Publication Date: 23rd October 2013

Publisher: Kellan Publishing

ISBN: 978-1493567683

Source: Review copy received by author

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

Dawn Summers is dying. It’s 1853 and as the seventeen year old continues to fade away she has visions of the father she never knew, urging her to fight for her life. In the small village of Fandova the only medical care is in the form of the mysterious Dr. Moralus who has a known penchant for bloodletting. Thomas, Dawn's fiancé, is warned against inviting his intervention, but feels he has no choice, he pleads with the doctor to save Dawn’s life…whatever it takes. Whatever it ‘takes’ has some consequences neither of them expected. Now, it’s a hunt to the death, with both Dawn and Thomas determined to win.

Review:

 This is a slightly different take on the traditional vampire tale, and has some cleverly written scenes and one twist, in particular, that I didn't forsee. That said, I found most of the characters rather uninspiring. There were bits I really liked and bits I didn't, hence my middle of the road rating. I'd like to read more by the author and hope to enjoy them.

Publication Date: 29th November 2013

Publisher: Author

ISBN: 978-1494324841

Source: Author

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: 

Hot tempered, Mabe O'Banyon will do whatever it takes to keep the family's Irish pub, Shenanigans, out of the mob's dirty hands. She quickly learns, though, their attorney and the bank will offer no help. So, she calls in the reinforcements--Mara and Meg. She hasn't seen her two sisters for years, but her desperate message brings them running. Commercial real estate developer, Aaron Shaw has a secret. He arrives in Monticello, FL, expecting to purchase a quaint Irish pub and move on to his next conquest. But the transaction doesn't take place as planned--in fact, it doesn't take place at all. The hardheaded owner--a stunning redhead with curves that don't quit--isn't selling. With time running out and the mob on their heels, Aaron wants nothing more than to save the woman he's fallen for from impending danger. Mabe is torn between a man she loves but can't trust and the need to hold on to her family's pub. Their choices lead them down a path neither could have guessed.

Review:

This first book about Shenanigans and the O'Banyon sisters is a story of life and death, love and loss, family and friends. The sisters are interesting characters and all likeable. I'm not a particular fan of romance, but agreed to review this for the author, so romance fans would probably rate this higher than my 3 stars.

Although the story was fairly enjoyable, I found it quite predictable. This made it an easy and lighthearted read, despite it's sad parts. There are also some grammatical issues, easily cleared up by a proofreader/editor, though I appreciate that this isn't always achievable.

I'd be interested to read the next book in the series to see where the story goes, but I can make an educated guess, so would only download it if it was free.

Babble & Bite is a collection of unusual short (some very short!) stories. They cover a variety of genres and themes and I consider them to be a good introduction to this author.

The stories are well written and engaging, full of lively characters and each story held my interest throughout. I was disappointed when I came to the end of the book, so I'll definitely be reading more from Kat Nove.

*I received a review copy of this book from the author, in return for an honest review.

I'd like to thank author Geoffrey R. Tigg, for providing me with a review copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Although I'd not exactly been enamoured by another book by the same author, I decided to reserve judgement and read The Painting. This book is one of a series featuring Detectives Kelly O'Brien and Simon Chung and the intricate homicide cases they investigate.

The case featured here is complex, involving multiple murders and criminals aplenty. I found the plot interesting, but it didn't excite me to the point of reading until the early hours, determined to finish 'one more chapter'. I like Kelly and think she's the best character in the book, but she didn't hold my interest throughout.

I found myself wading through a lot of irrelevant detail, such as what whoever had for lunch, and there was such an abundance of brand names that I was left wondering if the book is somehow sponsored and the author receiving cash for product placement! In my defence of this theory, I'm British and we tend not to splash brand names all over the place, so a slight difference in culture could well be to blame for my well-intended joke!

At times the conversation felt stilted. I always try to read a couple of verbal exchanges aloud to see if I think they flow well; this didn't always do so. There were a lot of wrong words used, such as bazaar in place of bizarre, breaks instead of brakes, and for as. Perhaps these words were initially spelt wrong and a spellchecker used? A decent proofreader and/or copy editor could've corrected these errors, making the book a better read. I found a distinct lack of build up to the twists in the plot. A little more anticipation and suspense would've made all the difference and reduced the predictability. The very end of the book appears very rushed, almost as if a word limit was reached too soon; it was a bit of a let down.

I did enjoy some of the things about this book, but I wouldn't read it again or recommend it to anyone with a penchant for suspenseful crime. It's OK. 3/5