FRAGMENTS OF A UNICORN'S SOUL by J.R. Loveless

Publisher: Torquere Press
Date published: 4/6/15
ISBN: 978-1-944449-49-0
MM, Paranormal
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=96&products_id=4632
Obtained via publisher.
Rating: 3



Elek is a unicorn who lives in the forest. All unicorns must remain behind the veil so humans don’t catch and hurt them. However Elek is drawn outside the veil and saves the life of a small child. Years pass and Elek falls in love with the boy who becomes a man. But humans cannot understand unicorns and unicorns must not leave the safety of the forest.


I was attracted to this book because of such a beautiful and different premise. The plot, the world and the emotions of the characters hold enormous promise of great storytelling.

The love Elek holds for the child, then man, Jonathan, is shown dramatically and in a manner that underlies the basic enchantment of the tale. The steps toward potential resolution of the problem are elegant, believable yet not predictable. Both the characters and the story itself live up to the blurb and are good.

Unfortunately I found it almost impossible to believe that a book which has been published before and now re-edited could still hold two incredibly annoying problems, which this book does. First, there are POV changes with no warning mid-paragraph. I anticipate a line break as a minimal requirement for a POV change. Secondly there are no scene breaks or chapter headings. The book is all one long piece with no subdivisions at all. This is a long way beyond annoying. It’s completely unprofessional. We move through different scenes, years pass, the POV character changes, but the story just rolls on with no formatting to indicate anything has altered. I’m stunned that the editor and publisher permitted this to happen. There is also a complete lack of understanding of how to write a further past scene inside an already past scene. Tenses are important here.
This book didn’t live up to its potential.


This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

CAPTURING THE MOMENT by Delilah Night

Publisher: Totally Bound
Date published: 26th April 2016
ISBN: 978-1-78651-020-4
Erotic Romance, Multicultural
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: https://www.totallybound.com/book/capturing-the-moment
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4



Six years ago Meg and RJ were passionately in love. The sex was always amazing but the relationship fell apart. Now RJ is determined to make Meg give him a second chance.


Since this book is part of the “Sexy Snax” line I expected frequent hot sex. I wasn’t disappointed. There is a LOT of sex—hot varied, imaginative, and diverse. The author has also made very good use of the Cambodian people, places, scenery, and tourist stuff. It was obvious to me that she had been there herself as her imagery was superb. Far better than could be expected from online research.
The chemistry between the two main characters is well drawn. The push and pull, attraction and worry, memories and desires are all handled capably indeed. Ms. Night is to be congratulated.

The plot is mostly about the characters coming together and their activities in Siem Reap, Cambodia, but that’s enough considering the short length of the book and the need for the setting to be explained, plus the use of sex for plot and character development.

The book is well presented and clean with very few grammatical errors or typos. The choreography of the opening scene is a little confusing. I was worried someone would have stolen her camera equipment before she collects it but then maybe she hadn’t stepped away from it at all.

Altogether the author has demonstrated very well that the sex can advance the plot perfectly as well as demonstrate the natures of the main characters. Kudos to Ms. Night.



This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THE TURNING POINT by Amy Paine

Publisher: Nine Star Press
Date published: March 7th, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-911153-26-9
Erotic, Lesbian, Historical
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://ninestarpress.com/product/the-turning-point/
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 3



It’s the 1920s and Benita is half Jamaican and a free spirit, with a plan to succeed. While on a train trip to write a magazine article she meets Millie, a rich socialite and heiress. Their attraction is instant, their desire for each other obvious, and their lives worlds apart.


Traveling Companions Book 1.
Amy Paine is a “well-known” author of contemporary romance under a different name.

The book begins quite slowly with a lot of description written in a manner that reminded me very much of the era in which the story is set. I could see the author’s aim but I found myself bored by the style, and I don’t feel it is really a good opening for a book that has a lot of dialogue and even more sexual tension and lesbian sex.
I’m also somewhat skeptical about the entire staging of the romance. I use that word “staging” intentionally as it did seem rather artificial, set-up, and staged to me. Nevertheless Millie and Benita are interesting characters and their romance is definitely hot.

The book is cleanly written and capably edited but I won’t be bothering with the rest of the series.


This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THE EXECUTIONER by Maggie Nash

 

Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Date published: 8th March 2016
ISBN: 978-1-78651-007-5
Erotic Romance, Thrillers & Suspense
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-executioner
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 3.5



Nick broke up with Maddy six months ago and it’s taken her that long to get over him. He’s determined to apologize and get back together with her but there’s a killer running around making life very complicated.


Set against a backdrop of the Australian bush in Western Australia in winter, which is hotter than many American summers, the relationship between Maddy and Nick is one fraught with deceit, lies, misunderstandings, and the deaths of several people. The deaths might be caused by a wild dog, or perhaps there was human intervention. Either way, sudden death isn’t quite the circumstances Nick had imagined for romancing Maddie back into his arms and his bed.
Maddie took six months to get over Nick and doesn’t believe she’ll ever be able to trust him again. Although watching someone lose the person they loved does make her think seriously about her decisions.  This book is a very clean production with some tense moments, hot sex, troubles and thoughts, and a nice little plot.
Maddie’s thought processes didn’t seem completely true to character to me. I felt some things needed more discussion and thought put into them, but I know love does make lovers act irrationally and out of character at times, so it’s all totally possible.

I really appreciated the Australian touches and background. It was very authentic even though more hinted at than described. Some of the minor characters were extremely interesting people and very well drawn, too.


This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THE CLAWED MONET by A.M. Bostwick

Publisher: Torquere Press
Date published: 1/13/16
ISBN: 978-1-944449-24-7
Mystery/Suspense Young Adult
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=4580
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4.5



A reproduction of a priceless Monet painting is damaged during a gala event at the Rhys Art Museum and the curator’s cat, Miss Kitty, is accused of the crime. Feline detective, Ace, determines to take on the case.


Note: This is a stand-alone sequel to a previous story.
This is a wonderful, fast-moving detective story told entirely in Ace’s POV. The cast of characters ranges widely with cats Ace’s main support and allies, but dogs and various other animals also help out, or hinder, depending on the occasion. There are even some human characters, although Ace’s human, Max, a newspaper editor, is mostly too busy to give Ace the attention he deserves.
I really enjoyed this book. The story is a refreshingly different twist on a simple property damage case, with a huge cast of potential villains, some fascinating characters, some shady dealings, and a hero who simply won’t give up until the case is solved. The bad guys ensure Ace’s discoveries are a wild ride through fun, danger, and spine tingling events, but there is also plenty of laughter, fun and good humor to balance the tension.
Whether the reader is an animal lover or not, they’ll find it hard to resist the charm, humor, and sheer fun of this story and its amazing characters.


This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.