Book Review: Confessions of a Paris Party Girl by Vicki Lesage

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Non fiction, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review 2014 by Raindrops and Pages

Title: Confessions of a Paris Party Girl
Author: Vicki Lesage
Published: January 12th 2014
Publisher: Createspace.

Rating:

Summary:
Wine, romance, and French bureaucracy – the ups and downs of an American’s life in Paris. This laugh-out-loud memoir is almost too funny to be true!

Drinking too much bubbly. Meeting sappy Frenchmen who have girlfriends or are creeps or both. Encountering problème after problème with French bureaucracy. When newly-single party girl Vicki moved to Paris, she was hoping to taste wine, stuff her face with croissants, and maybe fall in love.

In her first book, this long-time blogger and semi-professional drinker recounts the ups and downs of her life in Paris. Full of sass, shamefully honest admissions, and situations that seem too absurd to be true, Vicki makes you feel as if you’re stumbling along the cobblestones with her.

Will she find love? Will she learn to consume reasonable amounts of alcohol? Will the French administration ever cut her a break?

Confessions of a Paris Party Girl is a great debut from Vicki Lesage. I was a bit hesitant to read someone’s memoir (biographies aren’t exactly my favorite thing in the world) but I was blown away by how much I loved this. It’s a quick, fast paced wild ride detailing the first six years Vicki lived in Paris. She spares no details, talking about bar binges and what to do (and not do) while out for the night. She’s a wonderful story teller, and it feels more like catching up with a girlfriend rather than reading someone’s memoirs. I was laughing out loud at some of her exploits, and all the while I was rooting for her to find her feet, her head and her bearings.

There are ups and downs in this story, and Vicki takes them in stride, constantly trying to make the best of her situation. Even when French officials seem to be giving her the run around. I can’t stress how much I enjoyed this book. It filled a bit of wanderlust, and opened my eyes to some things that I didn’t know. I highly recommend it.

Overall: a great quick read. I can’t recommend it enough–it’d make a great summer read when the weather starts to warm up.

I was sent a copy of this book for review. I am not compensated for my review. All thoughts are my own.

30Aug2013

Review: Elixir Bound by Katie L. Carroll.

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Alternate Worlds, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Elixir Bound By Katie L. Carroll.
Release Date: August 31, 2012
Publisher: MuseItUp Publication.
Rating:

The Summary:Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone.

It is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this to read and review. I am not influenced or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.

The Review: Elixir Bound introduces a lush fantasy world and some really interesting characters. I had a hard time connecting with Katora at first, finding her a bit too whiny and indecisive, but as the book goes on and the story progresses she starts to grow and change. The group accompanying her on her quest to retrieve the flowers is made up of family and the very attractive son of a magical mapmaker. Katora and Hirsten have great chemistry and their relationship unfolds slowly, in fact Katora refuses to acknowledge her own feelings for the boy until after the quest is over.

This is a high fantasy book, the world has humanoid creatures, and other beings that are less than humanoid. Magic is a way of life, used in the healing elixirs that Katora’s family produces, the magic in the map-maker’s craft. The map is one of my favorite things in this story. The map makers have the ability to attach memories to various locations and they play out like movie scenes for those who view the map. Magic is also used as a weapon used by the antagonists who are trying to stall Katora and her group from getting to the flowers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a quick well written high fantasy book. High fantasy isn’t normally something I’m drawn to, but in the case of Elixir Bound I didn’t mind it. The story is really well written with a great ‘voice’ as a main character. The romance is cute and doesn’t distract from the main story. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a good introduction to high fantasy in the YA genre.

Purchase Elixir Bound on: Amazon

16Aug2013

Review: Pierced by J.C. Mells

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Format: Kindle, Genre: Urban Fantasy, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Pierced by J.C. Mells.
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Self through Amazon.
Rating:

The Summary: Imagine the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Betty Crocker.

That’s Pierce in a nutshell.

Pierce has been on the run for two years from the man who held her captive in a vampire compound for almost a decade. Life on the run would be a lot simpler if she didn’t suffer from several social disorders and ‘quirks’, have a ten-year-old brat in tow, as well as have two characters from a 1945 classic film living in her head and guiding her at every turn.

Disclosure:I was sent a copy of this book as part of a read and review group. I am not compensated for this review, nor am I influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Review: I finished this book two days ago, and I cannot get it out of my head. It is mind blowing and simply one of the best things I’ve read this year. The characters are amazing. Pierce is a character that I haven’t encountered in all of the books I’ve read. Her compulsions and her delusions are as much characters as the rest of the cast of this story. The book itself is labeled Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, and it is indeed urban fantasy. There’s not a lot of romance (thus far) and I’m glad there isn’t. Pierce’s background and her current character– to force a love interest at her would cheapen the story. There are hints, subtle ones and with time I can see something developing with the character Pierce is starting to show a glimmer of interest in. But for now? I’m really liking the way this story is in terms of ‘romance.’

The story is fast paced, without being rushed. Pierce’s paranoia and constant vigilance adds to this aspect of the story. It’s extremely well written, with a complex plot, full of twists and turns and a couple of massive bombshells that I didn’t see coming until the end. This book is fantastic. I cannot express this enough. It’s also really hard to talk about without spoiling anything, and I’m trying really hard not to just type over and over “go buy and read this book”.

On that subject while I want everyone to read this book, it’s not for everyone. There’s violence, explicit drug use, offensive language, child abuse– and while they’re there and out for the reader to see and the other characters to interpret and experience they don’t take away from the story. Pierce is heavily flawed, and has many issues, none of which she uses as a crutch. She’s a strong, well written character and one that will stick with me for a very long time.

There’s a novella to this series, and there’s a second book listed on amazon, which I’m incredibly grateful for because the book ended in a cliffhanger, and I am craving the second part of this series. I loved this book and I know a couple of people that need to read it right now.

Purchase Pierced on Amazon On sale for .99 until August 21, 2013!! Snatch this up while you can.

16Aug2013

Review: The Abbey at World’s End by LL Watkin

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Alternate Worlds, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Three Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

The Abbey at World’s End by LL Watkin.
Release Date:June 5, 2012
Publisher: Self Published.
Rating

The Summary: Keldaren just wanted an easy life. A job where the boss wouldn’t scream if she was five minutes late. A nice boyfriend. An apartment where the auto-programs actually worked. Treasure worth a not so small fortune. To go a week without a bomb going off in her near vicinity. Was that so much to ask?
Unfortunately, when your best friend is a three thousand year old ghost with a chip on her insubstantial shoulders, nothing is as easy as you’d imagine.

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book as part of a read and review group. I am not compensated for this review, nor am I influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Review:This is an interesting read. It took me a little while to get into it, because the reader is immediately thrown into the world. No set up, no explanation of what’s going on, and the story just takes off from there. The world is a futuristic world where apartments decorate themselves, ids are needed for pretty much everything, and the law follows the leading/teachings of the Goddess. Keldaren is a woman who works in an office for her day job, but in actuality is a thief and she and a couple of associates are planning on pulling off a massive heist.

She plans on stealing the Goddess’ belongings.

The reason behind this is partially monetary gain, the other is to keep her best friend Missra, a ghost, from disappearing from existence completely. Keldaren and her associates accomplish this, and that’s when the story really takes off. Keldaren is thrust into a world of power plays, changes, power gain and to top it all off someone’s trying to kill her. The city around her is racked with bombings, packed with people due to the annual festival and she’s caught in the middle of everything.

Once you get past the first couple of chapters the book unfolds in a way and becomes easier to read. It’s a really fast paced, action packed story and it sets the groundwork nicely for the rest of the series. (Did I mention that this was the first in a series?). The mystery elements to the plot I didn’t figure out until the very end, and I really fell in love with a couple of the characters. I only wish that the beginning had been rounded out a bit more so I could get into it a bit easier–but it might be just me. It’s a good book, a wild ride, but it did take me a while to get into it.

Purchase The Abbey at World’s End: on Kindle

14Aug2013

Review: Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Tent City by Kelly Van Hull
Release Date: March 10, 2013
Publisher: Self published through Amazon.
Rating:

The Summary: After a devastating plague, introverted 17-year-old Dani Campbell and her family find themselves living in a very different America, one run by a cult-like leader, who forces children to move to “safety camps” designed to protect the human race. Encouraged to flee by her parents, Dani and her five-year-old brother seek refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. On the run with danger around every corner, Dani must fight to ensure their survival in this new world while trying to unmask the mystery of how it all came to be.

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book as part of a read and review group. I am not compensated for this review, nor am I influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review This is the second post-apocalyptic, post-government plot story I’ve read in a week or so, and I really enjoyed Tent City. Danni is a seventeen year old girl, who at the beginning of the book leaves home with her five year old brother and her best friend, Kit. They find safety in the mountains when they come across a group of others who have fled their homes. They settle into Tent City, making the best of the situation, the alternate–‘safety camps’, being much worse than what they’ve got.

Danni grows as a main character in leaps and bounds. In the beginning she was a standard teenager, who considered herself burdened by her younger brother, but as the story progresses the reader can see the changes in this character. She trains, becoming physically stronger, learns basic medical care, is able to stand up not only for herself, but her brother and some others that she meets along the way. Kit also changes, growing up and becoming a strong, independent woman on her own.

There’s a hint of romance, but it’s handled in a subtle way. Jack and Bentley both vie for Danni’s attention, and while it’s not resolved in this book, it adds to the story. The twists concerning the two men were a little predictable, but again it didn’t remove from the story and added an extra conflict in the later chapters.

The ties between religion and corruption in the government are really interesting. The Plagues as an apocalyptic tool, outside of a religious setting, are something I hadn’t seen before. The plot is well thought out and it flows nicely. My only complaint is the ending. I felt that it was a little rushed, and a little abrupt, and I want more. I’m looking forward to reading more of this universe.

Purchase Tent City
On Kindle
Paperback
B&N

13Aug2013

Book Review: Wunder .5 by A.R. Von.

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Erotica, Genre: Zombie lit, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Wunder .5 by A.R. Von
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Self Published through Amazon.
Total Length: not given
Rating:

The SummaryWunder may have a normal life now…well, as normal as a freak of nature could have. Half zombie while her job is to hunt bloodthirsty creatures to protect the innocent. It’s the dreams that haunt her and they aren’t nightmares. Wunder dreams of a man, a man made just for her. Is he real, can he be the one she‘s yearned for?

Pete’s world is a lonely one as he wrestles with the reality of being part zombie. His hatred for the creatures that killed his parents drives him to patrol the streets and wipe them all out. His life would be stark, but for the dreams he’s been having; of a woman, so sensuous, so sexy. These alluring visions have become erotic and consuming. He feels as if he made her up to keep from going crazy. Is this life of hunting the walking dead, all there is? Or is she out there, waiting…just for him?

The Review: Plagued (haha see what I did there? Sorry, it won’t happen again) by dreams featuring a smokin’ hot mystery man, Wunder has to balance her day to day zombie hunting life and deal with her own demons of being half zombie–all the while thinking about her nightly escapades with tall dark and handsome.

This is a prequel of sorts to Wunder, which I’ve also reviewed and will link further down, and it goes deeper into Wunder’s history and her daily life. I liked getting to read more about Wunder’s team and more about her day to day life. We’re also given more of an introduction to Pete, who is Wunder’s love interest. Their chemistry is scorching hot, and well written. I can’t get enough of Wunder and the world that Ms. Von has built. I’m really looking forward to book two, or really anything that I can sink my teeth into. (Sorry.)

Review for Wunder Wunder

Purchase Wunder .5: On Kindle

13Aug2013

Review: Wunder by A.R. Von

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Erotica, Genre: Zombie lit, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Wunder A.R.Von
Release Date: February 14, 2013
Publisher: Self Published through Amazon.
Length: 18 pages
Rating:

The Summary: Wunder isn’t your average girl, in fact, she isn’t even an average human. In a world once ravaged by Zombies, she was born amidst the chaos.

Where can a girl like her find the man of her delicious dreams? She has an idea and it leads her to the hottest new club in town, where she finds what’s been missing in her life.

Pete has his own secrets to tell, and when they come together, another story unfolds while the sparks fly.

The Review: First off this is a short story–extremely short. However, despite the length, there’s a lot going on. Wunder is a human/zombie hybrid, and in this post-zombie world it’s something that she keeps hidden. A tough as nails zombie hunter, who has an incredibly sensual side. Pete is tall dark and handsome and hiding something from Wunder and the world. When the two come together sparks fly and the chemistry is off the charts.

I really enjoyed this short, and was pleasantly surprised by it. I went way out of my comfort zone, both with zombies, and erotica and the blending of the two. Don’t think that this is a mash up of Romero’s zombies getting together. It’s not. There’s a lot to this story and it packs a punch. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Wunder goes next, and more of her interactions with Pete.

Purchase Wunder here:
Kindle

13Aug2013

Review: Fire in the Blood by Dale Ibitz

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Alternate Worlds, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Fire in the Blood by Dale Ibitz.
Release Date: July 11, 2011
Publisher: Self Published through Createspace.
Length: 238 pages
Rating:

The Summary:Global warming is playing havoc on Earth, and when 17 year-old Haley tumbles to a parallel world, she discovers that Earth’s issues stem from a war between the Eyids, the gods of nature. Because her necklace is a stone that holds the power of the Air Eyid, Haley is called upon to stop the war

But Haley has a problem. Actually, two problems. One named Tuggin, and one named Ian.

Both lie to her. Both have secrets. And neither are who they say they are. With her stone of power, Haley’s forced to make a choice that will decide the fate of all the worlds. But who should she trust, who should she fight, and who is the one with fire in his blood bent on betraying them all?

The Review:Alternate world/universe books are something that I eat up like candy. This book was no exception to that. Fire in the Blood is a the first book in a promising young adult series. The main character Haley is a modern, typical seventeen year old girl, who wants nothing more than a “Hall-God” boyfriend, and to get through the day without some sort of muck up.

Instead, she’s thrust into a parallel world called Eyidora by her adoptive mother when she’s hunted by the same entity that killed her birth parents. There she’s introduced to Tuggin, a tight lipped, abrasive, gorgeous eighteen year old who seems to want nothing to do with her–except to keep her on a tight leash. The problems don’t stop there, in fact they intensify when she learns that she’s a crucial piece to ending a war that would not only destroy Eyidora, but Earth as well. To further complicate things, THE Hall-God Ian enters the picture, joining her in this parallel world. He knows more than he should, and nothing is what it seems.

I really enjoyed this book. There are a couple hitches to it though. I think there should have been just a little more exposition in the beginning as things start quickly and the reader is expected to keep up, even as this new world, new languages and history are thrown at us in a rapid fire fashion. I like that Hadley grows through the story, and learns quickly rather than depending on Tuggin and a few other characters. It’s also extremely fast paced and the story moves so quickly that I read through the book and wanted more to this piece.

I was given this book as a prize through a facebook contest. I am not being compensated for this review.

Purchase Fire in the Blood:
on Kindle
Paperback through Createspace

13Aug2013

Review: Perifdy by Dori Klaproth

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Two Umbrella, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Perdify by Dori Klaproth
Release Date:July 23, 2013
Publisher: Self published through Amazon.
Pages: 90 pages.
Rating:

The Summary: Quick witted teen Trina must find a way to fight for her life the government has unleashed a genetically altered millennia old virus on an unsuspecting populace. To top it off she must keep her 4 year old half-sister as well as a couple of spoiled rich boys. Then finds Love right in the middle of it all.

The Review: This book was a serious let down. I really wanted to like it, I’ve read a short by this author and enjoyed it. However, Perfidy is just something that didn’t live up to it’s potential. Trina is a teenage girl who falls ill in the first few pages of the book. She’s taken to a mobile hospital (think like a M*A*S*H or field hospital) where she learns that she’s going to be executed–even after surviving a round with this mysterious illness.

Sounds interesting?

It has the chance to be. But that chance goes away, and everything is handed to Trina on a platter of convenience. She escapes into the woods, and works her way back to the family home. Once there she finds that her escape has been noticed, and now people are hunting her down. Trina’s mother sends the four year old sister out to join Trina in the wilderness to hopefully live in secrecy. Trina’s father spent lots of time teaching her how to survive off the land, and she has a few supplies. But once again, the opportunity to show some conflict and struggle is overshadowed. The supplies that they need are always within reach, they find a cave system which they turn into a home–and they don’t want for anything. Two boys join the girls, and again, things just seem to fall into place.

I would have really loved to see more struggle, more drama with this book. The whole man vs nature, man vs government is something that appeals to me in books. There were times where I could see where this was going, but then it turned sharply into the world of easily accessible. I think that rather than the young adult/teen age group this book would be more suited for a younger crowd. I wanted to like this, and I did finish because there were a few good points and the potential is there–but I can’t recommend it really. It is a series, and I’m strongly considering the second book but I probably won’t get it.

I bought this when it was .99, and the price has been raised to 4.99 which I think is incredibly high. If you wish to purchase it, go for it, but wait and watch if the price goes down.

Purchase: Perfidy