Review of Lily and the Beast and Lily and the Beast 2 by Amelia Jayne

Lily and the Beast

By Amelia Jayne

Star Rating: 

Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 134

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Aidan Pierce led a charmed life. Wealth, power, the love of a good woman - until his taste for kink triggers a devastating accident that forever changes his life. Now a mysterious recluse, Aidan doesn't let anyone see what he's become.

In order to save a loved one, Lily Gray is forced into an agreement that gives Aidan absolute power over her body for one year. Lily has sacrificed her freedom and surrendered her body, but she never imagined he'd take possession of her heart. What will happen when Aidan threatens to dominate her entire life? Steeped in darkness for so many years, Aidan never dreamed his sweet little sub would come to command him with a single smile. Can her love lead him into the light?

Will beauty tame the savage beast, or will his dark desires tear them apart?

*** This is a dark, erotic retelling of the classic fairy tale and contains elements of BDSM. Not intended for readers under 18. *** *** This book contains a cliffhanger. The conclusion, Lily and the Beast 2, is available now. ***

Lily and the Beast 2

By Amelia Jayne

Star Rating: 

Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 160

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Lily and the Beast 2 continues Lily's journey into submission and Aidan's dark desires.

Aidan Pierce led a charmed life. Wealth, power, the love of a good woman - until his taste for kink triggers a devastating accident that forever changes his life. Now a mysterious recluse, Aidan doesn't let anyone see what he's become.

In order to save a loved one, Lily Gray is forced into an agreement that gives Aidan absolute power over her body for one year. Lily has sacrificed her freedom and surrendered her body, but she never imagined he'd take possession of her heart. What will happen when Aidan threatens to dominate her entire life? Steeped in darkness for so many years, Aidan never dreamed his sweet little sub would come to command him with a single smile. Can her love lead him into the light?

Will beauty tame the savage beast, or will his dark desires tear them apart?

*** This is a dark, erotic retelling of the classic fairy tale and contains elements of BDSM. Not intended for readers under 18. *** *** This book concludes Lily and Aidan's story with a HEA. ***


Review:
Together these make one comprehensive story.  While I don't dislike books that go together in a series, these two books easily could have been published together.  The first book is listed at .99 on kindle with the second book at 2.99, altogether putting the full book around $4.  Given that the author used the same description for both, proving that these two books are essentially one story.

Firstly, I gotta say that while "Lily" is an alright name, it doesn't exactly fit what you typically see in a Beauty and the Beast rendition.  The last name "Gray" seems an obvious tribute to Fifty Shades of Grey.  Beyond that, I think that most of the casting is spot on.

The beastly aspect of Aidan is far different than what you may think of from other retellings, but it is brilliant.  Aidan may be beastly, but it's his emotions that seem to have suffered the worst.  Lily's sisters, which were lost in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, are spot on in attitude given the original tale.

I really enjoyed the way that Jayne changed Lily's father from the caring father seen in both Disney's version and the original tale.  The drama and the forced change in Lily's life shows that she's resilient and doesn't need others to take care of herself.  Lily isn't a Mary Sue, nor is she a damsel in distress: she's a perfectly capable individual who has to make a very serious decision regarding love and her future prospects.  In the end, she has to do what she knows is right for her, what she can live with, and what makes her happy.

Although this book (which is what I consider the two parts together) specifically states that there is BDSM, it is incredibly limited, stunted, and a very small portion of the entire book.  I think that having Aidan as a character interested in that makes perfect sense, especially as you get to know his backstory, but you'd think that perhaps the author could have done a bit more research into that world herself.  If that's what you're aiming for, go for some Anne Rice or M. Pierce instead.  M. Pierce is also quite light, but in a more comprehensive and complete way.

Biography: (from Amazon)
Amelia Jayne lives in a cottage by the sea with her two cats and a very understanding husband. When she's not busy writing smut or reading historical romances, she's dreaming up semi-healthy recipes to explore her love of chocolate and Italian food.

To find out more about her works, visit her website at www.ameliajayne.net






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Thank you! 

Review of Damaged and the Beast by Bijou Hunter

Damaged and the Beast

By Bijou Hunter

Star Rating: 

Date/Time Started: 6/9/2015
Date/Time Finished: 6/14/2015

Genre: Romance?
Number of Pages: 232

Synopsis (From Amazon):
New Adult Biker Romance

Heir to the localmotorcycle club and crime syndicate, Cooper Johansson is accustomed to taking what he wants.  His newest conquest is college freshman Farah Smith.

When the tattooed bad boy reminds her of a rough childhood she desperately wishes to forget, Farah keeps him at arm's length.  Yet, Cooper refuses to give up.  He pushes her buttons, tears through her walls, and forces her to admit her feelings for him.  What begins as lust soon builds into something more powerful than either expects.

Can a beast like Cooper heal the damage inside the girl of his dreams?

***Warning: This novel contains scenes of a sexual nature, violent themes, and coarse language.  It is intended for mature readers.


Review:
Notice how I didn't link the book at the top of the page?  This book is available on Amazon for free, yet I am not going to link it.

List of discrepancies/issues within the novel:

- Repetitive/redundant: my parents are the absolute best!

- Horrible language for no reason: bitch seems to make the page at least twice in the first 2/3 of the book.

- Pushy creepy dude asks incredibly invasive questions, which Farah just answers.

- Overtly sexual, meanwhile the guy says she's different, yet continues to cuss at her, mentioning sex all the time

- Way too close family.  An 18 year old girl continuously sitting on her brothers' laps, and mention of how they all know how the others look naked, not to mention she knows everything of her brothers' sex lives.

- Derogatory name calling that is supposed to be cute/endearing.

- Random unnecessary question marks/bad punctuation

- Explaining everything in dialogue all the time.  Every time Farah and Cooper have an issue or disagreement, they talk it out.  While that is a great practice in real life, it makes for a very boring read.

- Farah's signature line: "You're scaring me."  If he scares you so much, why are you still with him?

- Everyone talks about sex so openly, and like it's nothing.

- Farah states several times throughout the novel that her sense of worth comes from Cooper, his desire for her and him liking her.  Later, for one whole paragraph, it's stated that she would only have worth if she became a teacher like she wanted to in her lifelong dream, yet you've already heard for 2/3 of the book how she's only worth anything if Cooper wants her, and how she could "get better" and couldn't stand for him to dump her.

- Unrealistic college, written as if it was a high school.  Generally colleges do not have an "exam week" the first month of school where there is an exam in every class, nor do students that fail every single exam have to go to the administration building to talk to a guidance counselor.  Usually colleges consist of having an advisor, but even then, it is more to make sure you are picking the right classes for your major, not to check up and make sure you are doing alright in every general education class you take.

- The major conflict of the entire novel doesn't take place until 95% in to the novel, according to the marker on my kindle.  And this is all within a two week period of time.

- Most people do not get a tattoo of a girlfriend's name within a two week period.  They also don't end up cohabiting, nor getting a house after knowing each other for a month or less.

- General time is used poorly.  Time keeps passing, and there are brief mentions of it, yet it keeps going back to mention two weeks, which leads the reader to believe that almost the entire novel takes place in that time frame.

- Giant time shift from two weeks into their relationship to having a child.

- Despite having a few moments mentioning how she needed to graduate school and become a teacher, at the end of the book she states that her self worth is now determined by having had a daughter, and that she's comfortable being herself because of that.  I cannot conceive how someone who was adamant that they would accomplish their dream would simply give in to a significant other to have children because he wanted to right away, forgoing whatever they had planned for their own future.

It was suggested that perhaps I should offer ways in which this novel could have been made better.  I am not sure that is possible.  I have racked my brain trying to think of the issues in this novel, and if it would have seemed better with anything slightly tweaked.  It would have been better for Farah to have actually had experience with men before simply giving in and settling with the first guy who showed her any genuine attention, but even if she was an established adult, I don't see how the timeline of their relationship would have been any better.  Perhaps if more time had been allotted to being realistic instead of pushing the over dramatized issues both she and Cooper faced, the book could have been a smidgen better.

Author information:

I'm a romance author of Contemporary, New Adult, and Suspense.  Living in Indiana with my three sweet sons, three wacky cats, one super mom (and her ugly dog), I love writing, Denny's, 1970's rock, Beanie Boos, and sitcoms cancelled before their time.

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Review of The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Master Magician

The Paper Magician: Book III

By Charlie N. Holmberg

Star Rating: 

Date/Time Started: 6/6/2015 4:52 pm
Date/Time Finished: 6/8/2015 1:15 am

Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 224

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Throughout her studies, Ceony Twill has harbored a secret, one she's kept from even her mentor, Emery Thane.  She's discovered how to practice forms of magic other than her own--an ability long thought impossible.

When all seems set of Ceony to complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician's exam, life quickly becomes complicated.  To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and cares even less for his apprentice.  To make matters worse, a murderous criminal from Ceony's past escapes imprisonment.  Now she must track the power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge.  With her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove more powerful than all of her skills combined.

Review:
Like all of the books in this series, this was hard to set down.  Ceony seems to have a nice depth of character in this book, showcasing that she has fears that she isn't willing to sit back and let happen.  While most will argue that Ceony needs to plan better instead of running forward and jumping into sticky situations without a plan, most can empathize with wanting to keep their family safe.  Besides running into danger, Ceony showcases her impatience and temper on more than one occasion.  I, for one, find it refreshing to find a protagonist who isn't perfect, and who sometimes has to collect herself and apologize for being brash, as I have had to in the past as well.

WARNING: Ending spoiler ahead.

I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed with the ending.  After seeing Ceony and Emery go through so much together, we are shown their proposal, and are left with the assumption that what she saw in the fortuity box will come to pass.  I would have loved some sort of epilogue, showcasing what Ceony decided to do with her career.

Author Information:
Charlie N. Holmberg has a BA in English with a minor in editing.  She likes Star Trek and hopes to someday own a dog.  She is married and has a child.  The Paper Magician was her ninth book, but first to get published.

For more information on Charlie N. Holmberg, see her author page or go to her website.

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Review of M. Pierce's After Dark

After Dark

Night Owl: Book 3

By M. Pierce

Star Rating: 

Date/Time Started: 4/18/2015 at 4:53 pm
Date/Time Finished: 4/19/2015 at 8:12 pm

Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 272

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life.  He and Hannah move back in together, and Matt attempts to put his demons to rest as they strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest.  But as the two become more and more entangled, and the heat between them intensifies in all the best possible ways, Matt's desire for Hannah ignites cravings he has kept at bay for a long, long time...

Hannah finally has the life she's always wanted: she's pursing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover.  But as Matt and Hannah explore a new intimacy, Hannah finds there are parts of Matt--dark, wild, uncontrollable parts--that he has yet to show her... that he has yet to show anyone... Under the surface of Matt and Hannah's domestic bliss, deeply buried secrets burn, and all of a sudden, the least foreseen obstacle threatens to shatter everything they've worked so hard for.

Review:
I have both loved and hated parts of the Night Owl trilogy as I've read, as a reader should when seeing a relatable character go through many emotional stages and disasters.  This book had great promise, and it was exciting to see what would happen with Matt and Hannah, if they would get married, if they had a strong enough love.  What I didn't like, was the ending.  I think that the ending was a bit too easy.  The stakes that had been set all throughout the book were thrown aside in favor of something that was kind of what Matt wanted, and something that Hannah could live with.  While the ending did show a clear picture of what their future was/would be, I wish Pierce had written a bit more about Hannah's fears, Matt's desires, and if the two would ever meet in the middle.

Author Information:
M. Pierce it eh pen name of a bestselling author living in Colorado.

For more information on the author and the Night Owl Trilogy, visit mpiercefiction.com and follow M. Pierce on Facebook: facebook.com/MPierceAuthor

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Review of Melanie Harlow's Yanked

Yanked

Mia and Lucas: Book 1.5

By Melanie Harlow

Star Rating: 

Date/Time Started: 4/18/2015 at 12:53 pm
Date/Time Finished: 4/18/2015 at 2:30 pm

Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 99

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
I never expected any of this--
Getting dumped.
Going to Paris alone.
Falling for Lucas (he was so not on my list).
We've done the long-distance-love thing for eight months now, and I'm ready for more.  But after I discover what he's been hiding, will he stay on my list?  Or should I cross him off for good?


Review:
Yanked tackles a pretty big and common problem that all relationships need to deal with: communication.  Should you talk about everything, or should you let things settle how they will?  When Mia discovers what turns out to be something big that Lucas kept from her, since he didn't think it was a big deal, she realizes that the only thing she can do is tell him exactly what she wants, and see if he will work with her or run.  I am glad that Harlow decided to continue on with Mia and Lucas' story.  Great set up to a future book or two.  If you've read Frenched and wanted more, then you definitely NEED to read this.

P.S. For people who haven't read Frenched- it's on sale on kindle for FREE right now.

Author Information:
Melanie Harlow likes martinis, romance, reading and television.  She lives near Detroit with her husband and two daughters.

For more information on Melanie, go to her Amazon author page.

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Review of Charlie N. Holmberg's The Glass Magician

The Glass Magician

The Paper Magician: Book 2

By Charlie N. Holmberg

Star Rating: 

Date/Time Started: 4/16/2015 at 11:19am
Date/Time Finished: 4/17/2015 at 3:09pm

Genre: Adult Fantasy
Number of Pages: 222

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane's heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder.  Unfortunately, not all of Ceony's thoughts have been focused on paper magic.  Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn't broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it... even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world.  After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers... and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.


Review:
This book showcases what so many people look for in a relationship and for their future; someone they have something in common with, and can learn from and grow with.  Relationships are a give and take, and while Emery doesn't seem to have romantic notions for Ceony, they are still growing and learning more about each other.  Like many in love, Ceony will do anything to protect Emery, and those she cares about.  Who wouldn't do whatever it took to keep their family safe?  This book is totally relatable, easy to fall into and incredibly hard to set down.  If you've already read The Paper Magician, you must to read this book.

Author Information:
Charlie N. Holmberg has a BA in English with a minor in editing.  She likes Star Trek and hopes to someday own a dog.  She is married and has a child.  The Paper Magician was her ninth book, but first to get published.

For more information on Charlie N. Holmberg, see her author page.

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Review of Laurel Heights by Denise Moncrief

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 349

Synopsis: 

A dark cloud of deceit hovers over her family tree...

Left an estate by an aunt she’s never met, Laurel Standridge takes possession of Laurel Heights, hoping it will be the safe haven she needs to recuperate from her ill-fated relationship with Rand Peterson. Secrets long buried rise to the surface when her cousin James is murdered and dumped on the highway just outside the gates of Laurel Heights.

Her past trails her to the mountains of Arkansas...

Caught in an obligation Chase Peterson feels he cannot ignore, he agrees to help his brother Rand take back the property he believes Laurel stole from him, but Chase remains at Laurel Heights after he discovers Laurel took nothing of Rand’s away with her except nightmares, fading bruises, and a broken rib.

Unexplained disturbances shatter her hopes of a normal life..
.Are the strange bumps, thumps, and bangs reverberating through the night caused by the murderer of Laurel’s cousin James, someone Rand has sent to exact his revenge, or a disturbed soul existing in another dimension, trying to communicate with the living? Drawn together by the intrigue surrounding Laurel Heights, Chase and Laurel become hopelessly entangled in a relationship that goes deeper than lust. Can their love survive the haunting of Laurel Heights?

Review:

Opening in the midst of an abusive situation between Laurel and Rand, the reader cannot help but feel for her.  Life couldn't be easy when you have to worry about a very dangerous man sending people after you, even if he can't reach you himself.  After such an event one would think to become hard, calculating, and not very trusting, yet Laurel lets the first handyman in that agrees to help her restore her house to help her make it a bed and breakfast, without asking any information about him.  Despite sleeping with an aluminum bat, you'll find yourself wanting to nudge Laurel during a course of odd decisions she makes.  Chase, though originally sent to get something from Laurel, seems to be the rational force.  Between Laurel's past with Rand and Chase's relationship with him, they have a lot of barriers to overcome if they are every to truly trust each other, not to mention a few cops and some very odd paranormal house activity to figure out along the way.  Though there is some overwriting, most of the novel flows quickly between characters and situations that may or may not be supernatural.  If you like good, clean paranormal romance, this is definitely the book for you!   

Author information:

Suspense, She Writes

Where the road to happily ever after takes a suspenseful detour. Fast paced twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. Romantic happily ever after moments that take your breath away. Paranormal romantic suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Want to know a little bit more about Denise? She's a Southern girl who has lived in Louisiana all her life, and yes, she has a drawl. She has a wonderful husband and two incredible children, who not only endure her writing moods, but also encourage her to indulge her writing passion. Besides writing romantic suspense, she enjoys traveling, reading, and scrapbooking.

Accounting is a skill she has learned to earn a little money to support her writing habit. She wrote her first story when she was a teen, seventeen handwritten pages on school-ruled paper and an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel she had read. She's been writing off and on ever since, and with more than a few full-length manuscripts already completed, she has no desire to slow down.

You can connect with Denise at
http://www.denisemoncrief.com
http://www.facebook.com/DeniseMoncriefAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/dmoncrief0131

http://www.amazon.com/author/denisemoncrief

 Book Buy Links:
Victoria House
Amazon $2.99 http://amzn.com/B00O5CUHUM
Smashwords $2.99 TBD
Barnes and Noble TBD

Laurel Heights
Amazon $2.99 http://amzn.com/B00N0795WY
Smashwords $2.99 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/471791
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/laurel-heights-denise-moncrief/1120310149?ean=2940046138290

If you like this review, and the writing style of this quirky reviewer, please consider visiting and liking my Facebook author page: Lizzy March.