Monday, April 22, 2013

Book Review: A Beastly Scandal by Shereen Vedam


3 stars
Genres: Romance, Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Format: ebook
216 pages
Published by ImaJinn Books
Published on March 22nd 2013
ISBN13: 9781610261241
Where to Buy: Amazon
View on Goodreads

Synopsis:
A BELLE OF THE BALL…
Lady Annabelle Marchant was a belle of the ball in London until she used her psychical senses to save a man’s life. She failed miserably, leaving him dead and her disgraced. All she wants now is a chance to comfort his widow by cleansing the woman’s home of her husband’s restless spirit. But the widow’s son, the beastly Lord of the Manor, accuses her of coming to the wilds of Cheshire to snag him as a husband. Thoroughly disgusted, she is bent on proving him wrong.

…BECOMES PERSONA NON-GRATA…
Lord Rufus Marlesbury, the Earl of Terrance, is suspected of murdering his father. He has come home to clear his name by finding the real killer before the new year or the king has promised that Rufus will be called in front of the House of Lords to answer for the crime. He does not have time to waste fending off a marriage-minded miss who has inveigled an invitation to his home by playing on his grief-stricken mother’s worst fears.

…WHEN A MURDERER IS ON THE RAMPAGE
With an unruly manor ghost terrorizing the occupants and corpses piling up in the village, Belle must find a way to see the man beneath the beast and Rufus must learn to believe in the love of a woman who has no reason to trust him. Only by working together can they stop a vengeful ghost before it torments the guests or before the killer strikes again.

My Review:
This book is a nice short read.  Annabelle brings out the passion and ability to get ahead and make it on her own.  Despite the original plan Rufus, the magnetic hero, denies what he thinks and teams up with Annabelle to solve a murder.  I would have liked to see a little bit more out of the characters, some more personality and complexity. 

Note: I received this book via Netgalley.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

ARC Review: Cobweb Bride (Cobweb Bride Trilogy, #1) by Vera Nazarian

Cobweb Bride Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is about an alternative Renaissance-style world in Europe. Death comes to claim his bride and stops everyone from dying until she is found. While that might seem very nice on the surface the terminally ill and mortally wounded are suffering, just because you can’t die doesn’t mean you still don’t feel pain.

Overall I thought this to be an interesting storyline however I did feel like parts of the book dragged on and there was a little too much explanation taking me out of the story. The ending left me at a disadvantage because it seems like there should be more to the story. My recommendation is to wait until the sequel comes out or this story might leave you a little frustrated at the end.

Note: I won the ARC book through the LibraryThing Giveaway.

View all my reviews

Friday, April 12, 2013

Book Review: The Convict's Bounty Bride by Lena Dowling

2 stars
Genres: Historical, Romance
Format: ebook
59 pages
Published by Harlequin Enterprises Australia
Published March 1st 2013
ISBN13: 9780857990327
Where to Buy: Amazon
View on Goodreads

Synopsis:
Life as a convict in an Australian penal colony was brutal, but James Hunter had the advantages of raw physical strength and courage on his side. He survived, and now he is back; a selfmade man of means, determined to take the bride he was promised.
Lady Thea Willers knows nothing of the bargain her father made to save her brother, nor does she have any interest in marriage. It might be a radical idea, but what Thea wants is a career.

The revelation that her brother’s liberty depends on her marrying James Hunter is devastating. But nothing, it seems, has the power to shake Thea’s world upside down like James himself, or the way he makes her feel.

My Review:
The highlight of this book was definitely the characters.  They had their own time of personalities, although they also appeared flat at times.  Being a novella I think a whole book as a whole would have made the characters pop.  Everything about this story was rushed.  I didn't feel like I had time to really get into the story at all and everything just flew on by.  There was no build up to the romance it kind of just happened.  I was left feeling like I had a lot of questions with no answers

Note: I received this book via Netgalley.