~Book Review~ Rising

Rising 
by Holly Kelly 
Genre: Fantasy romance

4.6 of 5 pearls 

WARNING: Very mild language but otherwise a totally clean read. 

A Dagonian warrior (don't even THINK of calling him mer!) is sent on a mission by his king and encounters a woman who, according to Dagonian law, should die. Unfortunately for him, he likes her. He really, really likes her. 

Oh my, oh my, oh my!! I started reading this book before bed one night, finally set it aside at 1am, picked it up again when I woke up at 6 and didn't set it down again until I was done. Seriously! I loved this book. ♥L.O.V.E♥ Fun and exciting! But that's just my opinion, so let's get down to brass tacks.

• Hero: Very nicely done. Sexy, alpha male, ruthless yet merciful, not exactly what I consider a bad boy, but he definitely has a few bad boy qualities. 
• Heroine: Sweet, but strong, very believable. I think Ms. Kelly did a fantastic job with the inner turmoil of the heroine.
• Storyline: Not too involved despite the "fantasy" element. Involved enough to be completely fascinating, however. There's some grit (which I appreciate), some heat, and a lot of heart. 
• Cons: Hmm. As far as the story goes, none that I recall. However, for this being a small-press published book (Clean Teen Publishing) rather than self, there were a lot more typos than I expected. Not quite enough that it ruined my joy in the story, but enough to make me notice. 
• Other points: My daughter took one look at the cover and asked if she could read the book. She's ten so my automatic reply was that I needed to read it first. After reading it, I informed her that she has to wait until she's at least 13. She's counting down the days now. ☺ 

In conclusion, would I read this again? Definitely. Will I buy the sequel and any other in the series from here on out? Um...YEAH! And guess what? You can grab a copy of this book for FREE by clicking on the cover photo above. That's right, the kindle edition of this book is free. Enjoy!!

Disclaimer: This review is for the first release of this book. I was not paid in any way for this review. The statements made here are my honest opinions. I acquired this e-book for free from Amazon at no urging from anyone. Except the cover. The cover made me download this book. Oh yes. LOVE the cover. Oh, last but not least, the link in the image above contains an Amazon affiliate ID. Any purchase made through the link will result in a small commission for me. If you don't want that to happen, simply strip the ID from the link and refresh the page. I think I covered everything. ☺

~Book Bargains~ Bargain Priced Fantasy Romance

Below is a list of clean fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, time travel, and futuristic romance that I think falls under the category of fantasy. These are all $3 or less. Book descriptions are taken from the linked e-Retailer page. Prices and ratings quoted are accurate at the time of this post, but subject to change.

The Mercenary's Marriage by Rachel Rossano (Non-magic fantasy) 

Amazon eBook $2.99 (4.1/5 stars) 

Trained as a mercenary soldier, Darius was a man of decisive action. He was also a man of compassion. Seeing a young slave woman about to become the spoils of war, he claimed her for his own. Marrying her before God and king, he made her a free and respectable soldier's wife.

Brice was born a slave. Abused and beaten, she learned quickly to avoid being noticed and to stay away from men. When her master's walls fell to enemy forces, she ran, but not fast enough. In Darius' offer she found deliverance, but experience had taught her to fear power such as his. Could she trust in his protection, or had she traded one form of slavery for another?

The Crown of Anavrea (The Theodoric Saga #1) by Rachel Rossano (Non-magic fantasy)

Amazon eBook $2.99 (4.9/5 stars)

In a time when castles were the strongest...in a place where combat was face to face...Labren was on the run. He hid his true name and he admitted it freely. 

In a time when slavery was legal...in a place where kings were all-powerful...Eve, a slave, appeared in the right place at the right time. 

Eve saved his life. In return, he offered her the opportunity of freedom. She did not know what would happen to her if she chose to accept his proposal, but she did know the consequences of rejecting it.

Exchange by Rachel Rossano (Sci-fi short story)
Amazon eBook $0.99 (4.4/5 stars)

Isolated on a distant planet, she is incarcerated for a crime she doesn't recall. She has no name, no idea where she came from, or why she is injected with drugs daily to hold these vital facts from her grasp. Despite small rebellions, she wastes away, worn and losing hope of ever being whole again.

Then he arrives. Claiming to hold the answers burned daily from her brain, he offers her a way out. But at what cost?



Time for a Duke by Ruth J. Hartman (Time travel Regency)
Amazon eBook $0.99 (3.2/5 stars)

Izzy Hodgkin just wants an adventure. Who knew that involved being locked in a closet in 2012, then being transported to 1812 when the door is opened later?

Charles Hamilton Douglas Wade, Duke of Bramblewood Green, thinks he will never find the right woman. When he opens his closet door one day, imagine his surprise to find a woman in there. And she’s from the future!

Will Izzy stick with her plan to return to 2012 America to achieve her goal of financial independence? Or will she and Charles find happiness in 1812?

Dreamspell by Tamara Leigh (Time travel Medieval)
Amazon eBook $2.99 (4.8/5 stars)

A time to live. A time to die. A time to dream.

Sleep disorders specialist Kennedy Plain has been diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor. When her research subject dies after trying to convince her he has achieved dream-induced time travel and her study is shelved, she enlists herself as a subject to complete her research. But when she dreams herself into 14th-century England and falls into the hands of Fulke Wynland, a man history has condemned as a murderer, she must not only stay alive long enough to find a way to return to her own time, but prevent Fulke from murdering his young nephews. And yet, the more time she spends with the medieval warrior, the more difficult it is to believe he is capable of committing the heinous crime for which he has been reviled for 600 years.

Baron Fulke Wynland has been granted guardianship of his brother’s heirs despite suspicions that he seeks to steal their inheritance. When the king sends a mysterious woman to care for the boys, Fulke is surprised by the lady's hostility toward him--and more surprised to learn she is to be his wife. But when his nephews are abducted, the two must overcome their mutual dislike to discover the boys' fate. What Fulke never expects is to feel for this woman whose peculiar speech, behavior, and talk of dream travel could see her burned as a witch.

Kiss Me, I'm Irish (Tennessee Waltz #1) by Bella Street (Time travel Contemporary)
Amazon eBook $2.99 (4.4/5 stars)

Book One in the Tennessee Waltz Series.

Emily Musgrave is heading a direction she never wanted to go in Regency England--namely a convent to turn her from her waywardness. But it's more loneliness than rebellion that motivates her to escape her certain fate.

Liam Jackson is going nowhere fast in modern-day Tennessee. Playing his Dobro in seedy bars and backward dives along with his fiddling sister, Tinker, is doing nothing for his music career--and even less for the dark places in his soul.

Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.

Mistletoe Everywhere (Christmas) by Linda Banche (Regency with fantasy elements)
Amazon eBook $2.99 (4.0/5 stars - two reviews)

A man who sees mistletoe everywhere is mad--or in love.

Charles sees mistletoe. Not surprising, since he's spending Christmas at Mistletoe Manor. But why does no one else see it? And why does it always appear above Penelope, the despised lady who jilted him after their last meeting?

Penelope wants nothing to do with the faithless Charles, the man who cried off after she accepted his marriage proposal. But he still stirs her heart--and he stares at her all the time. Or rather, he stares at the empty ceiling over her head…What does he see? 

According to folklore, mistletoe is the plant of peace. Can Penelope and Charles, so full of hurt and anger, heed the mistletoe's message and make peace?

I'll list more $3 or less clean fantasy romance as I find them. Happy reading!!

*Most of the links posted here contain my affiliate ID, which means I earn a tiny commission on every sale placed through one of my links. If you are uncomfortable with that, feel free to strip my ID from the link, refresh the book page, and then make your purchase. Thank you!

☺

~Book Review~ Wickedly Charming

Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson

My rating: 4.5 of 5 pearls

Oh my. I seriously didn't expect to enjoy this story but lately, I've been interested in fairy tale retellings. This one was hard to put down (even while using Kindle for PC) and made me laugh quite a bit. I really enjoyed Ms Grayson's style, even with the multiple "brackets-within-parentheses" in the story. I loved the characters even when I wanted to slap them all, just to wake them up a little. I loved the feel-good quality of the story. It left me with a happy sigh. There were typos, of course, more than I expected, but nothing so bad as to cause frustration.

My favorite line (one that made me laugh out loud, much to my husband's amusement): "(...it was her experience that anyone with a shred of power should be pitched across a room [or down a staircase] every once in a while.)" (Her is in reference to the heroine, Mellie.)

I was also pleasantly surprised by the lack of sexual details. That's hard to find in romances, especially contemporary-set ones. There was a little bit of language, but nothing that pulled me out of the story and certainly nothing that made me consider walking away from it.

I definitely didn't take this seriously. It was entertaining, different (for me, anyway), and lighthearted, though I do appreciate the underlying message.

Would I read it again? Probably.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I downloaded this free from Amazon. I could be wrong about the free part, but I know I got it from Amazon. I was not paid in any way for my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

~Book Review~ Heart of Fire

Heart Of Fire by Kristen Painter 

My rating: 3.4 of 5 pearls

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Sensitive readers warning: Contains mildly descriptive love scenes. 

I started this book completely fascinated with the storyline, the characters, and the setting. I was interested enough in the concept and the characters that it held my attention, even though I read the Kindle version on my PC. (Talk about eye strain!) There were moments I laughed and a couple times I was surprised, I even recall tearing up a time or two. The author definitely touched my emotions. It held my attention but the writing felt...almost choppy at times.

While I wouldn't classify this as a "clean" romance, the author did keep a fairly "lights off" approach. The intimate interactions were descriptive but not graphic.

One last concern, I don't know if I got an older copy or what (I downloaded it a year ago and didn't think to check Smashwords for an updated, corrected copy), but there were numerous typos. One sentence was so bad that I still don't know what the author meant to say.

In summary: Would I read another book by Kristen Painter? Yes, I think I would.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ebook (full price) from Smashwords.com. I was not paid in any way, shape, or form for this review. This review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

View all my reviews on Goodreads