Sunday Shout Out!! (1)

Check Out the May 6th Sunday Shout HERE!

I'm introducing a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.

I know a lot of times people don't have time to read reviews, so this is a way for readers to stop by and see a lot of books and news at a glance, and that way the publishers and authors can get even more publicity for their books!

I would also LOVE to see what books YOU would like to give a shout out to! Did you receive any review books this week? Win any contests? Maybe you spotted a new indie book at your local bookstore that you wanted to raise awareness about. If you'd like to link up to YOUR Sunday Shout Out, please leave your link in the comments, link back to this post, and I'll stop by and say hi!

Books for Review

"Summoning the Night" by Jenn Bennett

I've heard a lot of great things about the first book in the Arcadia Bell series!

"Deadly Descendant" by Jenna Black

What a cover! Love the colors!

"A Love Forbidden" by Kathleen Morgan

I'm so intrigued by this story and time period.

 "The Messenger" by Siri Mitchell

One of my favorite inspirational writers. This looks a bit different for her, but I can't wait to try it.

"The Pursuit of  Lucy Banning" by Olivia Newport

This little image doesn't do this GORGEOUS cover justice. It is one of the prettiest covers I've seen for a long time!! Not that I'm judging a book by its cover :)

Gotta Have It

Now for the book I just found this week, that I must have now!!!

"The Sweet Life" by Sam Talbot

My all-time favorite chef from Bravo's "Top Chef", Sam Talbot, has a new cookbook out. The book is geared towards a special diet for those with diabetes, but since I'm trying really hard to eat healthy, I think these recipes would work for me, too!

Book News

The real star of the Oscar-winning movie, "The Artist", Uggie the dog, has just signed (pawed) a book deal! The book will be titled "Uggie: My Story" and will be released by Simon & Schuster in October. I will be first in line for this one!!

See original article on The Huffington Post!

Photo: LA Times

Photo: MySA

Now it's YOUR turn! Do you have any books, authors, or blogs that you would like to give a Shout Out to? If you make your own post, please link back to this post, and leave your link in the comments section this weekend so I can check it out, and so that other readers can stop by too!!

Free Ebooks for Kindle and Nook! April 28

Hi everyone! 

The following ebooks are available for free right now for both Kindle and Nook!


Hurry and grab them while they're free!

"The Stolen Crown" by Susan Higginbotham
 

Kindle
Nook

"Lady of High Regard" by Tracie Peterson

Kindle
Nook

"Pyxis: The Discovery" by K.C. Neal

Kindle
(not avail. for Nook)

TGIF April 27

Happy Friday, everyone! 

I haven't participated in TGIF for a long time.

Hopefully I'll be able to find some new blogs to read!

If it's your first time here, please leave a comment and I'll come check out your blog too!

TGIF Answer: When I get in a reading slump, I try to read a book outside of my regular genres. Usually it's so different, I snap out of my slump.

While you're here, why not enter to win "The Immortal Rules" by Julie Kagawa!?

Waiting on Wednesday (110)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"Unspoken"

by Sarah Rees Brennan
Random House
Release Date: Sep 11, 2012

The following description is from goodreads.com:

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

This sounds so sweet! And the cover really draws me in.

What are you waiting for this week???

"The Saint Who Stole My Heart" Review

"The Saint Who Stole My Heart"
by Stefanie Sloane

Publisher: Random House
Release Date: April 24, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Desire, danger, intrigue, and steamy seduction unite a sexy spymaster and an intrepid bluestocking as Stefanie Sloane’s luscious new series continues.

Possessed of a brilliant mind and a love for puzzles, Dashiell Matthews, Viscount Carrington, is a crucial member of the elite Young Corinthians spy league. Assuming the façade of an addle-brained Adonis, he hunts for a notorious London murderer known as the Bishop. When fate causes him to cross paths with Miss Elena Barnes, Dash discovers an enigma that will prove delightfully intoxicating to unravel: a voluptuous beauty as intelligent as she is fearless.

Only the lure of a collection of rare books bequeathed to her family by Dash’s late father could tempt Elena from her cozy rural life to the crush and vanity of London. But if Elena finds his lordship to be the most impossibly beautiful man she’s ever seen, he also seems to be the stupidest. Which made her body’s shameless response to his masterful seduction all the more unfathomable. Yet when she discovers Dash’s mission to track the dangerous Bishop, she willingly risks everything—her trust, her heart, her very life—to join him.

My Review:

This was my first book by this author, and it definitely won't be my last. Sloane's writing style is full of witty, Regency era banter that is so much fun to read. It's an intelligent humor that you only see in certain regency romances, I'd compare her style to such authors as Eloisa James and Julia Quinn.

The romance in the book was a bit of a double-edged sword for me. On one hand, when there were scenes between the couple where they admitted how they feel, they were so very romantic and in the old fashioned, all consuming way that I love. On the other hand, sometimes I felt like I couldn't really follow their love story. They seemed to jump into the physical too quickly, and also seemed to jump into admitting all these feelings for each other that I hadn't really seen develop.

The strong point of this book is definitely witty repartee between all the characters. Lady Mowbray is a fantastic chaperone, who really knows her job of throwing the two leads together at all costs. I really enjoyed Dash's facade of being a not-too-bright pretty boy when really he is hiding his superior, spy-worthy intelligence. I wanted to see more of this ruse played out because it was quite entertaining. Dash also had a lot of comedic moments with his roguish partner in crime, Nicholas. I'm looking forward to seeing more from these two and the rest of the friends in future books.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: Fans of witty, intelligent regencies with heart will flock to this author's books.
 

"The Wolf Who Loved Me" Review

"The Wolf Who Loved Me"
by Lydia Dare

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: Apr 3, 2012 (paperback)

Source: ARC sent by publisher

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

A new sexy Regency paranormal trilogy by bestselling author Lydia Dare features hunky werewolves who need to learn how to behave in polite society. Can this pack of 'gentlemen' be trained in the ways of the ton, or is it too late to teach an old Lycan new tricks?
Lady Madeline Hayburn is called upon to lend her respectability and introduce the Hadley brothers to society. Mr. Weston Hadley admires her from afar, yet his very presence draws her in...

My Review:

Have I mentioned that I love Lydia Dare's books? Each new book is even better than the last. I love how even though this is a 'new series' for them, really all of the books by the authors are interconnected with the same characters.

I must admit that I've been looking forward to Weston's story for a long time, and this book really met and exceeded any unrealistic expectations that I might have had. Weston is one of the twin 'pups' that we've read about previously in the series. He and his twin, Grey, get into all sorts of misadventures, and they always seemed so adorably young. Weston has the unfortunate addition of a vampire-induced scar on his face which will forever differentiate him from his twin. I loved that the authors kept Weston's character young yet still allowed him to mature and grow. It's not terribly often that we get to see a young romance hero, and it works so well here. Weston lives up to his reputation of 'pup', he's just as sweet and loyal as a puppy.

Maddie is so spoiled, but she really means well, so it works well for this story. She's the daughter of a Duke who is getting used what she would have to give up in order to marry a "Mr." instead of a peer. When Maddie worries when her next bath and clean change of clothes will be, it really comes across more as humorous rather than annoying or spoiled.

As I mentioned before, I love that we get to see many of the characters from past books here. They are such great supporting characters, and I hope we get to see Wes and Maddie in future installments.

This book has some elements of the paranormal, Wes is a werewolf after all, but it's not overwhelming. I like that there is a taste of the fantasy world, but mostly this is a very sweet romance with great characters.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5 (I love this style SO much more than the previous books)
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Possibly my favorite of Lydia Dare's books, with a fantastic werewolf hero.
 

In My Mailbox (109)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a way for everyone to show their new books for the week, including those bought, swapped, won, or received for review.

for review:

"The Saint Who Stole My Heart" by Stefanie Sloane

I'm reading this now, and it's great!

"The Lean" by Kathy Freston

What did you receive in your mailbox this week???


While you're here, why not enter my newest contest!?

Win "The Immortal Rules" by Julie Kagawa Ends 5/1

"The Secret Me Book" Review

"The Secret Me Book"
by Rachel Kempster and Meg Leder

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: April 1, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Discover what makes you, you...

What makes you tick and hum?
What quirks and habits are yours and yours alone?
who do you wish you could be?
who are you now?

The answers make up your "secret me," your soul's fingerprint.

Packed with creative and quirky prompts, ideas, and activities, The Secret Me Book gives you an inspiring way to get to know this core part of you.

Scribble thoughts, make lists, paste pictures, and doodle—all tapping into the real you.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Is there a movie that defines you?
What's your secret talent?

Here's your secret me book—it's time to celebrate what you're made of.

My Review:

What a great little book. This was much more than I expected it to be. I thought it would be one of those diary types of books we filled out in junior high with our favorite colors and flavors of ice cream. But this book is deep! If you really take the time to do the exercises, you can learn a lot about yourself.

The book encourages you to scribble on all of the pages as much or as little as you like. The authors also encourage you to skip pages if you aren't interested, or come back later. Some pages and exercises will have more meaning than others, on an individual basis.

The lack of 'rules' is very freeing, which I think is the concept of the book. Free to be yourself, no one's looking so just let it all out! And in doing so, you'll learn things you never knew about yourself.



Bottom Line: Lots of fun, and much deeper than I thought it would be. A great way to discover more about yourself.
 

Giveaway and Review: "The Immortal Rules"

"The Immortal Rules"
by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 24, 2012

Source: ARC sent by publisher

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
 

Summary from goodreads.com:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review:

After having really enjoyed the author's Iron Fey books, I couldn't help but be disappointed in "The Immortal Rules." I felt like the Iron Fey books were truly original, with a story like nothing I had read before. With "The Immortal Rules", I felt like I had read this story many times before. Yes, the combination of dystopian with vampire novel is something new, but the dystopian aspects (especially at the beginning) were identical to dystopians that I have read or seen in movie/television form. The same with the vampire facets, nothing felt new here to me.

I know that many, many other readers truly loved this novel, so I know that I'm in the minority. The book just felt reminiscent of other stories, and was also a bit too dark for me personally. I didn't really connect with the heroine, she was a little too hardened and world-weary for me, even in the beginning before she turns into a monster.

I did enjoy the romance in this story because it was one thing that felt a little new, and I really liked Zeke's character. Some people had mentioned that there is not very much romance, but I felt differently. Yes, it does take half the book before we even meet Zeke, which is a little disappointing, but after Zeke and Allison meet, they are together for much of the rest of the book. Just because there aren't a lot of kissing scenes, didn't mean that their story wasn't romantic, in my opinion. I thought the things they did for each other were very romantic, even if not in the traditional lovey-dovey way.


Main Characters: 3/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line:  I'm partial to the author's Iron Fey series, because it's so original. But the writing here is still great, even if I felt like I had read this story before.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

The publisher and publicist have generously provided a finished hardback copy for readers of my blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address! Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy

Extra Entries:
+1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
+1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)
+1 Like Julie on Facebook
+1 Follow Julie on Twitter: @Jkagawa
+1 Follow Julie on her blog
+1 Follow Harlequin Teen on Facebook
Follow Harlequin on Twitter

Rules:

• US and Canada only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Books will be mailed out by the publicist, it is the publicist's responsibility to mail out the prizes. Please allow up to 8 weeks for delivery.
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Tues May 1

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!  

If you think this book sounds good, here are some reviews of other books that I've read by this author:

"The Iron Knight" Review 

"Farm Fresh Southern Cooking" Review

"Farm Fresh Southern Cooking"
by Tammy Algood

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: April 17, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Is there anything better than a kitchen countertop spread with the spoils of a Saturday morning at the farmers' market? Every trip yields some new assortment of old favorites and newfound treasures. One week, you're tempted by the sun-warmed heirloom tomatoes and the Mason jars brimming with orange blossom honey. Another week, it's the slabs of milky Havarti cheese and the Red Haven peaches heavy with juice, enticing you to spend just a little more than you planned. Kentucky pole beans, silky ears of sweet corn, and sacks of stone-ground buckwheat flour may find their way into your basket on another visit.



Whether you shop with a list or purely on impulse, you'll always find the truest taste of home at the local farms, roadside stands, and produce markets in your community. These are the places that offer up the native flavors of the South and all its seasons. They are your portal to the fields, the waters, and the vines where your food is cultivated. Get to know the origins of what you eat and the people who produce it. Tammy Algood's Farm Fresh Southern Cooking celebrates this experience with delicious recipes that will enhance the natural flavors of your latest market haul and stories of the South's most dedicated growers and culinary producers.

My Review:

This is a beautiful cookbook with so many new recipes to try, along with inspiring stories of locally owned farms around the southern states. The book cover and pages have a rustic look and feel, with a matte finish instead of glossy pages. It makes the book have more of a homespun feeling, even though sometimes the gorgeous photos do lose some of their luster.

My favorite thing about the cookbook was reading about all the locally owned farms and farmers markets that the author likes to visit. I'm glad there are web links too, because I really want to visit all of these places! It also encouraged me to seek out working farms near me where I can buy produce locally.

Since I love vegetarian dishes, I was excited to see so very many side dishes prepared with seasonal veggies. Some are snacks for sure, like the Fresh Peach Salsa that I can't wait to try. Others, like the casseroles, I feel could be served as the main dish for almost-vegetarians like me. There's a huge variety of different produce used in new ways I hadn't seen before.



Bottom Line: Overall, a wonderful addition to your cookbook collection, with varied and new recipes to try with locally available food.

I'm linking up to Weekend Cooking over at Beth Fish Reads! 

 

Waiting on Wednesday (109)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"The Time-Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette"

by Bianca Turetsky
Poppy

Release Date: Sep 12, 2012

The following description is from goodreads.com:

What if a beautiful dress could take you back in time?

Louise Lambert's best friend's thirteenth birthday party is fast approaching, so of course the most important question on her mind is, "What am I going to wear?!" Slipping on an exquisite robin's egg blue gown during another visit to the mysterious Traveling Fashionista Vintage Sale, Louise finds herself back in time once again, swept up in the glory of palace life, fancy parties, and enormous hair as a member of the court of France's most infamous queen, Marie Antoinette.

But between cute commoner boys and glamorous trips to Paris, life in the palace isn't all cake and couture. Can Louise keep her cool-and her head!-as she races against the clock to get home?

Could this cover be any more beautiful? I love it, and I love the whole idea of fashion in a different era.

What are you waiting for this week???

"The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" Review

"The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels"
by Ree Drummond
 
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: Feb 14, 2012 (paperback)

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Fans of Drummond's blog and cookbook will eat up this breathless blow-by-blow chronicle of falling in love with Marlboro Man, a.k.a. her husband, and adapting to life on his ranch . . . Generous dollops of self-deprecating humor contribute a welcome tang."--"People."

My Review:

My grandmother warned me not to read this one, and let that be a lesson to always listen to your grandma!

This book was just not something I'm interested in reading at all. I thought it was going to be a romance book based on the author's own true story. But instead of a romance-style story, the writing is entirely stream of consciousness, there is no plot or structure whatsoever.


There is too much brand name dropping and description of clothing, and what exactly are spiked boots, does anyone know? The whole feel and tone of the book is just very shallow.


Main Characters: 1/5
Supporting Characters: 2/5
Setting: 2/5
Romance: 1/5
Uniqueness: 1/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 2/5


Bottom Line: Overall, not something I can recommend to fellow readers.
 

Free Ebook for Kindle and Nook! April 15

Hi everyone! 

This ebook is available for free right now for both Kindle and Nook!

This one is set on the Titanic.

Hurry and grab it while it's free!

"Promise Me This" by Cathy Gohlke

Kindle
Nook

In My Mailbox (108)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a way for everyone to show their new books for the week, including those bought, swapped, won, or received for review.

for review:

"Wentworth Hall" by Abby Grahame

I only got one book, but that book is so awesome! I'm really excited to review this one!

What did you receive in your mailbox this week???

Waiting on Wednesday (108)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"Riveted"

by Meljean Brook
Berkley
Release Date: Sep 4, 2012

The following description is from goodreads.com:

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland’s inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magical—and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom.

Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on an airship, searching for her sister and longing to return home. But that home is threatened when scientific expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard, looking to expose Annika’s secrets. Then disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, with their very survival depending on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam

What are you waiting for this week???

Giveaway and Review: "How to Ravish a Rake"

"How to Ravish a Rake"
by Vicky Dreiling

Publisher: Forever
Release Date: March 27, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
 

Summary from goodreads.com:

Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can't, she'll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security-if little else. What she doesn't count on is the inappropriate-and irresistible-attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will "The Devil" Darcett . . .

When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton's shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn't simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he's mended his wicked ways . . .

My Review:

I've been hoping for one of the author's books to live up to her debut, but it hasn't happened yet. This book was okay, but it just wasn't on that fantastic level of her first book. There were aspects that I did enjoy about this story, but I think the focus on the bedroom scenes and the silliness of their wager left a bad taste for me.

I've loved the characters of Amy and Georgette since the first book in the series, so maybe I was hoping for more in "their story" (Amy gets to be the lead, while Georgette has a small supporting love story). However, I do still love Amy and how she grows out of her awkward wallflower role into a Regency fashionista.

I also enjoyed Will's growth from the bad boy into a sweet, caring husband. I liked that the sweetness was always there, it wasn't a 360 degree change in his character. The bad boy image turned out just to be a facade to keep people out of his life.

Where the story hit roadblocks for me was that there was just so much focus on the bedroom. There were some scenes with an overall eww factor and it just seemed to take over the sweet story. Also, the wager the couple made between each other was just silly to me, and then the REAL conflict of the story wasn't even fleshed out or resolved until the very end of the book.

Main Characters: 4/5 
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line:  This book was nice, but it could have been a lot better with some tweaking.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Hachette books has generously provided three copies of this historical romance for readers of my blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address! Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy

Extra Entries:
+1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
+1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US and Canada only
• No PO Boxes please
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Books will be mailed out by Hachette, it is the publisher's responsibility to mail out the prizes. Please allow up to 8 weeks for delivery.
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Mon April 16

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!  

If you think this book sounds good, here are some reviews of other books that I've read by this author:

"How to Marry a Duke" Review (my favorite by the author)

"How to Seduce a Scoundrel" Review

"Under the Same Sky" Review

"Under the Same Sky"
by Genevieve Graham
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Release Date: Jan 3, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

The year is 1746. A young woman from South Carolina and a Scottish Highlander share an intimacy and devotion beyond their understanding. They have had visions of each other their entire lives. And yet they have never met.
Now, with their lives torn asunder, Maggie Johnson and Andrew MacDonnell's quest to find each other is guided only by their dreams—and by the belief in the true love they share.

On the Carolina frontier Maggie Johnson’s family struggles to survive. Maggie’s gift of “the sight” and her visions show her a presence she calls Wolf. She watches him grow from a boy her age to a man even as she goes from child to woman.

Andrew MacDonald has always wondered about the girl he sees in his dreams. He is able to talk to her through their thoughts and vows that even if he must cross an ocean he will find her. They are thrust into different situations: Andrew fights for the doomed Jacobite cause and Maggie is captured by slavers, then rescued and brought into a kind, loving Native American tribe. They each believe in destiny and the power of the love they have shared forever.

My Review:

The love story in this book was written in that all consuming true love style that I love so much. Yes, there were parts of the book that I personally didn't enjoy because they were too gritty and violent. But I am happy that I kept on truckin' through those parts because the love story really was fantastic.

In order to really get into the love story, you have to be willing to have an open mind. This pair has seen each other in visions and dreams for their whole lives but they have never met. I think it's very interesting that Andrew never wavers in his devotion to Maggie, even though he's never met her. Maggie does have a flirtation with one of the members of the Native American tribe that she lives with. Of course, he is so sweet, and who can blame her for being unsure about Andrew, so this worked in the story for me.

My favorite part of the book is the time that Maggie spends with the Native American tribe. All of the people are so kind and teach her to heal her wounds with love and support.

I do want to warn readers that the violence in this book is very unpleasant, and I didn't care for it. But I am very glad that I read the rest book instead of letting that scare me away.



Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: An all-encompassing love story that transcends time and space.
 

In My Mailbox (107)

Happy Easter, everyone!!

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a way for everyone to show their new books for the week, including those bought, swapped, won, or received for review.

for review:

"Medusa the Mean" Goddess Girls #8 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Yay Goddess Girls!!

"Sound of the Heart" by Genevieve Graham

What did you receive in your mailbox this week???

Free Ebooks for Kindle and Nook! April 1

Hi everyone! 

Here are two ebooks available for free right now for both Kindle and Nook! Hurry and grab them while they're free!

"Paper Roses" by Amanda Cabot

Kindle
Nook

"A Heart Divided" by Kathleen Morgan

Kindle
Nook