Chris Lange

The book blurb for Gabriel by Chris Lange grabbed my attention and I put the book on my want to read list.

I mean what’s not likable about this:

“Who can stop a master vampire from expanding his territory? Only one woman, born with a rare, invisible power, and hate for his kind deep in her blood. Now she has to face the master who has become a legend. His name is Gabriel.”

The author contacted me and asked if I would read the book in exchange for an honest review, well here goes:

The story is short, about 61 pages so I think novelette is a better description then calling it a book. I think I have issues with works this short. I never felt vested in the characters, I neither liked them or disliked them, they were just null for me. With so little space its hard for an author to really develop enough back story for the reader to really get into the characters. I also felt no connection, or chemistry between Gabriel and Calista, for a romance it just wasn't convincing. The stories writing was a bit uneven, flowing well in parts, and then seeming stiff in other sections. The majority of the sex scenes were mechanical, passionless, and boring in my opinion. I found my favorite part of the story was towards the end when Gabriel shared his back story, the writing was good, flowed well, had some emotion and feeling , and actually gave me a reason to like him. But alas no sooner did it begin, then the entire story was over.

I think the premise of the book has a lot of potential, with a good rewrite, and lengthening of the page count, more character development, some feelings, emotions, a couple of hot sex scenes this could be a fun read. For me it's just not there yet.

Overall I would rate this story a 1.5 to 2 star read
… (més)

Tracy Richardson was startled awake by the ringing of the phone, and was even more confused when the caller stated, “I have your father. Bring me my Christmas gift or he dies.” Unsure exactly what was happening, Tracy hurriedly dressed and rushed over to her father’s house, only to find the mansion in a shambles, with furniture destroyed, books and papers scattered, and blood all over the carpet. Even more confused than before, Tracy realized she needed to follow her father’s instructions, given repeatedly during Tracy’s childhood, and she hurried out to the garden and dug up a metallic box containing a necklace and a letter telling Tracy how to access his computer system in the hopes of getting help.

Unaware of the extent of her father’s scientific research, Tracy followed her father’s written instructions to the letter, though she was apprehensive about entering the telepod. Trusting her father and knowing he would never put her in danger, Tracy took a deep breath, closed the door, entered the appropriate codes, and…suddenly found herself in 1899.

Being a huge time travel fan, I had high hopes for this story, and I was not disappointed. From modern-day San Francisco, to a gold mine in 1899, this was an interesting and exciting story. I enjoyed the crew that Tracy’s father had chosen to help him in the past, and appreciated Tracy’s conflicts with Garrett, her father’s assistant and definitely an old-fashioned man. This short story was fun to read, and I can easily recommend it.

~ Bitten by Books for AReCafe… (més)

Anya has lived in a protected, sheltered word for the entirety of her eighteen springs. She and her mother have lived on a secluded farm with villagers keeping far away, fearing the place is haunted. One day, that all changes, when a strange woman visits Anya and her mother. Soon, much to Anya's despair, her mother is urging her to journey to the lauded city of Palance with the stranger. It is a place Anya has heard much about and has always wanted to visit to see the Queen and her Amazons. Anya's and the stranger's journey is fraught with peril because Anya is...Blind to Men. But there's only one man she can see and he holds the key to her future.

Blind to Men has humor, magic, suspense, and some hot, intense love scenes. I finished it in one sitting, riveted to each page and refusing to move until I discovered what happened next. I wish there had been one or two scenes from the hero's POV, especially during some of Anya's humorous discoveries and how she related what she'd learned to others. But, hey, I'm not complaining. This is a five-star, first-class read!… (més)

A heroine lost in a sea of emotions and a mysterious merman who saves her life and gives her the emotional and physical release she didn't know she craved.

Triton was hot, titillating, and a super sexy fantasy read. Very well-written and almost poetic in its delivery. However, I want more of this story. I hope the author decides to build on this because she caught me - hook, line and sinker. I definitely want to read more from this author.

Free read via Total-E-Bound and the author's website. Very short; 6 PDF pages.… (més)