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It is a well known fact that I ADORE Jen Turano. In fact, my friends like to tease me about my "That's Jen Turano" face from when I met her in Nashville last summer. However, I only discovered her books in January of 2015 with After a Fashion. Ever since, I have been building my library and now own all her books and have finally been able to start catching up on reading them!

A Change of Fortune is filled with the quirky humour that I have grown to love in Jen's writing. Fun characters, mystery, wit, and romance. A fun quick read that is sure to lift your spirits and bring a smile (or two) to your face. There are also plenty of situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. You won't want to put it down until you know the ending. While Hamilton and Eliza must deal with hurts and betrayals from the past, God uses the troubling circumstances to bring them closer to Himself.

Set in New York City, 1880. The Gilded Age is one of my favorites to read. The fashion, the society, the adventure, is something you won't want to miss! A Change of Fortune is the first full length book in Jen's first series, Ladies of Distinction. Don't miss her other fabulous books.
  
Dead Man’s Gift: Today (Part 3)
Dead Man’s Gift: Today (Part 3)
Simon Kernick | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, what can I say? It started where Part 2 left off ... full on and although I loved it, it did seem to be over way too quickly and I would have liked it to be a little longer - at least as long as the previous 2 parts. Having said that, I think it was an excellent story and will read all 3 parts again but all at once next time. I really like Scope's character and am looking forward to getting to know him more in future books.

I think releasing this in 3 parts was genius and a great idea. It was like a really good tv series that you really look forward to watching each week BUT, if this is going to become a regular thing, each part needs to be of similar length.

I would definitely recommend this to others and other Simon Kernick novels, he hasn't let me down yet.
  
This was a very entertaining collection of stories. I was thoroughly entertained with these proposals gone awry. From Texas 1879, to Kansas 1901, there are enough laughs and gasps to go around.

I love reading novella collections because it gives you a taste of the author's style. The love of reading does have a lot to do with finding a book, genre, author "to spark your fancy". I went several years without reading much because I was trying to force myself to read a style that I just wasn't interested in. Now, I have read more in half a year than I typically read in several years put together. I have read several books by Mary Connealy, but this was my first taste of the other authors. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to reading their full length novels now. Very humorous and sprinkled with faith. This novella collection is the perfect combination of stories for any reader who loves a good western romance.
  
BI
Brothers In Arms
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Brothers in Arms Anthology has a military streak running through it, to no ones' surprise! Most of them are in a contemporary setting, but one has a distinctive Science Fiction feel to it. They aren't just M/M either, there are Ménage Moments too.

All of the stories are very well written, considering the scope of a short story. I would love to see some of them expanded into full-length stories! Some of these authors were already known to me, but some were new and I will definitely be reading more.

I enjoyed all the stories, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be either One Night With You or Would You Wait For Me? Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Winter Moon (Walker Papers, #1.5)
Winter Moon (Walker Papers, #1.5)
Mercedes Lackey | 2005 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The first story by Mercedes Lackey is meant to take place in her world of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, minus the power of The Tradition to force things a certain way. The only clue the I found that could indicate that this story would fit in the Five Hundred Kingdoms is the presence of the Fool. Other than that, it simply read as a good fantasy plotline, with equal parts romance, intrigue, and adventure. The story wrapped up nicely, with no loose ends, but I would love to read a full novel about the Grey Ladies - not much information is given on this group of women and they certainly have much potential for a good full-length story.

The second story is by Tanith Lee, whom I have never read before now. I rather enjoyed the world development, despite the length she had to work in, and the imagery was both mysterious and beautiful. After I read the story, I went looking online to see if this world fit into any other novels, but I could not find any information on this. Still, I plan to check out more of her work now.

The third story by C. E. Murphy takes place in her Walker Papers series, specifically between the first and second book. Since I have only read the first two books in the series, I thoroughly appreciated how this story filled in a few blanks for me about what is happening in the series. In this story, Joanne learns about her deceased mother, who turns out to be quite a fascinating character. I think I may even prefer her to Joanne. It can't be easy for the author to translate a thick Scottish accent onto paper, either. Now I am anxious to read more of the Walker Papers series.
  
In a Corner, Darkly: Volume 2
In a Corner, Darkly: Volume 2
Sue Rovens | 2017 | Horror
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I seem to be on an anthology binge here lately, perhaps because the stories, being in bitesized morsels, are easier for me to swallow while I edge out of a reading slump. In A Corner, Darkly: Volume 2 is a request I received a few months ago, coinciding with a more recent edition of the collection from Sue Rovens. While it still has some editing issues (I ended up purchasing it because I lost my review copy), the book certainly plays host to several entertaining stories with interesting twists.

“When the Earth Bled” is undoubtedly one of my favorites. For the most part, these stories are rather tame but Rovens does hint at the capability of making one’s stomach curl. I’ll definitely be interested in seeing more of what she’s got, especially if her full length books reflect the perfect length of her shorter tales.

A little more of the horrifying and another pass on editing would make this a four or five skull read. However, due to the errors and the fact that some of the tales weren’t all that terrifying, I’m going to have to go with a midway rating. Rovens has a lot of potential which I’d like to see come through in future works.

I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of this book (which I lost) in exchange for an honest review. This title is available for $1.99 on Amazon.