The Order between Sisters

The Order between Sisters is written by Chelsea M. Brown and is narrated by Eliza, the older sister. 

The book is set in a college location and features around the relationship that Eliza has with her sister following behind her like a lost puppy as she is tapped to become a member of a secretive elite society.  Eliza feels that her sister getting constant “legacy” status is not fair.  Legacy, meaning that as a relative, she is instantly given top consideration for becoming a member of a sorority as well as the secret society. 

The book starts out a bit rough with a feeling of Eliza having great disdain and lack of respect for your younger sister, even having a feeling of selfishness for her own space.  I felt that the connection between Eliza and her sister was able to be breached much too easily for the disdain originally depicted in the beginning.

The story was a light enjoyable read and was a good new adult college romance.  My biggest complain about this book is the setting for the story is done in one manner and there seems to be a gap in flow between the start of the book and the growth that is seen developing with Eliza amidst various relationships that she develops.  It would have been interesting to see any of the points of view from the Little Sister Victoria.

Overall I give the book 4/5 stars.  Although I feel that there could be some more development and editing conducted in the book, once it really got going, it was a quick and enjoyable read.  Chelsea definitely has a gift for storytelling and with a bit more polishing; this could easily develop into a 5 star novel.  I look forward to any future novels that she writes.  If you are into new adult, fiction, romance, college, secret society, sister relationships, etc., then you should definitely check this book out. 

*I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Glass Heart Girl

Book Review

The Glass Heart Girl is written by Michelle Diana Low and is a book about statutory rape and the painful recovery process that Alena goes through in order to find a way to open her heart up completely to the man that she loves years later.  

The concept of this book is very exemplary and the base of the story is definitely well done.  Unfortunately I spent a lot of time, especially in the first third of the book wondering why so many common words that could have been used were instead interchanged with weird sounding thesaurus words.  There is a scene in which Alena and Phillip first meet and are kissing and it’s calling their mouths orifices…  I wasn’t sure if I should be picturing myself in a laboratory or in a porno….  I kept thinking back to the movie “10 Things I Hate About You” and how the counselor Miss Perky was trying to write an erotic romance novel and coming up for different names for sexual parts.   

I feel like there is definitely a wonderful story in here, but it is still in need of some major editing.  Alena’s trauma that she is going through when described is very realistic and believable when she is in her mind reliving past memories.  This part of the writing was superbly done.  Also the romance with Philip was a bit over the top and seemed geared for a younger possibly immature mindset, but this could tie into the sexual trauma that can be a result of how many people’s minds in love do not fully progress past the point of sexual trauma without healing, if ever.  

What was the biggest negative for me in this book was the way that Alena would sexualize and describe herself with such confidence one second and then immaturely cry and shut down and refuse to talk to Philip about anything.  I felt that there were two different people here and two different story lines that weren’t completely syncing up in a believable manner.  Then you throw in the in love with my friend vibe from the roommate Becca.  I get that the title of the book is glass heart girl, but there was no need to keep constantly saying that she had a glass heart, it did start to get a little old.

Most positive aspects of the book for me were that the characters are all wonderfully described in that you can see them in your mind as people and they have real human emotions, not just words on a page.  The trauma in Alena’s mind and the flashbacks again were wonderfully written and Michelle obviously has skill in this department.  

Overall I find myself giving this book a 3.5/5 stars.  I wanted to love it so much, but it felt so raw to be still.  The flow was constantly being interrupted for me.  The immature feel of the relationship would have been more believable if this would have been a book about a younger girl in high school as opposed to a college age woman (in my humble opinion).  Throw away the thesaurus and let your own words flow!  This got better as the story progressed, but in the beginning it really was breaking up the natural flow of the writing of the story.  There is no need for constant renaming of regular body parts such as mouths into orifices, it just sounds weird.  I would definitely read more by Michelle in the future and would love to see this book finely polished and to read more from her as she develops as an author.  If you are into romance, young adult, sensitive topics, real-life issues, fiction, this book is for you.

Blurb:

On the surface Alena has a wonderful life – she’s a bubbly, vivacious 20 year old woman enjoying university with bestie, Becca, her quirky Californian housemate and Phillip, her amazing boyfriend. But beneath all that happiness there is pain, a despairing sorrow and a heart cut so deep that it might never heal.   She is a wounded woman, psychologically trapped between two worlds – a realm of darkness and desolation and a life of love, hope and freedom. The man, who controlled, manipulated and mistreated her as a child, is a malignant shadow – a dangerous spectre lurking in the backdrop, who is hell-bent on destroying and consuming her. But now she must find the strength to fight for liberation. Banish the demons forever and embrace true love, before she is devoured by the spirits of yesterday.    This is a powerful and riveting story of one young woman’s courage, bravery and determination to overcome a distressing and traumatic childhood and welcome a new life with the man she truly loves.

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Excerpt:

Chapter 3

The Heartthrob

A tall, dark, handsome guy breezes into my dorm room, his long brown  cardigan swooping across the scope of the generous space. I’m sitting on my bed, eyes closed, heart open, feeling the coolness of his sexy ambiance rushing onto my face. It feels refreshing, delightful, satisfying. Slowly, I ease my eyes open halfway, and my glance moves to the doorway, where the presence of an ebony shadow stands proudly, absorbing the light from the corridor. It makes me feel weak in the knees, like a damsel in distress whose superhero has come to rescue her from the tedium of uni life: studying, essays, exams and heavy assignments. My face brightens, and I welcome the distraction.

Quickly, my eyes fully open; my heart races. I know who this sexy 20-year-old guy is. I am so happy he has come. I cannot breathe for a few moments, and I push my hands firmly into the bed, leaving a dent, my imprint of love, in the malleable covers. I lift my body up vertically with these sturdy hands, and swing my bottom, back and forth, using the strength of my body weight to keep me balanced. I stare deep into his eyes, rendering him speechless at the sight of my light acrobatic performance. I’m excited! He knows it. He can see my enthusiasm shining through my eyes.

I am completely stimulated by this luscious visitor, and I can see  his eyes  nearly bursting with fervour. He wants to touch me, I can tell.  But he is much too far away to do more than enjoy my body from a distance. He licks his lips, staring readily at my breasts, nature’s  kind gift to men. I move into his line of vision like an ocean’s soft, iridescent current, and moisten my thin, red lips, desperate for him to come closer. Slowly, teasingly, he ambles towards me, his custom-made jeans with diamond studs at the sides hanging loosely down, sagging at the bottom. The waistband of his blue Calvin Klein boxer shorts is clearly visible, more than adamantly insisting on his sexual prowess.


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Britain’s Next Bestseller

About the Author:

I was born in East London and have lived there most of my life. I started writing stories at six and have enjoyed writing ever since. In 2005 I graduated from Roehampton University and it is then that I found my literary voice. I began writing professionally in January 2014, when my novel ‘Heaven Calls For An Angel’, was published by a digital publisher. I wrote this book as a tribute to a friend who sadly died of cancer. My latest novel, The Glass Heart Girl, I published as an indie author at first. But then I got discovered by a publisher and I am on the verge of landing a book deal.

Connect With The Author:
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Giveaway:

Enter to win one of five autographed posters of The Glass Heart Girl!  Open internationally. The giveaway will run 10/12/14 – 10/19/14. To enter, simply leave a blog comment on the tour post, and please make sure to include a valid email address! Winners will be randomly selected and contacted by the author after the tour is over for delivery. To increase your chances of winning, simply follow the tour and comment at each stop.

The Historian's Tale

The Historian's Tale is written by K.B. Shaw and is the 1st Book in the NeWorld Paper Series.  This is a sci-fi/fantasy book filed with intrigue and highly imaginative story telling.  The book is based around a man on the brink of 18 named Fallon.

The Historian's Tale paints a world that operates with little to no emotion and a plethora or rules and order.  Children come about based upon contracts which decide which parent will get to keep the child.  Once a contract of coupling is complete, people will go their separate ways and the parent with the contract will raise the child.  If a man is not born with a contract he will be "stemmed", and therefore unable to provide any offspring.  This is a way to retain order and to prevent over population.  (Kind of sounds like something the Chinese would come up with). 

Shaw did an impeccable job with descriptions of the world and the development of the story and the characters.  Whilst reading this book I found myself vested in the main characters and wanting to know them more and was rooting for them.  The concepts that have been created and the slight reference to Marx are brilliant.  I don't want to give any of the details that unfold away so I will leave it at that.

As a ward of his school institute, Fallon will be left out on his own in the near future when he turns 18 and has no idea what will become of him.  After witnessing a heinous crime occur, he finds himself constantly looking over his shoulder.  The many rules of NeWorld do not provide for my ingenuity or imagination, which leaves Fallon's ability to draw anything in detail from memory an ability that must be hidden.  Without warning he is then purchased by a wealthy woman to be indentured help.  Nothing that has happened to him in life thus far is going to prepare him for what is to come. 

I give this book 5/5 stars, as I was engrossed in it and was finding any small amount of time that I could spare to read more into the story.  I was hooked from the beginning and I love all of the thought provoking aspects that Shaw has added into this tale.  I cannot wait to read Book 2 and get more involved with the story.  It was a pleasure "watching" the story develop before my very eyes.  This would make for an excellent movie or mini series.  If you are into sci-fi, fantasy, romance, new adult, young adult, mystery, suspense, and fiction this book is definitely for you. 

*I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Forgotten Ones

I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Forgotten Ones is written by Laura Howard and is book one in the Danaan Trilogy. This book is based around a woman named Allison O’Malley who has just finished college and is planning to attend grad school. She lived with her grandparents and her schizophrenic mother. Allison knows nothing of her father except that his name is Liam and that her mother met him while visiting Ireland.

Laura has definitely chosen a subject matter that is near and dear to my heart with the subject of the Tuatha de Danaan and their amazing lore. The Danaan are the Celtic Fairies that were most prominent before Christianity took over. From the glimpses that were to be had in this novel I am intrigued by her interpretation of them.

Although The Forgotten Ones is supposed to be written about college age kids, everyone lives with their parents and seems to almost be more like high school kids on Summer break with the feel that you get for them. The story is entertaining and a quick read. I did enjoy the characters, but I didn’t really feel a connection to them. Instead of being a fully integrated part of the story, I felt more like I was on the outside looking in.

Allison’s mother Beth was schizophrenic, but it seemed more like a clinical approach than the connection I wanted to feel from a situation that had affected Allison her entire life and that she was preparing to take on for the rest of her life in the care for her mother.

The only relationship that seemed to truly take on any emotion was the one between Allison and Ethan. Although this relationship felt like it was between much younger characters, it felt real and heartfelt. You could actually feel Allison’s real hesitation to pursue anything with Ethan, and also the warring of her yearning to try. The only thing that seemed the most unrealistic was his almost instant change to a gentleman from a player.

With all that being said I give this book a 4/5 stars. Regardless of any errors, it was still enjoyable to read. It was a great light read, and I would definitely like to read more in the trilogy. It felt like the book was really just getting started in on the action at the end of the book. If you are into fiction, fantasy, Celtic Lore, romance, new adult, etc, then you would enjoy this book.