Review ~ All Over You (Unforgettable You #1.5) - Beverley Kendall

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 6th May 2013

Publisher: Season Publishing LLC

Description:
An ex is an ex for a reason

To Rebecca Winters, it’s not just a saying or the title to a catchy tune, it’s a rule she staunchly lives by. Especially since the break up with her ex. What’s the point in trying to fix the “unfixable”? Besides, only a girl hell-bent on more heartbreak would go back to the guy who bailed on her when she needed him most. But saying no to Scott is becoming more difficult than surviving the breakup itself. And unfortunately for her, the kind of pressure he's exerting is making her rule all too easy to break.

Scott Carver has given up trying to get over his ex. He’s still in love with her and their year apart has done nothing to change that. Yeah, he knows he screwed up. Just how royally, he wasn't aware of until now. So when Becca agrees to give him a second chance, he grabs on to it with both hands. But it’s clear the only way things will ever truly be right between them is if he comes clean…about everything. He can only pray the truth doesn’t send her running—for good this time.

*Due to language & sexual situations, recommended for readers 18+ yr. 
Warning: The sensuality level of this short novel is high

My Opinion

I didn't realise that when I requested this novella I had previously been accepted to review it with the former title Those Nights in Montreal. It was only when I went to download it to my kindle did I notice and although I prefer the new title, I really like the old cover better.

Anyway this book was a believable, fun read that included a lot of detail for a novella. The back stories with each character and the history between Scott and Becca was interesting and I liked how they developed emotionally throughout the narrative. I also loved that the author managed to create suspense in such a short amount of space and had me turning pages hoping to find out what was wrong with Scott's family. I was worried that it wouldn't be revealed as I watched the page count go down but thankfully it was and the suspense was left right until the end.

The characters in All Over you were believable and easy to relate to, which is unusual for me in a novella. Both Becca and Scott interacted nicely together and I loved Becca's stubbornness and Scott's cheeky side, for me they worked really well together. There were both sweet, funny and hot moments in the book and all were described in a nice amount of detail. I wasn't so keen on the start but as soon as they ended up in Montreal things really picked up and I was enthralled in the world the author created. A few times the book had me laughing out loud and once again a novella put a smile on my face.

The only thing that annoyed me slightly was there were a few references I didn't understand. This is probably down to my age but I do find it irritating when I read a comparison that doesn't make sense because I don't know who the person the character is being compared to.

Overall, although I haven't read the first book in the series it didn't hinder me in the slightest. This was a short, quick and easy read. It kept me hooked and there was a surprising amount of detail included for a novella. I would definitely recommend and will be checking out the rest of the series.

                 

Review ~ Confessions of a Chalet Girl - Lorraine Wilson

ebook received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 27th June 2013

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Description:

Set in the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Verbier, the winter playground of the rich and famous, Confessions of a Chalet Girl is a fun and flirty contemporary romance novella from the fabulous Lorraine Wilson.

The slopes seriously start to heat up when chalet girl Holly is propositioned by her sexy new boss!

My Opinion

This was a quick, entertaining and enjoyable read that I got through in just under an hour. It has also renewed my faith in novellas once more as I was thinking about stopping reading anything that isn't a full length novel due to previous experiences.

Confessions of a Chalet Girl was a sweet and funny story that kept me hooked and reading with a smile on my face. There were emotional moments which were nice as most of the time when these occurred it gave me an insight into the both Holly and Scott's past. This was one of the things that has renewed my faith in novellas, the characters had a past and although not described in piles of detail it enabled me to connect and engage with the characters which is normally something I struggle with.

Written with a quick pace, Confessions of a Chalet Girl keeps you turning pages at a rapid speed. I loved the relationship between Holly and Scott, especially the playful teasing. It kept me smiling and laughing as it stepped up a notch every time they encountered. Their emotions were believable and the passion was described nicely.

I think my favourite thing about this novella is the writing. The author crafted the story really well and rather than try and fit load of detail into and go off on tangents she focused on the main characters and plot. There was plenty of detail surrounding Holly and Scott and it hinted at other things with other characters but I really liked how she didn't try to cram every idea into the book. I have found with so many novellas that they jump around and are disjointed due to so many undeveloped ideas - Confessions of a Chalet Girl didn't do this, it flowed seamlessly and is crafted beautifully.

Overall I loved this novella. It was quick, fun, sexy and written well. Although I am reading this in the summer I can imagine it being a great winter or Christmas fire side read. I would highly recommend it!

Review ~ Origin of the Sphinx - Raye Wagner

ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: June 6th 2013

ASIN: B00D9627O4

Description:
In Ancient Greece, the invocation "May the Gods watch over you" was more than a spoken blessing. It was an entreaty for divine benevolence.

When Damon sees a beautiful woman alone, far from civilization, he can’t help but be drawn to her. But his life–as it should have been– is altered and twisted by the immortal touch of deity.

Damon’s daughter, Phoibe, is raised to be wary and distrustful of the gods.

And so she must choose–

If Phoibe marries a mortal, she risks eternal solitude for a moment of love.

If she follows her heart, she risks spurning a god.

The gods are powerful, and their knowledge is vast.

But the gods…

The gods are far from perfect.

Origin of the Sphinx is a novella detailing the story leading up to the creation of the mythological creature, the Sphinx. It is the beginning of the Sphinx series.

My Opinion

I love ancient history, especially ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome. I also love the mythology that comes alongside it all so when I first saw the description for this novella I was excited to start reading it and see what the author did with it all.

Being a novella Origin of the Sphinx was a quick read that I finished in just over an hour. I was surprised by how much Raye Wagner managed to fit into the small amount of pages though. There wasn't plenty of detail but there was quite a bit of action and things moved at a swift pace and for once they weren't disjointed. I have read many novellas that skip from here to there and it makes the writing jumpy and irritating. Origins of the Sphinx didn't do this which I was glad about. The author timed the breaks well, where it felt natural to have a pause or shift in time period and it flowed effortlessly into the next section.

As I'm more into history that mythology I'm not sure how closely the novella follows the truth, yet for me I really enjoyed reading it. Normally I find it hard to connect with characters in a novella due to feeling there isn't enough time to learn anything about them or create a relationship and even though I didn't fully connect with the characters, it is definitely better than any other novella I have read previously. It was also a nice surprise that we got a back story for Damon and found out snippets of information on other characters throughout. There really was quite a lot of information in such a short story which was great.

My only complaint, and it's not really a complaint, is that I wish it were longer. I would love to see it developed into a full length novel with a detailed back story for most characters, and vivid description of actions, landscapes and relationships so I could picture everything and connect with the characters. However this is part 1 of a series so I hope to find out more in part 2.

Overall Origin of the Sphinx is a short and quick novella that is an enjoyable summer read which will keep you turning pages. I would recommend it to those interested in mythology or just a light-hearted read to relax with.

                 

Book Spotlights by Vicki M Taylor

Catch of the Season - Novella

Description

A Science Fiction/Fantasy read that will have you looking over your shoulder the next time you go scuba diving. Seriously. They had been watching every Cap'n Green for a long time. Many years. Many defeats. This year, they were determined to become the hunter instead of the hunted. You'll never look at lobster season again after reading this spine-tingling story. Viewing a Red Lobster commercial will never be quite the same.

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Link:Amazon