work. It is not a strong dislike, more of an intense judgement about her and her behaviour. You judge her actions and get a nice feeling when she gets her comeuppance.

Siena has an attitude along the lines of “if they don’t care about me I won’t care about them”, but even if they do she brushes them off, finds the bad in people and always assumes the worst. She has her group of friends but they are similar to her and she cannot see the problems with herself as a result. The few realisations she has come after she tries to improve her attitude and a few home truths slowly start to change her way of thinking but it is a long road and she falls more often than she succeeds. But as much as it irked me it took her so long I liked that there was no instant turn around. Doing one nice thing does not change Siena; it takes time and some severe bouts of bad karma for her to truly start to change, and not just for her own benefit, real genuine change. And it is the attempt that makes you start to hope for her, that maybe she is better than the selfish and nasty person she has turned into.

When she reconnects with Aiden Siena tries to improve herself but this is purely for selfish reasons, to make him think she was a better person rather than to actually improve herself. But in doing this Aiden helps her remember the person she was eight years ago when they were together, the nicer, kinder person rather than the snobby and judgemental person she has become. Siena tries to be good for Aiden, to impress him and to show him she is a nice person, but her desire to do better is also powered by her attempt at better karma, but when there is no instant gratification she feels she deserves, she falls back into her old ways.

What I liked was that Oldfield gives us a hint at how Siena became she person she was, and how she gradually changed from the person Aiden knew to the person she becomes. Events in her past and conscious decisions have shaped who she has become and this helps understand her more, and makes you pity her slightly.

One review I read described this story like A Christmas Carol in modern real estate which is the perfect description, but with fewer ghosts. There is definitely something that keeps you reading even though Siena gets up your nose. I think I kept waiting for her to come to her senses and realise the impact her bad decisions and selfish ways were having on her life. I kept expecting that the next chapter would be where she changes her life and sees her fortunes improve.

The changes do come about though and I think at just the right time. Oldfield concludes the story pretty well with some surprises but it works in a way, without being too incredulous or unbelievable. The ending is dramatic but exciting and after the gradual build up in anticipation about the development as well as Siena’s bad karma, it all comes to a head in a wonderful fashion. There are some unexpected surprises that add a bit of mystery to the mix but they manage to work out well. There are a few things left unanswered at the end that I would have liked to see outcomes and consequences of but other than that there is a good concluding sense about Siena’s future. She knows it is not going to perfect but she is going to face it and embrace it as it comes.

 

Purchase Instant Karma via the following

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

 Amazon Australia

 Amazon Canada

James Games by L. A. Rose

18 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, General, Romance Tags: , , , ,

Published: 30th September 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Self Published
Pages: 243
Format: ebook
Genre: New Adult Romance
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

James Games CoverEvery year, the girls of Phi Delta Chi, Fiona Arlett’s dream sorority, hold a competition.
The prize?
James Reid, king size bar of eye candy and famous actor turned haughty undergrad.
The rules?
No girl but the winner can touch him.
The problem?
Fiona miiight have unknowingly banged his brains out last week.
Losing the competition may mean wearing a chicken suit to the sexiest Halloween costume contest, but she’d rather have feathers up her butt than let the truth out.
Unfortunately, she and James have lots in common and more chemistry than the science wing. Soon they’re sneaking around behind the backs of UCSD’s hottest and most vengeful girls.
If they find out?
Fiona’s screwed.

Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review.

The story Rose has created is one that is very addictive, and it is one that is engaging and easy to read. There is a wonderful pace to the story and nothing is rushed, nor is it drawn out. There is depth to the characters and not everything about them is revealed immediately, with more information about who they are emerging as the story goes on. This gives a realistic feel to the novel where things are learnt about people gradually, not in a single moment and typically only as a friendship develops.

As a character Fiona can come across as arrogant, but she is more self assured and confident. She has a determination and stubbornness that can get her into trouble but she is also enjoying life and emits joy which makes her fun to read about. It was great to see her grow as the novel progressed, and it is clear towards the end that while she has not exactly changed who she is, she has learnt from her experiences and instead becomes more comfortable in herself and in her life. This calms her down a bit but does not remove the confidence she had before and she is certainly wiser in its use.

I liked that at no point did Rose indicate any real judgement towards Fiona’s actions or make it a bad thing, instead we understand why she behaves like she does and what it is she is looking for in life. As adults in college there is no reason to doubt they are able to make their own decisions but Rose also makes it evident they are still young, a combination that makes for great reading and understanding to why they do what they do.

What I really liked about this story was that it wasn’t what I was expecting. The characters are different and detailed, with complications of their own and personalities that both clash and work well with others. I also loved the story. Rose could easily have gone a different way with this but instead it has a complexity and depth that makes it unique while still being light and fun to read, and with characters that are so different from one another and that have such depth themselves, it only works to its advantage.

In particular I really liked the relationship between Fiona and James, even at the very start. Together they work well but it is their own personalities and histories that make them great, James especially. His past and secretive nature makes him protective of himself, and there is a charming but tough when necessary side to him that makes him admirable and likeable. Compared to Fiona’s outgoing nature they balance each other well, influencing one another and bringing out more in each of them.

One part I both liked and didn’t like was that for me, it highlights the ridiculousness and cruelty of sororities. In a confusing way it made the story great but it also pointed out how stupid they can be. But looking at characters like Brooklyn it is clear the hazing and ridiculous activities is not what the sorority was intended to be, and it is certainly isolated to a few members, not the group as a whole.  But it shows just how horrible and demeaning they can be, bringing down people and making them subservient and under the control of others who are deemed higher ranking. I’m glad Rose made a point of showing the outcome of hazing and the effect it can have on people when it taken too far, it really added another depth to the story and it is woven skilfully into other elements of the narrative as well.

I am glad this book was nothing like I expected, it became a lot more but without taking away the essence of what it is trying to be either. It is light and fun but also serious and meaningful meaning it has the ideal balance and creates a great reality for the characters and something believable for the readers as well. When you finish you can’t help but admire the characters and you certainly admire Rose for what she has created, and with the revelations of secrets and twists and the unexpected, there is never a moment of disinterest.

 

Purchase James Games at the following places

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

 

Maggie’s Five (#1) by Sandra Fitzgerald

08 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, General, Romance Tags: , , , ,

Published: 5th July 2014
Goodreads badgePublisher: Self Published
Pages: 266
Format: ebook
Genre: Romance
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

I had a great life. Not perfect, but really good. I was happy. 
I had a husband and two children. But now I’ve got Red. 
He’s using me but, that’s okay, because I’m using him too, only for a different reason. 
He wants sex and leverage. I want numb. 
But then Luke came back. 
Don’t be stupid. Luke’s not my husband. My husband is dead, like my children. 
Luke came back and things have started changing. And I think, maybe, that I’m okay with change, but I’m worried it’s too late, that I might be too far down the Rabbit Hole. 
I’m Maggie Cartwright, and this is my story. But be warned, it may not be the happy ever after you dream of.

Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review

It took me a couple of days to read this book and each time I had to stop or was interrupted I found myself continually thinking about it. The first book in the Five series, the story is about Maggie, a woman who tragically loses her family in a freak accident and tries her best at dealing with the aftermath The story drags you in to Maggie’s world almost right away, a world that starts off as being about family, love, and great memories and is replaced by one that is filled with pain and loss.

The way Fitzgerald has constructed Maggie is wonderful. She isn’t anything too special, she is a mum and a wife, and she is a regular person who has a tragedy in her life and must find a way of dealing with it. This makes her real and someone who was never expecting to have to deal with something like this.

I really liked how Fitzgerald depicted Maggie’s grief and how she was coping. She makes it clear that there is no overnight downfall, nor is there an overnight recovery. People do not succumb to temptations and bad situations in one week and we see this slow decline in Maggie and in how she acts and how she feels as the days pass on.

By telling the story through Maggie it allows you to see the reasons and justifications for her actions and really get a deep sense of the emotions and the hollowness she is feeling. I loved that Fitzgerald doesn’t even make it terribly complex, but the emptiness is evident and it is clearly portrayed that Maggie is at a loss of what to do and shuts herself down and becomes a shell of herself.

Fitzgerald demonstrates her grief and her decent gradually; from the initial shock and pain you can see where things start to slip away from her and it takes over her life. One of the heartbreaking things to read is when you see how each knock adds another blow to her torment and watch as she tries to convince the world she is fine, covering her pain with a smile and a laugh before retreating to the safety of solitude once more.

There is a wonderful use of subtle references to show how Maggie is not coping with her loss, how she is eating less and wasting her days doing nothing. With Maggie’s perspective we see how these things sneak up on her, she doesn’t realise she is losing weight, and doesn’t realise that she is being consumed by grief. Fitzgerald never takes the reader’s sympathy away from Maggie, even when she gets worse, because we understand it so well from her point of view and we know what she is feeling and why she does what she does. There is no third party judgement, and even other characters like Luke do not judge, he lets her go through what she needs to go through without making her recover too quickly.

As Maggie begins to lose control of her pain she turns to drinking and bad company to numb it but it still isn’t something that you judge. You pity her and hope she won’t go too far but it isn’t stereotypical behaviour either. While it may seem that way, the way Fitzgerald has written it doesn’t come across as a cliché reaction. Instead, we see the pain and torment Maggie goes through and the reasons why she goes down this path and it is entirely justified, and as it continues it’s clear how it gets out of control which, in a way, is through no fault of her own. Influenced and controlled by the company she has sought comfort in rather than her own destructive forces.

Maggie pushes away her family and convinces them she is fine, but she is also in part, abandoned by her friends as well because they believe her when she says she is fine, and Luke is the only person who really cements himself in her life to make sure she is as fine as she says she is. Luke is an interesting character, he seems like he is imposing and it seems odd he is staying with Maggie but his reasons are soon made clear and he is someone that is there for Maggie even when she believes she doesn’t need him.

What Maggie does and feels remains real in my opinion, is never becomes too extreme or unbelievable. It is clear she doesn’t know how to handle what has happened and her toxic relationship with Red is more about his actions than hers which highlights her emotional state and vulnerability, not to mention her intense need to escape from everything.

By the end of the book it feels like you have been through as much of a journey as Maggie, one that is never certain there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Fitzgerald offers a chance of hope and redemption but she makes sure that it is worked for and not freely given which is something that makes this book that much better and unforgettable.

Purchase Maggie’s Five via the following

Amazon

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