Rosie’s Book review Team #RBRT Diane reviews Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

Today’s book review come from Diane, she blogs at http://www.fictionzeal.com

Diane chose to read and review Boot Camp Bride (From the July Book review Challenge)

Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

Charlene (Charlee) Montague’s dream after graduation had been to report breaking news from a war zone.  She has high ambitions to live up to the successful careers her parents and brothers have achieved.  Instead, she has to make do with her newbie reporter job at What’cha! doing grunt work for her unyielding boss, Vanessa Lloyd.  But, Charlee is book-smart knowing seven languages; she’s determined; and she’s downright hard-headed.  Her best friend and the boss’s daughter, Poppy, pulls her unwillingly to attend What’cha!’s prestigious book award ceremony.  There she meets author, Rafael Fonseca-Ffinch.  She doesn’t recognize him and becomes exceedingly rude.  He knows the owner of What’cha!, Sam Walker.  But instead of Sam firing her for her behavior, Mr. Fonseca-Ffinch had requested that Charlee be assigned to his current research project going under cover to spy on supermodel, Anastasia Markova.  Charlee knows there’s more – much more – to this story and to Mr. Fonseca-Ffinch than meets the eye.

 

Charlee was a fun character to watch and the story line was amusing.  It did make me a bit sad for her that her whole family, being high achievers, seemed to close her out and make her feel small.  They had gotten used to not expecting much from Charlee.  I’m not sure which is worse – to have your family feel as though you’re as good as you’re going to get, or to begin to feel that they may be right.  This was a light, easy read.  The bantering between Charlee and Ffinch was witty and made up much of the story.  They play act their engagement so she can attend bride boot camp with Anastasia in Thornham in the English county of Norfolk.  This is a chick-lit and as is the case with most of that genre, you can predict the romance.  However, it is much more difficult to guess the mystery and danger that faces Charlee and cheer on Ffinch as he tries to protect her.  I rated Boot Camp Bride at 3.5 out of 5.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Wannabe Author by Mary Papas

The Wannabe Author by Mary Papas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Wannabe Author is just 13 pages long. It is a sad but realistic novel which will make many authors cringe when they think back to their first attempts at writing. It may also open the eyes of many first time authors who are currently writing their own masterpiece.

The main character hates her job and her boss and finds release in writing down scenarios which let her escape her frustrating reality. This gives her a reason to go on and actually opens a door. Beneath the process of amateur book writing and publishing, she has found the strength to resign from her job.

Her whole book process is a huge learning curve which looks depressing at first glance, but underneath she may have learnt lessons which she’ll use if she can get past this experience and her urge to write is stronger than her sense of failure.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews

Beneath The Surface by Mike Martin

Beneath the Surface by Mike Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beneath the Surface is the third book in the Sgt Windflower mystery series. The book is set in Newfoundland, Canada, and taught me so much about the area and the people. I found it fascinating and it had me grabbing my atlas to pinpoint St. Johns, Grand Bank and Marystown. Sgt Winston Windflower is a Canadian Mountie and the book opens with the body of Amy Parsons, a local rowing champion.

Windflower is returning to Grand Bank and Sheila his girlfriend, is coming home after a serious car accident. There are few police officers to police the vast area and thoughts of serious crime rarely reach this outpost. Houses are left unlocked and tourists are welcomed, the biggest threat is from speeding motorists and Moose on the roads. So when it looks like Amy Parsons was murdered and then a second body turns up, there is a need to step up the policing in the area.

There follows a slow and relaxed mystery involving Russian gangsters, Chinese immigrants and the seedy world of escort agencies, drugs and human trafficking. This is all mixed with interesting details about life in this part of Newfoundland. Windflower is a Cree Indian descendant and it was great to hear about his daily traditions and I liked his Uncle Frank who was a dream weaver.

Windflower works with other police departments and becomes under pressure with his senior officer. The clues are found and new evidence is revealed that will shock the police force. On top of this he has to deal with a local strike at the fish plant and is suffering from disturbing dreams of his own. Windflower is a respected officer, but finds himself in a difficult situation when he speaks his mind over a sexual harassment issue.

The mystery was good and the background setting of Newfoundland was very enjoyable. We join Windflower for many meals full of local and traditional delicacies. I also enjoyed learning about the indigenous people of the area and the every day lives of the people who currently live in this peaceful part of the world. There were small parts of the book that I felt were too much, and dragged the story on, for instance too many meals were described. There is also an over use of “He said/she said” during most conversations. If there are only two people in the dialogue the reader can easily follow the ping pong of replies without every “Said Windflower/ Sheila said” A few teaks and this book would be a good solid 4.5-5*’s.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Mike will be joining us on th blog tomorrow as out guest author, do come back and find out more about him and his books.

Book review challenge series – Ionia Martin

Day 5

Today our guest is book reviewer extraordinaire Ionia Martin. Please join me in welcoming her to the blog. Plus we have author Adrienne Vaughan’s views on the importance of book reviews, posting a review to Amazon and gearing up to write your own review.

1) Where can readers and writers find your blog?
You can find me at http://readfulthingsblog.com

2) Where do you post your book reviews as well as your blog?
It depends on the book, but I usually cross-post to Amazon.com US and UK as well as posting to Facebook, Linked-in, Goodreads and Twitter. If the author has a publisher site I will sometimes post there too.

3) What type of books will you consider for review?
I don’t do sci-fi books. Otherwise, I accept almost anything that doesn’t include graphic material. If a 15 year old couldn’t read it without blushing or getting sick, I don’t want it. I have kids in the house and I never know when they are going to start reading what I have lying about. My favourite categories for fiction are historical, romance, fantasy and thrillers. For non-fiction I will take almost anything. I only accept review requests during the months of April and November though, as my list is always long and I am usually about 6 months out for a review.

4) What format do you like books to be in for review?
I prefer kindle (Mobi format) over PDF. I love being able to highlight and save passages to use in the reviews. Plus, I have kindle on all my portable devices so it makes it easy to read and travel. Occasionally I long for a paper book.

5) What’s the first thing you do when beginning a book review?
I go back over the notes I have saved for the book and try to think about what will not only be important to mention for the audience, but for the author as well. If there is something that I either loved or disliked strongly, I want to ensure that gets mentioned.  I also make sure I am spelling the author’s name right.

6) How do you proceed after that?

All reviews are different. Sometimes I recount a bit of the story if the book is very complex. I try really hard to avoid spoilers of any kind in my reviews. I open with either a quote from the book, or a personal thought on the story, particularly if it is part of a series. I try to give the audience an idea of how long the book is, what age group or interest group it would be good for and then close with my overall feelings on the book.

7) Is there an average time you spend reading a book?
Unless the book is really, really bad (this almost never happens) I just read until finished. I try to plan out my week to where I do a couple of longer books and then a few shorter books so that I can balance the schedule and get to the books as soon as possible.

8) When you’ve finished a book do you write the review immediately? Or wait a while?
It really depends on how I felt about the book. It is harder to write a negative review than a positive one. I tend to take longer to put out a negative review as I want to be careful about revealing my feelings. Sometimes I find that if I mull a book over for a few days my thoughts on it will organise a bit better and then I can write a more precise review.

9) Do you start a new book before writing up a review? Or do you ever read more than one book at a time?
I do tend to read more than one at a time, especially if I am working on a really long book. My rule is that I never read two of the same genre at the same time. I don’t want to get confused and make a mistake in my review. So, for instance, if I’m reading a historical fiction book, I may also read a contemporary romance at the same time.

10) What points would you try to write in a review?
Do I think this is a good book for the age group it was put out for? Would I buy this for someone as a gift? Did the book capture my attention and not let it go? There are a variety of things that go into a well balanced review. If there are any negatives or serious content errors that the author/publisher should be aware of. Mostly I try to state my honest, bare bones feelings about how the book made me react.

11) What would you try to avoid putting in any review?
The main thing I want to stress, is that reviews may be important to the author, but they are not ABOUT the author. If you have a qualm with the book, so be it. But to be fair and professional, you must keep in mind that the author is a separate entity. As a reviewer, you are there to give an opinion on the book, NOT the person. Never insult an author in your review. I would also avoid giving spoilers if at all possible. You might love a book and unintentionally harm the author by giving away too much information and then people will refuse to purchase the book. Less is more.

12) If you find you really dislike a book, would you write a negative review?
I do write negative reviews, but not without warrant. I never guarantee any author that I will write a good review. If you do this long enough, you will have to write something less than shining, if you want to remain honest and above-board. No one loves every book they read. I’m not afraid to mention what I didn’t like as long as I feel I am still being respectful of the author. I have been called a “Book Nazi,” a “Literary ax murderer” and other such choice phrases by unhappy authors. I think in my entire career as a reviewer I have written less that 10 one star reviews. All authors are different. Some will lose their temper over a 3 star review and some will thank you for a 1 star. Remember why you love doing this and push forward.

13) Do you work with any publishers or groups who regularly ask you to review books?
I try not to play favourites with publishers. I care about the book. Will it interest me? Have I seen the idea before? Will the audiences I share my reviews with have anything to say about it and will it excite them? It really doesn’t matter to me which publisher or author it came from as long as I feel the book might be a good fit.

14) Tell us about any book which you’ve recently read and reviewed which really impressed you.
Hands down, my favourite book in recent memory is “The Butterfly and the Violin,” by Kristy Cambron. I am still thinking about this novel even though it has been a good while since I finished it. I have very few books on my shelf at home, but I intend to add a hardcover copy of this one soon. Here is the info on where to find it Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Thank you so very much, Rosie for the space on your blog today. I have much respect for all you do for authors and fellow bloggers and I am officially chuffed that you asked me to guest.

The Importance of Book Reviews by author Adrienne Vaughan

1)     How important are book reviews for an author?

Reviews are really important, after at times, many years’ of solitary hard work, it’s great to get some feedback, positive or negative. Positive is better obviously, and when a reviewer tells you what they particularly like, it’s great because you know you are doing something right.

2)     What are the top sites for book reviews?

Amazon and Goodreads, I would say. But never underestimate the power of a little review in a local newspaper or magazine, even more valuable to an author in a national title.

3)     Many authors have their books and an author platform on Goodreads. Why do you think it’s a good place?

Because Goodreads is all about readers, and that’s who we ultimately want to be talking to – it’s the biggest – virtual – book club on the planet!

4)     What else does Goodreads provide for readers that you are part of? (ie Groups, Reading challenge, giveaways)

Like many authors, I am sure I don’t use Goodreads to its fullest extent, but I am currently looking into running some giveaways for my novels, just to widen the net.

5)     With the KDP self-publishing platform on Amazon, plus its world-wide buying power, this makes it a top site for books. Do people still need to post book reviews on Amazon or will discounted prices keep books selling?

I am convinced activity such as reviews, likes, comments on any book site, and especially Amazon increases visibility and powers that ‘Big Brother’ of the 21^st century – SEO – which in turn encourages automated promotion. Discounted books will still sell, but even more so if a recent review lets you know it is exactly what you are looking for.

6)     What would you like to see in a review of any book?

Sincere comments, like is it well written, does it make you laugh, cry, deal with big issues, has a happy ending …are important I think. Comments that make you aware of the content so time invested in reading is not wasted. A general overview of the story is helpful, to see if it is the sort of tale you might be interested in, but trying to synopsis the story in a review is too big an ask in many cases and that’s what the book is for, telling the story. Let the reviewer give the reader enough to know whether it’s worth a go is my opinion.

7)     Have you ever paid for book reviews? Are they considered “Professional” and important?

No, I haven’t and whether or not they are considered professional or important depends on who the reviewer is. Most genuine reviewers don’t wish to be paid, but I can understand people wanting a stock of reviews ready for when a book is launched, that’s just like giving a recipe a try before putting a product out on the supermarket shelves.

In saying that I am happy to give my books to reviewers, and happy for them to say what they like, a writer has to be able to stand by what they write and in my case, why I am proud to be indie published.

8)     What’s the best way to deal with a review from someone who didn’t like your book?

It’s true what they say, the more you write and publish the easier it gets, but it can still hurt. If it is genuine criticism, I take it on the chin and learn from it; if it is sour grapes or vindictive, I just ignore it. If I do receive a bad review (and there have been very few so far, thankfully) I read all the other lovely ones, from wonderful, kind reviewers, then pick up my pen and carry on.

9)     Do you think anyone can write a review? Do they have to be a minimum number of words?

Yes, anyone can write and review …and if possible everyone should. It is the only way you can say thank you to a writer for any pleasure they may have given you. I write them all the time, for everything. However, I NEVER write a bad review, life’s too short.

No minimum number of words. Some people feel happy writing loads, others just say, ‘this book was brilliant, couldn’t put it down’ – always click the stars though, sometimes even that is enough.

10)     Where can readers find out more about you and your books? 

They can email me at adrienne@adriennevaughan.com, find me on Facebook or Twitter @adrienneauthor and here are my links on Amazon

The Hollow Hearthttp://viewbook.at/TheHollowHeart

A Change of Hearthttp://viewbook.at/AChangeofHeart

 

Posting a Book review on Amazon

1) There is often press about reviews on Amazon. It tries to police the reviews and filter out false ones, like when someone gets all their family and friends to write 5* reviews about their book.

2) You can spot a review written most likely by a friend even if they are linked to buying the book through Amazon. A regular reviewer will have several books to their name.

3) At the moment you can post a review of a book even if you haven’t bought it through Amazon. I’ll put a note at the bottom of my review saying something like “This review is based on a free copy of the book given to me by the author/publisher”

4) What’s an ARC? An ARC is an Advanced Review Copy which authors send out before they publish their book to help build up support and marketing for the book. Sometimes they’re not completely finished with editing at this stage so your review should take this into consideration.

5) When should you post a review if you read an ARC? I always check with the author when they would like my review on an ARC posted. Sometimes straight away is ok, other times it might coincide with a big book launch.

Gearing you up for your book review

So now we’re getting very near to the Book Review Challenge. We’ve covered a lot of ground, gone in deep, possible scared you half to death but DON’T PANIC. If you can read and write YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK REVIEW.

There’s no right and wrong, all opinions are your own, in fact you can state that at the bottom of your review if you want to.

why not finish with “THIS BOOK REVIEW IS BASED ON A FREE COPY GIVEN TO ME BY THE AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.”

Now all you need is a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. YOU CAN DO IT.

Don’t forget AUTHORS NEED YOU.  Your reviews may help others to choose their books.

HAPPY READING!

Tomorrow we’ll be meeting author Lizzie Lamb who will be talking about her own views on the importance of book reviews. Plus encouraging authors to walk around to the book reviewers side of the fence.

All books have now been sent out and the requests are now closed.

  Do you fancy an adventure in the forests of Windemere with young warrior Luke Callindor sent to protect the heir of Duke Soloman? REQUEST A COPY OF BEGINNING OF A HERO BY CHARLES E. YALLOWITZ (Fantasy) (1 copy left)

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  Are you in a romantic mood? How about a romantic Highland fling? REQUEST A COPY OF TALL, DARK AND KILTED BY LIZZIE LAMB (Romance) (2 copies left)

  Or how about a romantic romp with journalists in Norfolk with wedding bells in the air? REQUEST A COPY OF BOOT CAMP BRIDE BY LIZZIE LAMB(Romance) (All copies have now been requested)

  Want to escape your superpowers? Null City is they place to be in this New Adult paranormal fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF ONE WAY FARE BY BARB AND HANNAH TAUB(Paranormal NA Fantasy) (All copies have now been requested)

  More tales from Null City, can be easily read as a stand alone or part of the series.. REQUEST A COPY OF DON’T TOUCH BY BARB TAUB(Paranornal NA Fantasy)

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NON-FICTION here’s the chance to get some help promoting your work. REQUEST A COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE AND MARKET YOUR BOOK BY MADI PREDA (Non-Fiction) (2 Copies Left)

  There’s more romance on it’s way.  Marianne Coltrane’s writes an award winning scoop about the sale of babies. Destiny will take her to an island off the wild west coast of Ireland. Love a mix of Ireland and romance? REQUEST A COPY OF THE HOLLOW HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN(Romance) (2 copies left)

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 TJ Therien has his fantasy book for FREE on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble (Nook), so no limit on the number of copies but he’d still like reviews. (Fantasy) I know of at least 1 down load

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Book Reviewers – Playing Nicely

Book Reviewers – Playing Nicely.

Check this out, it’s a wonderful piece that needs sharing!

Reflections By R.S Novelle

Reflections by R.S. Novelle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a story following Graham. We begin with the funeral of his father and then move on to the reading of the will where Graham is left a mirror. An item with a family tradition and a cryptic message from his father.

Graham is drawn to the mirror with it’s demand for him to remember something vital. It takes over his life in more ways than one, luring Graham to return to it again and again. It tests him and he wonders how his father coped if he too saw what Graham can see. It might send a few chills down your spine.

This was a surprisingly short book, but well written and intriguing.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Twelve Days – The Beginning by Jade Reyner

Twelve Days -The Beginning by Jade Reyner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Twelve Days is a contemporary romance which deals with domestic violence. All the action takes place in just 12 days. It suits the pace of the book by revolving around Christmas, a fast paced time of year when people often throw caution to the wind. I was appalled at the violent situation that Elise remained in, but I realise that there are many women in the world who do suffer from domestic violence. This book reaches out to them and if it gives just one person the strength to break free then the author has done a good job. Throughout the book I was undecided about the character Vaughn, I wasn’t sure if he showed signs of obsessive dominance which Elise was trying to escape from with Dale. By the end he had won me around and a cliff hanger ending left me wanting to know what happened to him. I’m glad there is a sequel for us to read the rest of the story of the relationship between the couple. This book does contain adult content.

Find a copy of this book here on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews at Goodreads

24 Sleeps ’til Xmas Tour “Christmas Guardian Angel” by E. B Sullivan (Day 5)

Christmas Guardian Angel by E. B Sullivan

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

In their first encounter, Isabella becomes infatuated with Marc a handsome young man who makes fantastic potato chips. Fifteen years later while Isabella purchases a picturesque Victorian house she discovers Marc is the seller. His magnetism stirs her emotions and pulls her into his troubled world.
Soon Isabella realizes her new house, nestled deep in the woods, is haunted. By communicating with the house’s spirit, she hopes to learn secrets, which can help Marc resolve his conflicted past and move him into the future. During the process, her love for him intensifies. As Christmas approaches, Isabella longs for Marc to return her affection.

Just 62 pages this book is available in kindle format. Published by Summer Solstice Publishing

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

As part of my year of Good Deeds Challenge, in the run up to Christmas linking with the season of Goodwill I’m making daily suggestions of Good Deeds that you can join in with. Today why not send an overdue e-mail to a friend.

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I found this book for free as a kindle download I remembered reading it as a child and wanted to read it again. I’m glad I did, it brought back happy memories and I did spend the day humming songs from the Disney film to accompany the book. “The bear-necessities of life” and “I’m the King of the Swingers” rang out around the house. The book has more than just Mowgli’s tale and I’ve always remembered Rikki-Tikki-Tavi from my childhood.

Get a free kindle download here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

The Omega Paradox by Richard Kellier

The Omega Paradox by Richard Kellier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book introduces a new type of human being, a step on from Homo Sapiens. It starts with a theory based on scientific and mathematical research. Then the theory turns to reality when a post mortem inspection of a baby reveals several new anomalies. Alongside this is a story from the end of the second world war, history is re-written as Hitler escapes death and lives out his days in a hidden place in Antarctica along with many Nazi elite. They still plot to breed a pure race and take over the world. Science and myth intermingle with biblical writings as the book takes you on a complicated and often uncomfortable journey studying the evolution of man on this planet. It gives you plenty to think about regarding the past, present and future of man.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk. or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads