Virginia's aunt has found a governess position for her. She must be given a medical exam to ensure she is free from illness and depravity. Dr. Talbot conducts the exam and Virginia is worried that the doctor and her aunt's maid will be able to tell how into the exam she is. What can she do since she wants the governess position?

 

I enjoyed this quick read. Virginia is afraid of being exposed as a wanton, but she likes what the doctor and the maid are doing to her. She wants to go to the Hayes' home. She wishes that Mr. Hayes had stayed. I liked that Virginia, though naive, had some inkling of what was happening to her. I liked Virginia. I'm not so sure I liked the doctor. I look forward to reading what happens next to Virginia.

I read this... I loved it... is there more to say?? Yes. Do you NEED to know more??... Probably not but I'll tell it anyway :-)

This book deftly sets the stage for what I believe will be one hell of a freaking good series. It sneakily devoured hours of my time which happens to be, for me at least,, one of the signs of a great read. It is a wiley little find too because, right now, it's free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. I was sucked into this book from the very first chapter and later I found myself unceremoniously and very much against my wishes, spit out at the very end bleary-eyed, missing hours, totally out of sorts, hooked and fiending for more. Fun times huh???

Well, the safe answer to that scenario is usually NO BUT I am happy to report that no one was harmed in the reading of this book... well I wasn't that is. Anywho, once I reached the very last page I drastically veered off track, derailing my carefully planned list of what I was to read next, and snatched up the other 4 books in the series. Did I know before I started that I would be completely engrossed... mentally and emotionally effected... blindsided?? Heck no but I am sure glad I was. To me it felt more like a sprint rather than a marathon and I couldn't have slowed down to appreciate the view even if I wanted to!

This book has lots to love. It contains a magically kick ass female MC, a unique and varied chast of characters, highly imaginative world building and writing that will have you fully immersed. The female protagonist Florence, aka Ren, is formidable but is totally unaware of just how so. She is resourceful, has immense raw innate power and she is not afraid to explore this new world. She unabashedly flexes her burgeoning magical abilities with flare. She learns quickly and is a most adept student... a highly effective combination. She is strong willed, clever, talented, determined and decidedly morally grey... just how I like them. There are 5 extremely dynamic characters that form a support network for our resident bad ass, Ren. Her Crew?? Team? Pack? What have you... each contributes an exclusive piece to this cohesive group and each are essential players in the grand scheme of things.

Then there are the technical aspects. The writing is solid. The dialogue is excellent. It is organic, flows naturally and feels real. The character development is superb. Each character is unique in his/her own right but together they are a formidable group. I adore each of the main 5 + Ren... a rare occurrence for me. I usually find fault, or become vexed to the point of... skimming...

 

(((gasp)))

 

I'm usually repulsed by at least one of the main cast's irritating traits/dumb decision making/ flat-out stupidity BUT that wasn't the case here. I won't regale you with descriptions of each character we meet but I will say this... not only is there a beautiful bond of friendship blossoming between the supporting characters... there is also a couple I wholeheartedly ship... a couple that is so far from being a thing right now that it seems like a near impossibility. These two would be paramores are in the "just barely friends" category at the moment, mainly because Ren is totally immune and uninterested in this aloof guy that oozes charm and sexual prowess YET I can't help but root for them. This is yet another curiosity because I am usually 100% repelled by the ultra sexy, filthy rich, nonchalant, devil may care, player type. BUT there's something about Constantine. He is a bad boy who is knee deep in swooning girls and couldn't care less. He is a menace to society and is also a well known troublemaker YET he is more interesting than he has any right to be, he's extremely intelligent, a tad dastardly, charming and gorgeous... just like any yummy heartbreaker should be!

Overall:
I loved it, breathed it, lived it! This book is an excellent introduction to these dynamic characters, in this unique/highly imaginative world with its multi layers and overtly creative cast. Doesn't that sound like fun?? Try this Magically Realistic Fantasy... it'll be worth the hours you get lost in its pages!

~ Enjoy

by Aidan K. Morrissey

 

I usually don't read character lists at the beginning of a novel because in a totally fiction novel, they're meaningless until they actually do something and I regard it as lazy writing. This one was an exception because the vast majority of the characters are really people from history, even the cat!

 

By the time I got to Part One I already could see that the author had done his research, and that's a big part of what makes a historical fiction novel enjoyable to me. I especially love books set in Ancient Egypt and though I found this one a little slow moving, I enjoyed having that era brought to life for me from a different perspective than I've read before.

 

Part of me wants to give this an extra star for the historical research, but the dialogue is stiff and the story just doesn't flow well. Still, it's worth persevering.

 

The mission seemed simple enough even for an ex-army ranger out of his element by a century and should have been a walk in the park. Because Mace isn’t the only who breaks into the secure facility and the building is overrun with terrorists. Mace has to find a way out before he compromises himself and the entire Red Zone team to the enemy but there’s no leaving with the woman who inadvertently helped him get inside and she has no idea that she’s calling to the animal that’s been locked inside him for a century.

 

The second book in the ‘Red Zone’ series is action packed and full of extreme suspense that has readers holding their breath and while knuckling their books or ereaders. The characters are strong, vivid and believable which makes it easy for readers to become caught up in their story and the chemistry between the hero and heroine sizzles with enough electrical current to knock out all the power to the building they are in. The relationship however starts off on an exciting wrong foot and is full of feisty and heated arguments as they struggle to stay alive while denying their attraction.

 

The plot is fast paced, full of suspense and reminds readers of ‘Die Hard’ type movies where the action never stops and the readers can’t possibly find a moment to relax from the pulse pounding excitement. The author has certainly created a wonderfully different futuristic world and a creative paranormal being that is sorta shifter life but really isn’t which makes this a fascinating, feisty and entertaining must read book.

 

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#1 The Awakening - ★★★★★
#2 The Struggle - Review Coming Soon!



I had The Awakening and the Struggle (the first and second books from the Vampire Diaries series) on my shelf for years.

When I say years, I mean it. It all started when I was in high-school, around 6 years ago, and I was in love with the Vampire Diaries TV Show. When I found out there are books as well, I begged my mum to buy them for me. And once I had them, I never got to read them, because teenage logic...

I recently noticed the Vampire Diaries books sitting on my shelf, forgotten, and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to read it in October, because of the whole spooky vibe. So there it is now - even thought the wheel didn't choose it, I did, because it deserved the attention!

Elena Gilbert is a popular girl in high-school and she always gets what she wants. Boys want to be with her, girls hate her, or want to be her best friends. And when this new boy Stefan comes into town, all mysterious, Elena wants him. But Stefan is hiding a deadly secret that Elena might now be ready for just yet. And her life, as well as the life of everyone living in Fell's Church is in grave danger... Elena finds herself between two brothers - one who came for a new life, and the other, who came for revenge...

Reading this book, while already knowing what the plot it, I thought I found find it boring. But no. I still enjoyed every single page of it, and I still devoured this book in one day.

From the first chapter, this book is intense and captures your attention. It is written in third person, but it also contains diary entries that belong to Elena and capture her deepest thoughts that she doesn't dare share with anyone else.

I loved Elena!

Her character is exactly what I was expected and what I have known to love - brave and fierce, and also willing to sacrifice her own happiness and safety for the people she loves the most. 

Elena's friends, Meredith and Bonnie are the friends every girl needs. Funny and caring. A few pages in, and you will get to love them too.

Stefan - the mysterious new guy in school. The guy that tries to stay away from the girl he really wants because he's a danger to her. A little bit of Twilight vibes, but we can get past that. Because there is one thing that Twilight didn't have, that you can find reading The Vampire Diaries...

DAMON

Even though we only get a glimpse of him in this book, we can feel his presence throughout the whole book. We can feel his connection with Elena, as weird and spooky as it may be. All that danger that he carries with him, we all want to see whether there's anything good in him at all. His story is the most intriguing one, I think. His hunger for revenge makes you really understand both sides of the story and choose a side for yourself.

So, are you team Stefan, or team Damon?

I loved reading this - it was an amazing experience and it reminded me of my high-school days, of those innocent happy memories. My teenage life didn't include vampires, but hey - it was still awesome!

Pick the Vampire Diaries up if you love Young Adult spooky books, if you loved Twilight and if you love vampire, love and mystery stories in general.

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