Book Review: Lover Unbound by J.R Ward

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father’s war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn’t choose takes him into a future that cannot include her..

This book was amazing in a lot of ways. Who would have thought I would go ga-ga over a bisexual, seriously dominant, kinda scary guy like Vishous? Well I fell, flat on my face. This guy is amazing. He is extremely attractive, imagine big, tall, ice blue eyes, black hair (I’m a sucker for blue eyes and black hair), and extremely intelligent also.

The way that JR Ward wrote this book did it. She put so much love and effort into telling this man’s story that you couldn’t help but love him. I love his selfless love for Butch. I love how he looked at Jane and saw his soulmate. I love that he fights for the Brothers and helps them out in manifold ways.

Also I cry for the torture and abuse he suffered at the hands of his so-called father. And what amounts to neglect from his mother. And then she wants him to step up as Primale and leave behind all that he loves…. Man. And not to mention having to give up Butch but always be there for him.

This book really ripped away at my heart. I couldn’t put it down.

I really liked Jane. She was very down to earth and likable. But tough at the same time. Most people would have flipped out when they were exposed to a world that was so different from what they knew. She took it like a champ. And she never even blinked at the fact that Vishous was in love with another man and was seriously into bondage and stuff. She accepted him for who he was. Jane fits into the Brotherhood’s life like a long-lost puzzle. She is the half to Vishous’ whole that he was missing. She doesn’t replace Butch but she still gives Vishous the love and acceptance he deserved for so long.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Harriette Wilson’s Memoirs by Lesley Blanch


Nineteenth century London produced a fine flowering of eccentrics and individualists. Chief among them was Harriette Wilson, whose patrons included most of the distinguished men of the day, from the Duke of Wellington to Lord Byron. She held court in a box at the opera, attended by statesmen, poets, national heroes, aristocrats, members of the beau monde, and students who hoped to be immortalised by her glance. She wrote these memoirs in middle age, when she had fallen out of favour. She advised her former lovers that for 200 she would edit them out. ‘Publish and be damned!’ retorted the Duke of Wellington. The result is an elegant, zestful, unrepentant memoir, which offers intimately detailed portraits of the Regency demimonde. First published in 1957.

It’s very entertaining. It is impossible not to like Wilson. At times, she is funny. She writes, “I have one advantage over other bad females writers and prosing ladies, which is, that I do not think myself agreeable”. Sometimes she is very modern in her comments on how society sees women, “She is a bad woman the moment she has committed fornication, be she generous, charitable, just, clever, domestic, affectionate, and ever ready to sacrifice her own good to serve and benefit those she loves, still her rank in society is with the lowest hired prostitute”.

Still, at times, one wonders if Wilson isn’t playing a final game with her readers, giving them what they want instead of the truth.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Under the Blood Red Moon by Mina Hepsen

Cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, beautiful Angelica Shelton Belanov feels most comfortable when hidden away in the library of her father’s English country estate. Now family duty requires that she make an appearance at a glittering gala, mingling with the cream of London society in hopes of finding a suitable husband. Assailed by the unwanted “chatter” of many minds, Angelica finds relief in the company of a handsome aristocratic stranger who remains, refreshingly, an enigma.

But Prince Alexander is not like other men. The powerful leader of an Eastern clan of immortals, he has come to London to hunt down a rogue vampire who threatens the survival of his dwindling kind. Angelica can sense that Alexander is dangerous, a mystery to be unraveled at her own peril. Yet desire sears them both–she, the bewitching telepath, and he, the fearless leader who must learn to trust his heart. And unrestrained passion has strict demands that could cost them both their lives…and their souls.

The chemistry between the lead characters, Alexander & Angelica will leave you suffocating for air. The fire, the intensity, & the devotion for each other is much to be desired for alone. After reading each moment they had shared, my pulse went into hyper-drive. I thought about this book every moment of the day, unable to STOP reading it. After I read the last word, I clung onto it for dear life, as it was my ultimate lover. It will lead you to the edge of your seat, wanting & yearning for more. If you are searching for a book w/an immense source of passion, action, suspense, & explicate detail; you will not be disappointed with this book. I would HIGHLY recommend it above all the other books I’ve read & wrote reviews about thus far. It has topped my list of favorites & will probably remain for a significant amount of time

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Unlovable (Port Fare #1) by Sherry Gammon


Port Fare, New York, has fallen into the clutches of true evil. The Dreser brothers have arrived with a scheme to increase drug sales in the area by whatever means possible. Seth Prescott is part of MET (Mobile Enforcement Teams) a branch of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). He’s been assigned to work undercover at Port Fare High, and things aren’t going very well, until senior Maggie Brown enters the equation. He’s harbored a secret crush on her from day one, and now that she is in the center of the case, he’s trying to stay clear and objective while walking the line between business and unrequited love.

Maggie is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes, but is she an addict, or is there another reason for her appearance? She struggles with her feelings for Seth, fearing he is just another person who will eventually let her down, as everyone in her life has done thus far.

Maggie has spent her life caring for her alcoholic mother. A task that has left her heavily burdened and alone. Before long, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worst, sending Maggie’s life into a tale-spin.

While Seth works relentlessly to inject fear into the dealers and flush them out into the open, Maggie fights to stay alive as the hunt turns deadly.

Seth and Maggie’s romantic journey is one of humor, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

I’m not overly familiar with ebook titles, so I assume the frequent errors I picked out in this novel were some fault of digital transfer, because it seems to need a more thorough editing. I found spelling mistakes and grammar errors, but the set-up also seemed rather choppy. It wasn’t properly divided by chapters and really was an overall mess to look at. In comparison to my experience with other ebooks, anyway, that were so clean and trimmed.

For all this, though, I had no trouble being swallowed by this book. It was so charming! It was easy for me to gain respect for Maggie, and her temperament – honestly, with a mother like hers, I’d go crazy. Maggie’s patience is saint-like. I loved Seth as well, sweetheart that he was. It’s a fairytale that someone with such a dreadful life like Maggie would meet a constant hero, but alas, it’s a welcome fairytale. The romance was flawlessly executed. A rare treat, yay!

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Ruby Ring: A Novel by Diane Haeger


From critically acclaimed historical novelist Diane Haeger comes The Ruby Ring, an unforgettable story of love, loss, and immortal genius . . .

Rome, 1520. The Eternal City is in mourning. Raphael Sanzio, beloved painter and national hero, has died suddenly at the height of his fame. His body lies in state at the splendid marble Pantheon. At the nearby convent of Sant’Apollonia, a young woman comes to the Mother Superior, seeking refuge. She is Margherita Luti, a baker’s daughter from a humble neighborhood on the Tiber, now an outcast from Roman society, persecuted by powerful enemies within the Vatican. Margherita was Raphael’s beloved and appeared as the Madonna in many of his paintings. Theirs was a love for the ages. But now that Raphael is gone, the convent is her only hope of finding an honest and peaceful life.

The Mother Superior agrees to admit Margherita to their order. But first, she must give up the ruby ring she wears on her left hand, the ring she had worn in Raphael’s scandalous nude “engagement portrait.” The ring has a storied past, and it must be returned to the Church or Margherita will be cast out into the streets. Behind the quiet walls of the convent, Margherita makes her decision . . . and remembers her life with Raphael—and the love and torment—embodied in that one precious jewel.

In The Ruby Ring, Diane Haeger brings to life a love affair so passionate that it remains undimmed by time. Set in the sumptuous world of the Italian Renaissance, it’s the story of the clergymen, artists, rakes, and noblemen who made Raphael and Margherita’s world the most dynamic and decadent era in European history

“The Ruby Ring” is a love story about Raphael the famous Renaissance Painter that falls for a peasant woman. He has many outstanding commissions all over Rome that he is running behind in and Michelangelo and his protégé Sebastiano are constantly on his heels with envy and jealousy. He is in need of a muse he finds that in Margherita. At first she declines the offer to be his model because it is well known that Raphael is a philanderer and more times than not seduces his models she has a higher image of herself (her mother’s influence) and does not want THAT for herself. Of course as in all romance novels the chase for Raphael is more intense because she will not agree to become his model. After he repeatedly offers money, comes to her father’s bakery sends her a (respectful) piece of art — so that she is able to understand he just wants her to model for him ONLY she agrees. Raphael is engaged to a Cardinals niece so there is a lot of political pressure on him constantly not only to complete his commissions but to honor his betrothal. Time goes by he becomes obsessed with her, they fall in love he desperately tries to get out of the betrothal, his enemies are against them at every turn. This book didn’t have a lot of detail about their surroundings as you normally find in a romance novel much of the book took place at 4 locations his studio, his home, the bakery and a number of places that he was working on the art. Leonardo Da Vinci makes a few appearance and for the most part Michelangelo is in Florence not in Rome where this book takes place. Raphael becomes so consumed with Margherita that he seems never to pick up the pace when it comes to his commissions I found that frustrating because it was obvious these men didn’t want him with her and kept reminding him that she was a distraction to him, I would have thought that he would have made sure to complete his jobs in a timely manner since at every turn they were constantly reminding him of his DUTIES to THEM. Granted you understand that for Raphael SHE became his duty and all else was irrelevant to him….

Diane H. is unquestionably one of the most gifted writers of Historical Romance Fiction out there. Her books are so involving that after you read the pages you still fill like there is more to learn of the individuals in the story. I should know because after reading this book I did some research of my own on the web regarding Raphael as well as Margherita to see what she really looked like in all of the paintings. The one thing that I realize in reading nearly most of Diane books is that very rarely is there a Happy Ending… but since largely what she writes is actual Historical events the reader has to understand that’s the way it is, no matter how much “filler” she puts in it she always brings it back to the factual ending. I also recommend if you like this type of tale “The Girl with the pearl Earring” (a fictitious story inspired by a real work of art) or even perhaps the movie “The Kings Whore” starring Timothy Dalton and Valarie Golino (the story of a woman that unwillingly gains the attraction of a King and becomes the love of his life – everyone including family and her husband telling her she MUST become his mistress).

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Vampire from Hell by Ally Thomas

Rayea isn’t daddy’s little girl, even if he is the most powerful fallen angel around. He wants her to take an active role in the family business. But she’s not interested in his schemes for world domination. Instead she wants to spend her time shopping on the Internet, rescuing humans from a horrific eternity, and practicing martial arts with her seven foot hellhound. Then one day everything changes. Here’s the first part of her story about how it all began.

A short novella or intro to the Vampire from Hell series. The author has added an alternative ending to the first novella and then added an excerpt from the second book and the third book.
The story is linked to a virtual blog, which offers extra chapters and insights into the characters.
The concept was fairly interesting, having a demon vampire related to Lucifer. That opens up many different doors and options.
I felt it was a little rushed. The dialogue and interaction was very youngish and a little stiff. It didn’t flow well, which is a shame.
I think if it is given more depth and developed with a little more intensity, that it could be a good little series.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Three Girls and a Baby (Three Girls #1) by Rachel Schurig


Ginny McKensie’s life is spiraling out of control.

Finished with college, she should have been planning her wedding. After all, Ginny and Josh were made for each other—everyone said so. Except the love of her life didn’t agree.

Now Ginny is back in her hometown, unwillingly single, and stuck in a dead-end job. When she discovers she’s pregnant, Ginny is convinced her life is ending. Instead of planning a future with Josh, she’s learning the truth about morning sickness, juggling bills, and seeing just how far designer jeans can stretch.

Her life-plan never included dating again (not even with her too-hot new boss), or being a single mother at 23. Now, with the help of her best friends, Annie and Jen, Ginny must try to re-imagine—and rebuild—a life she never wanted.’

I really enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn’t really a fan of Ginny. I thought she was selfish and a bit too immature. Then again, she was supposed to be so she could grow throughout the story. In the end, I loved all three girls and the way they related to each other. As soon as I finished I had to buy the second book. I just had to know what happened next!

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: My Heart Remember by Kate Vogel Sawyer

United by blood, divided by time, will three orphan train siblings ever find one another again?

Orphaned in a tenement fire, three Irish-immigrant children are sent to Missouri to be adopted. Despite eight-year-old Maelle’s desperate attempts to keep her siblings together, each child is taken by a different family. Yet Maelle vows that she will never stop searching for her brother and sister… and that they will be together one day in the future. Seventeen years later, Maelle is still searching. But the years have washed away her hope… and her memories. What are Mattie and Molly doing now? Where has life taken them? Will she ever see her brother and sister again?

This is the first book I’ve read by Kim Vogel Sawyer, and I’m very impressed. My Heart Remembers was an easy, enjoyable read. I would gladly read another book by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

The basic story is Maelle, the oldest child in her family, is asked by her Da to take care of her brother and sister during the fire that burnt down their apartment. Her Da went back in to gather some more belongings and bring his wife out with him, but they never made it. Maelle is alone in New York with her brother Matthew and infant sister, Molly when a policeman finds them and takes them to an orphanage. The lady in charge of the orphange places them on an orphan train bound to Missouri. Here the three children are taken by three different families. Seventeen years later, Maelle is still searching for Matthew and Molly. She heads back to Missouri in the spring of 1903 hoping that she will find them.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

A sweeping novel set in war-torn 1928 China, with a star-crossed love story at its center.

In a city full of thieves and Communists, danger and death, spirited young Lydia Ivanova has lived a hard life. Always looking over her shoulder, the sixteen-year-old must steal to feed herself and her mother, Valentina, who numbered among the Russian elite until Bolsheviks murdered most of them, including her husband. As exiles, Lydia and Valentina have learned to survive in a foreign land.

Often, Lydia steals away to meet with the handsome young freedom fighter Chang An Lo. But they face danger: Chiang Kai Shek’s troops are headed toward Junchow to kill Reds like Chang, who has in his possession the jewels of a tsarina, meant as a gift for the despot’s wife. The young pair’s all-consuming love can only bring shame and peril upon them, from both sides. Those in power will do anything to quell it. But Lydia and Chang are powerless to end it.

What an excellent book! I loved the characters, the stories, the connections. This takes place pre-revolutionary China. I found reading about culture, about the politics and traditions of the time very interesting (however I’m sure there are inaccuracies of course). I found it especially amusing how the English and Russians referred to the Chinese as “barbarians,” and the Chinese referred to all foreigners as the same. And even more so, I could understand how each drew their opinions . It was sad, too, how everyone was after their own agenda and rarely truly cared about anyone or anything beyond their opinion or them self. It did make the main characters stand out more.

Lydia is 16 years old, and acts like a strong-headed 16 year old; making bad decisions and doing crazy things. There were many times when I was thinking, “what in the world are you doing?!??! Are you crazy?” She and Chang make a unique, but beautiful union. I like how they are drawn to each other despite their cultural and social differences.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith


Abraham Lincoln was just a boy when he learned that his mother’s untimely death was actually the work of a vampire. From then on, he vowed to devote his intelligence, strength–and skill with an ax–to the elimination of the soulless creatures. It was a path of vengeance that would lead him all the way to the White House.
No one ever knew about Lincoln’s valiant struggle against the undead… until author Seth Grahame-Smith laid eyes on Abe’s secret journal–the first living person to do so in over 140 years. Putting a supernatural spin on revisionist history, Seth has reconstructed Lincoln’s true life story–while revealing the role vampires played in the birth, growth and near-death of our nation.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter tells the story found in Lincoln’s secret journal describing his alternate life as a vampire hunter. Personally, anything titled “Vampire Hunter” should really be more entertaining than this.

I don’t know if by reading Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter I would really be able to have an opinion of the rest of the monster mash-ups as Vampire Hunter is based on Lincoln’s life and not another book like Pride and Prejudice. I assume as much though and as such, you’ll probably not see many more mash-ups reviews.

I have to admit I wasn’t converted. First, I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator. The voices he used were just all off for me. I have a certain voice for Abraham Lincoln in my head (probably thanks to School House Rock or something) and this did not do it for me.

Next, I have to say the writing was done well and while I was impressed with the facts of Lincoln’s actual life that are woven into the story (I did confirm a few), it was hard to take someone telling the actual thoughts and motivations behind Lincoln’s actions especially regarding vampires.

As mentioned earlier, I guess I expected more action and adventure, less plodding along and talking. Now that I think about it, the “Abraham Lincoln” part really should have off-set the rest of the title enough. Don’t get me wrong, I greatly respect President Lincoln and I think that may have been one of the reasons I had a hard time with the book as well.

One of the perks of the audiobook was that there’s an interview with Seth Grahame-Smith at the end of the telling of the story and that was pretty interesting. He tells how the two books he saw everywhere for the last while have been Abraham Lincoln biographies and Twilight. Thus we have Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Also interesting to note Grahame-Smith has a MTV show in the makes.

 

My Gemstone Rating:

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