#413 ~ The Ladies' Room

The Ladies' Room by Carolyn Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not outstandingly brilliant prose, but giving it consideration the author created a strong narrative voice that kept me in the moment - I could clearly hear the Southern drawl, even though there was no attempt to amend the writing to achieve this - very successfully done in my opinion.

The plot didn't set the world alight, but then I suppose that was probably the aim. It detailed a journey of self-discovery and awakening of confidence and courage.

Overall a decent job, and I would like to explore this author more.

Production values were high, and there are no bug bears etc. to detail.

Purchase details:

I purchased/borrowed as part of my Kindle Unlimited package, but you can download a copy HERE.  At the time of writing this post it's £3.49 which seems a reasonable price.



View all my reviews

#410 ~ The Story of Our Life

The Story of Our Life by Shari Low
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

By and large this was quite enjoyable, but I had a big problem with the authenticity of the dialogue, it felt very American with many conjunctions missing - this did not match up to the characters and their demographic. This is quite disappointing for a seasoned author, so I knocked off a star.

Apart from that it was an okay read, but the plot felt a little ponderous at times.

If you're not looking for startling prose, but fully open to a holiday read format, give it a go.


Errors/Bug Bears/Highlights:

Location 69: 'squeeze in nine holes in before dinner.'

Location 1017:  '...buying into in the joke.'

Locoation 4382: '...truth in on my face.'



Purchased as part of my Kindle Unlimited deal, you can get a copy HERE.




View all my reviews

#504 ~ Longbourn

Longbourn by Jo Baker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Editor's Pick



Unusually, this is one that I bought (some time ago) and is not part of of my Kindle Unlimited package.  A bargain at £4.99 you can get it HERE.

A piece of fiction that is not only compelling, but well thought out and executed.

It focuses on a servant in the Bennet Household and mirrors from the point of view of the under stairs occupants what went on with Elizabeth and D'Arcy in Pride and Prejudice. Fair enough, this doesn't seem that exciting when one states the bare facts like that, but the skill and attention to detail that must have taken is second to none.

It is so well written, with both beautiful straightforward and complicated characters that I couldn't read it quick enough.

The production values were, as you would expect, really excellent. It's another's Editor's Pick from me. There were some highlights, one error and no bug bears for this one:

Location 532: 'kneeb-ritches'

Some of the highlights

Location 55: A definite highlight and a great example of how to weave words when describing the everyday detail in the hard life of a servant 

'Over the eastern hills the sky was fading to a transparent indigo.  Sarah, glancing up, hands stuffed into her armpits, her breath clouding the air, dreamed of the wild places beyond the horizon where it was already fully light, and of how, when her day was over, the sun would be shining on other places still, on the Barbadoes and Antigua and Jamaica where the dark men worked half-naked, and on the Americas where the Indians wore almost no clothes at all, and where there was consequently very little in the way of laundry, and how one day she would go there, and never have to wash other people's underthings again.'

Location 5290: 

'It was not the end, of course; it was just an end.  Mrs Hills thread may have become snarled up into an intractable knot, but others were still unspooling'

Location 5330:

'Threads that drift along will sometimes simply twine themselves together, without need for spindle or distaff:  brought into each other's ambit, they bind themselves tight with the force of their own torsion. And this same torsion can, in the course of things, bundle the resulting cord back upon itself, ravelling it up into a skein, returning to the point of its beginning.'

'ambit' - the scope, extent or bounds of something.

Bibliography details:

Longbourn by Jo Baker
Kindle Edition, 448 pages / Published August 15th 2013 by Transworld Digital (first published 2013) / 
Original Title Longbourn / ASIN  B00CQ1D3BY / Edition Language   English


Happy reading.

xoxox


View all my reviews

#501 ~ Burying the Honesuckle Girls

Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Although not quite sure at first, this turned out be a first-class read. In fact, I would say that I could truly class it as an Editor's pick, and highly recommended.

I did discover something reading this: I don't mind "gotten" when it's in a contemporary, or location appropriate setting. When in this book the use of that word (and not overly so) seemed to fit.

It's a nicely stranded contemporary and historical family saga, which moved me to tears at the conclusion.

Without giving too much away, the plot at the end reminded me of my own childhood growing up in a village with a large and very scary Institution at one end ... so many lives ruined sometimes through genuine mental health issues and disabilities that were hidden away, and most distressingly of all, just some patients that had simply failed to keep to the strict moral code of the day or to bow down to a voice of authority.

This book is a nicely judged piece of work, with a very high production value - just one mistake, which (as usual) is detailed on my blog.

For a first novel, it is exceptionally well done, and I look forward to more by Emily Carpenter.

Hugs

xoxox



View all my reviews

#489 ~ The Towers of Tuscany

The Towers of Tuscany by Carol M. Cram

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first time that I have read anything by this author, but I am so glad I decided to try it.

We'll leave the ending aside for now (I don't want to add any spoilers), and instead will just discuss the overall standard of penmanship - it was simply outstanding, beguiling and beautiful. I wouldn't say it can be described as a romance, but it is romantic ... in the end I classified it as a saga, as it has all the possible elements for it to be such a thing.

The ending, for me, was completely different from the picture that I had been building in my head, but thinking about it now it completely fits.

It's difficult to get a 5 Star plus rating out of me - this book has achieved it.


Purchased as part of my Kindle Unlimited Bundle, you can see it on Amazon HERE.

High quality production with no errors, which is always impressive.


View all my reviews on Good Reads

#468 ~ The American Lady

The American Lady by Petra Durst-Benning

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

#Book 2 in the Glassblower Series



I was a little disappointed with this second book in the series. It felt like the author had drifted along with no real purpose, or indeed, determination with the development of the characters.

It was humdrum, just telling, not showing, ordinary lives that had nothing remarkable in them. Whereas the plot did have things going on, and would have lent itself to the coming together of the two. There were also a strand from the first book (the wholesaler), which could have been expanded upon and brought a lot to the party.

The Good ... the Bad ... and the Ugly

I'm looking forward to the next book, which is due out in September 2015 and praying that the author kicks the plot up a notch.  I strongly feel that the ability is there to provide a truly brilliant read, and have got all my fingers crossed.

The 'Bad' element, as always was "gotten" rearing its ugly and useless head.

As far as 'Ugly' goes, there simply isn't enough of that in the text as a whole, it needs menace and suspense.

Happy reading.

Kay
xoxo

#464 ~ Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts

Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the end it was a simple choice to give this 5 stars. Not because of the amazing prose or rhetoric, but for the simplicity of the work.

A solid, down to earth, good old fashioned story of a Bermondsey girl and the enduring love she found for her family, and her Sam.

It was simply written well, with no added flourishes, that would have diminished its power. Beware it had me bawling like a little babe at the end.

I loved it, and a worthy 5 stars.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I loved it all; no mistakes that I picked up on and not a "gotten" in sight.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

xoxox 

#463 ~ The Glassblower

The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

#Book 1 in the Series



I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, I don't usually pick foreign authors with translations.

The cover originally drew me in, and as I do the odd bit of glass lampwork there was no harm, I thought, in giving it a go - after all I could just use the 'Return' button if this Unlimited Kindle offering and I didn't get on.

It was a little sluggish at the beginning, but after that turned into a delightful offering. It isn't all light stuff contained in this book, there were dark under-tones; it certainly wasn't as clear as the glass the girls work with. The author has also left strands behind to be woven (or better still embroidered) into future work, which I am very much looking forward to picking up.

The subject matter is a worthy one, that of the empowerment of women; the author dealt with it well, but there was still room for a little bit of growth and playing around with the darkness offered, especially with the strand about the wholesaler. I am hoping that she will play around more with this more in the coming books.

I docked-off 1 star for the use of 'gotten' throughout the book. If you can write well, and this author certainly can, then there is no excuse for using it. That word is a disgusting plague on the written word. A shame, as that took the score to 4 stars rather than 5.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Apart from "gotten" there was nothing truly ugly in this book, and there didn't appear to be an blatant errors.

The good, though were things like this passage:

"... they called them "plum-cake days".  All summer long the songbirds had trilled in the pear tree outside the kitchen window but they were gone now.  The only sound these days was that of a blackbird chirruping or the high piping of a lark, and soon the mists would fall and silence even these."  (Durst-Benning, P (2003 - translated version 2014) Page 7).

The cover image, was also beautiful, which I believe was designed by Marc Cohen (see link below to Amazon page if you require more details on this).

Bibliography

Durst-Benning, P 'The Glassblower', 2003 Ullstein, Germany (2014 Translated from German by Willcocks, S AmazonCrossng, Country Unknown

Book was purchased via Kindle Unlimited HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay 

xoxo

#455 - Call of the Kiwi

Call of the Kiwi by Sarah Lark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The conclusion to the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' Family saga by Sarah Lark. Although I have to admit I took the easy way out and listened to the audio version that came along with my Kindle Unlimited copy.

I had at first thought that it was an electronic voice, but realised eventually that this was an incorrect impression. There were little things with it that I found annoying, such as 'said' pronounced 'sad' and sometimes no the correct intonation. However, on the whole it was enjoyable, and meant that I could bust through it quite quickly.

As far as the writing was concerned, it was probably the most harrowing of the three books. Although with the writing of Miss Lark I do find that whilst it's generally a good story told fairly well, the characters lack a little in texture and depth.

I do believe, however, that they are translations, and am perfectly willing to accept that this be a consequence of not reading it in the original, and thus authentic, voice of the writer themselves.

Apart from that I haven't any real criticism; thus, 4 star rating.

Hugs

Kay

xoxo

#454 ~ Song of the Spirits

Song of the Spirits by Sarha Lark

My Rating 4 out of 5

This is the second book in the saga of 'Land of the Long White Cloud'

Overall, it was really enjoyable and the characters stories moved on.  At times though, it is a little mechanical and lacking texture, but it could well be that its a translation of the original.

That having been said, it's still well worth a read, and I have just downloaded the third book in the series.

There was probably the odd mistake in there too, but I'm so pleased to be back reading for pleasure again after my degree module last year has taken up so much of my time with all the academic reading I needed to do.

 I have cracked and gone down the Kindle Unlimited route, and am looking forward to taking advantage of the audio track.  At least this way I can listen to it at work and not feel I am drowning in an academic sea.

Have a good day, and happy reading.

#450 ~ In the Land of the Long White Cloud

In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







Even though I've been an Amazon Prime Member so some time, this was my first ever book borrowed from the library there.

All in all quite enjoyable. I understand this is a translated version of a German novel, and the one that that disappointed me was the Americanism of the translation. The writing itself was of a fairly decent standard, and that let it down a bit.

Even within the bounds of the historical setting, there was a margin for a bit more spice and pop.

The plot most of the way through went at a nice pace, but the end was a little disappointing; I hate the sudden fall off a cliff with no real dramatic conclusion, and that's what I got with this one.

The sudden ending apart, it was left so that a sequel could be written I believe.

4 stars from me.



Product Details

I borrowed my copy from Amazon Prime, but you can pick up a Kindle download HERE for £3.99.

Fiction, Historical, Family Saga, Romance
666 Pages
Amazon Crossing (2012)
German novel translated into English


The good ... the bad .... the ugly

In the ugly corner:

I abhor the Americanisation of historical novels, it's purely a person thing, and if you've read my blog for any length of time you will realise that the main bug bear is "gotten" ... it's sloppy and lazy!  Therefore my greatest disappointment was the amount of time it was used through out this book - I counted at least 28 (and there could well have been more.

My other constant bug bear is missing connectives, such as go get go, go wash ... it harnesses up my annoyance and whips it through the village at a break-neck gallop.

In the good corner:

One lone little word ... 'gracile '(Loc 4754).

In the bad corner:

Loc 316: '.. the sheep's heads sank once more ...' - sheeps' heads.

Loc 407: 'Gwyneira's handwork never resulted in anything ...' - handiwork.

Loc 681 x 2: 'fraternity' - it's England for goodness sakes, fraternities simply don't exist.

Loc 920: 'Gwyneira appeared to be taking the whole thing in stride.' - her stride.

Loc 1091: 'OK?' - it's an historical novel, I seriously doubt okay would have been uttered, but would be suitably impressed should somebody prove me wrong.

Loc 1091: 'the help' - uck, servants is far more appropriate for historical novels.

Loc 1481: 'feel Elizabeth up' - inappropriate use in a novel like this, but that's just my personal opinion.

Loc 1611: 'ship's sirens wail' - I had inferred that this was a sailing ship, and therefore a bell would have been more accurate possibly?

Loc 1753: '... of her riding dress riding up, ...' - never a good idea to repeat a word in such quick succession.  I feel that riding habit would have been more appropriate.

Loc 1814: 'Still she could not bring herself greet the group ...' to greet the group.

Loc 2131:  'She should rest up ...' - she should rest would be sufficient.

Loc 2506:  '... you needed more money than what could be earned from whales or sheep.' - what is superfluous.

Loc 2528: 'Drapes ...' - drapes is an quintessentially American word.

Loc 2864: 'cute' - mmm, not sure about use of that particular word - it was used in early 18th century to describe somebody clever or shrewd, but I'm unsure when it because acceptable to use it in the form suggested here.

Loc 3082: 'centimeters' - imperial measurements would have been used in colony.

Loc 3229: 'black-tie wedding suit' - ouch, morning suits are worn for weddings, but not sure if that would have been the form at that time, I am certainly sure it wouldn't have been 'black-tie'.

Loc 3740: 'They're gross ...' - Americanism.

Loc 3872: ' ... had to acclimate ...' - acclimatize.

Loc 4784:  'Gwyneira called for Kiri to have her clean the breakfast table.' - ...called for Kiri to clear the breakfast table.

Loc 6247: 'acclimate' - acclimatize.

Loc 6552: 'On Monday David took Lucas along to work construction ...' - more unattractive Americanisation.

Loc 6665: ' ... and Lucas had to ride back a ways to find a way up and over.' - Lucas had to ride back to find a way up and over.

Loc 7022: 'You had a long ride.' - you have had a long ride.

Loc 7107: ' ... galloping around the yard.' - a yard is a paved area, a paddock or field is appropriate.

A long list, with a few things missed off due to boredom!

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#425 ~ Monsters of Templeton

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I took advantage of being able to listen to music etc. at work, and so decided to go for another audio book. My thinking behind this was that I might not be able to actually read something whilst garnering some pennies to spend, but I could at least indulge my appetite for literature.

I happened across this one, which was borrowed from the local library, and what serendipity it was.

The world of Willie Upton was perfectly shown to me ... note, the "shown" not told. It's an endlessly perfect piece of literature that weaves a magic around the story of both Willie and her ancestors.

Having listened to it, I now want to get an actual copy of the book, so that I don't loose any of the nuances that Lauren Groff puts into her work.  This is all really impressive, as apparently this is Lauren's debut novel. 

Highly recommended, and 5 stars from me, for this, in places, laugh out loud, piece of finely-meshed writing with such depth of texture and structure.  Truly magical writing.



Product Details:

As mentioned above, I picked this up from the local library as an audio book, which I played on my Kindle Fire HD using OverDrive App (click HERE to go to the post on getting it to work for UK Libraries).  Obviously, as it was borrowed from the Library, it was free.

However, it's available on Amazon HERE as Kindle (£5.99), Hardback (£11.52); Paperback (£4.01) or Audiobook (£19.61).

480 pages
Cornerstone (2012)
Fiction, Family Saga, Hybrid (mix of contemporary and historical content)


Errors/Bug Bears:

Not applicable.


Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#428 ~ Almost Perfect

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






I chose this book, in audio version, with no fore-thought. It was simply available at the time on the limited selection of audio books that East Sussex Library has to offer.

It was purely meant to be an auditory vehicle for getting through the working day.

I am delighted to give it 5 stars though, it was simply a beautiful story; told in a beautiful and simple way.

This book was "Almost Perfect" ... it was perfect.

The narration was also outstandingly done. All credit to Kirby Heyborne he did a magical job, and has the most lovely voice.

I realise that the subject matter might not be for everybody. However, try to let go of any prejudice, and see it for the lovely piece of literature that lies beyond the plot.

Actually, it managed to up root one of my own prejudices, in that I haven't truly believed until this moment that a man can write anything but shoot 'em up or spy tales. I am wrong, and will not make that mistake again.


Product Details

I borrowed the Audio Book Version from the local library, via my OverDrive app (click here to see my post about getting it to work on Kindle Fire in the UK).  Perfect for a bit of easy listening on the train @RailBookClub Members.

10 hours and 40 minutes
MP3 Audiobook Format
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne

I think I will get myself a Kindle copy of this, as it is definitely a book that I would read again and again.

You can pick up a copy HERE for £3.71 - now, that is an excellent price in my opinion.

370 pages
Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (13 Oct 2009)



Errors/Bug Bears

NONE - have you any idea how happy that makes me?


Happy reading.

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

The Romany Princess

Margaret Brazear

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Historical > Family Saga

Indie Writer (Self-published)

*Introducing a New Author to the Blog*

For a start the cover had love beautiful purple tones, and then I was really taken by the description.  It was especially appealing to me because we think that way back there's Romany in our heritage:

When Stella McKenzie is summoned to meet her Great Aunt Bess, her grandmother's sister, on the occasion of that lady's one hundredth birthday, she keeps the appointment with a great deal of trepidation. All her life she has been told about this mysterious lady, to whom her grandmother has not spoken since the first world war. She has been told that she is mean and spiteful, that she wrecked the engagement of her sister to the man she loved out of spite and jealousy. Stella could hardly have guessed the secrets the old lady was about to reveal, secrets she had kept for seventy five years, secrets she does not intend should die with her.

During one long and unforgettable day, Stella learns the real history of the family, not the version she has been taught. She learns about the lies and misconceptions of the past, she learns about a lost love and a passion which overruled everything else to end in tragedy.

Pick up your copy whilst it's a free download HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#366 ~ The Carriage House

The Carriage House by Louisa Hall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars














I was very kindly sent a copy of this book via the First Reads Scheme at Good Reads, and the following is my honest opinion.

In the very first chapter, all I could think was: William, get over yourself for goodness sake. The other characters then went on to make a very poor first impression too.

As I progressed though, my opinions had a bit of a switch around in most cases.

Izzy went from a sulky teenager with real Daddy issues to a lost child that simply needed her Mother to be more present - something I can really identify with, and that is probably why I had the most empathy with the way she was written.

Diana moved from college drop out to a girl who had loved so deeply, and lost so profoundly, she couldn't move on with her life. How happy was I at the end then, to find that she finally got it. It left me wishing that she and Arthur could re-awaken the love, and find a life together.

Elizabeth was my least favourite character, and I haven't quite got my finger on why .... I expect most people probably didn't like Adelia much, so it surprised me too.

Really, Adelia had just made a spectacular mess of her life, she should have had children, not tried to cling to William and take over his family (I personal experience of a would be family hijacker and it isn't nice), no wonder Izzy found her terrifying and threatening!

All in all this was a meticulously put together piece of work. However, I did have a bug bear: sometimes at the start of a chapter it was difficult to define just who was narrating, and therefore a heading under the name would of been useful to the flow, i.e. Chapter #, Diana's story. Just a minor, and personal opinion, but it would have been nice to see.

This is not a book that ends up with all the loose ends neatly tied, but it did finish at a nice logical point.  Hey, not everybody requires happy ever after at the end.

Review on my Blog (Blog Post #366 in August 2013).







Hugs

Kay

394 ~ The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars














Having just joined the Hailsham WI Book Club, this is the very first read with them.  We wll be discussing it at our next meeting, so this is an honest review of the book.

Without a doubt my favourite character was Minnie - despite all the rules that her Mama set down for her, she just couldn't help her sassy mouth, and in that she reminds me a lot of myself. Given the way she was treated, her dis-trust of white peoples was completely justified. I would have loved to see her stand up to her man a bit earlier on though - he was just another example of a bully.

My least favourite character was Hilly, who was a total social climbing control freak, and a bully to boot. Like every bully I've ever come across, she covered up her own insecurities my using manipulation and fear. Her friendship with Skeeter was a prime example of this, once she found that control was lost, she turned on her.

Granted she came across as a loving Mother herself, but there again her children were only small, what kind of Mother would she make when they grew up and showed any kind of free will themselves?

Skeeter's Mother, Charlotte, did come across as an a-typical Southern Mother, being a creature of her environment, time and upbringing. Deep down though she was by far a better example of motherhood then Hilly. She also deeply cared about Constantine, but just couldn't express that because of her upbringing - in no way to I think was she unsympathetic.

Elizabeth was like any weak willed person, finding it easier to be dictated to by Hilly, rather than stand up and do the right thing. Her relationship with her daughter, Mae Mobley, seemed on a knife edge of abusive. What I'm still in two minds about is was she just bad, or lazy?

I felt so sorry for Skeeter in the beginning, especially when she was put through the mill by her Mother, but towards the end I felt really proud of her.  She was definitely a late starter in the personal, mental and career development. Quite obviously a creature a little ahead of her time, and perfect as a Hippie. Good for her that she eventually stood up to Stewart, and told him the truth about her work, otherwise she would have just ended up living a lie.

The far to wise and serene Aibileen .... some people are just born on a more serene and cerebral level than most people, it's probably a gift from god. She was definitely wise beyond her years, and way beyond her time in history.

All in all the book was a sympathetic and poetic look at Racism. There will always be people that will see colour first, and not just judge somebody on what they find to be in their heart and head.

This wonderfully crafted story left me with hope in the abilities of mankind to ascend beyond the social dictates of the time, and learn to love and appreciate somebody by what they learn about them from experience, rather than what they first see. Most importantly it teaches that you if you live your live dish out out poop, then at some point in the future somebody is going to serve it up to you in a pretty looking pie and stuff it right back down your throat Miss Hilly.

*** *** ***

I was provided with a copy of this book via the Book Club, but decided that the print was just too small for me to be happy with, plus I just rather read things on my Baby (Kindle Fire HD).  So, having joined the Library in East Sussex this week, I borrowed the book from the ebook section.

However, if you would like to buy a copy download it HERE from Amazon. I believe that there has also been a film made based on this book, and I think we might be watching it at the Book Club (even if we don't I think I'm going to go ahead and get a DVD for home).

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download

Ghosts in Sunlight

Gretta Curran Browne

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Family Saga

*Introducing a New Author the Blog*

Today, I've gone for a story of love, loss, cruelty and revenge .... what more indeed could you want on a Tuesday morning?

The story of an orphan’s search for an identity, a mother’s obsessive jealousy, and a killer’s cold callousness. No ordinary thriller, this complex modern tale is germinated in the fertile soils of the past. Set primarily in London, Paris, and Massachusetts, this page‐turner spans the years from 1940 to 1995 – from Paris during the French Resistance through 1960s London and the Kennedy era – which suddenly takes a startling change of direction, racing into the 1990s. It is a story of tender youth and tender love, and a young man’s determination to carry out a ruthless revenge. 

While it's still free, get you Kindle file HERE, from the successful UK Author.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download

Hopes and Sorrow

Jenny Telfer Chaplin

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Historical > Family Saga > Magic

Ohhh, now this one looks interesting .... nice cover, intriguing description, a previously featured Author, as well as being published by Endeavour press:

The year is 1893. 

Mary Gregg is a lowly serving girl. But she dreams of escaping from the drudgery of her serving life in rural Scotland.

One stormy night, fate grants Mary the chance to escape after she saves the life of a friend.

Moved by foreboding glimpses of the future, Mary is transformed from servant girl to spiritual seer.

But this gift soon becomes a curse as her family and her village grow suspicious of her. Branded a witch, Mary flees and seeks employment with the mysterious Miss Patten – a woman who believes that they have been brought together by powers from the Great Beyond.

At Ivylea House, Mary’s life will be swept up by her spiritual powers - and face a challenge that will determine her fate. 

‘Hope and Sorrows’ starts as an intimate story of one woman’s life and grows into a familial epic as children and grandchildren grow, learn and love.

Set against the background of rural Scotland, it follows the story of three generations touched by magic.

Notwithstanding my usual comments about just 1 Review, see my comments above to give you a good indication why I featured this book today.  I've just got my copy, so why not click HERE and get a copy to read for yourself whilst it's free.

After what I am now calling "Highlander-gate" yesterday .... I am looking forward to chillin' with a decent read - which I have in Autumn's Flame at the moment.  In reality I probably won't get to read today's selection for a good month or so ... currently, I am reading March downloads: I get quite a few book being sent in for Review as well as my own recreational reading and the Daily Kindle Selection.

On Amazon today my rating is (>) 3,464. I suppose that I'm still heading in the right direction, but very slowly now. I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day ....... so if you find the Daily Kindle Downloads info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback  on some of my reviews (which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks).

Before I go, can I just say ...... whoop, whoop rating is coming down quicker again .... GO ME .... I feel like:

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

East of Orleans

Reneé Irvin

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Historical > Family Saga > Murder

Indie Author (Self-published~)

*Introducing a New Author to the Blog*

It was inevitable really, if somebody posted a book cover like this one, I would click on it ......... just because it's beautiful!

Even better then, to find that the actual description seems to show as much promise as the cover:

Their worlds were different, but their desires were the same . . .

Isabella McCoy, from the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Georgia, was as naïve as she was beautiful.

Jacqueline Rousseau, the exotic New Orleans prostitute, was known for cruelly breaking men’s hearts while she emptied their pockets. 

Both with dark secrets of their own, running away from their pasts, to an uncertain future.

Fate brought them together, and into the arms of the notorious cotton broker Jules McGinnis, who became both a husband and lover to them. 

Jealousy. Passion. Love. 

Murder.

Now both women must overcome the truth of their tormented pasts and their unknown futures, as they face one of the most scandalous murder trials Georgia had ever seen.

As it's a fairly New Release, there are only 2 Reviews, both of which are 5 Stars (we all know by now my wariness of 5 stars with so few readers), but I'm going to give it the benefit of doubt, and hope that it lives up to both the cover and description ... with apologise if the Reviewers' are right.

I've downloaded mine, as I don't want to risk not seeing that beautiful cover on my carousel.  For your copy click HERE whilst it's listed for free.

On Amazon today my rating is (>) 3,538. I suppose that I'm still heading in the right direction, but very slowly now. I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day ....... so if you find the Daily Kindle Downloads info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback  on some of my reviews (which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks).

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

Prince in the Mist

(Prince-Legend)

Claudy Conn

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Family Saga > Fantasy > Fairy Tales

Indie Writer (Self-published)

I thought I'd feature another Claudy Conn ... she always proves a fairly enjoyable, but undemanding read.  For a change she's gone all Fae with this one:

Fact one: By tradition and treaty, Fae do not interfere with the human world—it is against the rules.

Fact two: For a Royal Fae prince who suffers from the ennui of immortality, watching and interacting with humans—especially lovely, spirited human females—can be entertaining.

Fact three: When entertainment changes to affection, and affection becomes love, rules will be broken.

His name is Breslyn, Prince of Dagda of the Tuatha Dé. He is a royal Fae, immortal and endowed with more than eye candy looks. He is a being with immeasurable powers but life for him lacked something—so he looked around, and found...humans.

Watching their lives and interactions, from another dimension filled him with feelings he had thought long lost in the ennui of immortality. The more he watched--the more addicted to their antics he became. An affection for the human race grew inside the heart Fae are not supposed to have, and it was inevitable that he began to have preferences with regards to them.

In 1314, when Scotland’s rule was in jeopardy and the British were about to take more than they should, he chose a side--and then he saw her, and nothing would ever be the same for the prince ever again…

In truth, it's only a Novella, so it won't take much time to read.  If you fancy it click HERE to download whilst it's free.

I downloaded my copy, but it will take me a good long time to get to it .... I just found out that apart from the large pile of books (paper and ebook) I already have, there are apparently another 11 on the way to me.

I'm additionally working out arrangements with an Author we've featured/Reviewed before for our first giveaway of his second novel - so watch this space for news.  We're also going to be featuring an interview with him shortly.

On Amazon today my rating is (static) 3,740. I suppose that I'm still heading in the right direction, but very slowly now. I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day ....... so if you find the Daily Kindle Downloads info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback  on some of my reviews (which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks).

Hugs

Kay