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Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week Chrissie has a "can't-wait-to-read" selection for you:

The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn (Smythe-Smith Quartet #3)

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide. But forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, and four, the mathematician may lose count, and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless ...

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Review: Unlocked by Courtney Milan (Turner #1.6)

Publisher - Self Published
Publication Date - 31st May 2011
Ebook - 111 pages
Genre - Historical Romance

Source - Purchased

Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it.

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - A perpetual wallflower destined for spinsterhood, Lady Elaine Warren is resigned to her position in society. So when Evan Carlton, the powerful, popular Earl of Westfeld, singles her out upon his return to England, she knows what it means. Her former tormenter is up to his old tricks, and she’s his intended victim. This time, though, the earl is going to discover that wallflowers can fight back.

Evan has come to regret his cruel, callow past. At first, he only wants to make up for past wrongs. But when Elaine throws his initial apology in his face, he finds himself wanting more. And this time, what torments him might be love...

My Thoughts - I hadn't read anything by this author before but downloaded it onto my kindle as I have been enjoying historical romances quite a lot recently and the cover really caught my eye. Yes, I know, that's not a real reason to buy a book, but I do love a pretty cover. Even if it is on my kindle!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Considering it was a novella, it felt as though it was a complete story and I felt as though I got to know the characters enough that I cared about them and about what would happen to them. I've read a few novellas recently and this is the first time that I have actually felt satisfied in that respect.

I really liked the main characters, Elaine and Evan. Evan made mistakes in his youth with the way he treated Elaine and made her the focus of society's jokes, but he recognised that and was able to make changes in his life, and later, when he returns to England at the beginning of this story, he is able to admit those mistakes and try to make amends for them. He really shows to both the reader and to Elaine that he has grown up and that he is no longer the cruel young man that he used to be. Elaine on the other hand, shows remarkable strength in the face of such treatment from most of society. She has had to endure a lifetime of teasing and cruel behaviour from others and has had to learn how to blend into the background. However, she has not backed away from society and is not afraid to stand up to others, most especially when she feels her mother, who is also a social outcast, is being mistreated.

Seeing their relationship grow as he took his time to prove to her that he had changed, and as she learned to open up and start to trust again was very heart warming. I felt that they were very sweet together as a couple and was glad when they got their Happy Ever After (although it's a romance novel so that was pretty much a given!).

My only problem with this novella was that nothing much really happened. A lot of the novella is based around conversations and there is very little action. The advantage of this was that I did get to know the characters a lot better than I might otherwise have done. But it did make it feel as though the story moved along at a rather slow pace a lot of the time.

Summary - An enjoyable historical romance novella with characters that are easy to fall in love with. I just wish the pacing of the story had been worked out a little better to include some faster moving moments.

Other books in the series:
1. Unveiled
1.5. Birthday Gift
1.6. Unlocked
2. Unclaimed
2.5. Out of the Frying Pan
3. Unraveled

Monday, 14 October 2013

It's Monday! What are you reading? (14th October 2014)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey that gives us all a chance to list the books that we read last week and what we hope to read this week.

Books We Read Last Week:

Unlocked by Courtney Milan (Turner #1.5)








Books We Reviewed Last Week:

The Angel by Tiffany Reisz (Original Sinners #2)
The Fish Who Could Wish by John Bush and Korky Paul







Books We're Currently Reading:

Keeper's Watch by Cynthia Roberts (The Wind #1)
The Prince by Tiffany Reisz (Original Sinners #3)







Books Up Next:

Broken Beauty by Chloe Adams (Broken Beauty #1)

Saturday, 12 October 2013

Stacking the Shelves (12th October 2013)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

For Review:

The Accidental Mistress by Portia Da Costa (The Accidental Trilogy #2)

After being mistaken for a high-class call girl when they first met, Lizzie now enjoys a fiery relationship with John, her gorgeous and incredibly rich older man. Devoted, romantic and devilishly kinky, John knows exactly how to satisfy her every need.

But John has a dark side - and a past he won't talk about. He might welcome Lizzie in his bed - and out of it - but will she ever be anything more than a rich man's mistress?

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #1)

Iona Sheehan has just taken the biggest gamble of her life. Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of answers.

Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors. So when her grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself.

Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins for the first time. What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time. And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present.

Broken Beauty by Chloe Adams (Broken Beauty #1)

Sometimes bad things happen to beautiful people.

When socialite party girl Mia Abbott-Renou wakes up in a garden she has little recall of the previous night -- except that she is naked...hurt...terrified. Not only has she been raped, but she knows one of her assailants: the son of a wealthy politician who happens to be her own father’s political ally.

Mia wants and needs justice. Except this privileged boy has an alibi and her father forbids her from going to the police. It’s a critical election year, one that his party might lose if his image as a doting father is soured due to Mia being labeled a lush or worse, promiscuous.

Devastated at not having the support of her family, Mia finds herself in a tug-of-war with her conscience over what to do, especially since she can’t remember exactly what happened that night. Worse, the men who attacked her have hurt several other girls, and Mia may be the key to stopping them.

Mia tries to forget, until the unthinkable happens, and she’s left reeling once again, faced with a new challenge that will force her to take more control of her life.

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones (The Secret Life of Amy Benson #1)

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loved to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she's finally dared to believe she is forgotten-even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets her guard down, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take "no" as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Kinked by Thea Harrison (Elder Races #6)

As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s ever known. Aryal believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own.

To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion—culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.

Dark Secret Love: A Story of Submission

'I knew what I wanted - Someone who wouldn't laugh or scowl or turn away in disgust when I confessed my darkest fantasies. Someone who had a brush, and a belt, and a set of cuffs and was not afraid to use them.'

Based on the author's real life experiences, this is a fictional account of a submissive and her quest for the perfect dominant. Dark Secret Love is a modern-day Story of O with a kinky fairy-tale twist.

Trick or Treats edited by Lori Perkins

Heat up those cold, dark Autumn nights with this collection of short stories of paranormal intrigue...

Full of fangs, claws and superhuman passion, these tales are guaranteed to give you goosebumps!


The Beauty of Surrender by Eden Bradley

The moments when Ava Gregory feels her most beautiful and complete are when she is tied up and bound.

Then she meets Desmond Hale, a master in the ancient Japanese bondage art of Shibari. He takes her to the very edge of ecstasy. But having learned the beauty of surrender, dare Ava risk her heart?

Friday, 11 October 2013

Kid's Korner Review: The Fish Who Could Wish by John Bush & Korky Paul



Kid's Korner is a new feature here at Once Upon a Series where we will be reviewing children's fiction. Whether you're looking for something to read with your little ones or just enjoy this type of fiction yourself, hopefully this feature will help to inspire your reading choices.

Publisher - OUP Oxford
Publication Date - 7th February 2008
Paperback - 32 pages
Genre - Children's Picture Book

Source - Library

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it.

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - Deep in the ocean is a fish whose wishes come true! But he is a rather silly fish and one day he makes a wish that he wishes he never wished!

My Thoughts - The Fish Who Could Wish is a beautifully illustrated book that both myself and my children enjoyed a lot. The rhythm of the words, as well as the rhymes at the end of the lines made this one a very easy one to read out loud and it just flowed off the tongue. Both of my children have got a fascination with sea animals so this book was particularly good for us as we spent a good deal of time looking at all of the illustrations, which by the way are wonderfully detailed.

The topic of being able to have wishes that come true of course also sparked a lot of discussion within the household, and it was great to see how this book sparked my kid's imaginations.

The only thing that really stopped me from giving this a full five out of five was the ending. I just wish it could have ended a little more happily. See, even in my children's fiction I'm still always on the lookout for that Happy Ever After! Although I can see that the ending was meant to provide a lesson to the children reading it to think about the consequences of our actions before we do something.

Summary - Overall, a bright and fun book that kids and adults will enjoy, as well as providing lots to talk about once the story is over. I really recommend this book to all children and parents!
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