Review: Dance for a Dead Princess by Deborah Hawkins

Dance for A Dead Princess by Deborah Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What I liked - I liked the historical elements and the setting. The journey to the Abbey gave me the feeling of reading about Hercules Poirot before he embarks on one of his quests. The hunt for the truth isn't as straightforward and this made the book more fascinating for me.

What I didn't like – Some things should be left alone. I know many people who would be gushing about how this book is about the Royal Family. But others would also be turned off by using someone famous you do not know in a fiction story. For this reader, I was not a fan of how Diana was portrayed .

Did you find that the cover and title represented what the story was really about? The title was a bit misleading. While you automatically assume that the dead princess means Diana, you later find this story has at least 3 different subplots which aren't entirely represented by the title.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.


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Review: The Book of Paul by Richard Long

The Book of Paul by Richard Long
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What did the title have to do with the book? Character in the book is named Paul, he has a book and believes it tells him the future.

If you could continue the story, what events would you include? Why? The babies being born. To see, what is in store for them.

What did you enjoy about this book? It was a fast read. I like reading about the dark side. It was filled with suspense and I liked the humor.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Semmant by Vadim Babenko

Semmant by Vadim Babenko
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who was your favorite character? What did you appreciate about him/her?

I liked Anna. She was a classy lady and she never passed judgement.

Consider the main character: what does he or she believe in? What is he or she willing to fight for?

He believes in the future. He fights to learn more, do more, have more. He wants love, but isn't capable of love.

What are some of the major themes of this book?

Betrayal, lust, money and man who was never satisfied. A robot in a computer that was real to Bagdan.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan

Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What did you like about the setting in this book - The overall setting of the story was scary and cold. What happened to Claire made my skin crawl and I cannot imagine a single individual experiencing so much in a lifetime.

Cover - I liked the water colour effect on the cover. The orangish red signalled terror and the lone figure showed me Claire as a lone figure who appears to be searching for something which was exactly what Claire was doing in the novel. She was searching for herself.

Content (overall theme, idea and setting) - The themes, settings and the ideas were very well developed. Every scene seemed realistical and could easily be pictured. This is an impressive new author and I definitely want to read her other work, if she has any.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Refuge by NS Osborne

Refuge by N.G. Osborne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Formatting / Appearance. No problems with formatting or appearance. It read easily on my iPad.

Did the plot pull you in or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book? The plot was exciting, it did pull me in. Some of the scenes were very explicit.

What were the main themes of the book? How well did the author execute these themes? A foreign country and their beliefs. Love and conflict. Women being abused. A poverty stricken country that has land mines everywhere.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Family Magic (Hayle Coven, #1) by Patti Larsen

Family Magic by Patti Larsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Favourite location / setting … The woods where the coven would meet for their cleansing sessions.
Favourite scene …. When Sassafras showed up at the cleansing, alive . Favourite quote … The first quote I liked was "We're starting to worry about you". and the second was "Show's over or hadn't you noticed ?"

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Materson

Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Martenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Was location important to the story? No, I believe this could happen in any large city where people have more money than brains.

List the places mentioned in the book. California, Chicago, Dallas, Rodeo Drive, Italy, South Pacific, Portland, West Hollywood, North Canon, Sunset Blvd, Middle East, Mexico, Target, Washington, Beverly Hills, Barnes and Noble, Seattle, Delmar, New York and Los Angeles.

Tell in your own words the beginning of the book. Marla talks about her office decor and her clients. The beginning of a funny read that will have you laughing out loud.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Sex and Death in the American Novel by Sarah Martinez

Sex and Death in the American Novel by Sarah Martinez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where did the story take place? Mainly on the west coast, Seattle area.

How did the main character feel during the book? Vivianna felt unloved by her father and felt her mother did not understand her. She felt her family did not understand her choice in writing genre.

What did the title have to do with the book? The subject of sex was discussed often during talks on literature. Death was discussed when dealing with her father. Since he was not alive, Vivianna fell back on this. She used his death as a crutch in not dealing with her feelings for her father.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Dissolution Of Peace by Richard Flores IV

Dissolution of Peace by Richard Flores IV
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did anyone in the book do something you did not like? Roger was a traitor and a terrorist. He lied and murdered for money.

Who do you think the author intended to read this book and why? People who really enjoy war books. Most of the story focused on fighting and war, which suited the title.

Is the plot well-developed? Any science fiction fan, will tell you that the plot is well developed, but quite a few of us at the book club did appreciate a few scenes that were repeated. It almost seemed that the writer was catching up with his word count.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Sleeper's Run by Henry Mosquera

Sleeper's Run by Henry Mosquera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What were the main themes of the book? The book was about corruption involving the CIA. They were involved in human experiments and carried out murders and torture.

Did the plot pull you in or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book? I was pulled in from the first page. I personally had to force myself to stop reading just to get sleep.

Favourite quote … Two favorite quotes. "These things we do, that others might live." "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. "

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Here Among Us by Maggie Harryman

Here Among Us by Maggie Harryman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What was the problem in the book, and how was it solved? The siblings don't get along. Flynn did help her sister

Did anyone in the book do something you did not like? Jeffery was just a jerk in every way. He was a cheater, a liar and a manipulator.

What kind of book is this? List three evidences of this. Fiction. No one just leaves their child. Big Tom wasn't ever prosecuted for any thing

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: The Symbolon by Delia Colvin

The Symbolon by Delia J. Colvin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How did the main character feel during the book? Alex was like a mad man, trying to figure a way that he and Valeria could be married. He was completely obsessed with her.

What did the title have to do with the book? The title was a mark on your body. Your soul mate was to have the same mark.

Did the setting of the story make it more interesting? Yes, it did. Traveling to all the other countries. Very romantic, beautiful places.

Did this book remind you of anything that has happened to you? I do know, the feeling of being deeply in love. And how it feels if that person was ripped out of your life.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Gallows Ascending by Leigh Podgorski

GALLOWS ASCENDING by Leigh Podgorski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Describe 2 different settings or locations. When Luke is walking outside the village of New Camen. The author's words were poetic and the scenery was beautiful, yet chilling at the same time. The second location would be the festivities at the New Camen Grange Hall. So much tension amidst the festivities. Loved the contrast.

Were you able to connect with the main character and why? Hmmm, the main character is Luke and yet the story may not be as strong without Beth. I am going to take them as a pair and yes, I could definitely connect with them on many different levels. They were engaging characters that had a fantastic story to tell.

Favourite quote… "Even the screeching seagulls had quieted, their feast having been whisked from them in a thick black plastic body bag." - This gave me goosebumps and I loved the use of the word "feast" instead of body.

Disclosure - I received a free book from the author. I was not obliged to write a positive review.

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Review: The Hunter's Son (JC Mather, #1) by B.E. Jewell

The Hunter's Son by B.E. Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What was the author's purpose or purposes in writing this book? To create an imaginary fantasy world that readers would never want to leave. He definitely succeedded.
If you could continue the story, what events would you include? JC finding Paris & killing him. I feel that this is the only way the secret society would fall.
List the five major events in the story in the correct order. JC and his dad moved to Hawthorne. JC's dad was almost killed by the witches. JC was told about his heritage. He joined the society. Paris killed James.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: January Exposure by Sunny Benson

January Exposure by Sunny Benson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Formatting / Appearance – There weren't any issues.

Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? Was totally caught off guard with the ending, in a good way.

Is the story plot or character driven? The story was character driven.

Is the plot well-developed? Is it believable? The plot makes sense. And everything in it is believable.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Lessons from the Lemonade Stand: A Common Sense Primer on Investing by James Berman

Lessons from the Lemonade Stand: A Common Sense Primer on Investing by James Berman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you think the author was trying to accomplish with this novel? To help people by showing them how to make smart investment decisions.

Who was your favorite character? I appreciated that most of the people mentioned in the book did not give up and they made it a point to try again and reinvest and carry on.

At the end of the book, do you feel hope for the characters? Yes. At the end well when you read it you will understand.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer

Covert Dreams by Mike Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If your book was a mystery, tell what the mystery was and how it was solved. The mystery was BJ's dreams and Valerie's disappearance. BJ was finally told who he really was. Stan never found Valerie.

Who do you think the author intended to read this book and why? This is a book for anyone above 13 years old. Mystery, action and adventure … what's not to like?

How did you feel about the main character? I think he was obsessed with the dreams. He quit living his own life.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Daimones by Massimo Marino

Daimones by Massimo Marino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Content (overall theme, idea and setting) – The author took a familiar theme and added a new twist. I liked that.

What I liked – The setting. Most times it felt like I was there.

Cover – The cover was impressive. And from an interview I read, I understand it was a real life image that had been taken and altered.

What do you think the author was trying to accomplish with this novel? He was making people think about what could happen.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Review: The Italian Connection 1 (Dojo Boys, #4) by Alex A. Akira

The Italian Connection 1 by Alex A. Akira
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What do you think is the climax of the book and why. This is the 4th book in the series, and several book club members agree that the full climax is not in this book. We feel this book is building to the full climax.

At the end of the book, do you feel hope for the characters? Sadly, no. I do not feel hope that Julian and Philippe will work out and find each other.

What did you think of the story structure? The author weaved the past in long chunks. Sometimes the past was revealed twice by the different characters. I personally feel some of this could have been edited out.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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