Sheena's Review of "Bad Games"

Bad Games by Jeff Menapace

 

Book Summary

 

PARTICIPATION IS NOT AN OPTION...

 

The Lambert Family is heading to Crescent Lake, a rural cabin community in western Pennsylvania, for an idyllic weekend getaway. Some fishing, some barbecue, some games...

 

The Fannelli brothers are heading to Crescent Lake too. Some stalking, some kidnapping, some murder, definitely some games...though not necessarily the type of games the Lamberts had in mind.

 

But it doesn't matter. The Lamberts are going to play whether they like it or not.

 

An intense psychological thriller, Bad Games has the dark, mind-bending chills of The Bad Seed combined with the fish-out-of-water dread and suspense of Deliverance.

 

So let Jeff Menapace's highly anticipated novel keep you up all night as it delves into the mystery of nature versus nurture when comprehending the evil in man, along with the will and determination an innocent family must summon to fight back against horrific odds.

 

SHEENA'S REVIEW

 

Jeff Menapace has become one of my new, all-time favorite authors (and I don't say that lightly.) Bad Games is a million dollar lottery winner.

 

This man can WRITE. From the very first pages (ok, can we really say a Kindle has pages??) of this book, I was mesmerized.

 

His writing style reminded me of vintage Stephen King  (back in the day when I still loved King) ...when I would read anything he wrote and tune out the world because his words sucked me into another universe...kwim?? That's how awesome this book is.

 

Menapace builds a suspenseful story with believable characters you find yourself completely rooting for and liking.

 

I don't usually write a story synopsis in my reviews, but I will say this book is about a young family - mom, dad and two kids who unwittingly find themselves the focus of two psychopathic brothers (really psychopathic - these dudes are dark and twisted in a million different ways) and their struggle to survive them.

 

I was so into this story that as soon as I finished reading it, I immediately bought the second book, something I rarely do. (And have now bought the third, which came out just after Thanksgiving.)

 

I even transferred the novel to my husband's Kindle when we took a mini vacation with the promise that he would also be captivated - my husband ONLY reads when we go away and he's hanging out on the beach. He read it cover to cover in two days which is a record for him.

 

Awesome story. Awesome writing. I highly recommend Bad Games. Buy it. You won't regret it.

 

 

 

 

 

Lila Bear's Review of "Joyland"

Joyland by Stephen King

 

Book Summary

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

 

 

 

Lila Bear's Review

 

There was a time when a Stephen King book was my crack. The world would fade away while I was reading. To this day, some of my most beloved possessions are the Stephen King book sets my little brother bought me when we were teens. View the above babble as a disclaimer because I don’t think I like Stephen King anymore.

 

Joyland was boring. I admit I didn’t finish it. Years ago, I would rush through school work during class, so I could use the last few minutes to read his books. Now, I can’t find the interest to read them even while on the can. I’ll see the book looking back at me, asking me to pick it up and read a little more. Instead, I’ll daydream or even floss to avoid another snooze-worthy page of the book.

 

King’s books and I have been falling out of love for a while now. The last one I finished was Cell and I kinda wished I hadn’t. The ending sucked dirty balls. I hated Under the Dome with a passion and gave up at page 3 billion which made me less than a third into the book.

 

Yet, I keep trying his books, always hoping to find the magic of a Talisman or The Stand. Hell, I loved Christine and it was about a nerd and his evil car. I haven’t given up on King because like with Christine, seemingly lame ideas can make great stories. I didn’t expect to love The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, but he created magic.

 

It’s possible Joyland gets really good at some point. I can’t be sure because reviews for his books tend to be by fawning readers. It’s hard to say anything bad about someone who did you right so many times. It’s also hard to say goodbye, but I’m close.

 

I’m giving him once more chance with Doctor Sleep. Black House pissed me off beyond words, so I’m not sure how I feel about another “sequel” to his better books. I'll still give our love one more chance to see if we have something left to rekindle. Joyland makes me doubt a reunion though.

Candy Girl's Review of "Cafe Insomniac"

Café Insomniac by Mark Capell

Book Summary
Justin opens an all-night café but is soon on a quest to find out how his insomnia is connected to the murder of a customer.

Café Insomniac is a hypnotic journey through the fantastical life of a chronic insomniac.

Twenty-five-year-old insomniac Justin Brooks opens an all-night café for something to do, to fill the long nights. But soon after the opening, one of his customers is murdered. The fallout from the murder makes his insomnia worse -- much worse. He completely loses the ability to sleep.

 

Strange things start to happen in Justin's world, things that are hard to explain.

 

His eyes stream when it rains outside..... Another café appears, out of the fog, out of nowhere..... Footsteps follow him everywhere..... The dead person talks to him, though it's not a ghost..... And a magician waits for him, perched on a high wire, high up in the night sky.....

 

Strange things indeed. But each strange thing is a clue to the mystery and will open a world that will shock Justin to the core.

 

"I don't know what's real and what isn't -- and which is most dangerous."

 

Candy Girl's Review

If you ever watched videos of Mulholland Drive on YouTube in random order you may get a feeling of how Café Insomniac actually reads. It’s one lucid dream, a walk down the memory lane where reality/unreality is questioned constantly and what is real could be just a dream. When one is a sound sleeper that is.

 

On the surface it is a straight forward mystery-thriller, a crime noir romance maybe, with some surrealism thrown in for good measure with a dark, unsettling atmosphere hanging around in the air.

 

A murder taking place just some side streets away from where Café Insomniac is located sets a whole set of rather nervous action in motion.

 

The novel is (almost) movielike, and indeed, has this Lynchesque feeling, full with red herrings, mixed identities (<--- this could be another red herring, so be cautious what you believe) and many hints and clues throughout the book. Easily overlooked since those hints are so cleverly integrated into the storyline and plot itself. It is fun to go back to see where the narrative took a turn, where those clues are mixed up with the "reality" of the here and now of the book itself.

 

Justin, in this first person narrative, is hardly the reliable narrator per definition, since insomnia and self-diagnosis about hallucinations leads to some rather odd ideas about what is happening, or what is supposed to be happening. The whole scenery is visceral, and partly "magical realistic", even the surrealistic imagery is used sparingly but nevertheless vital to the narration.

 

The insomnia undoubtly affects Justin's daily life in several ways. As an ex-teacher is not really cut out to be a small business owner, a dreamer who gives away his coffee for free to the homeless, or lets his customers for hours stay quietly in his café. He is charming, but also naïve. His father, as an investor and partner into the café, is however a different chapter altogether. The family dynamics is strong, and so are the secrets which are one by one revealed.

 

A cast of rather absurd characters (real life vampires!), absurd in the sense that those are hardly the people one meets normally, but are original in their whole appearance and yes, characteristics, makes the book a joy. Each of those "play" their different roles accordingly.

 

Spinner, the homeless ex-politician, is the most remarkable of those, and a pleasure to read about him. I also enjoyed "his" band, The Bedless, a lot. It is just good clean fun to "watch" their performances of well-known songs like All Along The Watchtower or Where The Wild Roses Grow.

 

However the music and pop references are cool and show some great taste in music but are overused, and to much off a show-off to be really enjoyable after a while.

 

The only real problem I have with this book is with one chapter where a character is totally overblown and hardly believable to be the 18yo old girl she is supposed to be. I can see how the author, Mark Capell, has done a lot of research into insomnia and here this one character is simply used as a counterpart to set some misunderstandings about insomnia and sleep deprivation straight. It’s a back and forth of information, but the way the chapter is used is too obvious to be a mouthpiece for the author himself.

 

The prose is easy on the eye, it reads fluently while being down-to-earth. It is good old fashioned storytelling and done with care even everything seems to be - deliberately - off-balance, unsettling even.

 

 

 

 

(Legal disclaimer: I received a free copy of Café Insomniac via a BookLikes giveaway from the author, Mark Capell. Thank you!)

Lila Bear's Review of "Lady Sings the Blues"

Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday and William Dufty


Book Summary
Originally released by Doubleday in 1956, Harlem Moon Classics celebrates the publication with the fiftieth-anniversary edition of Billie Holiday’s unforgettable and timeless memoir. Updated with an insightful introduction and a revised discography, both written by celebrated music writer David Ritz.

Lady Sings the Blues is the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred autobiography of Billie Holiday, the legendary jazz, swing, and standards singing sensation. Taking the reader on a fast-moving journey from Holiday’s rough-and-tumble Baltimore childhood (where she ran errands at a whorehouse in exchange for the chance to listen to Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith albums), to her emergence on Harlem’s club scene, to sold-out performances with the Count Basie Orchestra and with Artie Shaw and his band, this revelatory memoir is notable for its trenchant observations on the racism that darkened Billie’s life and the heroin addiction that ended it too soon. We are with her during the mesmerizing debut of “Strange Fruit”; with her as she rubs shoulders with the biggest movie stars and musicians of the day (Bob Hope, Lana Turner, Clark Gable, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, and more); and with her through the scrapes with Jim Crow, spats with Sarah Vaughan, ignominious jailings, and tragic decline. All of this is told in Holiday’s tart, streetwise style and hip patois that makes it read as if it were written yesterday.

Lila Bear's Review

As much as I love fiction, it often feels scripted. I know duh, right? In genre fiction especially, many even great books follow a template. As a reader, it can get frustrating to know where the author is going before she/he gets there. On the other hand, nonfiction can shock where fiction often doesn't. Real life rarely goes according to a template and even knowing the outcome doesn't ruin the ride.

Many biographies are so polished that they lose the voices of the people telling their stories. It makes sense to put their best faces forward and all that. With Lady Sings the Blues, you feel Billie's voice. Her anger, pain, humor, joy. Everything she feels is told in her voice. Nothing is polished.

When she returns to her old street and sees people who tormented her when she was a kid, there's none of that nostalgic bullshit. She views them as losers and she's returned as a star. Fuck them. She won while they lost. Raw and unflinching, you are experiencing the real Billie.

I admit it took me a few pages to get into the vibe of Billie's voice. She bounces around a lot as if telling her story to a friend, instead of sketching out a book from point A to point B. The reader already knows the ending. Billie became a star. How she got there and every bump on the road to stardom and afterwards is what makes her story special.

I'd recommend this book to people who don't normally read star biographies. It's a history lesson mixed with a fascinating self portrait of a strong vibrant ballsy woman.



Candy Girl's Review of "Complications"

Complications by Emilia Winters
 

Book Summary

She desires him more than she should. He doesn't take no for an answer. Together, they discover an insatiable passion neither has experienced before...

After the end of a six-year relationship with an emotionally abusive boyfriend, Olivia Ward wants nothing more than to forget her deceitful ex and rebuild her demolished self-confidence. But when a devilishly handsome man with piercing hazel eyes and a sinful smile enters her cupcake shop just weeks after her break-up, Olivia discovers an overpowering need to surrender to his blazingly hot seduction.

Alex Matlock is a man who knows what he wants. And he wants Olivia. An extremely successful salesman, Alex relentlessly pursues the curvy blue-eyed beauty and convinces her to enter into a sizzling no-strings-attached fling. But as their passionate affair intensifies, Olivia discovers a wounded man under Alex’s sensual façade as Alex breaks down the walls surrounding her heart.

Complications is the first book of three in The Rebound Series.

 

Candy Girl's Review

Alex, this devilishly handsome man with piercing hazel eyes and the sinful smile, enters Olivia’s cupcake shop and there you go. A chance encounter as it happens a million times every day. Olivia, coming from a long term relationship, is a nervous wreck and babbles her way through the conversation, while Alex is interested in her right from the start as well. Not exactly insta-love, more like insta-passion or insta-desire sets in.

The line between romance and erotica is blurred in Complications. Bear with me, I did not do a word count, but approximately half of the novella is pure sex. Nothing else. Good hot sex, though. Hot sex, oh my. It is passionate, full of desire and I like that both enjoy it as much. Sex isn’t a one-way street and Olivia here is for sure as demanding as Alex and finds as much pleasure, with no regrets whatsoever. Both are on equal footing, even if only when it comes to the sex. Of course Alex is the one who is the player most of the times, but that doesn’t make it less hot. Far the opposite. And the sex is holy hotness. Did I mention already that the sex is hot? Dampened panties are the consequences, and for sure I would pass the wetness check too, not only Olivia.

Luckily Emilia Winters doesn’t shy away from calling a cock a cock and a pussy is a pussy. Not childish circumventing around the real deal, no silly nonsense like "down here" or similar is used to describe the pleasure. And what a pleasure it is!

On a side note: if you ever slap my ass just like that please be sure I return the favor and kick you in the balls. Thanks for asking and all that jazz.

The characters act logically and coherent even the differences between Alex and the fairer sex, Olivia, are significant. Sure, Olivia just broke up with her former boyfriend with whom she was in a relationship for six years some weeks ago, but to be such an emotional mess in some areas seems to be following the same old strong male/weak female clichés. Alas, she shows confidence when it comes to the sex, and sex there is plenty.

One scene in a restaurant comes to mind when Olivia, feeling insecure about herself and becoming shy, points to a group of women. All styled and dressed uppity and Alex explains how he sure has dated this kind of women but those are "cold". No doubt women like this exist. Manipulative, only interested in the money of her what? fuck-buddies? but here it is simply too obvious used as some kind of black vs. white explanation to make Olivia more likeable. Not that it is needed, Olivia herself is lovely and the interaction between the two has the right amount of teasing and light bantering that it makes it a joy to read. There are no real laughing out loud scenes, but it is funny and sweet to make me melt like chocolate in the sun. Yummy.

Also her insecurity at times is devastating since she is an business owner herself, but Alex is a Director of Sales working for a Tech comp while she is only a baker (her words, not mine!). He is rich, has style and class, and is she really up to terms with him? Those are the questions she asks herself in her mind. Duh. Show some ovaries, girl!

Alex however has his own issues, a childhood loss that he could never forget. I understand that for a teenage boy Alex was back then, the emotional trauma was overwhelming, however for a man of 30 years of age it seems slightly silly to be still suffering from the consequences in this case. There needs to be more, more drama, more background, more of *something*, to be believable, otherwise he is just a crying wuss if that is all there is. Not that this little part of him isn’t sexy. It is. Alex can shut down from one minute to the next, and hide his emotions before Olivia. His melancholy, if I should call it melancholy, makes him sexy as hell, though.

Luckily Alex didn’t turn out to be the douchebag I feared he might be, judging from the blurb. His not taking no for an answer can be seen as a more general one. This one sentence that still doesn’t go well with me, is right and wrong at the same time. Arrogant and bossy Alex gets his way as he is used to from his high profile job. Alpha? Yes and no. He isn’t really the OTT type of guy, just someone who is used to that his orders are followed. Which shows, no denying.

Due the length, or rather the shortness of the novella with its estimated 90 pages only, too many things needed to be tossed over, mentioned in passing or thrown in casually in a sentence or two. The writing is solid, more then only decent in fact, and Emilia hits the right tone of being sexy while being light and straight forward. The plot isn’t really complicated. No major twists or turns. A simple story that goes from point A with a helluva lot of sex in between before coming to point B.

Strange as it may sound but less sex, more story would be a good start. More flesh to chew on, more background of Olivia and Alex would be needed from my point of view. A focus on the relationship itself I wouldn’t mind. In Book 1 it makes insofar sense to focus that much on the sexy times since it starts pretty much as a casual thing, and the rest follows a natural path that just happens.

Some friends of both as secondary characters are already introduced in Complications, but here I fear the worst with Luke especially. Now this guy has trouble written all over his face and his fake smile makes me anxious. I am not really looking forward to cross path with him.

The ending however killed me. It’s less of an ending, but a massive cliffhanger, so be warned if you purchase this novella, that Book 2 and 3 will follow suit with Alex and Olivia. Book 2 of The Rebound Series should be published in late December. Well worth the wait.

 

 



Sheena's Review of "The Athena Effect"

The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson

Book Summary

Caledonia has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Calvin’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past? 

Sheena's Review

 

This is a really well written romance/paranormal YA book. The writing is authentic and the characters are well fleshed out and easy to like. I was hooked from the first page and wanted to solve the mystery behind what made Cali different (I don't want to give any spoilers). I was pleased as the story progressed that I was given little hints, but not all of the answers right away.

 

Even though Cali is "different," she is still someone a reader can identify with and look up to. She's kind and compassionate and doesn't let the ugliness she gets exposed to turn her ugly. Her "bad boy" boyfriend turns out to be a real hero with a heart of gold and really comes through for her.

 

This was a sweet romance and the paranormal aspects added a great twist.

 

As a side note: I also liked the fact that even though there was sex in the book, it was by no means descriptive or inappropriate. If I had a teenaged daughter, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with her reading this book.

Candy Girl's Review of "Binds"

Binds (Binds, #1) by Rebecca Espinoza

Book Summary
Ophelia Brand’s life is in shambles. Married to an abusive man and forced to act like the perfect politician’s wife in public, her freedom has been completely stripped away. Alone and without purpose, Ophelia feels as if there isn’t much in this world to live for. Everything changes when an employee kidnaps her from a state dinner. Ophelia is thrust into a new world filled with people who claim to be an ancient race of Mages. They also claim that she is one of them.

While the country falls into the hands of a tyrannical dictator, Ophelia finds herself torn between the friendly Reece who wants nothing more than to protect her, and Spencer, the leader of the resistance who sees her as a tool to fight the war. Tensions run high as Reece and Spencer both try to help her master her powers and unravel the spells that restricted her from using them. As revelations of her past come to light, and the war is brought to her feet, Ophelia must quickly make a choice of who to trust.

Candy Girl's Review

Ophelia is a trophy wife, married to Donovan who is as power hungry and as abusive as it gets. He is the kind of character that will find his place in history books, named as one of the monsters of humankind. His portrait would look really good (sorry for being cynical!) next to those who came to political power and destroyed lives just because they could. Kinda funny that he himself is nothing but a puppet himself, controlled by his father who is the real monster behind the scenes.

 

Unexpectedly captured after attending a dinner, being always the dutiful wife even against her own will, Ophelia’s life turns around quite a bit and discovers she is actually a Mage. A race that goes through horrible times but with magical powers.

 

Responsible for her kidnapping is a small cast of Mage rebels who are not willing to be victims of Ophelia’s tyrannical husband, Donovan, and fight the good fight against the dictator. Ophelia knows nothing about this world or the war that is raging, and most of her new allies don’t trust her, seeing her as the wife of the dictator they despise only.

 

Spencer the arrogant and cocky rebel leader, and Reece the soft, sweet, gentle guy who wants to keep Ophelia safe are the ones who care the most. They all have their own secrets, and so it´s never quite clear what to expect, and even more so whom really to trust. A triangle, a good guy vs. bad guy romance in the making? Psst! I won’t tell. ;-)

 

Ophelia is quite a strong heroine and even the situation she finds herself in seems bizarre she is determined to make the best of it, and becomes more confidential with every turn of the pages. Love also the snark and her wit, and Ophelia is really everything but a doormat. Ophelia seems very real to me. A longing to be respected as equal, to be cared for but also not taking shit from anyone anymore. Mixed emotions as they are so much of a part of a daily life of everyone. And no, I won’t call this moody! We all have our insecurities, but also our hidden strength we know nothing about and only learn how much we are able to bear and actually to do when we are confronted with situations where one simply has to act. And that’s what I love about Ophelia. A believable, likeable character that grows mentally. That is what I call character development.

 

Urban fantasy with an underlying mystery, a hint of romance too but the whole story is like a puzzle, or like a journey one makes. One gets more hints without seeing the real, the bigger picture until one is finally able to connect the single dots. And that makes Binds that good. Nothing is revealed right from the start, nothing is as it seems on first glance. It takes some work and some patience probably, but it is a marvelous and intriguing world Rebecca has created, fully and well developed characters and a pacing that is just right. A good mix of action, an extremely good ear for funny dialogues and an unpredictable storyline keeps the book together. Just gorgeous. And every time I thought I figured everything out came another twist, another turn of events that caught me off guard, and kept me reading coz my curiosity got the better of me.

 

It is just that good!

  

Sheena's Review of "The Gate"

The Gate by KT Grant
***Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author for an honest review***

Book Summary

A chance encounter between a successful author and a billionaire owner of an underground BDSM club, leads to the most pivotal relationship of their lives…

Erika Walsh has carried a torch for Christopher Milton, heir to her father’s publishing empire for years. After one steamy make out session she begins to wonder if it might develop into something more. But when M. L. Crawford, better known as Max, her father’s publishing rival, seeks her out at a society event, she’s drawn to his magnetic charisma and powerful demeanor. Their verbal bantering and innuendo laced overtones stir feelings she never knew existed, and soon Erika is consumed with knowing the real man under Max’s restrained public façade.

Erika’s sweet nature and naivety excites Max to near madness. He wants to train her in the art of seduction and make her succumb to his every wish and command…as his perfect submissive. Yet, Christopher is determined to keep Erika from becoming the latest victim of Max’s sinister sexual hungers. He knows all too well what Max hides in his black soul and will stop at nothing to reveal all of Max’s secrets in order to protect the one thing he holds dear above all else- Erika.

Max’s dark desires scare yet arouse Erika, as he opens her eyes to a new bold world full of passion and ecstasy she never imagined until him. But the biggest question remains: Is Erika’s craving for Max just an illusion that transpires behind the walls of The Gate?

 

 

 

Sheena's Review

This book was raw and edgy. It's definitely NOT a book for someone who is afraid to explore the darker side of BDSM - most of the sex scenes in here are not "pretty" or tied up in neat little bows. The language can be crude, and the situations are definitely very adult. The writing is well done, and the sex can be very erotic, but it is definitely brutal and hard. It's a good exploration of a BDSM Club atmosphere/lifestyle.

At times I found myself getting annoyed with the main character Erika; it was difficult for me to identify with her. She puts up with a lot of crap from her old crush Chris (towards the end of the book she basically allows him to come extremely close to raping her and "likes" it, and then continues to associate with him...huh???)
This definitely kept me from giving this a four star review, and I'm not sure if I will read the sequel because it says that she is torn between a relationship with Chris or Max, and I'm not down with reading about her being interested in a man who tried to rape her.

I just don't get the attraction once she learns who Chris truly is - what adult woman would seriously consider a man who forced himself (not in a planned way) on her? Before that scene I was totally gung ho on the novel, and then I got turned off. Not quite sure why the author chose to take that turn... I'm actually kinda bummed, because I was into the story before the weird ending...

That being said, I DO like the way she writes (her style) and I would definitely check out other books she's written.