Review – “Midnight Reborn” by D McEntire

Midnight Reborn - The Watchers, Book 1 by  D. McEntire

Book Blurb:

Never look back…

After suffering years of abuse as the virtual prisoner of a drug lord, Robyn Andrews has had enough. A carefully planned escape is her only hope for survival. Her past nipping at her heels, she boards the first bus out of town and heads for Louisville, Kentucky.

Trigg is a Watcher with two missions in life. One, to hunt and eliminate Rogue vampires. Two, to be left alone. Yet he can’t bring himself to harden his heart against the petite woman who looks so lost standing in the rain. And when Robyn joins him in a battle against Rogues, the little spitfire shows the bravery of ten Watchers. She’s someone special, someone he needs in his dark life.

Someone he can never have. He’s vampire; she’s human. A future for them is impossible.

But the past has a way of catching up and changing destinies with deadly speed.

Warning: This book contains violence, spicy sexual scenes and erotic biting!

Book Length: 238 pages

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Click Here To Purchase   

Review:

While this story mostly stuck to the basic vampire rules, which I personally like, there were also a few differences which kept it interesting rather than distracting from the story. Truthfully, I found myself unable to stop reading it. Being an author, I hear the old adage of show and don’t tell quite often, but I think this story did a nice job of both.  I liked the “telling” to tell you the truth, it was written passionately enough to easily glide me through it like a vamp salivates over the smell of human blood. Sorry, had to use the analogy, blame the full moon!

The story violently grasped my attention on the first pages with Robyn’s plight, tugging at my anger and emotions, making me mentally fight for her, in hopes of a new life.  Of course, life isn’t easy for a runaway, especially one who has run from abuse.  But, it becomes even more of a battle, with at times overwhelming issues, when one gets rescued by a vampire, especially a vamp who has to uphold secretive missions.  All of the characters are readily likable, full of quirks and commonalities, and that works in the stories favor.  The suspense lends itself well to the romance, to the angst of the hero and heroine. I love a good, jaded hero who thinks too deeply, errs on the side of justice, and loves just as passionately once ensnared unknowingly by a woman!

Knowing this is a series and having read over the other blurbs, I do like the way that the coming stories, not just Book 2, were alluded to at times in the plot line. This takes some planning, and foresight to do. As an author, I am impressed by this alone!  So, I look forward to reading the others, and hopefully meeting up with Robyn and Trigg again.

Look for my review of Midnight Rose, Book 2 coming in March on the first day of spring! I thought it was appropriate.

Reviewed By:

Kiki Howell

Author of Magical Erotic Romances

www.kikihowell.com

Author Wendy VanHatten Reviews “Dead Write” by Sheila Lowe

Dead Write by Sheila Lowe
Author Website: www.claudiaroseseries.com and www.sheilalowe.com
Blurb:

When it comes to solving murder, sometimes the pen can be mightier than the sword ...

Handwriting expert Claudia Rose heads to the Big Apple at the behest of Grusha Olinetsky, the notorious founder of an elite dating service whose members are mysteriously dying. Drawn into the feckless lives of the rich and single, Claudia finds herself in a twisted world of love and lies fueled by desperation. But is one among them desperate enough to kill?

Claudia must find clues in the suspects' handwriting before more victims are scribbled into the killer's black book...

Book Length: 320 pages
Publisher: New American Library/Obsidian Mysteries
Click Here To Purchase 

BOOK REVIEW:

If you have an inquisitive mind, you will find yourself trying to figure out what can possibly be the next pitfall or revelation. You will even ask yourself if main character Claudia has thought about what she is doing. Fast paced, this novel is so easy to get dragged into you can’t wait to find out what the next turn of events is. Yet you worry that it might not be a good thing…for anybody.

Twists and turns keep this one moving forward, never stale. Yet there are not so many plots or subplots as to confuse the reader. You won’t need a scorecard to remember who does what and when. Her characters are memorable in their own rights. With the continued turn of events you never have a clue as to what the next chapter will bring. And like any good mystery…the ending is full of surprises. 

I found myself wanting to read faster…to find out what happens next. Then I found myself wanting to read slower…because I didn’t want it to end.

REVIEWED BY:

Name:                Wendy VanHatten

Tagline:               Freelance Editor and Author

Website:             www.vanhattenwritingservices.com

                           www.virtual-author-assistant.com

Author Erin O'Riordan Reviews “Faeries Gone Wild” by MaryJanice Davidson, Michele Hauf, Lois Greiman, and Lenadra Logan

Faeries Gone Wild by MaryJanice Davidson, Michele Hauf, Lois Greiman, and Lenadra Logan

Blurb:

This lighthearted romance anthology is as flighty and inconsistent as its fey protagonists. The most charming tale is Logan's A Little Bit Faery, in which appealing young faery Tia Mayberry becomes enthralled by life in Manhattan and a sexy mortal firefighter. In Hauf's whimsical Dust Me, Baby, One More Time, prudish fairy Sidney Tooth is forced to ally with the arrogant sandman Dart Sand against skeptical humans. Davidson pairs a tiny magical census taker with a half-mortal giant in the choppy, crowded Tall, Dark and Not So Faery, while Greiman's banal Pixie Lust sets up naïve California pixie Avalina and real estate developer Will Timber, whose characterization is as wooden as his name. Even the most forgiving fans are unlikely to be enchanted. (June) 
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Length: 432 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Click Here To Purchase  

  

Review:

In this adorable anthology, you will find four novellas of fairies in search of romance. They go mildly wild, yes, but sweetly. All of the authors are from Minnesota.

The 4 stories in the collection are:

1. "Tall, Dark, and Not So Faery" by MaryJanice Davidson. Faery princess Scarlett travels to the mortal realm to take a faery census in the home of her brother, the Violent Faery. He's just married a dryad, and they have a new baby. He also shares quarters with a vampire, a werewolf, and an enchanted automobile named Judith. Quite unexpectedly, Scarlett finds a love of her own...Coffee Ray, who happens to have some giant in him.

2. "Pixie Lust" by Lois Greiman. Fern faery Avalina travels to the mortal realm to protect an endangered species of her favorite plant. Accidentally plucked along with a flower while she's in her tiny form, she grows to human size and takes over the life of down-to-earth William. William must learn to rediscover his hippie heritage to rescue the fern, and Avalina.

3. "Dust Me, Baby, One More Time" by Michele Hauf. Sidney is a tooth faery with a boring social life and a liking for Carrie and the girls of Sex and the City. She literally bumps into Dart Sand, a sexy blond surfer-dude sandman, on the job, and there is an instant attraction. There's only one problem: when Dart gets excited, he dusts everything in sight, sending Sidney snoring. Will they be able to overcome his premature dusting problem...and a town full of women urging their children not to believe in the tooth fairy?

4. "A Little Bit Faery" by Leandra Logan. Tia Mayberry is stunned to learn her father is human. She travels to the mortal realm, hoping to meet him...and runs into Alec Simon, a hunky firefighter recovering from being injured in the line of duty. 

Reviewed By:

Erin O'Riordan

Author of Romantic Erotica and the Pagan Spirits series

 www.erinoriordan.blogspot.com

Review of “Shelter From The Storm” by Molly Wens

Shelter From The Storm by Molly Wens

Blurb: Life can change in the blink of an eye, as Carissa James discovers while on an ill-fated business trip. Kidnapped, injured and left to her own wits in the frozen wilderness of the Grand Teton Mountains, she battles the elements for survival with nothing more than a spiritual guide, a white wolf, to see her through.

Bryce Matheny, though, knows all too well what can happen when the Fates play games with the lives of mortals. One moment on a dark highway and his beloved wife is gone. Left scarred and embittered, ostracized by society as a branded killer, he leaves the world behind, retreats to a mountain hideaway where he intends to live out the rest of his years, alone.

Another dark night changes Bryce’s life forever when the howl of a wolf and the insistence of his faithful dog drag him from the safety of his cabin into the raging winter storm. That’s when he finds Carissa, half-dead, buried in the snow.

Afraid she will see him as a monster, he tries to hide his disfigured face. When he finally allows her to see, he is struck by the pure desire in her eyes. He wants to share that desire with her, but wonders if it still lives within him as he watches her scantily clad body reclining on his bed.

Passion wins and love is born, but the moment cannot last. She has no choice but to return to her children and her home.

For Bryce, life without Clarissa is sheer torture. Haunted by the memory of her soft caresses and fiery green eyes, he becomes a man possessed. But does he have the strength to face his past and go in search of her? Will his damaged soul once again find her to be his shelter from the storm?
Warnings: This title contains graphic language and sex.
Word Count: 113,963

Review:

I was captured and entrapped by this story from the warning tones of the first pages, and embarked upon the book at a fast clip as Molly seems to make me do. Holding my breath with the twists of the plot and sighing with its resolutions, I would continue on just before being caught up in another whirlwind of suspense-filled situations full of mangled feelings and intense actions…she doesn’t let the reader go.

She dealt with some gruesome circumstances of tragedy well, letting the reader to emotionally bond with the characters as well as see the strength of the heroine at the same time. Although, with the hero his back story was unfolded in a slow, peeling back the layers sort-of way, the same strength was shown and maybe a touch more weakness was masterfully worked in.  This in no way takes away from the beast of a man who hugs the reader with his battle-scarred heart and virile character.

As always, Molly touches on the rawest of human emotions, eliciting our sympathies because we can so easily identify with each sentiment irregardless of whether we have experienced the same situation or not. Words like “damaged soul” and “atonement” commingle on the pages, written or alluded to. Carissa and Bryce fight and love on so many levels that they leave you wanting more even at the end of the long novel. And, I must say that her subtle touches of the super-natural are mesmerizing as well.

Having only read her first two works, I am considering myself a fan of Molly Wens!

Click Here To Purchase Shelter From The Storm 

Click Here To Read My Review of Spell Of Appalachia 

Click Here To Purchase Her Newest Release, The Long Road 

My Review of "Scarlet Myst" by Jade Twilight

Scarlet Myst by Jade Twilight
Length: 54 pages 
Genre: Erotic suspense 
Warnings: Violence, language, BDSM, kidnapping 


Blurb:  
Erin Calean, Aka Myst, works for the Scarlet Arm. A brothel for the wealthy and those pretending to be wealthy. But things aren't always what they seem, the girls at the Scarlet Arms are trained killers. Beautiful and deadly.


Click Here To Purchase 


Review:
Pure erotica with a whole mix of mob ties, power plays and family scandal… Scarlet Myst is suspense and sex in a tense short assignment, a comparison this read rightly deserves.  The character’s were well thought out and numerous. There was a depth to many of the characters despite the shortness of the work. Again, I wanted to know more and more about them, but they also gave the story surprising twists and turns, never letting go of its edgy and tense atmosphere.  I would be lying if I didn’t say I wanted more at each of those twists and turns, but to me that is a sign of a good writer—one I hope to read more from soon. I swear there was enough condensed into this tale to fill a novel, a novel I would definitely read!


Reviewed By:
Kiki Howell
Author of Magical Erotic Romances
http://www.kikihowell.com

Review of “Deliver Me From Hell” by Annie Fox

Deliver Me From Hell by Annie Fox

Blurb:

Imagine a near perfect marriage, a husband and wife who rarely fight. Okay, so Jillian is a little shy in the art of love making…but she desperately wants to please her husband and wants him to please her as well.

Brandon wonders what has got into his wife when a party for a friend turns into a partner-swap, and if that wasn't shocking enough, after an exhausted and bewildered Brandon falls asleep, he suddenly finds himself in hell-literally.

What price will there be to pay for all this unbridled pleasure?

Warnings: This title contains graphic language, F/F sex, and light submission.

Word Count: 12,391

Click Here To Purchase 

Review:

I must start with a disclaimer that the swapping stories I have read you can count on one hand, but I like to expand my horizons, and the paranormal element to the story caught my attention.  Having an English degree, I do like it when a story makes me think, and this short does make you ponder the old adage, be careful what you wish for.

What started off as a cute swapping story quickly turned, leaving the reader a bit puzzled at first as I think was the authors intent, to add to the mystery of it all. Then came two profound italicized sentences ending the chapter, and soon a simple statement like, “Did you enjoy that?” makes you shudder and take  pause.  I found myself wondering if someone were handed ALL they let themselves fantasize about from cars to couches to sexual fantasies….would you be blissfully happy or would you find yourself in some sort of hell longing for the way it was before. All of this mystery is surrounded by sex and sexual innuendos, around which the characters question their desires.

I can’t say that all of the questions were cleared up in the end, and maybe they were not supposed to be. I know the struggle of dealing with such places as heaven and hell in writing, and I think the fun of it, is to play with the philosophies and ambiguities inherent with each.  Who could sum up the questions broached, especially the ones unwritten outright, in the story?  I am not even sure I know how I feel about the story yet, which I don’t think is a bad thing. I like to be kind of set on edge, mind reeling. I can say that I am not sorry I read it, and I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

I went to the author after that wanting to know what inspired this story, what else she has written, and why she took on such a subject?

And here is the answer she kindly gave me... 

I get most of my story lines from my Dreams...or nightmares. Usually I wake up and say..."Wow, I think that would make a good book". So, I jump up from my bed and run to the computer and start typing. I have to be quick, you know how dreams fade fast. When I started "Deliver me from Hell" It began in hell, I wrote that part and then went back and started from the beginning.

This novella was released February 8th, as an ebook, by Excessica publishing. I have written another short story for Selena Kitt's anthology called "Snow White". No, she doesn't do the seven dwarfs. She does give the prince a run for the money.

I have completed my next book and am working on finding a publisher. It is called "Sex by the Letter"

Thanks, Annie!

Reviewed By:

Kiki Howell

Author of Magical Erotic Romances

www.kikihowell.com

April Dawn – An Interview By Ava Delany

Do you have any deep dark secrets to share?

Let’s see? I used to carry size DDD and larger bras out of the store with me when I was two. My mother always said I was trying to prepare for my future. lol

What gets you hot to write?
I am inspired by my own curiosity and the stories I read. When I’m reading, I tend to ask myself what if this happened instead, or what if this happened to this type of character. Bound By Love is a bit of an homage to the old second hand books I used to read as a girl. The question was, what would happen if the pirate/privateer that the woman fell for were arrested? And what if she were to be arrested too?
When I got a little older and started reading more current romance novels that I could check out at the local library, I discovered that romance novels had changed. They’d become tamer. From this time period, the crush story was an instant favorite for me, but I always wondered what would happen if the woman already had suitors, richer and more powerful suitors. (The other question which inspired this story I can’t tell because it would give too much away.) Anyhow, Crushing Desire came from this inspiration.
When drawing room romances became more popular, I found myself missing the adventure of early romance, but I loved the humor and wit that replaced it. In my opinion, all these ingredients make the recipe for a great romance novel. Because of this, I endeavor to pepper each of my novels with a little humor, a little wit, and some adventurous fun. I hope I will be able to do that for every novel I create, and hopefully all my readers will enjoy my recipe for great romance as much as I do.

What part of writing to you enjoy most?
I love it when I’m in that fevered state when writing begins. When the characters are in such a hurry to tell their story that your fingers almost can’t keep up. I love that. Some of my best writing comes from that time.

Were you fit to scream when you got published?
When I got my first email accepting me for publication, I sat there with my mouth open pointing at the screen saying “Oh my gosh!” over and over. Finally, after about a minute, my husband figured out what I was freaking out about. :-D Then I proceeded to call everyone who knew I was submitting and give them all the details.

What fabulous tales do you have available to readers?
I have two late 18th century historical romance novels coming out soon. Bound By Love (Jan 29, 2009) http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/bound-by-love.html and Crushing Desire (Feb 12, 2009) http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/crushing-desire.html You can read more about these novels at http://aprildawnbooks.com

Where can fans find your playground?
Breathless Press http://breathlesspress.com is publishing my current novels.

What hot little tidbits do you have in the works?
I have a number of works in progress. The closest to publication is The Piratess, which I hope to have ready for submission in a months or two.

http://avadelany.webs.com

My Book Sneeze Reviews

Essentials for Life: Your Back-to-Basics Guide to What Matters Most by Marcia Ford

BLURB:

True enjoyment in life is found by focusing on the essentials.

A growing number of people recognize their need for a reliable guide for their life's journey. Essentials for Life fills that need by helping readers get back to the basics of what matters most with a fresh perspective on four core essentials of the Christian life:

• What do I believe?
• How do I grow closer to God?
• What should my character and life reflect?
• How do I live my life every day?

Essentials for Life offers fifty daily or weekly readings that each include a key life-guide principle, scripture and quotes, meditation, an interesting fact, and a unique application suggestion. Each discussion offers hope and a sense of peace and well-being by focusing on life with an eternal perspective.

The content offers spiritual truth while the interior graphic design, which includes sidebars and visuals, enhances the readability and the impact of each core essential.

My Review:

This book just was not what I had hoped it would be.  But it has some great basic information for someone just starting to try to use their faith to better their life.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

The Gospel According To Lost by Chris Seay
Blurb:

Lost is NOT just a television show. It has become larger than that-a massive story filled with mystery that has garnered over twenty million participants. Some might call them viewers, but one does not just watch Lost, one participates in it. It demands that you dialogue with the story, seeking theories and comparing yourself to characters. Lost breaks all the formulas for television, and in doing so has drawn together millions of people on a shared journey that explores life, faith, history, science, philosophy, hope, and the basic questions of what it means to be human. It is the seemingly infinite ideas, philosophies, and biblical metaphors that make this story so engaging.
The focus on faith and truth is never more clearly explained than in the words of John Locke as he questions Jack Shepherd asking "Why do you find it so hard to believe?" Jack responds quickly "Why do you find it so easy?" But Locke declares "It's never been easy." This tension between Faith and Reason drives every episode and story line. Locke summed this up as he explained to Jack "That's why you and I don't see eye‐to‐eye sometimes, because you're a man of science…Me, well, I'm a man of faith."

Chapter Topics

• Faith and Reason - The war within?
• Guilt -The single common denominator that binds everyone on the island
• Fate - Do we choose our path, or does fate happen to us?
• Quantum Spirituality - What if everything and everyone is connected?
• Dharma - Is there any truth to be found in Institutional Religion?
• Island Life - If we are made for the garden is it the consumer world that is killing us?
• Salvation - Will it ever come, and will we recognize it when it does?

Chris Seay's fascinating book explores each of these elements in a spinning analysis of faith and metaphor that will attract a multitude of readers who desire to go even deeper into the journey.


CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE


Review:
I know this is probably an odd thing to write in a review, but I loved the dedication!  Not only did it tell a nice story, but gave a poignant message as well.  But, onto the book… As an avid fan of the television show LOST, I went into reading this book thinking this review cannot be about if I agree with the author’s theories, but if they are well thought out and articulated.  I was not disappointed.


In the prologue, Seay said, “Lost, in all its illustrative, complex glory, demands that we dialogue, research, meet ourselves in the characters, and share our latest discoveries with one another.” I think he did just this! He also stated his hope that we emerge from the pages stronger, and I for one, can say that I did. Apart from all of his insights, he provided a wealth of inspiring words from Albert Einstein to Gilda Radner and beyond!


A lot of the book is divided up into chapters about each of the main characters.  Seay speculated on the meanings of the characters names, gave information from interviews with the actors that played them, and everything in between. My favorite was his ideas about the scriptural references on Eko’s stick. More importantly, the author leads us on a journey to speculate and to learn about ourselves through each of the characters.


I do believe that this book will enhance my discernment and thus my enjoyment of the show as was my hope in wanting to read it in the first place.


Reviewed By:
Kiki Howell
http://www.kikihowell.com

Interview With Emma Hillman

Kiki: I want to start off by asking a few questions about your books, as I have had the privilege of reading many of them!

Emma: Fire away!

Kiki: Location, Location, Location came out in August 2009, and you continued Mia & Kevin's story when Yes, No, Maybe released in October 2009.   I have heard chatter asking you if Kevin was written with a particular person in mind.  So, is he? And, if so, who? Or, if you can't tell us who, why is it a secret?

Emma: Oh yes, my lovely fantasy, the very hot Kevin. I guess it’s not really a secret, considering he also knows about it. But, I quite like to make people guess. So, Kiki, dear readers, who do you think Kevin is?

Kiki: Tell us a little about your upcoming Curve Happy series, and what you like about writing Rubenesque stories?

Emma: Curve Happy is a series idea I came up with when I realized I was writing the same kind of stories, all the time. You see, I write stories that I want to read. It’s that simple. I want books with Rubenesque heroines who find love in hot men’s arms (and beds). I tend to really hate 'perfect' heroines; I just don't see the appeal, hence why I'm quite happy writing Rubenesque ladies in every one of my books. At least, that means I enjoy re-reading what I've written! :)

So far, the series includes two novellas: A Thin Line, to be released on 19 July (eXcessica); and One Last Vice, on 30 August (eXcessica). And I'm working on some others, including one very hot swapping story which I hope will see the light of day at one point.

Kiki: Okay, lets get a bit more personal…

Emma: *cracks knuckles* I’m ready!

Kiki: After reading your biography, I have to ask ~ exactly how many different languages do you speak?

Emma: I’m French and British so obviously those are my two main languages. I also speak German, Chinese (Mandarin) and a little bit of Russian. Oh, and I know ancient Greek but that’s not going to help me much these days!

Kiki: You said you read in English because it sounds better.   For those of us who can only speak one language, can you explain why?

Emma:This is somewhat odd as I grew up in France, but I can’t read romance, let alone erotica, novels in French. It just doesn’t sound right! Everyone is probably shaking their heads right now, knowing how French is supposed to be the language of love. But nope, it just doesn’t work for me.

Kiki: You don't plan your stories, you have said, but where did the idea for Behind Locked Doors come from?   I see Book Two released today! Yeah!

Emma: Yeah! The idea behind BLD came to me while I was on my commuter train one evening, listening to my iPod. The song ‘Gallery’ from Mario Vasquez came on and the lyrics go like this:

“Tell me is the money worth your soul

Tell me what's the reason that you hold on

When you know that dude has a whole wall of 'em just like you

And girl you're just way too fine

Gotta be treated as one of a kind”

My mind started buzzing at the idea of some guy having a whole group of girls, all the same, just for him. Automatically I thought of a Harem, and what would happen if it was not only one man (too greedy!) but several. What if some unsuspecting girl became a part of it, but she kept saying no to them? It spiraled from there 

Kiki: You write some really hot stories! So, tell us when you read your first erotic story, and when you wrote your first?

Emma: Oh my. My first erotic story? I’ve read romance for years, ever since I was a teenager. I remember the Angélique series and how hot they were, especially to my 13-year-old mind. Phew! *fans herself*

My first ever erotic piece, however, was a short story entitled The Married Woman’s Guide To Romance and basically tells the story of this woman who’s trying to bring a spark back into her marriage. She uses tips found in magazines/online/etc. to get her husband to notice her again, and it takes a while…but it works in the end!

Kiki: Now, a few quick, more personal questions...

Best book you read recently is? 

Emma: Soulless by Gail Carriger (Orbit). Paranormal, historical, romance, steampunk: it's got it all!

Kiki: Favorite guilty pleasure you will admit to? 

Emma: Watching crappy TV when I’m on my own. So entertaining!

Kiki: If I gave you $1000, what would you run out and buy? 

Emma: Probably books. Oh, and OPI nail polish (anyone wants to donate, I can give you my address!).

Kiki: What food can't you live without? 

Emma: Cheese. Yum! Can't live without it.

Kiki: Last thought before you go to bed each night usually is concerning? 

Emma: It varies, but I’m usually thinking of fantasies. Whether personal or book-related, I like to think of something nice before I fall asleep. I tend to ‘dream’ plots, so it helps with the inspiration!

Kiki: Two more...

If you had more time, I know you would want to write more, but what else do you wish you had more time to do? 

Emma: Probably take care of myself. I tend to run around on weekends, between the house, the laundry, the toddler, the shopping, etc. If I manage to go to the salon once a month, I’m beyond happy. If I had more time, I’d like to use it for myself…Selfish, I know. But believe me, it’s necessary if I want to keep my sanity!

Kiki: Okay, all of these questions, just tell me something I don't know about Emma Hillman. 

Emma: I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was younger. I used to buy Parisian fashion magazines and recreate professional outfits/photos onto paper. I loved it. I still do, but writing is my creative outlet these days.

You can find Emma at http://coffeefuelederotica.blogspot.com/

You can Purchase Emma's Books at http://excessica.com

Author Annette Gisby Reviews “The Trespass” by Barbara Ewing

The Trespass by Barbara Ewing

Blurb:

A cholera plague in Victorian London heightens the dark secrets in the house of a well-to-do English family. Every month small, brave sailing ships leave for the outer regions of the new British Empire and on one of those small ships a desperate young girl hides, knowing very little about this new country, New Zealand and what she might find there.  And not knowing that she will be followed to the other side of the world by people who - each for their own reasons - cannot live without her.
Book Length: 416 pages, paperback and hardback available

Publisher: Sphere

Click Here To Purchase  

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

Review:

In the London cholera epidemic of 1849, MP Sir Charles Cooper is worried for his youngest daughter, seventeen year old Harriet, and resolves to send her away to the country until the danger has past.

Harriet is pleased to get away from her father, but also worried that he won't send her elder sister, Mary, with her. Isn't she in danger from the cholera too? (More danger than either of them know, for Mary has been helping a doctor treat the cholera patients in the poorest parts of London.) Harriet enjoys her stay in the country with her cousins, and wonders at the easy way the family has with each other, for there is a dark secret at her London home, one she has no words for, because how can a young lady speak of the unspeakable?

Harriet plans a daring escape to New Zealand, following in the footsteps of her cousin, for surely even her father's reach cannot get so far as New Zealand? This book is excellent, with a little dash of history thrown in now and then, but without turning the novel into a history book. The main emphasis is on the characters, and what characters they were. So realisitic and evolved. I was on tenterhooks the whole time wondering of Harriet could ever escape. At a time when women had no money of their own (unless they were lower class and could work), they were owned first by their fathers and then by their husbands, and were not even allowed to work, how could a young girl escape her terrible fate?

'Everything you say is yours, belongs to me, is provided by me, everything, every breath that you take belongs to me. I am your father. And as you well know you owe me absolute obedience.' I devoured this book in two days, you just have to keep reading to find out what happens next. With a wealth of historical detail and well drawn characters, it's one you'd want to read again and again.

Reviewed By:
Author: Annette Gisby
Author Tagline: Annette Gisby writes in multiple genres from horror to fantasy, romance to thrillers and everything in between.
Author Website: http://www.annettegisby.n3.net