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Lantern (Danubian #1)
8.0
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In the black night, I alone uphold the shrine of the seven lantern gods. The year is 2448....
MM Paranormal Romance
Carma (21 KP) rated How to Keep a Secret in Books
Jun 17, 2019
How to Keep a Secret is written in a different style than we normally see from Sarah Morgan. As with all her other novels, this one flows story to story without hesitation blending all 4 womens stories into one overall story. Not leaving you feel like you are reading separate stories, another 5 star, well done for Ms. Morgan.
How to Keep a Secret follows the stories of Mom Nancy, a painter who barely had time for her daughters while they grew up. Sisters Jenna, who longs for a baby with her husband (maybe too much), Lauren, whos husband unexpectedly dies leaving her in chaos with her teenage daughter Mack, who isnt much into supporting her mother right now. They each are well versed in secret keeping, will they come together as one to tackle them head on.
Each woman has her own story to tell and each is told with passion, compassion, dignity and grace from both their own perspectives and as seen from those around them. Once again Ms. Morgan uses her pen and paper to draw us into this world, surrounding us with new friends who we fight for, care about and are sad when they leave us.
Nancys story could be a mothers story from any age or perspective. She is the breadwinner and leaves the care of the girls up to their dad, the fun one. She feels like she has neglected them their whole lives and has no clue how to be there for them now. Having lost her husband 5 years ago she has become a shell of her former self. She has to do some major life adjustments and clean outs to get back to being herself again. Maybe even find love again.
Lauren is dealing with the loss of her husband as well, though in the present not the past as her mother is. She has lost the close connection with her teenage daughter Mack, and has absolutely no idea what happened to cause the rift. At her husbands funeral she finally finds out the reason behind Macks sudden departure. As she packs and moves back home to Marthas Vineyard, can she find peace with her daughter once again?
Jenna has suffered her own personal losses as of late she cant get pregnant. She has no idea why or how come, she just knows she wants a baby more than anything isnt being afforded the opportunity. If one more well-meaning person tells her how great a mom shed be when she finally decided to have a baby, she would spit nails. Shes decided the universe has not. Can her marriage to Greg withstand the constant pressure that comes from trying to make a baby and failing?
Mack is a confused, upset, lonely and borderline angry teenage girl. She just lost her dad Ed and is now having to move across the pond with her mother into her grandmothers house on Marthas Vineyard. Nothing about life is fair at this moment. Can she start over in a new place, with new friends and new family?
Ms. Morgan once again tells a beautiful story that has you so wrapped up in the lives of the characters you are quite upset that it has ended. I received a copy of the novel in advance without any expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are solely my own. I would advise you to run, not walk, to the nearest place that sells Ms. Morgans books and pick up a copy today.
How to Keep a Secret follows the stories of Mom Nancy, a painter who barely had time for her daughters while they grew up. Sisters Jenna, who longs for a baby with her husband (maybe too much), Lauren, whos husband unexpectedly dies leaving her in chaos with her teenage daughter Mack, who isnt much into supporting her mother right now. They each are well versed in secret keeping, will they come together as one to tackle them head on.
Each woman has her own story to tell and each is told with passion, compassion, dignity and grace from both their own perspectives and as seen from those around them. Once again Ms. Morgan uses her pen and paper to draw us into this world, surrounding us with new friends who we fight for, care about and are sad when they leave us.
Nancys story could be a mothers story from any age or perspective. She is the breadwinner and leaves the care of the girls up to their dad, the fun one. She feels like she has neglected them their whole lives and has no clue how to be there for them now. Having lost her husband 5 years ago she has become a shell of her former self. She has to do some major life adjustments and clean outs to get back to being herself again. Maybe even find love again.
Lauren is dealing with the loss of her husband as well, though in the present not the past as her mother is. She has lost the close connection with her teenage daughter Mack, and has absolutely no idea what happened to cause the rift. At her husbands funeral she finally finds out the reason behind Macks sudden departure. As she packs and moves back home to Marthas Vineyard, can she find peace with her daughter once again?
Jenna has suffered her own personal losses as of late she cant get pregnant. She has no idea why or how come, she just knows she wants a baby more than anything isnt being afforded the opportunity. If one more well-meaning person tells her how great a mom shed be when she finally decided to have a baby, she would spit nails. Shes decided the universe has not. Can her marriage to Greg withstand the constant pressure that comes from trying to make a baby and failing?
Mack is a confused, upset, lonely and borderline angry teenage girl. She just lost her dad Ed and is now having to move across the pond with her mother into her grandmothers house on Marthas Vineyard. Nothing about life is fair at this moment. Can she start over in a new place, with new friends and new family?
Ms. Morgan once again tells a beautiful story that has you so wrapped up in the lives of the characters you are quite upset that it has ended. I received a copy of the novel in advance without any expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are solely my own. I would advise you to run, not walk, to the nearest place that sells Ms. Morgans books and pick up a copy today.
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Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Before You Break (Secrets #1) in Books
Apr 24, 2019
awesome narration of an awesome book!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the AUDIO file of this book.
Six years ago, Ellis joined the Specialist Firearms Unit. Wayne was his partner, but Wayne wanted more, much more. Ellis is straight though. When Ellis begins a spiral downwards, and Wayne can no longer keep covering for him, he knows what he needs to do. Question is, will Ellis let Wayne help the way he wants to, the way Ellis NEEDS him to?
Book one of the Secrets series, which is a spin off from the Collars and Cuffs series. I’ve no read ANY of those, so this is brand new to me.
I really REALLY loved this one!
Ellis is, by his own admission, struggling to come to terms with his responsibilities forced on him at an early age, an age when he should have been learning how to be a boy, not a man. Wayne keeps covering for his silly mistakes but it’s getting more and more difficult. After a particularly difficult op, Wayne decides enough is enough and knows what Ellis needs. But Ellis has always portrayed himself as straight, and vanilla and Wayne is neither. Wayne knows Ellis needs to be “taken in hand” to get to the bottom of what’s bothering him, and Wayne is just the man to do it: the ONLY man to do it.
Not all of Ellis’ problems are immediately clear, and it takes time for the full picture to develop and I loved that. You don’t get a massive info dump. Ellis is. . . .difficult . . .when Wayne introduces him to the lifestyle and it is, in some places, rather amusing the conversations Ellis has with himself about what Wayne is doing, WHY he is doing it.
Wayne has loved Ellis since first meeting him 6 years ago, and to have carried that flame for so long was hard on him, but finally getting his hands (quite literally!) on Ellis is a balm to his soul. Ellis is his other half and he needs Ellis to see that.
The story unfolds at a steady pace, with Wayne kinda plodding along with Ellis till ELLIS decides he wants more, and I really did like that. Sometimes, things need to speed along but not so much here and it made for a great listen.
Joel Leslie narrates.
Leslie is, in my humble opinion, a MASTER at accents. These two guys are Londoners, and the accents were spot on. Jarod and Eli pop up, they are the new owners of Secrets and their accents are very different but again, spot on. Leslie does get all the emotions that both Ellis and Wayne are going through, and I cried in some places. I ooohhh-ed and aaahhh-ed and YAY-ed and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-ed in places, out loud. I don’t do that when I’m reading but when I’m listening I seem to be more vocal with my reactions and I can only assume that’s the skill of the narrator coming across.
I had to giggle a bit though. Mr Leslie is, I think, American, and the man CANNOT say leisurely like we do in the UK. Every other word was spot on, but that one? Nope, not right. But I won’t hold it against him, cos I LOVED this narration!
I already have book 2 lined up, and I hope that Wayne, Ellis, Eli and Jarod pop up along the way. Be great to catch up with them.
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Six years ago, Ellis joined the Specialist Firearms Unit. Wayne was his partner, but Wayne wanted more, much more. Ellis is straight though. When Ellis begins a spiral downwards, and Wayne can no longer keep covering for him, he knows what he needs to do. Question is, will Ellis let Wayne help the way he wants to, the way Ellis NEEDS him to?
Book one of the Secrets series, which is a spin off from the Collars and Cuffs series. I’ve no read ANY of those, so this is brand new to me.
I really REALLY loved this one!
Ellis is, by his own admission, struggling to come to terms with his responsibilities forced on him at an early age, an age when he should have been learning how to be a boy, not a man. Wayne keeps covering for his silly mistakes but it’s getting more and more difficult. After a particularly difficult op, Wayne decides enough is enough and knows what Ellis needs. But Ellis has always portrayed himself as straight, and vanilla and Wayne is neither. Wayne knows Ellis needs to be “taken in hand” to get to the bottom of what’s bothering him, and Wayne is just the man to do it: the ONLY man to do it.
Not all of Ellis’ problems are immediately clear, and it takes time for the full picture to develop and I loved that. You don’t get a massive info dump. Ellis is. . . .difficult . . .when Wayne introduces him to the lifestyle and it is, in some places, rather amusing the conversations Ellis has with himself about what Wayne is doing, WHY he is doing it.
Wayne has loved Ellis since first meeting him 6 years ago, and to have carried that flame for so long was hard on him, but finally getting his hands (quite literally!) on Ellis is a balm to his soul. Ellis is his other half and he needs Ellis to see that.
The story unfolds at a steady pace, with Wayne kinda plodding along with Ellis till ELLIS decides he wants more, and I really did like that. Sometimes, things need to speed along but not so much here and it made for a great listen.
Joel Leslie narrates.
Leslie is, in my humble opinion, a MASTER at accents. These two guys are Londoners, and the accents were spot on. Jarod and Eli pop up, they are the new owners of Secrets and their accents are very different but again, spot on. Leslie does get all the emotions that both Ellis and Wayne are going through, and I cried in some places. I ooohhh-ed and aaahhh-ed and YAY-ed and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-ed in places, out loud. I don’t do that when I’m reading but when I’m listening I seem to be more vocal with my reactions and I can only assume that’s the skill of the narrator coming across.
I had to giggle a bit though. Mr Leslie is, I think, American, and the man CANNOT say leisurely like we do in the UK. Every other word was spot on, but that one? Nope, not right. But I won’t hold it against him, cos I LOVED this narration!
I already have book 2 lined up, and I hope that Wayne, Ellis, Eli and Jarod pop up along the way. Be great to catch up with them.
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Flame in the Mist in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Famed for her highly rated <i>The Wrath & The Dawn</i>, Renée Ahdieh has created a new fantasy world full of original characters. Set in a land similar to the Middle Eastern countries we are familiar with, <i>Flame in the Mist</i> incorporates out-dated ideology, ancient lifestyle with a hint of supernatural, and, of course – it is a Young Adult novel after all – a dash of romance. With an eclectic mix of themes, it is a book without cessation of adventure.
The protagonist, Hattori Mariko, at the mere age of 17, is destined to marry the son of the Emperor’s favourite concubine, Prince Raidan. The book commences with the journey from her home, however, Mariko never makes it to the city. Ambushed and presumed dead, Mariko is alone in the dangerous forest, at risk of being discovered by the infamous Black Clan. Instead of waiting for rescue, Mariko, fed up of women being treated as inferior to men, decides she does not want to go home, nor does she want to marry the prince. Her only remaining option is to locate the Black Clan and discover who attempted to murder her. But for this to work, she needs to convince everyone she is a boy.
Whilst Mariko is worming her way into the clan, her twin brother is determined to track down and rescue his sister. Unbeknownst to him, Mariko is beginning to feel more affiliated with their enemies than with her own family. And so a dilemma arises. Does Mariko betray her new “friends” or be unfaithful to the brother she loves?
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> is not only about Mariko’s predicament; it also concerns an age-old feud between powerful families, involving the wrongful death of a disgraced Samurai. As the younger generation reach maturity, they determine to avenge the deaths of their fathers, and, without knowing, Mariko ends up in the centre of two warring parties.
It is a little difficult to get into the story initially; many characters are introduced, but their significance is not obvious for some time. To add to the confusion, vital persons are only formally presented at the end of the novel, which finishes on a cliffhanger. The similarity of the foreign sounding names also creates uncertainty.
Ahdieh cleverly includes a problematic situation that our own world has (almost) overcome. Mariko represents the female population, a gender that is believed to be inferior to their male counterparts. Controlled by fathers, husbands, and powerful leaders, women do not have the opportunity to make their own decisions about their lives. Although it is disconcerting that someone wishes to take Mariko’s life, the ambush provides her with the freedom and chance to prove women are as capable as men. Sadly, she has to pretend to be a boy in order to do this.
It was inevitable that there would be a love interest in <i>Flame in the Mist</i>, however, it is not as inspiring as readers may hope for. The attraction between Mariko and a member of the Black Clan almost comes out of nowhere. Not only was Mariko believed to be male for a wide stretch of the novel, the character in question was one of the more abusive.
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> being the first novel I have read by Renée Ahdieh, I have nothing with which to compare it or state why it is readers particularly admire her writing. The story was mediocre at best, with very little characters that garner respect. Having been published less than a month ago, there is already a lot of hype surrounding this book – either I am missing something vital, or readers are going to be disappointed.
Famed for her highly rated <i>The Wrath & The Dawn</i>, Renée Ahdieh has created a new fantasy world full of original characters. Set in a land similar to the Middle Eastern countries we are familiar with, <i>Flame in the Mist</i> incorporates out-dated ideology, ancient lifestyle with a hint of supernatural, and, of course – it is a Young Adult novel after all – a dash of romance. With an eclectic mix of themes, it is a book without cessation of adventure.
The protagonist, Hattori Mariko, at the mere age of 17, is destined to marry the son of the Emperor’s favourite concubine, Prince Raidan. The book commences with the journey from her home, however, Mariko never makes it to the city. Ambushed and presumed dead, Mariko is alone in the dangerous forest, at risk of being discovered by the infamous Black Clan. Instead of waiting for rescue, Mariko, fed up of women being treated as inferior to men, decides she does not want to go home, nor does she want to marry the prince. Her only remaining option is to locate the Black Clan and discover who attempted to murder her. But for this to work, she needs to convince everyone she is a boy.
Whilst Mariko is worming her way into the clan, her twin brother is determined to track down and rescue his sister. Unbeknownst to him, Mariko is beginning to feel more affiliated with their enemies than with her own family. And so a dilemma arises. Does Mariko betray her new “friends” or be unfaithful to the brother she loves?
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> is not only about Mariko’s predicament; it also concerns an age-old feud between powerful families, involving the wrongful death of a disgraced Samurai. As the younger generation reach maturity, they determine to avenge the deaths of their fathers, and, without knowing, Mariko ends up in the centre of two warring parties.
It is a little difficult to get into the story initially; many characters are introduced, but their significance is not obvious for some time. To add to the confusion, vital persons are only formally presented at the end of the novel, which finishes on a cliffhanger. The similarity of the foreign sounding names also creates uncertainty.
Ahdieh cleverly includes a problematic situation that our own world has (almost) overcome. Mariko represents the female population, a gender that is believed to be inferior to their male counterparts. Controlled by fathers, husbands, and powerful leaders, women do not have the opportunity to make their own decisions about their lives. Although it is disconcerting that someone wishes to take Mariko’s life, the ambush provides her with the freedom and chance to prove women are as capable as men. Sadly, she has to pretend to be a boy in order to do this.
It was inevitable that there would be a love interest in <i>Flame in the Mist</i>, however, it is not as inspiring as readers may hope for. The attraction between Mariko and a member of the Black Clan almost comes out of nowhere. Not only was Mariko believed to be male for a wide stretch of the novel, the character in question was one of the more abusive.
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> being the first novel I have read by Renée Ahdieh, I have nothing with which to compare it or state why it is readers particularly admire her writing. The story was mediocre at best, with very little characters that garner respect. Having been published less than a month ago, there is already a lot of hype surrounding this book – either I am missing something vital, or readers are going to be disappointed.