BOOK REVIEW - TUESDAY FLIRTATIONS - The Dangers of Adopting a Werewolf [Changeling Encounters #2]

I'm sure a lot of us download free romance novels to read because there are SO very many of them out there. And then the little guys breed like rabbits in our eReaders. Why don't we share our reviews/impressions so we can find the best ones to read?

Rules:
1. Read a free romance book (this was started for legally free eBooks, but you can count anything gifted, borrowed, ARC, etc!)
2. Review it on your blog. If you can and it's still available, share the link to the free book.
3. Link back here by using the code below.
4. Leave your link to the specific blog post (NOT your main site) in a comment on the recent week's TF post or via the linky.
5. Delight in reading reviews by real people who's likes/dislikes you can compare to and thus find a romance you most likely will enjoy :D

<a href="http://beyondthebackcover.blogspot.com/2015/07/tuesday-flirtations-introductory-post.html"><img src="http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y333/hazelmbear/meme_tues%20flirtations%2006a%20final%20text_zpsrftsfabp.png"> </a>

Author: J. S. Scott - http://www.authorjsscott.com

Format: Kindle ebook. Free at the time on amazon 

Did it feel like a full novel: nope

Cliffhanger: no

Genre: romance, shifter

Dates Read: May 9, 2016

Official Blurb: Illustrator Zoey Hall had moved out of the city to recover from the last year and a half of losses and traumatic events in her life. All she wanted was a

little peace and to recover from her losses. When she finds a puppy in the

woods and rescues it, any peace and serenity she was looking for is shattered. The pup is a wolf changeling, she is his mate and her life is

about to drastically change.

When Rafe Lancaster shifts into a wolf pup to avoid overzealous hunters, he doesn’t expect his savior to be the woman that is destined to be his mate. However, now that he’s found her…he isn’t letting her go and he’ll do anything to keep her by his side…forever.

One Sentence: Too short and unrealistic on almost every angle.

Full Review: Quick stories are good, but this was much too rushed and too perfect (he's super rich and all) for the ending. Rafe establishes himself as a werewolf and then they both feel the urge to have sex. Then she starts to regret their sudden actions but he tells her he won't leave her and just kinda doesn't take no for an answer again. Major dislike for both of them. The sex was also a bit stale, alas.

Rating: 1 star

BOOK REVIEW - Harder: A military stepbrother romance

Author: Sable Dare

Format: Kindle ebook, received copy from author for an honest review. Amazon link.

Did it feel like a full novel: yes

Cliffhanger: no

Genre: romance

Dates Read: Mar 22 - Apr 5, 2016

Official Blurb: Nothing can get under his skin. Except for me. 

Jackson Cooper used to be a tough kid. Now he's a hard man - gorgeous, sculpted by his Army service and hungry for me. 

He's also my fucking stepbrother. And I can't keep my hands off of him. 

He's everything I ever wanted. And everything I can never have. 

Not only am I engaged to marry the biggest prick in the world, the guy has me in a stranglehold. Not even Jackson's iron fists can solve this little fucking problem I created for myself. There's no running from the thugs who own this boondocks town. 

But it's my fuck-up, so I'll deal with it, right? Wrong. My captor doesn't just want my hand, he wants everything. And I'm going to have to give it all up. Including Jackson. 

Why did he have to come back? It would have been so much easier without him here. 

Now things are fucked up as hell. 

And I can't help but want them to be even harder. 

One Sentence: I expected more, but there's a lot of solid story here though at times you can't fully sympathize with the heroine

Full Review: OK, well first off, the main reason I would gravitate towards something that's titled "stepbrother romance" is because I'm in the mood for a little forbidden fruit. When you find out these two will be related as step-siblings at this point as adults, not previously at all, it kinda deflates that aspect. 

So then it feels just like a romance where the heroine has to hide her true feelings because she's being coerced into a different relationship. Which, as it is, is a solidly written book in that manner. Jackson was really enjoyable, being a tough guy with deep passions. You really get into his head with Dare's writing, and you like him for it. Jessica kind of wandered back and forth between like and dislike, but mainly it was because I felt she needed to fess up to SOMEBODY about what was going on rather than keep it hidden for so long AND yet being pissed at others for not giving her a break at the same time.  And then at the end when she really feels she needs help, guess what, it's almost too late. 

As a romance, you generally know where it's going to go as the situation opens up, but I felt that the little details were original enough to really hook me in. The writing is overall pretty good, it's just the beginning where you can get a little lost for a lack of a few information-giving sentences. But otherwise, the voices of Jackson and Jessica are decently distinct, and you do get a feel for who they are pretty early on. 

Rating: 3 stars

BOOK REVIEW - Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline http://www.ernestcline.com
Format: Kindle ebook, purchased on Amazon
Did it feel like a full novel: oh yes!
Cliffhanger: nope
Genre: sci fi
Dates Read: Mar 3-11, 2016
Official Blurb: In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. 
But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

One Sentence: Spectacular adventure with so much 80s stuff that you don't know where to look!

Full Review: Had been wanting to read this book for a while, and was delighted we chose it for out book club's March selection. Rushed through it because it was too hard to put down! Happy to hear that two other members felt the same, heh heh.

So it's a good book in the feel of the hero having a quest to complete, with a lovely sci fi feel for not too far off in the future. The internet/operating system Oasis just felt incredible and I really I live long enough to experience something so awesome! There was enough information about the real world to understand why people acted certain ways, but it wasn't superbly in depth. Didn't really need to be though, considering how much of the book actually deals with events in the Oasis vs the real world.

Our hero, Parzival, is likable while having flaws, feeling like just an average guy that we'd like to be, in a way. At least that's how I felt. Or be his buddy. I can only imagine the nerdy conversations we could have! 

And let's not forget all the lovely 80's bits EVERYWHERE. Some were part of the plot directly, and got explanations. Others were just thrown in, such as a quote or just a quick mention of something. We had a lot of fun discussing our favorites at our book club meeting, especially how ones that one person 'got' were not always the ones others did. I am still curious if there was a slight 70s reference to M*A*S*H, wherein Parzival goes under the pseudonym Tuttle. It might have been just coincidence, I'm not 100% sure. 

Anyways, this book is great as sci fi, also as a journey kind of novel, and an enjoyable 80s tribute. Highly recommended to almost everybody :D

Rating: 5 stars

Semi-Returning for unofficial hiatus

Well folks, it seems I totally did take a long unplanned break. I think I just felt a little too busy to comfortably read as many books as I had been previously, then the pressure made me want to hide away. Have gotten back to reading again a bit, and I hope very much to continue doing reviews, though they may be twice a month instead of weekly. Seeing where I'll feel fine to keep them regular.

BOOK BLITZ - New Blue

New Blue by Jules Barnard Publication Date: March 28, 2016 Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

The survivor of a high school sabotage that made her flee her hometown at sixteen, Hayden Tate is no stranger to bullying. Now she has returned to Lake Tahoe to take on her dream job with a degree and a backbone. But her newfound strength is pushed to the limit as she fights to hold her own against the old boys club of Blue Casino. Adam Cade is the prince of Lake Tahoe, born into one of the wealthiest families in the area. He’s used to doing what he wants when he wants. So when his powerful father threatens to cut him off without a dime unless he uses his Ivy League degree for a job his father got him at Blue Casino, Adam capitulates. Hayden, the head of HR, hates Adam on the spot, finding every way possible to put him in his place—and suddenly the lackey job his father found him gets interesting. Adam’s life of leisure lacks substance, and even though he’s not willing to give it up, he wouldn’t mind the distraction Hayden presents. But when the casino’s sinister inner workings begin to reveal themselves and Adam is caught between the powerful executives he works for and the lovely Hayden, his loyalties are divided. Blue Casino offers Adam a lucrative career where he wouldn’t need his father’s money for the lifestyle he’s accustomed to, but at what cost? Hayden’s silly side shines through when Adam least expects it, charming his jaded heart, and forcing him to face a morality he never knew he had. For the first time in Adam’s life he finds himself yearning for something real, but will he risk losing everything to have it?

About Jules Barnard

Before turning to storytelling, Jules earned a master’s degree in public health and spent many an hour running statistical analysis–until she realized her favorite part of the job was writing reports. She decided to cut out the math and add in some hot guys, and so began her career as a novelist. Jules is a Northern California native living on the coast with her husband and two children. She has no impulse control around cupcakes and credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

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BOOK REVIEW - Water for Elephants

Author: Sara Gruen 
Format: Kindle eBook, purchased on amazon
Did it feel like a full novel: yes
Cliffhanger: no 
Genre: historical, romance, movie
Dates Read: Feb 24-Mar 3, 2016
Official Blurb: Orphaned, penniless, Jacob Jankowski jumps a freight train in the dark, and in that instant, transforms his future.

By morning, he's landed a job with the Flying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. By nightfall, he's in love.

In an America made colourless by prohibition and the Depression, the circus is a refuge of sequins and sensuality. But behind the glamour lies a darker world, where both animals and men are dispensable. Where falling in love is the most dangerous act of all..
One Sentence: Felt transported to behind the scenes at this circus during the Depression

Full Review: I haven’t watched the film, and all I really know about it is that Robert Pattinson is in it. I didn’t have much interest because it looked like a star-crossed lovers romance somehow, and I didn’t know there was more plot to it. However, after reading the book, I certainly want to give the film a try!

I was very easily hooked into the character of Jacob, feeling his frustrations as he recalls things in present day, having an annoying number of problems in his nursing home. You feel for him, but you don’t really pity him. His voice felt believable to me. The other half of the book’s action takes place in the past, when he was young and joined the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show. It’s really cool, making me want to watch Carnivale and other stuff like that (recently got through American Horror Story: Freakshow). No, nothing reminiscent of Freaks (1932), rather more the drama just from workers and performers and animals all jumbled up together, being on a tight schedule. But I still liked reading from Jacob’s perspective and enjoyed his younger self. I was reading the book eagerly and enjoying every word.... up until The Romance.

It felt like it was added because it needed to be part of the story, but I could not believe, throughout the whole thing, that these two characters really loved each other. I mean, I was told they did, and I could see little things, but it felt much to quick even by romance novel instalove standards. Maybe it was also because Marlena felt kinda one dimensional? Well, not that much, but more so than Camel or Walter for sure. Even August was somebody, not just a cardboard puppet. 

But thankfully there wasn’t all that much time wasted on the romance, there was rather a bit more! The traveling situation, the interactions of persons (I was curious about more rube/carniefolk interactions but eh well), the animals like Rosie and Bobo. Now all that I could easily get myself easily lost in the book again. 

I am curious about Gruen's other works, but it might take me a while to pick one up, just because I don’t want another lackluster romance. Possibly it just felt that way because when you compare their relationship to a full romance novel, it’s a bit skimpy in comparison perhaps? I don’t know, but either way, it really didn’t detract too much, it was just not as enjoyable as the rest of the book. 

Rating: 4 stars

BOOK REVIEW - The Scarlet Pimpernel

Author: Baroness Emma Orczy

Format: Kindle ebook, free on amazon

Did it feel like a full novel: yes, though a short one

Cliffhanger: no

Genre: classic, vigilante adventure with a tinge of romance

Dates Read: Jan 5-25, 2016

Official Blurb: Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.

One Sentence: Amusing read that took a while to get action-y, and made me eager to read the others in the series

Full Review: Read this for our book club, and glad it was picked. The style was easy enough to deal with, especially for a classic. There were parts where you could hear the author, reminiscent of the way Alexandre Dumas, where you can see which characters they like or don’t like. I enjoyed reading the first ‘heroic secret vigilante’ novel, and it’s fun to see what tropes have changed and which have stayed the same. Maurgerite was the main character, and I enjoyed her despite not liking her. 

To explain, I liked that she managed herself and had her own opinions on life. But I was not a fan of how at the very end, she just stopped DOING things, now becoming a passive ‘damsel in distress' who needed to be saved. Mostly it jarred me from the story because it was such a break from earlier. She'd made her life her way, and really got stuff done when it came to the second half. Compared to modern story females, she wasn't all that proactive, but if you compare her to those of a similar writing period (such as the main character of "The Yellow Wallpaper") there is a noted difference. But then at the end she faints and just lays there and cries. Disappointing!

To go back to the author’s writing, I think I best loved how she seemed to often go “Percy was built like a perfect Hercules/Adonis, but dumber than a bag of rocks. Still cute though.” It made me think of many of us writers when we start out. We love our characters, and want them to be loved despite their flaws by others. 

Marguerite was the mainly fleshed out character, though her husband and her nemesis have their moments, I wouldn’t say this is all that character-driven of a plot. Yet I wouldn’t say it was action-driven either. I think that’s why I feel I want to read the others of this series, being that I want more than just a taste of this world and this heroic story. 

It was cool that after a point, you know who the Scarlet Pimpernel is, but the book tries to keep it secret for you by not pointing it out itself. Makes me think of how the first 20 minutes of Terminator 2 are filmed (where you don't know Arnold is the good guy), yet the trailer gave it away anyway. Well, maybe not like that, but it still reminds me of it, heh.

Rating: 4 stars