Rosie’s Book review Team #RBRT Jessie reviews Desprite Measures by Deborah Jay

Today’s book review is from Jessie, she blogs at http://behindthewillows.com

Jessie chose to read and review Desprite Measures by Deborah Jay

First things first.

There is a vampire in this book and he can’t tolerate the sunlight.

I like to get these kind of facts in the open right away so that if you are like my husband you will at least consent to hear about the rest book. Some people, are so touchy about these things. I mean seriously, what’s wrong with a little sparkle now and then?

But I digress.

Vampires, elementals, witches, fey… There are loads of creatures in this book living alongside humans in the Scottish Highlands – which is the best part of the book. Not just that they exist, but that they do so with a fairly well thought out strategy of how the creatures live aside humans and why they act the way they do. Fantastic for people like my vampire persnickety husband who can then just enjoy the story without shaking their heads too much over the technicalities. Even better, the author fits that information into the writing smoothly enough that the book doesn’t bog itself down with the details. Well some of the details. Apparently elementals need DNA to support a human guise and sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do in order to get some… DNA…

Would I recommend it?  This book is good! It’s quick and fun, with a well written, solid plot. If I weren’t warming my toes by the fire and battened down for cold weather I’d call this a perfect beach read!

Be warned, if you search for this book search engines everywhere will try hard to convince you that you mean “desperate measures” don’t believe them!

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

This honest review was given in return for a free copy of the book from its author.

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Leiah reviews Desprite Measures by Deborah Jay

Today’s book review comes from team member Leiah, she blogs at soireadthisbooktoday.com

Leiah has read and reviewed Desprite Measures by Deborah Jay.

Desprite Measures. Yes, that really is “Desprite” – it will make sense when you read the book. I am always positive when I start a new book. It is very much like entering a brand new world. A world of wonder and learning and exploration. Sometimes I am lucky, and the book is everything I hoped it would be. Sometimes – not so very much.

In this case I found another of the worlds I very much enjoyed visiting. As anyone who has read my reviews knows, I want to be able to put myself in the place of the characters in the books I enjoy. Books should take you to another world, allowing you to see, hear, and feel what the characters are. And that was quite easy with Desprite, on many levels. The main character, Cassie, portrays, as odd as it may sound, an evolution of the soul. A Water Sprite, Cassie is a creature of the Earth, a true spirit of the lifeblood of the world, of the lochs and deep waters of the Scottish Highlands.

As with all my favourite stories, the secondary characters are nearly as interesting as Cassie. Though presented with fully formed back stories, they still develop throughout the story in ways both fascinating and, in some cases, heart-breaking. She has lived since the beginning of time on Earth, a free spirit of the waters. But now, she has begun to change. . .There is heartbreak in this book, the heartbreak of what we have done to this beautiful jewel of a world we live upon. The filth that we throw into the water, the land and the air, destroying the beauty all around. Its effects upon the world of the spirit is beautifully drawn and heartrending. How far will the good hearted go to try to correct the issues . . . and how far into the darkness? And how crushing must it be, to watch the world you knew when it was young slowly overwhelmed?

Desprite Measures is most definitely an Urban Fantasy, with all the myriad characters such implies. However, Ms. Jay goes deeper and wider than your everyday UF. She touches on real issues we are all facing today. And she does it in a way that weaves believably into her story. There are good guys and bad guys, and sometimes, the good and bad blend and meld in ways that make you wonder – where do the lines cross?

Relationships, beliefs, environmental and ecological questions. If you like UF with a lot of action and adventure, fascinating personal relationships, and quirky characters, this is the beginning of a series with tremendous potential, a bright new star in the firmament of the Urban Fantasy world!

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

Tall, Dark and Kilted by Lizzie Lamb

Tall, Dark and Kilted by Lizzie Lamb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a wonderful modern romance. Fliss is hard working and independent, when a party gets broken up by the police and Fliss needs a good reference from her employer it becomes the last thing she gets, before the sack. Faced with the need to find a new job quickly, she jumps at the chance to manage a Therapy centre in the Scottish Highlands.

Ruairi is the Laird of Kinlock Mara who is forced to keep tight reins on his step sisters and their mother. Isla and Cat lead a wild life spending money from Trust funds with little care for anyone but themselves. Ruairi believes they’ve brought Fliss with them as a decoy for their overspending and bad behaviour. But Fliss is determined to make a go of the business despite constantly fighting Ruairi and his dis-trust.

Full of hot and cold blasts of tension between the pair, this story is full of romantic Scottish themes; Kilts, bagpipes, scenery, Gaelic whisperings, Clan Urquhart tartans and Strathspey reels. Definitely an enjoyable read.

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

Lizzie lamb took part in the Romancing September Across The World Tour, where she gave us a guest author interview and talked about this book, here is a link to the post. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2xX

Look out for the review of her second book Boot Camp Bride, coming soon with a new Author Interview.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Winner’s Note; Congratulations to Maureen, our winner of a Mobi copy of Tall, Dark and Kilted.