Review of The Liberation of Alice Love

The Liberation of Alice Love by Abby McDonald


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I could not put this book down. No lie.  After several duds, The Liberation of Alice Love restored my faith in reading for pleasure.

The opening paragraph was unexpectedly wonderful and had me hooked. How can you not be hooked with it starts with a vibrator?  A vibrator, people!  It seemed that the book started a little slow and bogged with mundane (at the time) details, but it soon became apparent that the buildup was necessary. The identity of the thief was a brilliant surprise.

This book did an excellent job of showing how identity theft affects a person and how much of a mess is left to clean up. Alice's heartbreak at being betrayed is written so well that you feel it too. I admit that after the first third of the book I wanted to check my bank statement and credit report.  I might have even locked my file cabinet.

Alice herself is a great character. She's perfectly flawed and engaging enough that you appreciate the way she slowly changes. Rather than let the setbacks ruin her life, she wallows for a moment then sets out to reclaim her life. She's strong but not unbelievably so.

The cast of secondary characters are all well-developed and each sparkle in their own way. The sister was my favorite with her hidden depth and her evolving relationship with Alice. I thought the romance might have been more of a focal point in the story, but it is so nicely woven into the tale that it works.

I found this to be a delightful story of a woman reclaiming her life after betrayal and theft but deciding the same old routines no longer work. Her struggles, self-doubt, and eventual resolution are immensely relatable. Who doesn't want the chance to live a more exciting life - even for one night?

Though the middle dragged slightly for a few chapters and I would have liked to see more of the romantic side of the story, I utterly loved this book and cannot wait to pass it along.

Think I was kidding about the vibrator?  I wasn't.  Here's how it starts:

"It began with a vibrator. A smooth, stainless steel, jewel-encrusted vibrator that—according to the ribbon-trimmed user manual—cost over seven hundred pounds. Even Alice, who valued her orgasms as much as the next woman, had to wonder what delirious pleasures it could possibly deliver to justify that kind of expense."


See... how can you pass that up?



Disclaimer: I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.


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Review: Forsaken by Shadow by Kait Nolan

Forsaken By Shadow by Kait Nolan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this novella. The world created and debuted in this novella is absolutely fascinating; I can't wait to learn more about the Mirus and explore Kait Nolan's playground. The characters are strong and surprisingly well-developed for a novella. Embry is both the typical strong, kick-ass PNR female, but her emotions draw you in and you feel some of her pain. My only complaint was that the transition to the flashback scene was a little jolting and I found myself scrolling forward to make sure I hadn't missed anything, but once I realized what was going on, it was easy to dive back into the story.

For wonderfully fast-paced, descriptive action, brilliant characters, and an exciting new world I highly recomment this novella to anyone wanting to dip their toes into indie books.


Looking to buy your own copy (do it!  do it!)?  Here's the link to it at Amazon and BN

Review of "Possession" by Rosalie Stanton

With all this cold weather, I haven't had the motivation to do much of anything but read. I thought I'd share another of my favorite e-books with the rest of you.


Possession by Rosalie Stanton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Don't be put off by the cliche-ish "oh the ____ turned us into sex fiends" premise. Rosalie Stanton is a master at making you forget all pre-conceived notions and fall in love with her characters. Since there is already a good synopsis, I will just tell you what I loved about this book: the characters and the amazing sex scenes. On every page you feel like you are right there with them because they are so brilliantly developed and have such clear voices. As for my other favorite? Well, you'll just have to read and enjoy. I do wish there had been a little mire action of the non-steamy kind, but that didn't detract from my love for this book at all.



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Review of "Haunt Me Still"

Haunt Me Still by Jennifer Lee Carrell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I felt I should have enjoyed it. The descriptions are wonderfully done, and you feel as if you are right there with Kate. The book is nicely written so that you feel Kate's fear and the awkwardness of her relationship with Ben. The suspense was very nice and I did not recognize the "bad guy" until the very end. All in all, it had everything a good suspense novel needs.



Except for pacing. The book moved too slow. It made gigantic leaps in action, but overall the pace was far too slow. The reader gets bogged down with information about the play, which is interesting, but it makes the entire book drag along.



I will say that I thought the historical interludes were distracting at first, but I did get over and enjoy the secondary plot they brought along to the story.



All in all, I thought was an enjoyable book, but I would have liked it more if it had held my attention for longer stretches of time. This was not a book that I "had" to finish all in one night. I could put it down easily, but I am glad I finished it.



Disclaimer: I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.



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