Ms Davis does a wonderful job of developing her characters without being in the ...
580719
Ms Davis does a wonderful job of developing her characters without being in the reader's face. They are nuanced and have depth that keeps you turning the page to find out more. Throw in an interesting mystery she weaves around an atypical subject and you have a fun read. I love it when I can pick up a novel, tune out the world and lose time page-turning. I feel like I know the main character and want to keep reading more about her. You will enjoy the Angie Deacon character and the mysteries that Cindy weaves around her.
4217484
Stephanie Bond has definitely impressed me with her writing and particularly her character development. I fall in love with her characters almost immediately, and this book was no exception. Enjoying a laugh while wondering just how the main characters would solve their work and personal dilemmas was icing on the cake. Although the title might steer non-Southerners from feeling compelled to read it, the small town flavor of this book could reflect life in any small town in America.
2625482
First, I loved that the book wasn't full of language I don't use myself. The characters were well developed, the writing fluid and clear. It wasn't difficult to see what was coming but that didn't make me want to stop reading. I needed a tissue at times but that just made the story more real. I would definitely read this author again.
1375544
Characters were sensitive and compassionate.  Both hero and heroine are overcoming tragic events from their childhood and early adulthood.  Both are having to learn to trust again in order to allow their love to grow.  It is refreshing to read a book that doesn't feel the need to include explicit sexual encounters in order for us to believe Bryce and Lilly feel a deep love for one another.  Bravo Ms. Collins!
2215383
Leah Rhyne doesn't waste any time getting to the heart of the matter in her latest book.  Heartless is a story about a young woman attending a small northeastern college who awakes to find that her life has forever changed. She has been whisked away and had shocking things done to her.  However, she confronts her situation and with the help of her friends charges headlong into the abyss that her life has become to find out what has happened to her and who has done it to her.  Perhaps there is a some retribution along the way.
Rhyne has a gift for dialogue and setting.  The characters are well developed and interplay well.  They show their youth in frustratingly delightful ways. Yet they are endearing and very likable.  Through it all the characters drive Heartless.  The setting and sense of place really bring Heartless to life.
Rhyne also has a talent for dark humor.  While the book is quite suspenseful and includes a number of nice twists, there were a few places where the scenes as painted and described by Rhyne had me chuckling as I was impatiently waiting to see how conflict was going to resolve.
Heartless is a quick read and when I finished the book, I was disappointed it was done and I had no more of it to read.  For me, if a book leaves me feeling as such I believe it a hallmark of a successful work.
I'm looking forward to seeing what more there is to come from the Heartless universe.
Fans of supernatural fiction and thrillers will definitely enjoy Heartless.
1129735
If you could smell the story inside books, you would be able to smell Gone with the Wings from across the bookstore when you walked in. And it would make you very hungry! Meeras family dynamics are centered in the kitchen, and the author does a fantastic job of setting a plate for the reader and making them one of the group.

Ive not read many cozy mysteries set in Oklahoma, so I was eager to see what Ms. Clover did with her setting. I really enjoyed that she took the time to show the reader the diverse landscape that one can find throughout Oklahoma, and how much pride the residents take in where they live. It was a very refreshing depiction!

The story itself is fast, moving quickly, but not rushed. I liked how there were several different layers going on, and when the reader thinks theyve got one figured out, something happens in another area that will upend their assumptions. A quick read, but a jam-packed one!

The best part of the book, for me, was watching how Meeras family interacts, and getting invested in their lives. Ms. Clover has deftly laid the set-up for the books to follow, and I believe it will be a series to enjoy!

I received a review copy of this work from the author
1547051
I appreciate the author's desire to get it right by doing her homework about the time and the setting for this novel.  Without becoming preachy, she does a wonderful job of showing the difficulties women faced during one of those times of conflict between tradition and change.  The characters have depth and foibles, while keeping the reader in suspense about the mystery at the heart of the plot.  Well-done!
549407
I loved that there were several strong woman characters & enjoyed the pacing and worldbuilding. the prose is direct though not too simplistic and the character development well balanced. very much looking forward to the next book
3497873
I love the way Ms. Anderson is branching out. I found her characters to be rather charming and this book was definitely a page-turner. I loved the way she built the suspense she created in her story. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.
4072329
Middle books are usually my favorite in the series because the characters are still struggling to grow and learning about their world (or other characters). With its historical focus, Shadow of Night was a bit slower to develop than usual but well worth the effort to read!

We reenter Matthew and Diana's lives just as they are starting over in Matthew's past, Elizabethan London. Harkness truly shines in this setting and you really get an incredibly developed sense of the time period. Language, clothing, food, manners and even writing style. I sympathized with Diana's struggle to master an alien world while her husband just slid back into an old life. As for historical figures, Harkness pulls in both obscure and well-known faces to delight both new and old students of history.

At its core, this book is a romance. Our heroine and hero are still faced with their greatest hurdle--the ban on species mixing--along with all new challenges. Diana's burgeoning magic, her lack of political insight and her need to be independent clashes with the male-dominated culture of the 16th century. Matthew keeps showing new sides to his personality and forgetting his 21st century development to ever-growing arguments.

Most entertaining was Matthew's father, yes, you finally get to meet the famous Phillipe. If Harkness' only reason to send the couple back in time was to bring in Phillipe than I am more than satisfied! Through this patriarch we learn so much more about vampire life, Matthew's inner demons, and the couple's future. He's not the only oft-mentioned, never-seen character that makes an appearance, but I won't spoil the fun.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the little flashes back to the present. Harkness never drew the reader completely away from Matthew and Diana's adventures, but would tap you on the shoulder, and nudge at a hint of the larger story. These vignettes were well-written enough that I would gladly read a short story compilation expanding on these new characters and experiences.

There are some emotional moments, as expected in a romantic tale, but the long arc mystery continues to build. I was more than ready for the third book, but I also did not feel rushed into a conclusion.
2828421
I always find it welcome when I come across a book where there are LGBT characters and their sexuality is simply taken for granted. There is the first reason for my enjoying The Queen's Librarian. The remaining reasons are that it is simply enjoyable reading. The story line is not complicated and the characters are detailed; frankly I would like to see more on both counts and I think Ms Cummings has the foundations to develop this novel into an engaging series. Keep this one on the stack for a rainy afternoon or lazy day.
2850939
I do enjoy Ms. Perry's novels.  The Victorian age setting brings a distinct "Dickens" flavor to her stories, both the Monk series and the Pitt series, a sure winner for me.  Her character development is wonderful -- one feels like you're understanding how each character thinks.  It is the description of each character's impact on the story line that keeps me reading with great attention.  Perry's approach to her principle character's lives is inspiring to me as it always emphasizes the Golden Rule, something I believe is noticeably absent in much of today's culture.  I hope her stories continue for many more years.
2232683
I started this book with some reservations. I knew the premise was that of a woman doing 'men's work. So I was prepared for the feminazi patrol to ruin it. I was also worried about the cross-dressing & how involved that aspect was going to be. I was wonderfully pleased with the route the author took in both these directions. The main character didn't want to do a man's job simply to take the job away from a man, instead she had a genuine calling to pursue the job. She also worried without obsessing over the necessity of her deception. As the character grew and matured, her inner conflicts were sympatico with my own feelings of her situation. The clean romance aspect of the book was also refreshing. I enjoyed the descriptions of the work as well as the period historical information. I am anxious to read the next in this series!
1202697
I need to confess that I read the entire series prior to writing this and will cover the series as a whole.
First, predictability can give you a better understanding of a persons character. Understanding what a person is going to do given a certain set of circumstances makes the direction the author is taking more believable. It didn't bother me in the least when Rema was rescued in book one. I knew it was coming, I just didn't know how. After all there were two more books in the series.
I was pleasantly surprised when our young protagonist didn't resort to some kind of contrived magical ability that so often permeates much of this genre. The world Ms. Davis creates and the style she uses drew me in completely.  I started noticing my personal involvement when I wanted to reach into the book and kill Lenneck with my bare hands. I think that took place within the first six chapters of "The Key". The same feeling lasted through the next two books of the series.
Loved the series...I guess that makes me a young adult at the age of 63.
3043200
Ms. Laurie's books are well-written. The characters are well-drawn and engaging. In this story, the locale adds a dimension and it is always great to see characters develop. I've enjoyed all the previous books and am looking forward to more as M.J., Gilley, Heath and Doc continue their adventures. Doc, as anyone who has a bird knows, is an important character too. Keep up the good work, Ms. Laurie!
879785
Each time I read one of Celeste Ruperts books, I get the sense shes really starting to grow and develop as a writer. With Holding Court it seems like shes really come to embrace her role as a writer of erotica and is more willing to take a few chances than she was when she first wrote Outlaw Rose.

In Holding Court, Celeste Rupert adds a more romantic twist to her story than her previous books featured. From the very first page its obvious that the couple is very much in love with one another, though each is a little unsure of the other. The characters have remarkable chemistry and feel very authentic. Id love to learn that Rupert has plans to write a prequel to Holding Court that explains how the pair met and established a relationship. Something tells me the early days would have been fraught with romantic tension.

It does take a little while for Holding Courts plot to be revealed, but once it is, the author did a very good job of keeping things interesting and was able to pen a conclusion that is both satisfactory and allowed both characters to develop.
The only complaint I had with Holding Court is that I missed some of the heavy Western culture/lifestyle that has been prominent in Ruperts earlier stories.

Holding Court is a quick, light read.
4391016
The characters were well developed. I was glad to be able to read the series without having to wait for the next book.