Search

Search only in certain items:

One to Die For (Les Petites Morts)
One to Die For (Les Petites Morts)
Arial Burnz | 2011 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In this short erotic paranormal story, we meet Russell; he's a self-published author with enough money to pay for a clever marketing campaign and to donate to his favourite causes. He lives in a mansion with his childhood friend and makes use of the stories told about him to get what he wants!

This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.

Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 16, 2016
  
TC
The Cure for Dreaming
8
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>

On her seventeenth birthday 1900, Olivia Meade gets invited onto a stage to be hypnotized by the young Monsieur Henri Reverie in this historical, paranormal novel. In Oregon at this period of time women were not allowed to vote in presidential elections and Olivia’s father is determined that she does not get influenced by the campaigning suffragists. On hearing about the hypnotist, Dr. Meade hires him with the job of removing the “selfish” and “unladylike dreams” from his daughter’s head. However this causes Olivia more problems than expected. She begins to see horrible images but are these as a result of Henri telling her “you will see the world the way it truly is”, or is she hallucinating as a result of reading Dracula more times than necessary?

<i>The Cure For Dreaming</i> contains a mix of historical references and paranormal ideas as both Henri and Olivia struggle to find a successful way of reversing the effects of the hypnosis as well as involving themselves in the women’s suffrage movement.

Cat Winters, despite the added fantasy elements, has kept the book historically accurate. A typical novel about women’s equality would result in life changing successes, however as Oregon did not did not gain full suffrage until 1912 this of course was not impossible to include in <i>The Cure For Dreaming</i>. Ultimately it is a novel about growing up to be who you want to be and knowing your own mind rather than succumbing to the “natural” views of society.

The writing is contemporary and easy to understand which makes it suitable for ages twelve and older. The downside to this is that it detracts from the historical setting, making Olivia appear a lot more modern than she actually is. Apart from mimicking a classic novel type style, which would make it less suitable for its target audience, there is not a lot that can be done about that.

Between chapters of the book are relevant photographs or images from the appropriate time period, which help to illustrate the events in the plot. There are also quotes from authors such as Kate Chopin and Mark Twain as well as more political lines from various speeches. These also help to provide an understanding of the historical setting.

Overall <i>The Cure For Dreaming</i> is a great book for teenagers. There may be paranormal themes but it is not a horror novel, in fact there is just as much romance as anything else.
  
The House
The House
Eden Darry | 2019
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sadie, Fin, and their two children were a perfectly ordinary family. Even if Fin felt taken for granted sometimes. Even if their introverted son, Liam, had terrible nightmares and knew things he shouldn't.
But everything changes the night Sadie is viciously assaulted by former client Lance Sherry. Sherry knows where they live, and when the police fail to catch him, Sadie and Fin are forced to run. They think they've found the perfect place to start over. The house is everything Fin dreamed of, but as they settle in, Sadie discovers their home may not be what it seems, and daughter Lucy's imaginary friend might not be imaginary at all. Or even a friend. With Lance Sherry hunting them, the house could be the least of their problems. He's coming to finish what he started. And he won't stop until he finds Sadie.

This is the kind of book that is not easy to review because you don’t want to give anything away.
There is a paranormal element to this, but it’s almost more evil than what you think about a “normal” haunting with ghosts. And there is also a real life evil person the characters have to deal with so it’s a lot on their plates.
The combination of the real and the paranormal was a nice touch.
For the most part, the story is told from both heroines point of view, but at times the reader is also privy to what’s going on in little Liam’s head as well as the villains.
This was a great read to me and I really enjoyed it.
Recommend reading.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.