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review 2017-06-02 23:58
Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia | READ THIS NOW!

This past Tuesday, Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia was released into the world, and you all need to get a copy. Now.

I was an Eliza beta reader about a year and a half ago, and I finished reading my hardback yesterday. All the praise that I had already given the beta version? Oh, wow. Magnify that by a hundred. This book is fantastic. Here are my 5 reasons for why you need NEED to read it.

 


1) Fantastic Characters--

It's a well known fact that Chessie makes amazing, multi-layered characters, the type to delight fans of all ages (cc: Made You Up). Her characters feel flesh and blood. They make you want to cry and scream, and you get frustrated on their behalf. Chessie's attention to detail makes her characters come alive, with their own little habits and phrases. And with such fantastic characters, you're guaranteed to be engaged in the story, even if you don't always agree with what the characters do.

Eliza and Her Monsters - Francesca Zappia
2) Breaking Gender Norms--

The romantic interest in this book is a hulk, former football player and now fanfiction writer and a selective mute, with a soft voice. The main character is a girl with greasy hair and social anxiety, and she's this super popular creator of a webcomic. Society tends to portray female creators as being Nice, Polite Women - women need to comprise, to smile more often, etc. Here, we have another story to rival that. And many of the side characters also break gender norms. I don't know about you, but I'm very pleased to have a story where the characters aren't in these flat cardboard boxes of what we expect (e.g., alpha male). This also makes the characters feel more real to me.

3) The Unique Formatting--

You can look at several of the Goodreads reviews that mention the photos - here, for instance. Or just at look at the EpicReads post of the first two chapters. You can see the inclusion of the Monstrous Sea webcomic pages, and the prose transcription beneath. You can see private messages between the characters - the moderators of the webcomic and Eliza, the romantic interest and Eliza. You can see forum interactions and forum profiles. Most of the YA books out right now don't have this amount of layering within their stories. Horror YA sometimes includes pictures, and other fandom related books might have some stories, some fanfiction--not to this extent, not to this level of metaness. See point below.

4) Unlike Anything Else You've Read--

This book has been compared to Fangirl and Afterworlds and Nimona, because every book needs to be compared to something, so you have an idea of its marketing. It's a fact of life that you build on schemas that people already have of the world. But this book is unlike anything else that you've read. You only get Cath's fanfiction in Fangirl, some of the story from the main character in Afterworlds. Nimona started off as a comic. None of these is quite the same as Eliza and Her Monsters. Here, you get the main character's creation and see how she interacts with her fans, and you see how fanfic writers interact with the creator and the fandom. You also get to hear about a series of books that she loves, too. Chessie has posted this online - the Children of Hypnos story. The main character has a drive to create after the fandom that she loves no longer exists. You have access to that story too. There's this amazing level of metaness in this story that ties so well into the themes of creation, fandoms, etc. I repeat: unlike anything else you've read.

5) So Easy to Relate to--

If you're reading this book, there is a good likelihood that you will relate to SOMETHING in this book. Whether it's the main character's social anxiety, the need to create, the desire to interact with the fandom, or just loving how the fandom interacts-- there is something for everyone. And you know that Chessie has interacted with or been a part of fandoms, because it shows in her writing. It shows in how fandoms a portrayed. Marieke Nijkamp wrote the blurb, "A love letter to fandom, friendship, and the stories that shape us, Eliza and Her Monsters is absolutely magical." Yes, yes, yes. A love letter to fandom and friendship and stories. Yes. 100% true.

READ THIS BOOK!

PS - This wonderful novel got a starred review from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal.

PPS - Here is my original pre-review: I read a manuscript of this book about one year ago to date. If you like Made You Up, you will most certainly love Eliza! Chessie brings back her trademark endearing humor in another wonderful mix of adorable romance, quirky characters, and multilayered plotting (plus the cool formatting here, which is typically reserved for YA horror, but hey, Eliza is just that awesome). I would also recommend this book to fans of Fangirl and Afterworlds.

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review 2017-04-23 22:32
The Forbidden Highlands
The Forbidden Highlands - Terri Brisbin,Eliza Knight,Kathryn Le Veque,Victoria Vane,Emma-Sue Prince,Violetta Rand,Collette Cameron,Amy Jarecki

Title: The Forbidden Highlands
Authors: Kathryn Le Veque, Eliza Knight, Terri Brisbin, Amy Jarecki, Collette Cameron, Emma Prince, Victoria Vane & Violetta Rand
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"The Forbidden Highlands" by: Kathryn Le Veque, Eliza Knight, Terri Brisbin, Amy Jarecki, Collette Cameron, Emma Prince, Victoria Vane & Violetta Rand

Featuring: The Forbidden Highlands..'The Maiden of Moray' .by Author Victoria Vane

My Thoughts...

This is a beautiful medieval Scotland story that is portrait in 'The Maiden Of Moray.' The beautiful
details that are presented in the story is so well done giving you the feeling this you are there in the midst of it all. The story features Alexander has been chosen as a tutor for the Domnall. Since Alexander is now getting to see the world before taking his vows what will happen when see sees Lady Sybilla? What does she have in mind for him since she has never been kissed? Will Alexander began to question whether taking his vows would be the best for him especially when 'secrets that have been long hidden from him' began to come out. Will all of this alter what is out there for him? Be ready for some very complex characters with some backstories that will keep the reader interested in what will come next. Well, to find out how this story will come out I guess the reader will have to pick up the next series to see what will happen between Sybilla and Alexander.

Along with "The Maiden of Moray" the reader will get quite a collection of a total eight short entertaining romantic novellas all dealing with 'Forbidden Love.' Each of the stories are well written with 'their unique style to capture the reader's heart' and will definitely hold ones attention to the very end and will have you wanting to get the next story.

 

 

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review 2014-12-07 02:44
Wanton Christmas Wishes
Wanton Christmas Wishes - Eliza Lloyd,Samantha Kane,Kate Pearce,Monica Burns,Madelynne Ellis,Jess Michaels

Book Description:

"Welcome to Wanton Christmas Wishes, an offering from six bestselling erotic historical romance authors. Dukes, soldiers, lords and gentlemen court and seduce beautiful heroines and make all their wishes come true. These tales are the perfect bite to get you in a festive mood…


HIS TO COMMAND by bestselling author Monica Burns. Prequel to the Self-Made Men Series. A Christmas Eve blizzard and one small act of discipline compromises Charlotte Clayworth, but she refuses John Fordyce's proposal. Now, years later, the Self-made Men decide to reunite the lovers for one more wanton Christmas wish.


THE KISSING BOUGH by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Madelynne Ellis. Viola Marsh has been forced to live an austere life, locked away under the watchful eye of her spinster aunt. Only on Christmas Eve is she allowed her freedom, to take part in the tradition of wassailing. Cousins, Percy Gilling and Lord William Ricborough share a close and special relationship, and they require a very particular woman to satisfy their needs. What they’re not expecting is to find her poised beneath the mistletoe on a wintery hilltop.


HAMISH by Samantha Kane. Book One of The 93rd Highlanders. During the Crimean War, injured Captain Hamish Fletcher is sent to the hospital in Scutari, where he finds his old friend and lover Dr. Phineus Harper treating the wounded. Finn can keep him at the hospital until Christmas. Will it be enough time to convince widowed nurse Edith Lambeth to grant both men their Christmas wishes?


ALL A MISTRESS WANTS by Eliza Lloyd. Eloisa Larkin wishes for the one thing she can’t have—the love of the powerful Duke of Sterling. Being his mistress provides many luxuries but being hopelessly devoted to a man who loves another as left her feeling alone and the last thing she wants is to spend Christmastide with him and his family.


A CHRISTMAS KISS by Jess Michaels. Tricked into spending time alone with the husband who made it clear he doesn't care about her, the Countess of Blackgrove, Amelia, has no idea how to react. But Stephen only wants seduction... and love.


LOVING MICHAEL by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce. Since returning from the peninsular wars, Michael Waterstone has learned to live within restricted boundaries and taught himself not to yearn for what he can never have. Fortunately for him, ex-courtesan Angelique Delisle is no respecter of boundaries of any kind, and offers him a provocative Christmas wager that might change his life forever..."

Title: Wanton Christmas Wishes

Authors: Monica Burns, Madelynne Elis, Samantha Kane, Eliza Lloyd, Kate Pearce & Jess Michaels
Publisher: Crush Star Multimedia LLC
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5

Review:

"Wanton Christmas Wishes" By Authors: Monica Burns, Madelynne Elis, Samantha Kane, Eliza Lloyd, Kate Pearce & Jess Michaels


What I enjoyed from this novel.....

"Wanton Christmas Wishes" had a lots of unfamiliar authors for me but I must say they were all a interesting bunch of writers (six) where I found the stories were well written and enjoyable. This collection of fabulous anthologies will have a little for all readers...from erotic passionate romance friends to lovers, Highlanders, love songs, 'orgasms,' kilts and even some kinkiness. This is definitely one of those reads that you will have to pick up and read it for yourself and see where that author will take you.

Overall I thought this was a delightful Adult Christmas reads about love, passion, forbidden love, love triangle and complicated relationships. I loved how these author kept there stories moving being mostly short, sweet and yes....steamy and erotic. If you are in for enduring love with some sensual festive cheer to some historical erotica you have come to the right place for "Wanton Christmas Wishes" will give it to you.

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url 2014-06-02 20:51
The Gal on Luxury Reading #3 - My Lady Viper
My Lady Viper (Tales From the Tudor Court) (Volume 1) - Eliza Knight

The Gal is once again over on Luxury Reading - for review #3 - this time on a book called My Lady Viper. Check it out, join the giveaway and let me know what you think :)

Source: luxuryreading.com/myladyviper
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