Get on Board Little Children by Victoria Randall

Geton Board Little Children is the first book of the Children in Hiding Series written by Victoria Randall.

Sophie has always loved kids. As a kindergarten teacher, she is constantly surrounded by children and would love to have one of her own, though not in the very near future. It’s not because she and her husband Josh are not yet ready, but because they are still saving some money to apply for a ‘reproductive permit’ or what Sophie calls a ‘baby license’ without which getting pregnant is considered unlawful pregnancy or class C felony under the ‘No Unwanted Children Act’ and is punishable by law.

So, when Sophie finds out that she is expecting, she and her husband Josh must find a way to acquire the permit as soon as possible. However, they are not ready for what she learns next. Suddenly, Sophie and Josh are on the run. With the help of the revived Underground Railway, they have to get to the Tijuana border as soon as they can.

This is an exciting, suspenseful and fast-paced dystopian thriller that will keep the readers on the edge of their seats. With an unpredictable plot written in casual and easy-to-read style, the book is simply a page turner. The book has two well-developed protagonists and a variation of minor characters, all of them very interesting. Each introduction of a new character is clouded by doubt and apprehension from not knowing whom to trust. The author is able to maintain the suspense until nearly the end and rewards the readers with a satisfying ending but at the same time leaves the readers anticipating for the next book.

Congratulations to Victoria Randal (@Entlover27) on such an amazing book! For updates on this book series, click HERE.

Sapphire Ice by Hallee Bridgeman

Sapphire Ice is Book 1 of the Jewel Series written by Hallee Bridgeman. It is an inspirational romance featuring Robin Bartlett. 

Robin and her two sisters, Maxine and Sarah, have a rough childhood. At 15 years of age, Robin learned to take care of herself and vowed never to depend on any man. Holding two jobs, Robin works her way through life and sends her sisters to college asking help from no one.

When successful businessman, Antonio Viscolli, catches Robin in a situation which might compromise one of her precious jobs, Robin becomes defensive and misconstrues Antonio’s gesture of kindness as insult.

Aside from genuine amusement and natural curiosity, Antonio feels something more for Robin. He believes God has led him to her and he prays for God’s guidance on how to win Robin over to God.

This is a beautiful story of love and faith. Robin’s love for her sisters fuels the fire that sustains her to carry on an exhausting life of selflessness and sacrifice. Tony’s unwavering faith in God brings him to Robin and eventually brings Robin back to God.

The entire book is casually worded and though there are parts that sound preachy, they are, apparently, not meant to antagonize non-Christian readers. Some scenes are emotionally moving that some readers may find themselves shedding tears and examining their faith.

I think the romance part of the book is where the readers can relate the most as it is exactly what every girl and woman dreams of, that is, meeting a God-fearing man who treats a girl with utmost respect and will go out of the way to make her feel special and put her second to God.

The characters are well developed with sufficient backstories. The simple but unexpected twist near the end gives the book a suspenseful and very satisfying ending.

Congratulations to Hallee Bridgeman (@halleeb) on such a beautiful and inspiring book. For more books by the author, click HERE. 

Enchant by Demelza Carlton

Enchant: Beauty and The Beast Retold by Demelza Carlton is Book 1 of Romance a Medieval Fairytale Series.

Zuleika is a young but powerful enchantress. After she is forced by wicked King Thorn to cast a terrible curse, Zuleika flees and travels the world. When her father’s ship is lost at sea, Zuleika comes looking for it and ends up in an enchanted island ruled by Prince Vardan, a kind and honorable man afflicted by a terrible curse unknown even to Zuleika.

Though the similarities between this book and the classic fairytale Beauty and The Beast are quite apparent, Enchant is a wonderful book with a charm of its own. By making ‘Belle’ a powerful enchantress, the author gives the readers a stronger female protagonist that women of today can relate to. Prince Vardan’s chivalry tickles the heart of female readers making him quite easy to love despite his beastly appearance.

The book is not simply romantic, it is moving, engaging and memorable. I love everything about the book and I couldn’t stop once I started reading. I couldn’t wait to get to the part when they admit to being in love with each other, but the author has a way of saving the best parts until the last so I had to be as patient as I could. The ending, however, feels kind of incomplete for me.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to fans of fairytales, fantasy and romance novels.

Congratulations to Demelza Carlton (@DemelzaCarlton) on such a wonderful book. For more books by the author, visit Demelza Carlton’s Place. 

Now I Know It's Not My Fault by Laurie B. Levine

Now I Know It’s Not My Fault is a poignant, eye-opening novel written by Laurie B. Levine.

Alex Geller is a bright teenager who has a habit of cracking up ‘wise ass’ comments. With the sudden death of her mother when she was nine years old, Alex, together with her two brothers, is left with her emotionally unavailable, perfectionist and fault-finding father.

When Paula Hanover, her beautiful and ‘very cool’ Science teacher, starts paying attention to her, Alex begins to feel special and loved. Finally, she knows what it feels like to have a mother. However, Paula is not as kind or as sweet as Alex thinks she is.    

This is a touching and memorable book about physical, emotional and psychological abuse suffered by a girl under the hands of a selfish and expert manipulator. More than that, the book displays the needs of a teenager to belong, to be understood and to be encouraged.

Moreover, the book depicts the effects of callous and unmindful criticisms to a teenager especially by a father who is supposed to be supportive and accepting. It portrays how emotionally damaging an expression of disappointment can be to a child who is trying to find her place in the world.  

The book is written in conversational tone and easy to read. The dialogues are very realistic especially between teenagers like Alex and Amber, Alex and Adam and Alex and Sandra.

However, I noticed several errors (typos, missing words) within the book. Though they did not deter me from fully enjoying the story, they were an unwelcome distraction.

Congratulations to Laurie B. Levine (@laurieblevine) on such a great book! 

My 2017 Booklist

This is a very short list. Needless to say, it’s not complete yet and as a book reviewer and book blogger, I add a title on the list as I go along. However, there are books that I plan to read this year. These are on my list last year but, apparently, I haven’t gotten around to reading them. Some are mainstream while others are indie.

Most of the books I read come from Online Book Club, my employer, where I do official reviews. Others are free e-books, from Amazon, which I find interesting. Most of them I feature on my blog. A few come from Booksgosocial where I write Amazon reviews in exchange for free books. Most of these I also post on my blog. Fewer still are books from indie authors who trusted me enough to give me Advanced Review Copies in exchange for honest reviews. Late this year, I discovered Instafreebee where I get free e-books, some of them I featured on my blog.  

This year, I only have a few on the list, mainstream and indie.

1. Don Quixote by Cervantes
2. Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
3. The Key by Marianne Curley
4. Winter by Marissa Meyer
5. The Necromancer by Michael Scott
6. The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
7. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
8. Nightmares : The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel
9. Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling
10. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
11. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
12. The Path of Decisions by Mike Shelton
13. Bear Prince by Emma Alisyn/Danae Ashe
14. The Golden Maple Tree by Marc Remus
15. Faerie Prince by Rachel Morgan
16. Linear Shift by Paul Kohler
17. Annie’s Second Chance by Willee Amsden
18. Nightlord Sunset by Garon Whited
19. Hatching the Phoenix Egg by Joel Horn
20. Lost Time by DL Orton

As I already said, it’s a very short list. IF YOU’RE AN AUTHOR, you may want to have your book on that list in exchange for an honest review. If you’re a reader like myself, you may want to check out my ‘2016 Book List’ to get an idea on what books to put on your own reading list. I recommend that you read the reviews first.

2016 Book List

1. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom
3. Paper Towns by John Green
4. Fling by Lily IonaMackenzie
5. Out of Time by Sarah Mackie
6. Kennedy’s Revenge by StephenL. Rodenbeck
7. Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin
8. Echo From Mount Royal byDave Riese
9. Ruby’s Choice by D. F. Jones
10. Wedding Haters by Melissa Baldwin
11. Silent Messages by John Albion
12. The Blogger by James Raven
13. Holding Fire
14. Blinders by Michael Amon
15. Blood Thief by James Holmes
16. Reflection of Innocence byJohn Tolliver
17. Eight Days by Scott Thompson
18. The Knights of Neverthelessby R.A. McClure
19. The Inlooker by Terry Tumbler
20. Junior Inquisitor byLincoln S. Farish
21. Time Stands Still by Stacy Froumis
22. Wilkes: The Awakening byJ.A. Harris
23. Don’t Be Yourself: Be ABetter Person by David Ross
24. The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani
25. What The Hand by Todd Stockwell
26.  Shot Down by Steve Snyder
27. Magora: Gallery  of Wonders by Marc Remus
28. Rune Gate by Mark Cooper
29. Prevarication: DeceitfullyYours by Monica L. Smith
30. Running to Stand Still by JTheron
31. The Day of the Tiger by William Paskett
32. The Shadows Behind HerSmile by Karen Millie-James
33. The Nuremberg Puzzle by Laurence O’Bryan
34. Hyde’s Corner by J BBergstad
35. Path of Destiny by Mike Shelton
36. Town Secrets by Scott Gelowitz
37. Necessary Evils by BillCarson
38. Provoked to Anger by CherayGardison
39. Save the Last Bullet for God by JT Alblood
40. The Spirit Guide by Elizabeth Davies
41. Being Medusa and Other Things That Suckby A. Lynn Powers
42. Land of Two Seas by ChandanSen Gupta
43. Shadow Cell by Joseph D’Antoni
44. Saved by Angels by Bruce Van Natta
45. Dead-End Sex by Arnold Holtzman

46. Smiling Exercises and Other Stories byDan Malakin

47. Peter’s Sisters by LM Foster
48. Of My Own Hand’s Weaving by Mary Boscoletta
49. The Faerie Guardian byRachel Morgan
50. Cyber Storm by Matthew Mather
51. Truth Unveiled by KimCleary
52. Aisuru by Anma Natsu
53. Witch of the Cards by Caherine Stine
54. Creole Moon, The Betrayal by ST Holmes
55. The Princess Companion by MelanieCellier
56. Dawn’s Eerie Light by Roy Ziegler
57. Teepees and Trailer Parks by HopeCallaghan
58. A Deadly Secret
59. Loved, Desired, Touched by the Alpha Cowboyby DD Boone
60. The Lost Identity Casualties by KimEkemar
61. Sabbatical of the Mind by David L. Winters
62. Bag of Bones by Hope Callaghan
63. Spiritual Dog: ‘Bear’ by J. Wesley Porter
64. Paper in the Wind by Olivia MasonCharles
65. The Stalker by Hope Callaghan
66. Disclosing the Secret by Vincent Amato
67. Anna’s Way by DF Jones
68. Genna’s Fight by Sheldon P. Newton
69. The Dragon Ring by C. Craig Coleman
70. Ink by Zita Harrison
71. Summer Storm by Tori Del Rey
72. Blowing Smoke by George Hiegel
73. The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt
74. Armageddon’s Arc by Victor Baptiste
75. Neworld Papers: The Warriors’ Tale by KBShaw
76. Linear Shift by Paul Kohler

77. Who Are The Joneses Anyway by Bob andSusan Karcher
78. The Drift by Chris Thrall
79. Why You Won’t Go To Hell byBen Andrews
80. Bear Princess by Emma Alisyn/Danae Ashe
81. Altering Events by DennisN. Del Prince
82. Never Never Part 1 by Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher
83. The Marvels by Brian Selznick
84. Puzzle of Fate by A. RezaKamarei, PhD
85. Never Never Part 2 by Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher
86. Never Never Part 3 by Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher
87. Sandy’s Story by DF Jones
88. Living on Sugar Mountain by Ryan Stadler
89. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
90. Accidental Cinderella by Emily Evans
91. Re-Enactment Project by KO Johnson
92. Catcher in the Rye by J. Salinger
93. Talk to The Moon by Katlynn Brooke
94. Beautiful Lies by RM Lagman
95. The Dark by Marianne Curley
96. The Night Before Christmas by RoseCollins

97. Elementals by Michael Anstead
98. 9^th Street Chronicles by WE Self

99. 1984 by George Orwell

100. The Reanimated Legends ofRock by Durell Mitchell
101. Annie’s 1st Break by WilleeAmsden
102. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling
103. Lost Coast Rocket by Joel Horn

104. Diana The Abduction byRiana Alammar
105. Cress by Marissa Meyer
106. Out of the Box Everlasting by JenniferTheriot

107. Gift of the Mancynn byDominic Hodgson
108. All’s Fair in Love and War by J Theron
109. The Royal Dragoneers by MRMatthias
110. Dream Oracle Series by Seraph
111. The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. by Sam Miller II

112. The Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
113. Motivation 3 by Swift
114. Unspeakable Acts by Janet Leigh Green
115. Parable of the Tooth by KDLassiter
116. Crossing in Time by DL Orton
117. The Honey Bubble by GeorgePutnam
118. Running Home by Barbara Ellen Brink
119. Wonder by RJ Palacio
120. Police Under Fire by AubreyA. Barker
121. The Perseid Collapse by Steven Konkoly
122. Tabikat by Harriet Redfern
123. The Black Star by SD Smith
124. The Magic of Thieves by c. Greenwood
125. The Secrets in My Eyes byHarry James Hamilton
126. ROAN by ER Barr
127. Interesting Times by Matthew Storm
128. The Underbelly by EvelynCole
129. Gun by Lee Hayton
130. A Peripatetic Life by Raymond Walley
131. The General’s Legacy by Adrian G. Hilder
132. L.I.F.E. in the 23^rd Century by Jason R. Richter
133. Nightmares by Jason Segel/Kristen Miller
134. Coal by Constance Burris
135. The Light by Judith T.Lambert
136. Achieve Your Dreams by Scott Hughes
137.  A Soul Divided by Daniel M. Quilter 
138. Altdorf by JK Swift

Feral by Laxmi Hariharan

Feral is Book 1 of Many Lives Series by Laxmi Hariharan.

After the discovery of a shocking and life-changing truth about herself, Maya leaves behind her pack of wolves and hybrids, her mother, and her future mate Luke, and goes to the city of Bombay.  

While working as a waitress at the Salt Water Café, Maya meets and gets drawn to Jai, the son of the mayor of Bombay and a member of the mayor’s personal army. Maya is torn. She loves Luke and her attraction to Jai makes her feel uncomfortable.

As the first book in a series, this can be a standalone. The plot is interesting enough and the writing style is engaging making the book difficult to put down. Maya’s character is quite developed and it’s easy to relate with her. The book is nicely wrapped up with a satisfying ending.

However, I want a more elaborate description of the setting. Back stories on the present condition of the city also wouldn’t hurt. Apparently, the author focuses more on Maya, and may be planning on disclosing more information on the next books in the series. As is, I can’t exactly call this a novel, but a short story of a young girl. Still, the book is an enjoyable one and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series,TAKEN.

Congratulations to Laxmi Hariharan (@laxmi)! For updates on the author, click HERE.

Coal by Constance Burris

Coal is the first book in the Everleaf Series written by Constance Burris.

As the only human, living with the elves in Everleaf, in the fey realm, Coal has suffered insults and discrimination. Only his friendship with Chalcedony, princess and soon-to-be queen of Everleaf, protects him from worse treatment.  

When the princess brings home another human, Coal feels the need to protect the child. So, when the child puts her life in danger by accidentally breaking an elven law, Coal knows he has to take action to save the child. However, his action may betray the queenling and hurt her budding credibility and power over her subjects.

This is a fast-paced, exciting, suspenseful and adventurous book written in casual and conversational tone. It is a story about love, friendship, betrayal and even obsession. I find the plot unpredictable with slight twists and turns making the book even more exciting. There are plenty of action scenes including fighting, chasing and magic-wielding like transforming and phasing.

However, though the characters are all interesting, I didn’t find anyone to my liking. Coal is too naïve and couldn’t seem to make up his mind. Chalcedony is too whimsical and uses her power to do what she wants without consideration for others. Elizabeth is a brat. Haline is smart and brave but too ruthless and unforgiving while Queen Isis and Royden are suspiciously nice.

The ending is brilliant. I think it’s perfect for a first book in a series. There is a kind of resolution for closure and a new conflict for the next book. Needless to say, I enjoy this book despite my issues with the characters, and I recommend it to those who appreciate stories about elves, sprites, dwarves, giants, dragons, spriggins and spidrens.  

Congratulations to Constance Burris (@constanceburris) on such a great book.  For more books by the author, click HERE.  

The General's Legacy by Adrian G. Hilder

TheGeneral’s Legacy, Part 1: Inheritance (The General of Valendo Book 1) is the first installment of The General’s Legacy written by Adrian G. Hilder. The concluding part, Part 2: Whiteland King, will be available in February 2017.

Prince Cory has always looked up to his grandfather, the legendary general and king-consort of the kingdom of Valendo, Garon Allus Artifex-Dendra who, not only regales him with stories of war but also trains him in the art of warfare to be the next general of the Army of Valendo

Shortly after the revered general died, the kingdom was attacked. Despite his rigorous training under his grandfather, Prince Cory was unprepared for and felt inadequate against a dead battle mage and his skeleton army. With his grandfather’s last letter and the old general’s sword in his hand, Prince Cory has to do everything he can and use everything he has to face what was out there and end the war.

This is an exciting story of war and magic with a little bit of romance. The book started with action-packed scenes complete with brave warriors, powerful mages and hideous monsters. Settings were vividly described and dialogues were casually worded making the book easy to read. The romance part was sweet and a good addition to the already charming story.

The author created endearing characters. General Garon was an admirable man, a brilliant leader and a good friend; the Archmage was brave and powerful; while the Silver Warrior was a great and dashing soldier. Prince Pragius was trying to be the responsible heir to the throne by turning his back on what he really was, Prince Sebastian just wanted to pursue his passion while Prince Cory was the young soldier who wanted to follow his heart’s desire but was faced with an adversity much sooner than he expected.

However, the pacing of the story was, somehow, inconsistent. The book began in a fast pace, then slowed down and even dragged at the first few chapters then picked up again. Moreover, there was a character that was simply dropped. Given his ample back story, I expected him to play an important role in the book.

Needless to say I enjoyed reading this book despite the pacing and I recommend it to readers who appreciate stories about war and magic.

Congratulations to Adrian G. Hilder (@AdrianGHilder) on such a great book. you may visit Adrian G Hilder for updates on the author’s works.

Gun by Lee Hayton

Gun is the first book in Gun Apocalypse Series written by Lee Hayton.

When a neurological virus sends affected people to indiscriminate shooting, it turns them into mass murderers leaving dead bodies in various places like the coffee shop, the mall, the school and even ordinary streets. The city is in chaos and help is, apparently, not coming any time soon.

Annie, Frankie, Becca and Robert are thrown together to fend for themselves in the midst of a dangerous city. Annie fears for her son whom she last sees buckled in the car seat with his father shooting at random people while driving away. Robert sees two teenage girls running from a gunman and Frankie and Becca barely escape the carnage perpetuated by a deranged shooter.

This is a fast-paced, exciting and suspenseful book from start to finish. As soon as the action begins, the suspense doesn’t stop until the last page. The readers are kept hooked by very gradual disclosure of information while giving ample and vivid descriptions of the gruesome situation.

The story is, generally, written in a casual tone and is a fast read. What I like most, however, is the sense of resolve at the end of the book which is usually absent in other book series nowadays. As a mother, I, naturally, relate with Annie though my favorite character is Robert.

I particularly like how the author empowers women in this book. They shoot, they fight, they die while fighting, and most importantly they help each other out. Moreover, I like that the characters do what needs to be done. I find that very practical.

All in all, I like this book and I enjoy reading every page.

Congratulations to Lee Hayton (@kathay1973) on such a great book. Visit Katherine Hayton for more books by the same author.