Book Tour Review: Her Loving Husband's Curse

Hello fellow readers I must start with apologies as I was supposed to have this review posted some time ago and had a scheduling mix up on my end. Read on to discover my thoughts about this book.

Title: Her Loving Husband's Curse

Author: Meredith Allard

Series: Loving Husband #2

Publisher: Copperfield Press

Published: April 20, 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 284

Source: Received from Author in 

exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

How far will you go to protect the one you love?

Finally, after many long and lonely years, James Wentworth’s life is falling into place. Together with his wife, Sarah, the only woman he has ever loved, he has found the meaning behind her nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and now they are rebuilding the life they began together so long ago.

But the past is never far behind for the Wentworths. While Sarah is haunted by new visions, now about the baby she carried over three hundred years before, James is confronted with painful memories from his time with the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Through it all, the persistent reporter Kenneth Hempel reappears, still determined to prove that the undead walk the earth. If Hempel succeeds in his quest, James and Sarah will suffer. Will the curse of the vampire prevent James and Sarah from living their happily ever after?

Her Loving Husband’s Curse is Book Two of the Loving Husband Trilogy. Book One, Her Dear & Loving Husband, is now available from Copperfield Press

Melissa's Musings:

My Rating: 4 Stars

I was pulled in from the very first page. I was immediately enthralled with James and Sarah's story. Their love story is very romantic, but not too overly done. It's simple realistic, and true.

I have the first book on my kindle, I had purchased it a while ago when it was free on Amazon. I had hoped to read it before I read this book for the tour, but I ran out of time. Her Loving Husband's Curse works well as a stand alone novel, but I did feel a slight lack of connection as I knew there was more to the story and that there were details that I was missing. The lack of cohesion in the story from my not being able to read the first book in the series in time was very slight, and not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

I always enjoy when an author incorporates smells, colors, and other small touches into a story. Here it was smells. The author pointed out that Sarah's "smell" for James was strawberries and cream, and that their daughter Grace smelled like cinnamon. As much as I enjoyed this detail, I did feel that it was mentioned a few too many times and was over done.

There is a great deal of history that is intertwined with this story, which makes it both an enjoyable and somewhat educational (in a sense) read. I paid close attention to the author's descriptions and references to the Trail of Tears. It's not something I remember learning much about in school so those parts were particularly interesting.

I also enjoyed all the different paranormal elements and characters that are woven into this series. There are vampires, witches, werewolves, and ghosts. Sometimes such an eclectic mix of paranormal characters can make a story crowded. That's not the case here. I think this may be due to the fact that the author does such a good job of seamlessly weaving the paranormal aspects into the story overall that you really focus more on the characters as they are, not what paranormal species they are.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable series. I look forward to reading this series in its' entirety and to reading more from this author.

Book Spotlight (and giveaway!!): Unveiled by Lauren Grimley

Hello everyone!

Today I'm happy to be featuring author Lauren Grimley, and her new book Unveiled here on Melissa's Midnight Musings. Read on to learn more about Unveiled, enjoy a little teaser,and enter a giveway that Lauren is hosting that she allowed me to share with you.

Title: Unveiled

Author: Lauren Grimley

Series: Book 2 of the Alex Crocker Seer Series

Publisher: Malachite Quills Publishing

Published: May 22, 2013

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Vampire Series 

Formats: E-book and paperback (paperback available later this summer)

Trailer:  http://youtu.be/hfz5KLrVC9k

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes&Noble

Teaser:

 With strength comes vulnerabilities.  With love comes loss.  With power comes pain.  The world Alex now belongs to hinges on such balance.  Her every step seems to be lurching her precariously closer to one wrong side or another.

Alex had known her life as a Seer wouldn’t be easy. She knew her gift would be difficult to control and constantly sensing others’ emotions would be overwhelming. She even knew she’d be hunted for the power it would provide whichever coven of vampires controlled her. What she didn’t foresee were the difficulties she’d have with the parts of her life she ought to be able to control: her decisions, her actions, and her relationships.

It isn’t until she’s botched every facet of her new life that the opportunity arises to make things right. Rocky’s lover has been abducted, and Alex’s gift is the best shot at bringing her home alive. But even that will require tipping the scales in a direction no one but Alex can understand.

This sequel to Unforeseen is a darker tale of the battles Alex continues to fight against her enemies, her gift, and even herself. This time victory might cost her sanity, her lover, or her life.

About The Author:

Author website: http://www.laurengrimley.com

Blog: http://blog.laurengrimley.com

Twitter @legrimley: https://twitter.com/legrimley

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurenGrimley

Google+: http://plus.google.com/u/0/105156245095191358255/posts//p/pub

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5825387.Lauren_Grimley

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorlegrimley/

Want to read the first book in the series, Unforeseen? Buy it on Amazon

Bio: 

Lauren Grimley lives in central Massachusetts where she grew up, but her heart is on the beaches of Cape Cod where she spends as much of her time as possible. After graduating from Boston University she became a middle school English teacher. She now balances writing, reading, and correcting, all with a cat on her lap and a glass of red wine close by.

Unforeseen, the first novel in the Alex Crocker Seer series, was Lauren’s debut novel, and she’s thrilled to be continuing the series with Unveiled. To learn more about her or her writing or to connect with her online visit her website at www.laurengrimley.com

Giveaway:

*please note this giveaway is not being hosted by Melissa's Midnight Musings  I am simply sharing it with my readers as per permission from the author

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt

Title: The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt

Series: Hartlandia #1

Author: Ilana Waters

Publisher: Self Published

Published: August 10, 2012

Genre: Children's-Middle Grade

Format: Kindle

Pages: 244

Source: Received from author

Read:  February 23-25, 2013

In A Few Words: Questions authority

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads: Add This To Your Goodreads Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ten-year-old Stanley Delacourt loves his quiet life in the peaceful village of Meadowwood. At least, he does until his best friend is killed. Then the town library—where Stanley lives and works—is burned to the ground. The individuals responsible for both tragedies are a nasty group of soldiers. They work for the kingdom’s new leader, Christopher Siren. With the grown-ups too fearful to take action, Stanley vows to confront Siren. He plans to get answers and demand justice. Little does he know that his journey will involve sword-wielding knights, kidnapper fairies, and dark magic.

Stanley has only two allies back home: a witch named Meredith, and a young apothecary called Sophie. Can they help him discover the reason behind Siren’s crimes and end this terrible reign? Or is Stanley set to become the next victim in the tyrant’s evil plot?

Melissa's Musings:

This is a great adventure story. It begins with Stanley's work in the library, so I was instantly hooked, just based on that alone. There aren't enough stories that prominently feature libraries, so this was such a refreshing change.

The setting and language of the story is wonderful. It's easygoing, and comfortable. As I read I was immediately able to fall into Meadowood and imagine myself there, right along with the characters. The setting seemed like a mix of olden times (think medieval times) and more modern times.

The story starts out simply enough, Stanley, Sophie and Will enjoying a boat race together and a festival, but you can tell that there's something going on by the odd soldiers milling around. Then, when Will is killed after being out after "curfew" and then the library is burned down, Stanley knows he has to do something. He sets off on a quest to find out who the new ruler in place, Christopher Siren is, and what happened to the old king and queen. 

He faces a lot of trials and tribulations along the way. He also runs into all different kinds of magical creatures. There are subtle elements of magic throughout the story, right down to the very boots that Stanley is wearing. There's talk of vampires and vampire wars, witches, fairies, and much more. 

The magical element is perfect. It's done with just enough detail to keep the reader interested, but not so much as to overwhelm them. Sophie finding out she is a witch is also very fitting, given that she already has a job as an apothecary, and likes to write poems, it seems quite the natural fit that she becomes a witch. I particularly enjoyed the spin of her spells coming to her in her sleep, and her thinking of them more as poems than anything.

As Stanley gets further on in his journey, he is kidnapped and forced to work in one of Siren's factories, where several kids are nothing more than glorified paper pushers. Literally, they put papers into boxes. And they don't question it. They don't want anything more for themselves but to earn shiny metal discs and the promise of a better position if they earn enough of them.

At first Stanley tries to resist this, and tries to ask the others about their dreams, and whether they know that they are being forced to do these things for nothing, and give up on what they really believe in. But after an incident he too becomes numb and just goes along. You later find out that Hartlandia is under a spell. I thought this was a great way to demonstrate the fact that children should learn and think for themselves. They should question authority and not just do everything they are told. The story also demonstrates how easy it can be for kids to just forget about their dreams and "go along" if they are restricted enough.

This story is the perfect combination of magic, adventure, friendship, and the trials and tribulations of growing up. I can't wait to see what comes next in Stanley's adventure. I'd recommend this to lovers of magic, libraries, and easygoing characters/settings.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Breaking Dawn 

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: August 2, 2008

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 756 

Source: Library

Read: September 2-4 2012

In A Few Words: Fell Flat

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

WHEN YOU LOVED THE ONE WHO WAS KILLING YOU, IT LEFT YOU NO OPTIONS. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to a werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed...forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

Melissa's Musings:

There's not much I can say that hasn't  already been said about Breaking Dawn, so this review will be short and sweet. I'm so late on the Twilight train, having only started the series last year. I enjoyed the first few books in the series much more than I enjoyed this one.

The story just seemed to fall flat for me. It was more teenage angst, with the dialogue to go with it. For some reason the dialogue in Breaking Dawn seemed a lot more immature than it did in the other books. After the 4th or 5th time I read Jacob saying "'kay" I was more than a little irritated.

Plus the whole love triangle between Edward just seemed ridiculous, especially after Bella was pregnant and still breaking into a smile and wanting him to be around all the time. Of course, that made more sense when Renesmee came along, but even that whole dynamic was weird. He can't have Bella so he imprints on her daughter instead? Certainly a dysfunctional family unit if there ever was one.

I have to say that I was glad to see that Bella finally grew a little bit as a character. She was less whiny, and more decisive in Breaking Dawn. More than likely that's because of Renesmee, becoming a mom was a big change for her, both literally and figuratively.

I was actually most captivated by Renesmee, just like everyone around her. She seemed so interesting, so unique. Meyer definitely did a good job bringing her character to life and making her likeable. (Minus the whole being soulmates with Jacob thing.)

In the end, I think I was expecting a different outcome. While I liked the story, it all wrapped up a little too neatly for me.

Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright is Full of Fire Alright

Title: Fire Baptized (Habitat #1)

Author: Kenya Wright

Publisher: Dragonfairy Press

Published: January 16 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 286 pages

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read:  October 8-9 2012

In A Few Words: Full of Action

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads: Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.

Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.

Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend MeShack and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention.

While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

Melissa's Musings:

First things first, this book is full of action. Right from the very first line you are sucked in and captivated. I immediately wanted to know more and kept swiping forward on my Kindle to find out what would happen next.

One of the best things about this book is the way that the magical and real life elements are combined. There's a lot of heavy issues in the book like drug use, prostitution and racial and class issues that are interwoven into the story. Sometimes this can be really difficult to pull off, especially within a supernatural setting, but the author made the integration relatively seamless.

The supernatural combinations in this story are unlike any I've ever come across before. For example, Lanore is half demon, half fairy. And MeShack is a Shifter with demonic powers/blood.  Those are two combinations I haven't run across before. 

As a character, Lanore is very strong. She stands up for herself and can hold her own. She has her weaknesses, but, who doesn't? I'm very interested in learning more about her background. You get bits and pieces, about how her father is a demon and her mother is a fairy, and some of the backstory associated with that. There's a lot more to it though, and I have a feeling that there are some great twists, having to do with her heritage as being half fairy, so it'll be interesting to see what those are.

There is a love triangle here, and I have to say that I like this one. I like the aggression and possessiveness that both Zulu feel towards Lanore, because it's raw and real. Each of their attraction to her is very apparent in their actions. And, I really like the fact that she's not going all mushy over either one or playing games with them. She's very clear on what she wants. Whether they listen to her or not, is another story. The bonds between MeShack and Lanore and the one between Zulu and Lanore are very different, but I think they're equally intense. It'll be interesting to see how that all plays out and who she ends up with.

Here's where I have to put up one note of warning for people. The sexual tension in this book is slightly intense. The sexual scenes are descriptive, so if those make you uncomfortable then you may not enjoy the book as much. There aren't a lot of these scenes, but the few that there are are very descriptive, so just be forewarned about that. Also, the killings in this book are rather gruesome so if you're on the squeamish side, you may want to be prepared for that as well.

If you're looking for an action packed supernatural story, this is it. 

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins: One of my new favorites

Title: Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1)

Author: Rachael Hawkins 

Publisher:  Hyperion Book CH

Published: March 2, 2010

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 336

Source: Library

Read: September 1-2 2012

In A Few Words: Laugh Out Loud Funny

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add This to your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her

Melissa's Musings:

Let me start out by saying I absolutely LOVED this book! I have a soft spot for books about witches as it is,  but I enjoyed Hex Hall for more than the fact that I love books about witches.

The writing is very easygoing, and the dialogue is, lets say true to the characters. It flows easily. Most of the characters in this book are teenagers, and they talk like they're teenagers. In some books this can get annoying, but not here. I think the easiness of the dialogue is one of the reasons I was able to fall in love with Sophie so quickly. She's just easy to relate to, and real.

One of the interesting things about this book is that it starts out with Sophie having already been a witch for three years. A lot of books about witches start out before, or right as the witches come into their powers, so that readers can see them grow into the powers and test them out. It was surprising that this story started out with  Sophie already having been a witch for so long. I have to say I was curious about the background and the past three years of her having her powers. Some of these events are mentioned, but there isn't a whole lot of detail. I'm hoping the first three years of her having powers is explored a little further in the coming books in the series.

Another thing that I love about this book is that it's hilarious! There were moments that had me laughing out loud, to the point where my sister asked me what was so funny. I made sure to note one of my favorite quotes that had me laughing. Of course it'd  be funnier in context if you read this book, but it stands well by itself too.

In this scene, Sophie is trying to create a dress for the upcoming All Hallow's eve ball, and she's not having much success.

I opened my eyes to stare at a bright blue tulle monstrosity with a skirt that would hit me at mid thigh. I'd look like the really slutty bride of Cookie Monster. (pg. 233)

Just the thought of a bride of Cookie Monster has me smiling as I'm typing this, so the thought of a slutty one at that is even more funny.

The names in the story are unique as well. Sophie is a common name, but then there you have characters with names like Chaston and Elodie, and those are a bit more unique. Plus the name of the school is Hecate Hall, which is cool in and of itself, since Hecate was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Fitting name for a school of supernatural students.

Since I've read a lot of books with witches in them, I did find it a little strange that when Chaston, Elodie and Anna are trying to convince Sophie to join their coven, they keep saying that they need a 4th to make them stronger. Usually, the symbol of the pentagram is important in books about witchcraft, so I associate 5, not 4, as being a number of strength.

And, one of the best things about this is that there's a Harry Potter reference in this book! I won't spoil it for anyone who wants to read it, but books with HP references always make me smile.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking to start a new series about witches, or anyone looking for a fun read.

This was an awesome book and I can't wait to read the other two in the series! Have you read it? What did  you think?