Eva J

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“First of all, curse you amazon reviewers and your complete and utter lack of taste, lack of imagination, and most of all your inability to see the difference between good literature and tedious, flavorless, soulless drivel.

The reason I did not go so far as to lower this review to one star is simply because someone obviously took the time to edit it - not extremely well, mind you, since there were grammatical errors and misplaced question marks aplenty. That and because I can't say that the book was horrible... it wasn't.. but neither is dry toast. Get my point?

However, this book lacked every single solitary thing that I look for in a good piece of fiction. If I were to make an accurate analogy for this, I would say this is the connect-the-dots coloring book of the paranormal fiction world. It's black & white, you know where it's going, there's no depth or imagination... you're pretty much being led by the hand through the whole thing just waiting for it to be over with. And when you're finished, you look back and think, "Well, that was pointless."

If this author has taken any writers workshops, I'd be surprised. This writing is remedial at best, and a boring waste of time to boot. I never really thought that I could encounter a vampire novel that was this prosaic. It seems that her entire repertoire of vocabulary is stuck in grade school mode, repetitively using words like "dark", "hunger", "fear" and "beautiful" as though those are the only possible means of description. The emotion in this book seems forced, awkward, and cliché all at once, while the storyline leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination since the author spells everything out to the reader as though we're first graders asking where babies come from. I'm actually a little offended that the author doesn't give readers more credit.

Because of the fact that the characters lack any and all dimension, the relationships between them are illogical and ridiculously shallow. Calling this a "romance" is like calling Velveeta "cheese".

My recommendation to readers:
If you're looking for something to waste your time with... where you don't want to get attached to characters, plot, or anything else.
If you have poor vocabulary yourself, and don't want to have to look up any words.
If you don't need originality in any shape or form...
Then, yes, of course, read this book.

My recommendation for the author:
I've seen your website and all of your various offerings, so here's my suggestion - spend less time on blogs, newsletters, YouTube trailers, interviews.. even your nice little website. This is all time that could be spent developing your writing skills. This may sound a bit harsh, but honestly, you can't take this stuff back! With most readers, first impressions are all you have... so is it really worth publishing something so unbelievably trite just to get your name out there? To sell a few books?

Writing is an art form. Much like playing instruments, photography, painting, singing...etc., writing can be done by almost anyone. But that doesn't mean that it's good. "Good" takes work... and "great", well, that takes a lot of work. And I'm of the opinion that you need a heck of a lot more work until this gets anywhere even remotely close to "good".”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, June 3, 2011. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I don't think there is enough room in this review for my praise of this book. I haven't had the opportunity to read Marsha Canham before, but I'm so very glad I did.

From the first chapter until the very last, I was captivated by not just the characters but the detail the author put forth into giving the reader a fully interactive view of the proceedings. I was unable to put this book down until I finished it, feeling like I was going to miss some crucial battle or scheme if I glanced away. For me, this book was everything I love crammed into a thoroughly enjoyable novel - classic hero's and heroines, great dialogue, gruesome battles, 3-D imagery, humor and adventure, well developed characters, all seasoned with a splash of romance. Of course, there's also spies, exploding cannons, filthy sailors, loyal friends, underhanded traitors, greedy husbands, murder and intrigue, shipwrecks and sea storms, meetings in dark alleys, corrupt military and everything else you can think of to put into a fabulous swashbuckling novel without adding the "yar matey".

I was very sad to see the end of this book, but relieved at the same time... it's exhausting being that tense and on edge for so long!

*A few notes for future readers:

- Although I love history, and therefore historical fiction, I can't say whether everything down to the fine detail is accurate. The timelines, conflict, events, and setting were accurate enough to not detract from the storyline, but if you are an extreme history buff and stickler for accuracy, this book may not be for you.

- The title is extremely misleading. This is not a romance novel, just as The Count of Monte Cristo is not a romance novel. Yes, there is an underlying current of romance in the storyline, but you'll be sadly mistaken if that's all you're looking for.

- There is a lot of detail and dialogue on sailing, ships, weapons, tactics, war...etc. in this book. If you're not interested in any of that, this book is not for you. ”

Eva J wrote this review Wednesday, May 25, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I loved this book for it's likeable characters and constant flow of quirky humor. Although I wasn't fond of my teenager years, this definitely reminds me that during those years you have a lot of "oh god, kill me now" moments. There aren't enough novels out there for young adults that stress that being yourself is a good thing, rather than being a follower. I think this author did a decent job of portraying that without boring the teenage mind.

BUT... and this is a rather large "but"... I really don't think this book is appropriate for young adults. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't think teenage breast implants, liposuction, botox, promiscuity, suicide, alcoholism, theft and inappropriate fatherly touching makes for a good book in the YA section. I know society is becoming really lax when it comes to classifying these things, but that doesn't mean I want my son or daughter reading this stuff in a novel - especially in the context it was in.

There's a lot of sad, harsh reality in this one - which was why this was a tough one to classify, I'm sure. Despite this book being about teenagers, I'd save it for the adults with a young taste in books. ”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This book was remarkably refreshing for me after reading through half a dozen let-downs.

Pros:
I enjoyed the well paced storyline, and the authors take on a different kind of "vampire". It was written well enough that I continued to read on to the next book.
I was also glad to see very few grammatical errors, since those seem to be rampant in books on the "freebie" list. Both Emily and Chevaulier were well written, despite the poor attempt at a romantic relationship. The plot was easy to follow as well as timeline and conflicts/resolution.

Cons:
I was hard pressed to still like Emily by the end of this book. In the beginning, her unfortunate situation lead me to want something better for her... but by the end of the book she started to confuse me with her inconsistency. Maybe it was the fact that she seemed to be drugged a lot in this book. What was the deal with that?
I also don't see the chemistry between Chev and Emily. I don't feel it, don't understand it... and even found myself constantly hoping that someone better would come along. Kyle? Travis? Anyone? What exactly is the basis of the relationship - instinct?
Lastly, I understand that indie authors don't have the resources to research every tiny detail (or have them researched for them), but I can't help but take notice when something completely illogical jumps out at me. For example: a Bugatti Veyron is capable of doing upwards of 250 mph. However, the Bugatti is a straight line car and only capable of doing that in the most optimal environment. Just because a Heku has super-human reflexes, doesn't mean they can drive a car 250 mph - it's based on the cars limitations, not the vampire driving it. I had this insane image in my head that Chevaulier was plowing through towns, forests, mountains, and anything else in the Bugatti's way... mowing everything down at 250 mph in his 1.3 million dollar car. 830 miles in 4 hours? HA! (Not only that, but the original Bugatti Veyron doesn't have a back seat, and the front seats can't be laid backward)

Despite how negative that last may sound, I'd still definitely recommend the book. I'm a little more lax when reading indie books, since there's rarely the type of complexities I've come to expect from books that I truly adore. But if this book is a first go for the author, I commend her for her abilities and hope that she continues to hone her skill. ”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I started reading this book after completing the first book in the series "Heku". I was expecting the same quality from the first one, but ended up being thoroughly let down.

It picks up from Emily being pregnant - morning sickness, discomfort, moodiness...etc. The writing in the beginning was actually still good and flowed the same way as the first book. But then it changed... and suddenly I realized that Emily had almost no redeeming qualities anymore. She's no longer shy, modest, sweet, nice... anything. She doesn't have anymore self esteem problems, but rather has become this uncontrollable hellion that everyone cringes to be around. In other words - she a raging *****.

Her relationship with Chev in this book is even more inexplicable than the first. He dotes on her, trying to keep her safe and seems to do everything in his power to balance her happiness and safety, and yet, she's never satisfied and constantly angry. If I were Chev, I would have just snapped her neck and been done with it already. How does anyone put up with someone that seems to glare and snarl 24/7? I've encountered feral animals more appealing. Does the author not realize that Emily does absolutely NOTHING nice for her husband? Not one thing? I'm sorry, but sex doesn't count. She misses him? So the heck what... she sure as heck doesn't show it when he's around. If the roles were reversed, I'd call it an abusive relationship, but because she's female she gets away with it? What a crock.

Then comes the unbelievable occurrences. A pregnant woman that's practically beaten into shock, with so much stress that I'm surprised she hasn't had a heart attack. And she pretty much does it all to herself with her constant stream of irresponsible stunts. But wait! The baby is still perfectly healthy despite her month long torture session! All of this while the author desperately tries to convince you that Emily is fragile... fragile? Are we talking about the same girl here?

I was also disconcerted over the abundance of conflict shoved into this book. Is there such a thing as having too much conflict? Yes. Throwing two major coven wars into just the first third of the book is overkill. Emily's kidnapped, then Chev's kidnapped, then Emily leaves, Chev goes and gets her... all in the first half. How many times can people "almost die" in one book? It makes me wish someone would just die already.

I stopped reading about when Emily get's kicked square in the chest by a two year old stallion, and somehow just picks her "frail human" self up and dusts herself off like it happens every day. I couldn't take it anymore. This happened about half way through the book, and who knows if I'll end up reading the rest of it.

So, so, so disappointed. ”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I really wanted to give this book a better review, since it started off well enough.

I think it was the hurried, cliché, overdone ending that did it for me. It completely messed up the flow of the short story. Everything seems to be going along at a decent pace and then the storyline wrap up takes all of two seconds... and it wasn't even a good wrap up, it was just wham bam done!

This about sums it up:
"I caught you in a lie, so the contracts broken and I get what I want."
"My sister should be happy... and I get a free dowry!"
And they lived happily ever after.

Um. Yeah.
”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I'm really not keen on novellas and short stories... usually.

That being said, after all the rave reviews, I couldn't help myself when this popped up in the free section. I downloaded and immediately began to enjoy this little appetizer. In a surprisingly short amount of time, I was loving the characters and smiling at the different personalities. This book actually hit pretty close to home, too, since I have found myself listening to the gripes of online dating on numerous occasions recently.

Mating rituals of guppies? Awesome.
"Bubba" & "Lothario" flags? Hilarious.
A man that writes erotica? Sign me up!
Men and women lying on their profiles? Unbelievably, and ridiculously true! (My friend's date showed up ten years older, 45lbs heavier, and handicapped... how's that for some "pants on fire"?)

Thank you, Debora, for making my short story encounter light, sweet, and entertaining. ”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“This book was remarkably refreshing for me after reading through half a dozen let-downs.

Pros:
I enjoyed the well paced storyline, and the authors take on a different kind of "vampire". It was written well enough that I continued to read on to the next book.
I was also glad to see very few grammatical errors, since those seem to be rampant in books on the "freebie" list. Both Emily and Chevaulier were well written, despite the poor attempt at a romantic relationship. The plot was easy to follow as well as timeline and conflicts/resolution.

Cons:
I was hard pressed to still like Emily by the end of this book. In the beginning, her unfortunate situation lead me to want something better for her... but by the end of the book she started to confuse me with her inconsistency. Maybe it was the fact that she seemed to be drugged a lot in this book. What was the deal with that?
I also don't see the chemistry between Chev and Emily. I don't feel it, don't understand it... and even found myself constantly hoping that someone better would come along. Kyle? Travis? Anyone? What exactly is the basis of the relationship - instinct?
Lastly, I understand that indie authors don't have the resources to research every tiny detail (or have them researched for them), but I can't help but take notice when something completely illogical jumps out at me. For example: a Bugatti Veyron is capable of doing upwards of 250 mph. However, the Bugatti is a straight line car and only capable of doing that in the most optimal environment. Just because a Heku has super-human reflexes, doesn't mean they can drive a car 250 mph - it's based on the cars limitations, not the vampire driving it. I had this insane image in my head that Chevaulier was plowing through towns, forests, mountains, and anything else in the Bugatti's way... mowing everything down at 250 mph in his 1.3 million dollar car. 830 miles in 4 hours? HA! (Not only that, but the original Bugatti Veyron doesn't have a back seat, and the front seats can't be laid backward)

Despite how negative that last may sound, I'd still definitely recommend the book. I'm a little more lax when reading indie books, since there's rarely the type of complexities I've come to expect from books that I truly adore. But if this book is a first go for the author, I commend her for her abilities and hope that she continues to hone her skill. ”

Eva J wrote this review Friday, May 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“Penelope is a decent writer with a good writing style. I only wish I didn't have so many gripes about this book (not including the ridiculous spelling and grammatical errors).

My first and biggest issues is that I couldn't understand or relate to how unstable the main character is - so much so, half the time I wanted to reach into my Kindle and slap her. And not just her, but all the people in the book. They all seem to be extremely emotional and immature (with extremely contradicting personalities - maybe they have MPD?).

I know this is fantasy, but even fantasy needs some amount of logic. Long lived creatures like the fairies wouldn't be so manic depressive. Age is supposed to bring wisdom and tolerance - the ability to "pick your battles" - and yet these people are running around like children... it's like Lord of the Flies, the fantasy/apocalyptic edition.

I also wish that the author didn't try to pack all the action into a two day span. Many of the things that happen would be more "believable" if she spread it out and created some sort of build up. The relationships that are formed within two days aren't even close to being realistic - especially when their lifetimes span hundreds of years.

Finally, there are some unexplainables and loose ends that should have been tended to before the book ended... for example - Rae's age/childhood/family situation.

I would still recommend this book for mindless entertainment, but simply caution that if you're a tad critical like me you may find yourself mentally editing and rewriting parts while you read. It's not terrible, it's not great... it just IS. If someone offered me the next book in the series, I'd probably read that, too. Would I seek it out because I just HAD to know what happens next? Not a chance. ”

Eva J wrote this review Tuesday, May 17, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I'm actually very disappointed. Not necessarily because I had high hopes when I decided to read this book... but more because there really wasn't an ounce of originality in this.
I try to be lenient in reading books since there's really not a whole lot that hasn't already been written about. I have a few standards that I need a book to live up to in order to call it good:
Did I care about the character(s)?
Can I visually walk amongst the story?
If there were a follow up book, would I read it?
Did all of the facts/details add up and remain consistent?


All in all, Lynda didn't fulfill any one of these... not a single one. I couldn't have cared less about the characters. If one or both had died, I would have simply closed the book and shrugged. I had no idea where any of this took place and barely knew what either character looked like. Their personalities were non-existent... but perhaps she was writing shallowness into the story as a theme. Both characters are dumber than a box of rocks... which is amusing since the guy is a 200 year old vampire, and somehow thinks he's older than dirt at that age (um, it's 200 years... as in two and a half life spans... that's not really a lot).
Oh, and the most horrible part is that despite all the messy situations that seem to turn up, Mr. Vampire has so many abilities that he might as well be a God.

The only reason she get's two stars for this is because I've actually read worse. Although, I'm not really sure if she should take that as a compliment.
”

Eva J wrote this review Tuesday, March 1, 2011. ( reply | permalink )