Review of Bear Trapped by Eve Hunter

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- Bear Trapped: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Force Book 1) by Eve Hunter

Overall star rating --- 5

About the book:

For journalist Ada Hastings, it's supposed to be a lazy two-week summer break on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. No deadlines, no complications, no men; in fact, nothing riskier than a hangover. But a casual walk in the bush takes her holiday from carefree to chilling when she discovers a bear bathing under a waterfall—a frightening impossibility in a country that has no bears at all outside of zoos.

Ranger Sachs-Severin combines his high-flying life as a hedge fund manager with covert missions for Bear Force, a group of shapeshifters fighting bear abuse. The waterfall at his remote coastal property is the last place he expects to see anyone, so he’s stunned when his bear insists the tall, curvy woman who has literally fainted at his feet is their mate.

Ranger must convince a shocked Ada that bear shifters are real—and nothing to be alarmed about. The scorching chemistry between them is undeniable, however, igniting Ada’s senses and forcing Ranger to believe that fated mates do exist.

But they aren’t prepared for the way her past collides with his present, and Ranger is devastated to discover that a mission he must accept means risking losing Ada forever.

Book creation ratings:

* Max. total of 30 possible *

Overall total, out of 30 -- 30

-- Story & characters -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 10

-- Editing & formatting -- 10

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

A totally delicious paranormal romance, from beginning to end. The New Zealand setting is wonderful, and the author does a great job with it. She paints some wonderful pictures. The characters are bold and lively and great to read about. I love the story she spins; it will keep you riveted from beginning to end.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- paranormal romance

Age recommendations -- 18 plus

Sex content rating -- moderate

Violence rating -- mild

** The author's links **

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Trapped-Paranormal-Shifter-Romance-ebook/dp/B0139IAPY0

Amazon author page

https://www.amazon.com/Eve-Hunter/e/B0139V2392/

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/EveHunterWrites

Website

http://evehunter.com

Review of Wonderland by Robert McKay - Reviewer, Mo

Reviewed by -- Mo        

Book Review of -- Wonderland by Robert McKay        

Overall star rating --- 4-1/2  

     

About the book:

Teenage Alice didn't mean to end up on Wonderland, but the living spaceship she commandeered had other plans, and he was very late.

Abandoned on an unfamiliar planet, Alice's first day as a space pirate has fallen into madness. Caterpillars? Mad hatters? A Jabberwock? A queen known for chopping off heads? Alice must face all Wonderland can throw at her if she's to take back possession of The White Rabbit and leave Wonderland in one piece.

Book creation ratings

Overall total, out of 30 -- 29        

-- Story & characters -- 9        

-- Cover & title -- 10        

-- Editing & formatting -- 10        

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

If the title of this book sounds familiar, it is. Wonderland is the story of Alice and the Looking Glass with a twist. A superbly science-fiction otherworldly twist. In McKay’s take on the classic Alice story, Alice is more than the humble Lewis Carroll version, she is a feisty 13 year old who seeks adventure and the life of a pirate. Her mother isn’t supportive of her daughter’s dream and this begins the adventure of Alice in an intergalactic setting.

Don’t be expecting a talking white rabbit in this story! In this adaptation, the White Rabbit is a pirate ship/creature that speaks, and is, of course, late for a very important date. The Cheshire cat is a cat-man, Tweedle-Dee and his brother Tweedle-Dum are characters that you might expect to meet on South Beach pumping iron and showing off their muscles. So if you are expecting a Disney cartoon-type tale, forget it. This retelling brings new life to some characters we thought we knew.

It was nice to read a book where each and every character added to the overall story and plot movement. The characters were memorable and each one we remember from the Carroll novel, Disney film or other version, has an integral part to play in Alice’s adventure. Even if you have never read the original or seen the Disney movie, this is a book you will enjoy reading. I even liked the evil Queen! What a solid and lovingly evil character she is!

All in all I enjoyed the plot, the story and characters, I found it intriguing the way he changed the feel and look of the story.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- Fantasy, Adventure

Age recommendations -- 13        

Sex content rating -- None

Violence rating -- Mild

** The author's links **

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Wonderland-Intergalactic-Fairy-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B0147ZKKLW

Amazon author page

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-McKay/e/B016609PD0/

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/mckaymanorpublishing/

Website

http://mckaymanor.com/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/robertmckay

Review of Rise of the Transgenics by J.S. Frankel

Reviewed by -- Shadow Walker

Book Review of --

Rise of the Transgenics (Catnip Book 2) by J.S. Frankel 

Overall star rating --- 5

About the book:

"I told you, don’t call me Miss Kitty."

Harry Goldman, young genius, DNA researcher and still a nerd, is back, and this time he’s working for the law.

At the end of Catnip, his girlfriend, Anastasia, devolved into a cat. He manages to bring her back to her half-human form, but no sooner does he do so than a new problem surfaces. Two other transgenics emerge, and they are out for blood.

Harry and Anastasia have to face off against Lyudmila, another cat-girl, and Piotr, a half-rhino, half-boar monstrosity that lives to kill. And if that isn’t bad enough, the police, lynch mobs, and underground dwellers are after Harry and his girlfriend as well. With time running out, they embark on a treacherous journey to the Ukraine in order to solve the riddle of Anastasia’s DNA, a journey that could also cost both of them their lives.

Book creation ratings

Overall total, out of 30 -- 30

-- Story & characters -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 10 

-- Editing & formatting -- 10

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

Our heroes faces a new and more deadly foe in book two. The transition into book two was smooth and business picked up immediately. This fast paced book is filled with interesting characters and villains. The suspense builds through the book. The characters were well developed, and that includes secondary characters.

The writing is superbly done and filled with crafty sentences and vivid imagery. The editing is top notch with nothing that might distract the reader from this enjoyable adventure.

The story does have some violent scenes, but they are tastefully done. I don't read or watch gore because I'm squeamish. The scenes were necessary to the telling of the tale. The ending was well written, and with a twist. The promise of a third Catnip book filled the air, so watch for it. I want to tell you more, but the author might kill me.         

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- Science Fiction/Adventure

Age recommendations -- 13 or older because of the violent scenes

Sex content rating -- none

Violence rating -- mild to slightly moderate

** The author's links **

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Transgenics-Catnip-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00V2G4AT8 

Amazon author page

http://www.amazon.com/J.S.-Frankel/e/B004XUUTB8/ 

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/JS-Frankel-AUTHOR-1458667077729037/ 

Website

http://writerwannabe.weebly.com/ 

Review of The Familiar by Jill Nojack

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- The Familiar by Jill Nojack

Overall star rating --- 3 stars 

About the book:

Sometimes a cat has to man up.

Tom has been mostly cat for a long time, but when the witch who enslaved him dies, he has one last chance to become a man again and maybe to find love, too. He just needs to tell Cassie, a sensible girl who knows nothing about the witchy business all around her, that he's trapped in the body of the kitten she cuddles at night. But cats aren't known for their conversational skills, and a powerful warlock is determined to take Cassie for himself. To make things worse, Tom is rapidly running out of lives.

Book creation ratings:

* Max. total of 30 possible *

Overall total, out of 30 -- 21

-- Story & characters -- 7

-- Cover & title -- 7

-- Editing & formatting -- 7

The review --

This was a quite good book, and I enjoyed the adventures of poor Tom. The character of Cassie is quite likeable too. It's a good, fun read. If you like witches, with a bit of humor thrown in, then this is your book. But, the epilogue was a mistake. It was a blatant plug for the next book, and it sort of ruins what is an otherwise quite good book. That should have been left for the next book, or listed as a preview of the next book.

It's always been my feeling that the epilogue should tie up the loose ends of a book, not be a preview for the next book. Otherwise, the book was rather good and quite enjoyable.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- paranormal romance

Age recommendations -- 18 plus

Sex content rating -- moderate

Violence rating -- mild

** The author's links **

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/The-Familiar-Paranormal-Romantic-Comedy-ebook/dp/B013VAU5KU

Amazon author page

http://www.amazon.com/Jill-Nojack/e/B00GTR9WBQ/

Website

http://www.jillnojack.com/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/indieheart

Review of Mastering the art of Indian & Pakistani cuisine by Asim Iftikhar

Review of --

Mastering the art of Indian & Pakistani cuisine: A must-have guide for every kitchen by Asim Iftikhar

Overall star rating --- 5

About the book:

How many times you have walked by an Indian or Pakistani restaurant smelling the delicious barbecue, longing to store all that barbecue at home for lifetime. How often you have planned to cook biryani at home but just couldn’t do so because you were short of ingredients. How many times you would have thought to use your oven for sajji, but don’t know the technique. How often you visited India and tasted the mouth-watering chicken korma, but couldn’t bring the moments back. How many times you would have thought to cook food with balanced spices and different flavors but couldn’t do so because you had an intimidation of ruining your food and how many times you just lacked a perfect trainer to create a blend of Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Now, you just put all that in the past.

Hi, I am Asim Iftikhar and this is my mum’s kitchen guide. My mother is a great cook and I am here for your guidance for the Indo-Pak cuisine. This is the first book of its kind that encompasses a complete training program of Indo-Pak cuisine and has been written especially for the nonnatives and newbies. While compiling the book, the focus was on the nonnatives and newbies to entail every bit of information: It gives the detail for the number of people to be served and describes that how content varies with the number of people. So, it gives complete freedom and flexibility to however people you are serving. This book also features a unit conversion table for the complete understanding of kitchen units. Before the start of the first recipe, the book teaches basic knife skills, which is an essential part of Indo-Pak cooking and makes Indian and Pakistani food so easy to cook, that it was never before. The book has also introduced an augmentation table for the first time ever, which adds another fifty recipes and makes fifty recipe book a hundred recipe book. So in short, this is a jam pack offer providing a complete guidance and giving hundred recipes in an incredibly small book.

Book creation ratings

Overall total, out of 30 -- 30

-- Subject covered -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 10

-- Editing & formatting -- 10

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

The author does an excellent job on covering his subject, and yes, you can take this book and cook the cuisine. His book goes from the basics of measurements, cutting skills, and pans, to some most delicious sounding recipes. One I want to share with you is for fried rice. But if you like this cuisine, or if you're wanting to expand your cooking repertoire, this is one book you should definitely add to your cookbook collection.

Recipe from the book:

Fried Vegetable Rice

8 oz. rice

2 cups water

2 large onions, sliced

4 carrots, sliced lengthwise

8 oz. cauliflower, chopped

2 tbsp. soy sauce

3 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp. salt

2 capsicum, chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper, crushed

Put eight ounces rice in a cooking pot. Add two cups of water and add half teaspoon salt in it. Cook till tender over medium flame (10-15 minutes), while covered. Pour the rice in the bowl. Now take a fry pan, add one tablespoon oil and fry chopped capsicums for a minute and set it aside. Do the same practice separately with sliced onions and sliced carrots (frying for a minute in the same oil and setting aside one by one). Now take a cooking pot and add two tablespoons oil in it. Now add two tablespoons soya sauce, half teaspoon black pepper powder and fry for five minutes. Now add the fried capsicum, fried onion, fried cauliflower and rice from the bowl in it and cook for another 10 minutes while covered on the lowest flame.

** The author's links **

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/MASTERING-ART-INDIAN-PAKISTANI-CUISINE-ebook/dp/B00JDJA3DI/

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mastering-the-Art-of-Indian-Pakistani-Cuisine/267921186712286

Jacqueline's review of What Happened to Alex Manning by Kim Scott

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- What Happened to Alex Manning? (The Manning Family Series Book 1) by Kim Scott

Overall star rating --- 2 stars 

About the book:

Alex Manning was a remarkably handsome young man, in the early 1900s, on the coast of Maine. He looked forward to a charmed future, when he would inherit the family business, home, and fortune. But an error in judgment and a tragic accident will cost him everything. When he has paid so deeply for the mistakes of the past, is there any hope for his future?

Book creation ratings:

* Max. total of 30 possible *

Overall total, out of 30 --17

-- Story & characters -- 5

-- Cover & title -- 5

-- Editing & formatting -- 7

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

This was a very gloomy, tragic, book, and I did not like it at all; not a happy book to read. I only read a third of book, then skipped to ending. It is not a happy book at all.

It chronicles the life and times of the Manning family, focusing on a specific generation or two. Their story is sad and depressing, as several tragic deaths are chronicled. If you want to be depressed, this would be a good book to read. If not, avoid it. If you like tragic historical fiction, then this book would be for you.

Please do not confuse this book with historical romantic fiction. They are 2 totally different genres.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- historical fiction

Age recommendations -- 18 plus

Sex content rating -- none

Violence rating -- mild to moderate

** The author's links **

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-Alex-Manning-Family-ebook/dp/B00DXKJK64/

Amazon author page

http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Scott/e/B008A57LUE/

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/RegardingRuth

Website

http://www.kimscottbooks.com/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/KimScottAuthor

Jacqueline's review of So I Married a Highlander by Kate McKinley

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of --

So I Married a Highlander (What Happens In Scotland Book 2) by Kate McKinley

Overall star rating --- 3 

About the book:

A Lady’s Rules of Etiquette When Eloping:

1. A lady should never leave a note behind explaining her intentions.

2. If by chance a note has been left behind, a lady must prepare to be hunted down and the ceremony thwarted.

3. In such a case, seeking consolation with a night of excessive drinking will be tempting, but ill advised.

4. And lastly, a lady must never, under any

circumstances, wake up manacled to a deliciously handsome Highlander.

Lady Evelyn Alexander has managed to break all four rules in the space of an evening—and the tall, virile Highlander she accidentally married is only the beginning. Her fiancé has also mysteriously gone missing and the threat of scandal is hot on their heels…

Alec McAllister has no use for a wife, but when he wakes up entwined with the lovely and spirited Evelyn, he’s willing to reconsider. He’ll help her find her fiancé, but when the passions ignite between them, it’s only a matter of time before the Highlander claims what’s his…

Book creation ratings:

* Max. total of 30 possible *

Overall total, out of 30 -- 22

-- Story & characters -- 5

-- Cover & title -- 8

-- Editing & formatting -- 9

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

The author of this book makes the same mistakes that many other authors make - putting today's morals and social habits into a historical romance. For one thing, I just can't imagine a proper english lady of that time, sister to a duke, eloping to Scotland to get married at a blacksmith shop. One blacksmith shop is busy, and at the other, the smith demands a kiss as payment to marry them. Only a man of low morals and character would do such. Moreover, a lady wouldn't have went off alone to find someplace to get married while her beau took care of the luggage and carriage and such.

When her marriage plans are foiled by friends of her and her brother, she and her friend end up in a common tavern at a table, drinking. Also not something a lady would have done. Then she ends up mysteriously married to the 2nd blacksmith, and the rest of the book is more a chronicle of lust than love or romance.

This reads more like erotica than historical romance. As historical romance, it fails completely. Also, the editing leaves something to be desired. I am being generous in giving it 3 stars.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- erotic historical romance

Age recommendations -- 18 plus

Sex content rating -- a lot, much more than is usually found in historical romance

Violence rating -- mild

** The author's links **

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Married-Highlander-What-Happens-Scotland-ebook/dp/B016XEZDB2

Amazon author page

http://www.amazon.com/Kate-McKinley/e/B00B0E9GI2/

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Mckinley-author/101911486654335?id=101911486654335&sk=app_106171216118819

Website

http://www.katemckinleyauthor.com/

Twitter

http://twitter.com/katemckinley

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23353612-so-i-married-a-highlander