Showing posts with label 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014. Show all posts

May 22, 2014

Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White


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Title: The Reflections of Queen Snow White
Author: David Meredith
Publisher: Author
Pages: 155
Goodreads | Amazon |

Rating:
What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancĂ©, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.


Excerpts

Erfeut to Queen Snow White


   "There be no shame in tears. God knows I shed enough for me boyos when they passed one right after the other until I was all who was left. I know what you feel lass - a big empty spot right here"
He left off stroking her porcelain hand to thump his chest.
   "It's where the little piece of your heart use to be that ye shared with them. You don't ever get that back, but the pain dulls in time and ye start thinking back to all the good things ye used to share together... That, My Dear One," he smiled at her kindly. "That is when you realize that they aren't all gone together - That they did leave little pieces of themselves with you. That's when you can really cherish it.



Mirror to Queen Snow White

  "It was very difficult for you to make that choice," the mirror commented middly. "You could have stayed and nothing would have ever been any different. Instead, you made a choice to change your life. You decided that you would no longer be ruled by your fear."
  "I fled for my life," Snow White scoffed shaking her head with a bitter chuckle. "You make it sound like some grand, brave thing. What nobility is there in running away? Even deer and rabbits manage it when pursued by the wolf or even the rat when chased by a tabby or stoat."
  "Snow White," countered the mirror with some exasperation finally showing faintly through. "Unlike the rabbit or doe you mention, you had a choice. You chose to flee. You could have remained. Perhaps you were right. Maybe you could have hidden in the storage rooms or an abandoned hall, or an empty tower or belfry. Maybe you could have gone down into the dungeons or wine cells until Arglist's fury had run its course. It is possible that you could have gone on for years and years more just as you always had - living like a beggar and a theif in you own home! But you did not choose that path. You chose the difficult road. You chose the path of greatest risk and uncertainty, but it was also the path that led you to happiness. Do you not see? Arglist thought herself you master. She thought you cowed and harmless but you proved her wrong. You escaped her."





First, I would like to thank the author, David Meredith for giving me this beautiful book for an honest review.

 So here it goes. This is not your typical fairytale story. No, it is not the Snow White you remember from your childhood days. This book tells a story that is dark, heart-wrenching, melancholy and inspirational that it will bring you to tears. This book was so well written the descriptions of scenes were so brilliantly depicted that at times I felt like I was at Castle Wolfejager along with the queen, the mirror and Charming. 

In this story we meet up with Snow White, after her happily ever after with her Prince Charming. Years have passed and now, she is Queen. It has been a year since Charming’s death. Snow White is grief stricken and finds herself, isolated and depressed within the walls of Castle Wolfejager with no way of escape from her forsaken thoughts. She ends up returning to her step mother’s old quarters and discovering the long lost Magical Mirror. Thus, starts the beginning of her journey to discover self-worth, strength and finding refuge in what is left after an awful tragedy, such as the death of your soulmate. 

This was a wonderful turn of the story of Snow White and I would most definitely recommend it to everyone whether you are a fairytale fan or not.


The Author:

David Meredith is a writer and educator originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He recieved both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, Tennessee as well and a Tennessee State Teaching license. On and off, he spent nearly a decade, from 1999-2010 teaching English in Northern Japan, but currently lives with his wife and three children in the Nashville Area where he continues to write and teach English.


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May 21, 2014

ARC Review: Broken by M.L. Young

Title: Broken
Author: M.L. Young
Pages: 219
Publisher: Author
Source: Netgalley 
Goodreads | Amazon |

Rating:

Bailey Wrenn is a small town girl with a big back story. Her mother left when she was young, leaving her in the care of an out of touch alcoholic father that barely noticed her existence. After trudging through life with no clear direction, she begins to wonder if she needs to leave this scarred memory of a town behind and finally move on. When Bailey hears from her friend Julie that life in Chicago is great and she should come out sometime, she takes that open invitation, and comes to visit her old friend with no idea of when she’s going to leave.

One night, after Julie drags her from the apartment to see a local fight, she sees Kyle, a mysterious MMA fighter with a winning streak and an elusive personality. He doesn’t talk to anybody after his fights, and disappears faster than Bailey can blink. One day during a chance encounter filling out job applications, Bailey runs into Kyle at his work, and the electricity between them is bright enough to light up the city.

It’s only when they begin to get close, though, that things are turned upside down. An old boyfriend and a brutal and devastating past makes Bailey believe she can’t be close to another man ever again, even if he seems perfect. She feels alone. She’s broken.

HEA and no cliffhanger! This is a standalone novel.
*This book is recommended for readers 17 and up for violence, language, and some adult situations.*


  
Ugh, so here goes. 

One, I hate giving bad reviews but seriously there isn't any other way to put it with this book. I requested an ARC copy because the plot had so much potential but sad to say, the book did not deliver. 
The dialogue was so awkward and seemed to me to be too scripted/forced. The scenarios in the book were so unreal that most of the time it was just exasperating to read. Especially how Bailey divulges or deals with what happened to her.  I would like to read it after it goes through a very very good editor because as I mentioned earlier, the storyline does have potential. But overall, it just didn't do it for me. So no, I would not recommend it.

 
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May 19, 2014

Sorry! I'm a bit delayed ;)

Hello!

I would just like to announce that I've been behind schedule because I've been under the weather so now I'm trying to catch up with my reading but please watch out for the following reviews:

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I would also like to say thank you to those authors and publishers who have taken their time to send me a copies of their novels asking for my review :) I know I've only started this site so I really appreciate the time you give me! :)
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May 18, 2014

Promo + Giveaway: The Wardham Series by Zoe York


The first three books in the Wardham Series by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York, have been put together into one delicious bundle!



Title: Welcome to Wardham
Series: The Wardham Series (Three book bundle)
Author: Zoe York
Age: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Welcome to Wardham, a sleepy village ready to explode with new-found passion. This bundle contains the first three titles in The Wardham Series by Zoe York.

Between Then and Now
Their story didn’t start with a fairytale romance. Their marriage wasn’t chosen for love. But they still chose each other, time and again.

Romance is the last thing on Ian's mind. He's juggling the family farm and a second job, his kids are a crazy handful and every time he gets close to his wife, Carrie, she snaps at him. Their relationship has always had a sizzling physical connection, and he needs to find a way to leverage that into reconnecting on a deeper level before it’s too late.

What Once Was Perfect (Book #1)
She shuttered her heart and walked away. Now he has a second chance to get it right.

Kyle and Laney shared a perfect summer 12 years ago, and have never moved past their breakup. Now she’s back for the holidays and they have a chance to work out things out and move on with their lives. But moving on doesn’t make sense when you’ve finally reconnected with the only person you’ve ever truly loved.


Where Their Hearts Collide (Book #2)
The girl next door meets the cop of her dreams at exactly the wrong time.

Karen’s finally decided what she wants to do when she grows up. Too bad it’ll mean leaving behind her new neighbour, who’s stirred up a different kind of grown up feelings. But when he rebuffs her attempt to have a fling before she leaves Wardham, Karen knows it’s for the best. A clean break, no messy emotional entanglements. Too bad Paul’s right next door, and everywhere she goes. And he makes a pretty convincing case for getting entangled.

The Wardham Series continues: pick up When They Weren’t Looking (Book #3), available now, and look for Beyond Love and Hate, a Wardham novella coming in June 2014.



Excerpt from
Where Their Hearts Collide

Karen grabbed a bag of all-purpose flour, and strode away, swiping baking powder and a bag of chocolate chips as well. She dumped the supplies on the conveyor belt at the first checkout, then headed for the dairy section. “Need eggs?” She tossed the question over her shoulder, but didnt wait for a response. She needed a minute to compose herself. This reaction was bizarre. Shed only had one conversation with the man. Sure, shed observed him in a creepy stalker fashion for weeks, but they barely knew each other. Shed gotten carried away with some romantic fantasy of the good-looking cop next door.
         “Megan says we need milk.” Paul stepped up beside her. Karen looked around. “She got sucked into your magazine display.”
         “Oh.”

         “For dunking.”

         “Im sorry?”

         “The milk. Well need it once the cookies are cool.” He grinned. “Or so Ive been instructed.”

         Good lord, that smile could light up a room.

         “Its a classic combination,” she breathed, kicking herself as the words came out sounding funny. He must have heard the warble too, because his gaze dropped to her mouth and lingered for a moment. “What kind do you want?”
         He flicked his gaze back to her eyes and blinked. “1%, I guess.
         “Its behind the last door there.”
         He brushed past, close enough for her skin to prickle, but not quite making physical contact, and she sucked in a breath. He paused, because how could he not have heard it, but then he opened the cooler and pulled out a bag of milk.
         They stood for a minute, her with the eggs, him with the milk, and he smiled again, but this time it seemed wistful. “Youre an interesting neighbour to have, Karen.”
         “Thanks, I guess.” Her lips curled up of their own volition. “Youre unlike any neighbour Ive ever had.”
         “I came to Wardham for peace and quiet, you know.”
         She couldnt contain her surprise. “You think Im a troublemaker?
         He grinned. “Im quite certain you are.
         “And you dont like trouble.” It spilled out before she could filter the words into something less pleading. “I mean—”
         “I have a professional interest in avoiding it.” He interrupted her, but his tone wasnt rude. It was warm and low and full of...heat? He stepped closer. “On a personal level, I have a history of liking trouble more than I should.”
         Oh, shit. “Ive never been trouble before,” she whispered.
         His knuckles brushed hers. Milk, eggs and a boatload of issues apparently stood between them, but at that moment, all she could feel were the hard, hot points of contact as the back of his hand pressed into her skin.
  
Favorite Quotes 

He inhaled the scent of her skin. The faintest hint of something tropical, worn away by a long day, leaving just her. Soft and sweet and warm. (Where Their Hearts Collide)

Zoe says: Now I’m a little warm. ;)



“You just wanted to goad me into losing control?” He slanted his face above hers. “Because I can do that. But neither of us is going to like me much in the morning.”

“I don’t like you much right now,” she whispered, but her face was still soft. (Where Their Hearts Collide)

Zoe says: I love a good fight/love scene.
 


YouTube trailers:

Pinterest Inspiration boards: 
Between Then and Now - http://www.pinterest.com/zoeyorkwrites/wardham-novella-05-between-then-and-now/
What Once Was Perfect - http://www.pinterest.com/zoeyorkwrites/wardham-book-1-what-once-was-perfect/
Where Their Hearts Collide - http://www.pinterest.com/zoeyorkwrites/wardham-book-2-where-their-hearts-collide/

About the Author:
Zoe York lives in London, Ontario with her young family. She has an English degree and works at a university, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that she'd write a romance novel one day. She's currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and plotting super-secret books about heroes in and out of uniform.
www.zoeyork.com | Twitter




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