Tag Archives: book blogger

Down Two Paths: Borderline Series Book 2

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Book Review

Down Two Paths: Borderline Series Book 2

By Taya Devere

5 Stars

Literary fiction. Women’s Fiction.

A fabulous continuation of Dee’s story! Can’t wait for the next installment

As the two paths push Dee deeper into her survival journey, one path threatens suffocation, the other exhaustion. Which offers a chance of salvation?
In Reality One, Dee goes to California. Her new beginning pushes aside the past—and the trauma she escaped. Life here is filled with challenges, though: choices between right and wrong, dealing with thorny personalities, and trying to hold on to the laughter and love of Dee’s new family.
In Reality Two, life in her home country lulls her into a feeling of safety as she embarks upon the most important task of her lifetime—taking care of her baby. Her new, unconventional family of four is the center of Dee’s being, but despite their immeasurable love for her and her child, she still questions whether they would all be better off without her.

Taya Devere’s style sucks you in until you are the character. It’s why I love these books so much. The volume and intensity of feeling invoked are unique and beyond what most reading experience is like. If only a quarter of this passion is evoked in my readers, I would be proud! Well done, Ms. Devere!

The only thing negative I have to say is: Why did the end come so fast!

If you loved book 1, there is no reason not to dive right into book 2. Dee’s hopes and dreams and achievements and failures, on both sides of the border, are real and relatable and turn the human condition into something warm and great and magical, even in the face of overwhelming adversity. Sometimes, it’s all in how you look at. Others, it just sucks, but how will we face that? Both Dee’s teach us something about this, and ultimately, about ourselves.

Happy Reading 🙂

Free the Dark: Elwood Legacy Book 3

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Book Review

Free the Dark: Elwood Legacy Book Three

by Nicola Rose

5 stars

This stunning conclusion pulls no stops!

The world is descending into devastating chaos. There’s a new enemy to mankind on the horizon… it’s me.

I’m ready to let go of morality. It’s time to play.

But how much ‘fun’ is too much when you’ve accidentally triggered the vampire apocalypse?! Are there any lines left that shouldn’t be crossed?

There’s a brand new hunger under my skin, and it wants more. More of Alex’s darkness, more of Zac’s light—

The two don’t go together, but that doesn’t stop the pull in my chest, or the ravenous shadowy beat that strikes a constant melody in my soul, driving me forward, destruction in my wake.

Can I really side with vampires and stand by as humanity is lost?

Because once that darkness is set free, pulling it back might be beyond my capabilities…

Just wow! This conclusion gave me everything I wanted. Dark romance, twisted love, hard choices, harder consequences, and a finale that leaves room for more! The best one yet.

Not to mention the rebrand of this series! Check out the new covers! Well done!

I’m looking forward to new adventures from Nicola Rose.

Happy Reading 🙂

Fine, Then I Won’t

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New Year, Day One, Big changes…

Or not.

Or, at least not yet…

I’ve gotten (back) into the habit of sleeping in until 10 or 11 am wake-up. Somewhere along the way (I can’t remember ExAcTlY why at this exact moment. Probably something I heard someone say so naturally I had to enact it as it is that time of year to reform and re-construe ourselves) I decided to get up before 10.

Seriously though, I was getting a lot of work done in those hours before everyone else was awake. Especially being back in a warmer climate, it’s nice to sit on the deck before the sun turns my porch seat into a convection oven.

So, an earlier bedtime.

11 pm second wind

So after laying in bed for an hour (I did manage to get a spectacular meditation session in, which is maybe why I’m energized), I’m up, cooking bacon as a midnight snack, and opening a project I haven’t quite got nailed down yet. Maybe it’s my muse keeping me awake…

Tomorrow is another day. Maybe if I stay up all night, my bedtime will naturally be early tomorrow and this will all work itself out.

Yeah, right…

The Wolf Queen, By Adrian Tilling

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Book Review of The Wolf Queen, By Adrian Tilling

Teen Fantasy.

3 Stars

A fun Story with a little bit of everything.

Laneyth is home to the Ozera family and an impending rebellion. To save his country, King Svetozar sends an invitation to William Starker, a young but well-known general. William strikes a friendship with Channin Ozera, heir to the throne. Together, the girl in the orchard and the boy on the battlefield will start a fire that may just consume all Laneyth.

The Wolf Queen, by Adrian Tilling was a fun, classic fantasy tale. I felt like I was reading a some side story of Morrowwind!

I enjoyed the third person multiple perspective. I hear most are not a fan of this, and I’ve found it seems to have dropped out of favor in the publishing world, but I enjoy it. It always makes the story move along smoothly, as if I’m watching it from the outside, rather than forced behind a single POV.

There were some technical problems along the way. Structural, more than grammer, etc which hitched the story a bit and brought my rating to 3 stars rather than 4. Some smoothing of the narration or something needed to be done to bring this story to the next level. Not a deal breaker, I very much enjoyed the story.

The MC, Channin, I felt, went through a weird progression. Where she starts out strong and fierce, I feel she ends at the opposite end of the spectrum. I’m curious to read a next installment to see how that might play out. Brave and idealistic, by the end, I thought she kind of turned into a sniveling brat. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this…

Overall, a fun, classic fantasy read with vampires, dragons, werewolves and strong heros.

Happy Reading 🙂

Between Two Doors: Borderline Series Book 1, By Taya DeVere

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Between Two Doors: Borderline Series Book 1

By Taya DeVere

Women’s Fiction. Literary. Contemporary Fiction.

5 Stars.

Gripping, Heart-wrenching, and perfectly paced.

One door promises freedom, the other safety. Which one would you choose?
Depressed and abandoned after my father dies, I’m sent to a therapy center where I must decide between two doors.
Behind one door awaits life in my home country where I will continue to scramble through a tangle of mistakes and a poisonous relationship, but old and new friendships alike may be my salvation.
Escape lies behind the second door, where I can run away to an unknown country far away where demanding physical labor will push aside my inner demons. This door could be a fresh start.
The “Borderline” series tells two tales, of two parallel realities, based on one true story.

Taya DeVere understands “trust the reader.” She pulls us along with perfectly factored information without bogging us down in descriptive histories that would only stall the pace of the novel. I was forced to slow myself down to not flip pages too quickly and ruin the story. I just wanted to know what was going to happen!!

The heart-wrenching struggles of the MC are real, powerful and relatable even as I’ve never experienced what she was going through. Well done! The straightforward telling of events, without reason or excuse or fluffed meanderings of explanation make this experience perfect for the reader. I was in this story, and while I typically shy away from “real life” tellings (I’m a fantasy/sci-fi girl as I like my fiction fiction) I would recommend this book to everyone. I even ravaged the pages we were given to as a teaser for book two. Unnecessary, by the way- I’m already hooked!

Happy Reading 🙂