Month: July 2019

Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 3:

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, contemporary, drama, mystery, scifi , , , ,
lovely ad for cool story

*Will contain spoilers if you haven’t read the stories*

Introduction:

Sorry, I had to break it up a bit so it wouldn’t be the post that never ends.

Aside:

I like how these stories are expanding my genres. I would typically avoid some of the type of stories, but in small doses, it’s enjoyable. Thriller and mystery still top my likes, but I found a surprising number of romances and dramas to get into.

Second Aside:

I do love the little references they put in each series to other ones. Ryan Summers has shown up in a few series, including Most Wanted and Red Carpet Diaries. The Crown and the Flame is a TV show in The Freshman Series. A random dude on the cruise ship from Rules of Engagement is absolutely obsessed with The Crown and the Flame.

Ratings Batch 3:

Most Wanted 4/5 Stars: Action thriller. Sam and Dave have pretty cool chemistry. This is one of the few books where the MC’s actually a set person, not whoever you make him or her to be. I think The Crown & the Flame did that too, but most stories you choose your main character.

Open Heart 5/5 Stars: Another surprise for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this medical drama. Don’t watch TV a lot, but I’m starting to see the appeal.

Perfect Match 1 and 2, 4/5 Stars: If rated individually, I think 1 might be slightly lower and 2 higher. I overall enjoyed the series though. The MC takes on a big time corporation over their androids.

Red Carpet Diaries, Book 1, 4/5 Stars: I actually almost left the default name intact here. The MC I made looked like a Jessie to me instead of Jessica. Fun story of fame and fortune. Twists in the first book were neat.

Rules of Engagement Series 3/5 Stars: I remember being annoyed by large portions of this story. It follows a family gives some weird bucket lists by a dead grandmother. In order to inherit, you’ve got some serious hoops to hop through.

Veil of Secrets 4/5 Stars: Might bear another run through.

Conclusion:

I’ll continue to post individual reviews as I check out some of the stories again. There are a few series I still want to start, but the summer should give me a chance to catch up. It’s been ages since the first book, maybe I’ll return to that. I think I unlocked most of The Crown and the Flame.  

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime



The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



OR



Tech Review 4.5/5 Stars: Wsky Lanterns – 2 Pack

Julie Gilbert Tech Review , , ,
One of the lanterns … pic taken today from the comforts of home.

Small but Mighty, Versatile Flashlights/Lanterns

Summary:

Whether you’re going camping or looking for emergency backup lights, these little lanterns are a good investment. They’re pretty versatile, being able to be used as a normal flashlight, an emergency beacon, or a lantern.

Additional Comments:

  • If you buy them on Amazon, you get a 2-Pack of these handy little lanterns for about $29. I think there’s currently a $2 off coupon, but you also have to pay taxes in most states.
  • I was surprised a how tiny these lanterns turned out to be. They’re surprisingly light-weight too.
  • Usage Length: Wanted to see how long they would last, so I left one on. It’s not a true experiment, but I left both on for long periods of time over the last few days just to see what would happen. It stayed really bright (as in almost too painful to look at) for ~2-3 hours. Then, it turned a “normal” bright for about 4-5 hours beyond that. For 1-2 hours beyond that, it still worked but was almost useless as a lantern to do stuff with. (The last bit, it would work for moving around in the dark but you couldn’t see well enough to read by it.)
  • Recharge time: It came mostly charged. I plugged it in and it turned green light in about 20 minutes. After I’d used it for the 9-ish hours, it took about 3 hours to recharge to max power again.
  • I love that there’s a rechargeable battery as well as a slot for 3AA batteries.
  • The lanterns are surprisingly light weight. While this is super helpful if you intend to pack it, I think some people may be skeptical, thinking lightweight translates automatically to cheap quality. They subconsciously have old-school flashlights (that weigh a bunch because they’re powered by 3 D-batteries) in their heads.
  • The side and top handles are thin, but they seem to work fine.
  • The design is simple yet aesthetically pleasing.
  • The emergency flashers are highly annoying, which is perfect for drawing attention. There are a few settings for these.

Conclusion:

Moderately priced, light-weight, but bright and versatile lanterns perfect for everyday or emergency use.

Associate links to follow…

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 2:

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Horror, monsters, mystery, romance, superhero , , ,

*Will contain spoilers if you haven’t read the stories*

Introduction:

This batch contains some of my absolute favorites. The music often captures the essence of the stories, but the standouts to me are The Heist: Monoco and The Elementalists. The first being fun and whimsy and the second being quirky yet magical.

Aside on How I Spend Diamonds:

I’m a sucker for … pets, spells, collections. Favorite so far might be sassy cat from Wishful Thinking. I’ve not finished the story yet though, so I can’t tell for sure. The pet choices in The Elmentalists 1 and 2 are fun. I do love the little purple dog in the second book. I named the frog from the first one Tim, so of course, the puppy had to be Tiny.

I can usually resist … special outfits, most dates. Kind of just gives me the short version of the story, which is fine. The chapters range from about 20-40 minutes to read, depending on how quickly I skim.

Ratings Batch 2:

The Elementalists Book 1, 5/5 Stars: One of my favorites so far. I’m a sucker for buying spells. I intend to replay this one.

Endless Summer 2/5 Stars: Couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t like the graphics for one thing.

The Freshman Series 3.5/5 Stars: I’m only on Book 4, and I’ve enjoyed some of the story threads, but it’s not my favorite series.

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor 3/5 Stars: Largely forgettable ghost story. This one had flashing lights they were kind enough to warn me about, but I don’t remember much.

The Heist: Monoco, 5/5 Stars: Definitely a favorite. I love the replay value, though I do think my first cast pick was better. Still haven’t tried male MC, but I really like the female con artist I made. (Her name’s Mel.)

Hero 3.5/5 Stars: Typical comic book like action. Cliffhanger ending lost it some of my respect.

Home for the Holidays 3/5 Stars: It’s cool that the MC works for a publisher, but on the whole, the story is kind of forgettable.

It Lives in the Woods 3/5 Stars: I kind of slogged through this one.

It Lives Beneath 4/5 Stars: Actually liked this one. It pits the MC against cultists and tells a creepy ghost story at the same time.

Conclusion:

What makes something compelling to me is a solid story with characters I care about. The Elementalists has pretty high stakes for the main character. I like how it ran with the chosen one trope. Bad guys wants the MC for his own take-over-the-world scheme, but MC’s sister will fight for her tooth and nail. There are some cool themes throughout the stories, like family bonds.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime



The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



OR



Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 1:

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, Fantasy, Horror, mystery, scifi , ,

*Will contain spoilers if you haven’t read the stories*

Introduction:

I’ve been playing Choices stories for a few years at this point. Yes, I’ve spent money on diamonds. If I have time, I’ll give a summary of how I typically spend them. It’s been quite a while since I read some of the stories, so my memory of them may not be exact. Still, the impression of the stories remains.

Aside about Parents:

Fairly certain the Pixelberry people took detailed notes on how to treat parents from Disney. Let’s take a random sampling of ones I’ve read. Across the Void – parents aren’t really mentioned, assumed dead. America’s Most Eligible – parents not mentioned, assumed alive. Big Sky Country – assumed alive. Bloodbound – not mentioned. The Crown & the Flame – MC’s mother gets murdered before her eyes. A Courtesan of Rome – rare exception in that both are alive and well. Desire and Decorum – mother’s dead. The Elementalists – both parents are dead. They were murdered. Hero – mother’s around. Home for the Holidays – mother’s alive. It Lives Anthology – at least in the second book, the MC’s parents are brutally murdered. Sunkissed – dad’s dead. Wishful Thinking – mom’s dead.

Choices Stories Ratings:

Across the Void 4/5 Stars: Awesome story throughout. Classic scifi. Crappy ending.

America’s Most Eligible 3.5/5 Stars: You join the cast of a reality TV show.

America’s Most Eligible Book 2: All Stars 4/5 Stars: Better than the first. Vince is so deliciously loathable.

Big Sky Country 4/5 Stars: It might be getting an extra half star for my favorite chapter title: Not Today, Satan. Modern western and family drama. Pits a struggling ranch against big city developers.

Bloodbound 4/5 Stars: Oddly entertaining. You get caught up in the rough and tumble world of vampires. Haven’t tried book 2 yet.

The Crown & the Flame Book 1-3 4.5/5 Stars: It’s been a long time, but this is where I started. Classic sword and sorcery fantasy. I will likely replay it at some point. If I remember correctly, I dropped a lot of diamonds on this one. Should lead to fun replays.

A Courtesan of Rome 4.5/5 Stars: Full of history and family.

Desire and Decorum Books 1-2, 4/5 Stars: I’m actually not done 2 yet, but 1 was surprisingly enjoyable. I honestly thought I’d be non-plussed by regency romance.

Conclusion:

Overall, I’d say Pixelberry has some top-notch storytellers on their staff.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime



The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



OR



Audiobook Reviews 3.5/5 Stars: Blood in Tavasci Marsh by Lakota Grace

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery ,

*Will try to keep spoiler free until after ads

Narrated by Amy Otteson

Summary:

When a shady patriarch’s body shows up in the marsh, Peg gets wrapped up in a family saga.

Additional Comments:

– I noticed in the first book that the author had a tendency to leave chapters with a little comment like “if I’d have known what trouble…” I’ve never liked that technique. This book seemed to have more of that. It’s meant to make the chapter a cliffhanger so you’ll want to continue. I guess it could function like that. More often than not, it just annoys me. (I’ve definitely used the technique before. It just seems overused here.)

– 3/5 stars Narration: Second time around, I’m used to the voice now. Struck me as an odd choice in the first book.  There were less editing mistakes this round.

– 4/5 stars Side Characters: The whole Nettle clan seems very quirky. Aurora’s a sweet kid. Everybody else has some screws loose. I think that’s part of their charm.

– 3/5 stars Main Character: Peg’s still learning, but there’s only so long that excuse is gonna fly. I’ll elaborate a tad below ads.

– 3.5/5 stars Plot: Things moved forward, but did reply on some convenient mishaps to unfold a certain way.

– 3.5/5 stars Ending: Satisfying, if a bit convenient.

– I do like that not everything’s black and white, clear cut good vs. evil. It makes the messy business of being a small town cop more realistic.

Conclusion:

It’s not quite cozy mystery, but it’s clean and interesting. Still reminiscent of a Joanna Brady novel.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime



The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



OR



Spoiler Section:

– Rookie mistakes needed to keep the plot going: I know why they needed Peg’s phone to die near the end, but that seems like beyond sloppy police work. If you know you’re one of very few officers in this small town, you’d likely get it together enough to keep your phone charges. Also, not calling in backup or telling anybody where you’re going on or off books is downright stupid.

– I still find it hard to believe that everybody’s okay as one big, sort of happy family at the end. The wife. The girlfriend. The new baby. The sister/daughter. The noble brother. The baby brother.

– Peg walks the gray area well, though it’s interesting that she seems to disapprove of her predecessor, yet she breaks almost as many rules. She turns a blind eye to the marijuana patch, pays off gangsters, etc.

Choices Story Review 4.5/5 Stars: Open Heart Book 1

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories, drama , ,
I think they used this as a promo.

Genre: Medical Mystery

Summary:

You’re a hotshot intern at a hospital. Fresh out of med school, flat broke, but idealistic and determined to change the world.

Additional Comments:

  • I named my character Rachel Collins after one of the side characters in Heartfelt Cases. I kinda like naming the people in these stories after characters who fit that mode. The limited hair and faces even let me get sorta close to how I’d envisioned the characters, so score.
  • I didn’t spend as many diamonds as I did in that silly horror story (It Lives Beneath), but I enjoyed the story a lot more than I thought I would. Sometimes, I start these things and then let it languish for a while. This was not the case. I think it took me 3 days to finish the book.
  • Side Characters: Jackie (roomie, possible love interest; girl’s got a competitive streak), Landry, Elijah Green (I didn’t realize he was in a wheelchair for like 15 chs), Sienna (sweetie; okay, so I had to spend diamonds to get the girl to kick her idiot boyfriend to the curb, but it was well worth it.) Bryce (possible LI, hotshot surgeon; scalpel jockey; arrogant but lovable), Rafael (EMT), Auora Emery; Ethan Ramsey (everybody’s idol basically), Naveen, Dr. Harper Emery, Ines and Zaid (the senior residents; ones a sweetheart, the other is kinda crusty). Yikes, there were a lot of characters in this one.
  • While I did buy a lot of diamonds to unlock some scenes, I did not spring for keys, so it’s a waiting game. (Free key every 2 hrs.) Fortunately, that guarantees you have a life outside of these stories.
  • Anyway, the twists and turns to this one didn’t matter so much, but the story’s still compelling. I love where they took the character development.
  • The music fit the story but it wasn’t as compelling as some of their other themes.

Conclusion:

This little medical drama was short and sweet. I am looking forward to book 2. Highly recommended.

Side note on spending diamonds:

Most of the time, the diamond outfits are a waste. If you want the abbreviated version of the story, don’t use any diamonds. Some games are designed to make you drop a LOT of diamonds (and therefore spend a lot of money) on them. This one is fairly low in that regard. If you really need to see all the side scenes, there’s probably a youtube video of them. It’s a trade off for the company. I’m sure a lot of people are like me and watch videos instead of spending diamonds on some scenes. Then again, I’d have probably quit and therefore not spent any money on diamonds for other games, if I didn’t have that opportunity.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.


OR

Movie Reviews: 4.45/5 Stars: Stuber

Julie Gilbert comedy, Movie Reviews , , ,

*I’ll try to be spoiler free until after the ads

Summary:

An attempted takedown of a heroin dealer goes very wrong. Vic—the cop who has been after the drug dealer—gets taken off the case. The day he gets Lasik surgery to correct his vision, he gets a tip that there’s a large drop happening that evening. Since he can’t drive well, he turns to Uber to get a ride. What happens from there is one ridiculous, outlandish thing after another.

Additional Comments:

– Rated R for a reason. That reason mainly being crude language and adult content (innuendos more than anything).

– One of the funniest movies of its kind. It relies on a combination of overblown situations and comedic timing and a fantastic script. Oh sure, there are times when it’s blah-blah, touchy feely, but that’s kind of the point. The two main characters are polar opposites of each other.

– Plot twists are predictable, but intriguing nonetheless. It’s always great when a movie can pull off being predictable yet be entertaining.

Conclusion:

Pretty sure the beginning half of the script read “drop about eighty f-bombs” but aside from that, the story worked. They had to make some things quite convenient to get the plot to work, but it’s surprisingly deep for a movie vying for most ridiculous of the year.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime



The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.



OR



Spoiler Section:

– Predictable Moments: Stu and Nicole ending up together. Though I will say the ugly sweaters was a nice touch. Stu jumping in front of a bullet for Nicole. Vic ending up with the dog. Vic’s boss being evil.

– Nice touches: Stu’s got an obsession with 5 stars. That’s even his license plate. Also, at the end, there were 5 stars in the Christmas wreath. The differences between Stu and Vic are huge, but surprisingly, there’s halfway decent character development from both sides.

– Funny Moments: Stu needing to pull a K turn in about 5 moves. Stu getting relationship advice from the stripper. Calling about 12 ubers to the hot sauce factory. The shootout in the vet clinic where Stu’s fighting with cans of dog food.  Stu’s assessment of the cavalry. Stu explaining to Vic how Uber works.

Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Stars: Death in Copper Town (Pegasus Quincy Mystery Series Book 1) by Lakota Grace

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery , , , ,
Cover from Audible.com

Narrated by Amy Otteson

Summary:

You may not want to read the blurb. It kind of spells out the story. Peg Quincy’s a newbie at the law enforcement thing on temporary assignment in a small Arizona town. Soon into her assignment, a body shows up in her jurisdiction. She follows the mystery wherever it leads, but in a small town where everybody knows everybody, that means suspects aren’t strangers.

Additional Comments:

  • Main Character 4/5: Peg’s the sort of rookie you can root for. She’s not perfect, but she is determined to follow the leads to the end. She’s not exactly a gunslinger, but she’s also not afraid to defend herself and/or innocent people.
  • Side Characters 4/5: Every good mystery series has to have a cast of quirky weirdos and loveable side kicks to help the hero/heroine. From her Grandfather to the housekeeper, Peg’s got her hands full dealing with the locals.
  • Plot 3.5/5: As most of these small town, one cop type mysteries go, this one falls a tad more toward the cozy rather than thriller side.
  • Narration 3/5: It’s okay. Amy Otteson handles Peg’s voice decently, but she doesn’t have much variation when it comes to males. I think there were a few minor editing issues too. I’ve come across books with much worse edits, but a few things jumped out.
  • Content warnings: casual cursing; one adult scene (it was tastefully handled, but kind of random)
  • First person narration.
  • Reminiscent of the Joanna Brady series by J.A. Jance. Kinda hits that same mark – small town sheriff in Arizona.

Conclusion:

Relatively clean modern mystery. Characters you can cheer for.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.


OR

Choices Review: 4.5/5 Stars The Heist: Monoco

Julie Gilbert Choices Stories , ,

*Warning: Could be Spoilers

This song reminds me of the story.

Introduction:

I’ve been playing Choices stories for a while now. They’re all designed to make you spend money by spending diamonds. I generally skip a lot of the diamond outfits and extra scenes that don’t have an impact on the overall story, but sometimes, you just have to go all in.

Additional Comments:

  • The Heist: Monoco definitely has some Leverage vibes, right down to the music.
  • The cast of characters is pretty neat. It’s a double edged sword that you can’t play as all the characters at once, but that does give the game some great replay value.
  • Short who’s who: Eris is a hard-edged demo expert. Rye’s the preppy, details guy. As for the rest, first round, I chose Jones (muscle), Anton Edison (Hacker), Edison (Thief; diamonds), Fabien (driver), Miranda (Grifter; diamonds). Thankfully, they didn’t make you pay for the whole cast.
  • Music: usually great, but this is exceptional and fitting for the mood.
  • I chose to go with a female lead first round. Named her Mel, which oddly enough, fit perfectly.

Conclusion:

This might be my favorite story to date from Choices.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.


OR

Audiobook Reviews: 3/5 Stars Wanting Moore by Mary Vine

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, romance ,

Narrated by Kathleen Li

Summary:

Isabella Moore runs away from home to become a schoolteacher in Haines. She doesn’t quite make it though. A broken leg leaves her marooned just outside a mining town where she’s nursed back to health by a Civil War doctor /blacksmith who doesn’t really want to be a doctor.

Additional Comments:

  • It’s typical clean Western type romance.
  • Narration by Kathleen Li adds a nice touch.
  • There are a few harrowing moments for the heroine when she runs off and does something stupid, but nothing surprising happens. It’s the sort of story that makes you feel like you’ve heard it a dozen times before.
  • I’m not sure what to categorize the book as. It’s sort of woman vs self and man vs self. There aren’t many other points of conflict.
  • Gabriel’s wrestling match against the ghosts of his past is interesting, and I do like the internal growth Bella undergoes. Still, I was hoping for a tad more action. It starts out promising then just fizzles to nowhere. Even though it’s a romance novella, it’s the Wild West, surely there could be more action.
  • Clean, despite some awkward descriptions and phrasing about a man’s reaction to a woman.
  • There’s decent closure.

Conclusion:

It was fine. Would I try something else by this author? Sure. Would I try something else by the narrator? Yes. Will this go down as my favorite book ever? No. Will it go down as my least favorite book ever? No. Does it make me want to pick up another in the series if there is a series? Not really. Who should try it? People who like clean romance with little danger/peril to the characters.

Associate links to follow…

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.


OR