Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Stormi (105 KP) rated The Plum Tree in Books

Apr 13, 2018  
TP
The Plum Tree
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Christine finds herself in love with a man above her in station, Isaac. She is poor and works for his family, yet he is rich. Despite this, he is also in love with her. When the war begins the stations they hold mean nothing. The only thing that matters now is that Christine is German and Isaac is a Jew. This story follows the hardships of war and the hope for a young love.


 This book was wonderful. It is written in such detail that you can just imagine being there. The characters are real and relatable. Christine and Isaac face so much hardship. Between the stations they hold to the religions they follow, they face such trouble in being together. The determination these two show is inspiring. Christine is followed more than Isaac, and her story is inspiring. The War takes this story to new light. I thought this was going to be a book about romance in hard times. While it was that, it was also a book of survival and hope in in a country ravaged by war. It was a new view on the horrors that the Germans and the Jews faced. Bombings, death, persecution, love, survival, and hope for a better future are all part of this story. This story was truly a marvelous read about a horrible time. This story provides so much emotion that at times I was so happy while others just broke my heart and brought me to tears. This certainly was an emotional read, but that just makes this an even better story. This was a story filled with love, loss, hope, and a world war that changes the lives of so many.

This is the second book I have read by this author and each book is amazing in detail and written in such a way that you can't help but be sucked into the story. I am so glad I was able to review this story for such a talented author.
  
Reborn (Semiramis #2)
Reborn (Semiramis #2)
Maya Daniels | 2019 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reborn (Semiramis, #2) by Maya Daniels
Reborn is the second book in the Semiramis series, and we continue where we left off. Alexia is training hard, determined to find her sisters, Philip, and Derik. Lucifer is training her for his own reasons, and I'm happy to say Daisy makes a reappearance. Alexia is changing, not very surprising considering what happened at the end of the first book, but she is struggling with it. She is full of anger and guilt about what happened to her sisters.

This book is full of ideas on how to be 'reborn', and I think Alexia does most of them. It all runs true with the story though, and in each case it is more interesting, giving the reader more of an idea of what is going on, whilst still leaving me wanting more. I loved seeing the interplay between Alexia and Lucifer, but I will admit to loving when Remi and the others come back into play. There is something about how they spark off each other that makes it perfect. Although I understood Alexia's internal monologues, I loved how she was once they were all reunited.

There is no middle book slump with this book. It is a fantastic addition to the series. The world-building continues to excel, and the characters are interesting and fully-dimensional. There is layer upon layer of intrigue, and I really can't wait to continue with The Vessel. This is one story that I am thoroughly enjoying, and I need to finish it. I need to see where it is going, what will be the outcome, and of course, just how Lucifer and Alexia finish their... training. ?

If you love #Fantasy #Romance, then I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending either this book, or the series.

* 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!
  
Well, I read this book in under twenty-four hours easily, and that is with two toddlers to keep me on my toes. With all of the positive reviews out there, I'm surprised it took me this long to get to this book, even despite the over-abundance of vampires in fiction literature.
Cat is like a Midwestern version of Buffy, with a healthy dose of vampire genetics to add to her coolness. Bones' style, looks, and British accent remind me of Spike, so he quickly became my favorite character in the book. These factors alone are enough to get me hooked on the series, but Frost's ability to write hot sex scenes without any of the cheesiness that is prevalent in the romance genre just adds to the appeal.
There were a few small things I did not like, such as the death of certain characters, but I can see how these events served to move the plot along. There were many unpredictable twists and turns in the plot that constantly had me guessing as to what would happen next - and reading to find out. The humor was very entertaining without becoming center-stage in the plot, and I especially loved the dynamics between Cat and Bones. I would have loved to read all two hours of dirty talk that Bones dished out to Cat as part of her training, his forthrightness with her regarding his feelings was intoxicating.
The ending was noble, but not what I would have preferred. Still, it sets up wonderfully for the next book, because I just know that Bones will be hunting Cat down like he promised. Plus, there is lots of untapped potential in Cat's abilities, and I have to wonder if she does not have the same abilities as other vamps with her green eyes. On to One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)!
  
H(
Hannah (Daughters of the Sea, #1)
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was both mysterious and sweet, as Hannah very slowly discovers what she is and where she truly comes from. Even though I found the whole process of discovery rather drawn out, I didn't mind the slow pace because of the age of the girl and setting that she lived in, at a time in which women were never even given the opportunity to go to college and the wage of a few dollars was considered good income. How the orphans were handled, some even being "adopted" into households in the midwest, had me wondering just how common this practice was at the time and how it played into geneologies. The intricacies of how the household is run that Hannah works in is enlightening, as I had no idea there was such a heirarchy among the servant class of that time period.
Hannah is only 14 when she goes through these changes to become a mermaid, but if that had happened to me at that age, I don't think I would have had the courage to abandon what security I could find for the great unknown of the vast ocean. What I found greatly disappointing was how her budding romance with the painter was just left hanging, with no resolution or explanation of what he was and why he left the ocean. I can only assume that since this is the first of three books, that his character will be further explored in future books. I also worried for the household that Hannah had been working in and what happened to them in the impending storm, but that loose end was not resolved either. The nuances of Hannah's revelation that give me clues as to what she is are interesting, such as the changing nature of Hannah's hair, her ability with the harp, and the way she sheds salt and scales. I always love when the author gives such attention to details. I look forward to reading about Hannah's two long-lost sisters and their own revelations.
  
SG
Sea Glass (Glass, #2)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was a little disappointed by this book, since I enjoyed the previous one so much. I had expected Opal Cowan to spend more time and effort in exploring what she can do with her glass abilities, but it seemed to be more of the same denial of her immense magical potential. Put glass in Opal's hands and the world is hers to command, whether for good or bad, but she is so focused on the weight of responsibility that this power gives her that she really does not do much with it at all - until the tail end of the book.
A large part of the book is devoted to Opal attempting to stop the spread of blood magic knowledge, as well as monitoring Ulrick and Devlen's actions. In the meantime she graduates, gets together with the Stormdancer Kade, and pursues setting up her own private glass-making business, though with not much success in the latter. All of her pursuits take large chunks of time because someone is constantly trying to control her for her different abilities, which can make for tedious reading. I enjoyed her romance with Kade simply because there seemed very little effort on either of his or her part to connect with the other - like they were made for each other. In contrast, Devlen's almost constant attention to Opal is perplexing because Opal regularly second-guesses his intentions. It is nearly impossible to figure out his real motivation because his previous actions show him to be a very good liar and manipulator. I will be interested to see where his subplot goes in the final book.
The way that Opal finally deals with the power that she has over glass took me by surprise, but I like it. The outcome creates an entirely new set of circumstances for her, but one that she has a precedent for. Plus, no longer is she at the mercy of magic, though how much she realizes that will hopefully be shown in the final book, Spy Glass.
  
The Vessel (Semiramis #3)
The Vessel (Semiramis #3)
Maya Daniels | 2019 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Vessel (Semiramis, #3) by Maya Daniels
The Vessel is the third book in the Semiramis series, and once again, we continue where we left off. Alexia and her sisters (plus others) are reunited; they still have the tablets to find; and now Alexia is dealing with Lucifer too.

This series has completely enthralled me. I dropped what I was reading, to read this. Trust me, that NEVER happens. I am a monogamist reader!!! Except... I NEEDED to know what happened. Now, I'm not saying this book was perfect (although it came damn near close). Did I have questions at the end? Yes, I did. Did it matter or impact my enjoyment of this book? Absolutely not.

The wit, banter, and love is full throttle in this book, and one of the bits I loved most was when everyone thought Alexia was angry, and instead she was grief stricken. Her explanation was perfect! There are surprises aplenty in this book, and I will admit to crying throughout what felt like three-quarters of the book!!! The characters have drawn me in over the three books - becoming real in my mind. I laughed with them, and so therefore I cried with them too. ?

Now, this is the last book in this trilogy, but it can't be the end. It simply can't. I refuse to admit it. I NEED more, like at least another three book set! I won't say anymore as I don't want to give out any spoilers, but read it for yourself, and you'll see what I mean.

I have loved this #Fantasy #Romance series, and I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending either this book, or the series.

* 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!
  
TS
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b>4.5 stars</b>

<b>The Seance</b> was one of those books that I just could not put down! Addictive, fast-paced, thrilling, and thoroughly fun, it had everything I wanted to read - mystery/suspense, romance, paranormal - and reminded me of R.L. Stine for adults. Of course it's not 'serious' fiction, who wants that when picking up a book that looks like this? It's fun brain candy, plain and simple, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I haven't had an easy time finding books to read because my concentration level has taken a nosedive, but this book had me hooked from the back synopsis - and kept me hooked throughout. Yes, there are some editing issues, coincidences, red-heads seem to be the main populace, redundancies (e.g. victims are attractive red-heads, beautiful red-heads, gorgeous red-heads, and did I mention Christina's a beautiful, attractive, gorgeous red-head also? Argh, it was annoying! I got it the first time; I don't need it repeated ten million times.), and I figured out who was behind everything in the first-seventh of the book, which could have used more of an explanation for the why at the end, but my problems are eclipsed by the engaging plot.

After Christina called Gen, I wondered if there was a previous book with her, Thor, and Adam, and there is called [b:The Vision|731809|The Vision (Harrison Investigation, #3)|Heather Graham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308964367s/731809.jpg|717999], and I've already ordered it from the library - I can't wait to read it! I'm thinking Heather Graham's romantic suspense novels might just be the key that'll keep me reading all the way to the end of a book. :) So, overall, I liked the characters, the story was great, and even though it isn't even close to Hallowe'en, I would still recommend it for a thrilling good read.
  
Dark Protector introduces an interesting new concept in the paranormal romance field. If there are other books that deal with something like a paladin and this sort of plot, I don't know about them and haven't ever come across anything similar.

Laurel and Devlin were nice characters but that was about it; there wasn't much depth to them or back story. I would have liked to know more about Devlin and how he came to be a paladin exactly (at least I don't think it was mentioned). I mean he was about three times Laurel's age, so he had to have lived some outside the paladin world. You don't just start fighting in diapers. What is the whole history of the paladins and how do they come back? Also, I'd love to know more about the Others, which I suspect is to come, but they sound so intriguing! Why do they cause chaos to the human world? Why are they on the other side? What are they like? Were they really humans long ago but were sent/punished/whatever to be on the other side?(My hypothesis) I hope Ms. Morgan answers these questions in the future!

I still can't help but feel that there was something missing (besides my before mentioned questions :P) - I'm not sure what it was, maybe because the whole book was an introduction to the paladins and the rest of the series, but I don't know. Or it could be the relationship itself, which wasn't quite believable - nice but not something I'll remember. Still, I will read more in the series, especially Trahern's and Cullen's books, and hope they progress nicely in the future.
3.5 stars

*note
Excuse me if I've missed things mentioned in the actual book but I had started it a couple months ago, couldn't concentrate on reading at all, and just picked it back up yesterday.
  
A
Ablaze
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Actually the back cover is wrong and he never makes an offer of money for dinner with her.
As with most other books of the 80's, there are a lot of "endearments", which drive me crazy for some reason. Maybe because there’s one in every sentence the "hero" utters in the beginning? I don't know, I just get tired of hearing, "little one", "darling", and let us not forget in this book, "Heller mine"! Ugh, how awful that one is!! Not to mention all the comments about her voice going squeaky. *rolls eyes* The typical overbearing, bulldozing male is once again used in this book. Why he can't just let Heller tell things in her own time is beyond me, instead he has a private investigator (or the like) pry into her business to find out.

Some other things I didn't like about the book:
1. There was too much going on in it; mother's health, a fire, the Witness Protection Program, misunderstandings (which are usually the main or only thing in a romance book). Just pick one and stick with that, don't go over-the-top.

2. Heller was worried about endangering Conrad's life but not Simeon's, I found that wrong. Some convoluted thinking there.

3. Why-oh-why did the author decide to name Heller's best friend Doodie?

Even with all that I still found myself enjoying it more and more as I progressed through the book. Both Con and Heller became more likeable and Heller started showing more spunk. I do have to say that everything tied itself up rather nicely in the end and their relationship was rather sweet and instead of not being together until the end, they actually had a relationship during the book. And the after-party was highly entertaining, too. :)

If you can get through the first 50 or so pages it's actually rather rewarding! I ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would. :)
  
Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #1)
Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #1)
Sherrilyn Kenyon | 2009 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
7.9 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay, before I start my review, I have a little pet peeve about Sherrilyn Kenyon's writing: She'll switch from one character to another without warning. There I am, happily reading along from Amanda's viewpoint, when all of a sudden it's Kyrian. Ugh! I know I've read other authors who do the same thing, but somehow it flows better and isn't like - what just happened?! Okay, end rant.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I did like Fantasy Lover more than this one. While I don't always think Ms. Kenyon is the best writer (it sometimes feels disjointed to me) her world is very imaginative and interesting. The creatures/characters are intriguing, and the story was just plain fun to read. Hey, there's a tortured hero, what more do you need? I was really into it close to 200 pages in, then I had to put it down. The next day I picked it up and it didn't grab me as much as the day before. Though towards the end it started to pick up for me, and of course I'm a big sap for happy endings. That's why I read romances more than anything else. I don't know about other romance readers, but I've had a hard life and I need a little lightness in it. That's where romances help. Now that I've bared my soul (no pun intended - hopefully you'll get it if you've read the book), I think I'll get back to the review. Now where was I? I know that Talon will be in the next book in the series, but I can't wait to read about Acheron. If he doesn't have a book out now, Ms. Kenyon needs to start writing his story. Well, as I said before (I think), it was a fast and fun read!

Please excuse me if my review is a little disjointed (haha), I can't quite put into words how to explain how I felt about the book. Ah, oh well; can't win them all!