Into The Unknown by @PeelLorna

Into the Unknown is a romance from World War 2. It was definitely something different from my usual read. The author did a great job bringing us back to that time and giving us a new perspective on living during this time.

I enjoyed the story and was intrigued from the beginning with Kate as well as Charlie. Kate was relate-able and I found her to be a like-able heroine. She wasn't going to put up with nonsense. Charlie on the other hand, he took a little to adjust to, but still a hero the reader is going to fall for and cheer on.

There is a lot of chemistry between Kate and Charlie as they both fight what is in front of them. Kate doesn't want to fall for a man with the job he has, and Charlie doesn't want to be a one woman kind of man.

This is a romance with some heated scenes. I found the writing to flow well and the author was able to draw me into the story and transport me to another time. If you like historical romance, even from the early 1900's, I'd recommend this book. It was a well written romance that will keep your attention.

Lacey's Rating

About The Book

London on 3 September 1939 is in upheaval. War is inevitable. Into this turmoil steps Kate Sheridan, newly arrived from Ireland to live with her aunt and uncle, and look for work. When she meets Flight Lieutenant Charlie Butler sparks fly, but he is a notorious womaniser. Should she ignore all the warnings and get involved with a ladies man whose life will be in daily danger?

Charlie Butler has no intention of getting involved with a woman. But when he meets Kate his resolve is shattered. Should he allow his heart to rule his head and fall for a nineteen-year-old Irish girl while there is a war to fight?

Private conflicts and personal doubts are soon overshadowed. Will the horrors of total war bring Kate and Charlie together or tear them apart?

Surrender Your "Getting Treated Like a Lady" Card in Hover by @Anne_A_Wilson

I never gave much thought to helicopter flying on an aircraft carrier. When I think aircraft carrier and Navy, I think F-14s, F-35s. I think of tailhooks and arresting wires. But now I'll def give some thought to the helos. Having read this book, I gotta admit they're pretty bad ass. (This is coming from an F-16 mechanic so that's a compliment. We tend to be loyal to our birds.)

There's some incredible flying and emergency scenarios in this story. There's heart-pounding moments and lots of educational bits about the Navy and life on an at-sea deployment, from how the men behave on ship and leave, to the different attitudes toward women, to having/initiation, to small spaces. And I learned a lot about helicopters.

And I love how strong this woman is, and yet at times, I thought her weak..hold on... By the time I finished the story, I realized she wasn't weak; she was human. I appreciate that a strong heroine is presented to us in a realistic way. She's not perfect, not fearless. We're not talking about a comic book hero, but a woman with thoughts, feelings, desires, insecurities. And she overcomes them, from her fear of water to her fear of love.

And through her we see the constant battle a woman in a man's world--namely a Navy carrier in the middle of the ocean with only one other woman aboard--goes through. It's a constant tightrope--don't say the wrong thing, don't use the wrong tone, don't wear the wrong clothes...


I thought the heart-pounding situation was a tad implausible and the build-up to answers took too long, like why she was on every flight rotation and who the Aussie guy was. It took took long for her and us, the readers, to get answers, in my opinion. That's my only quibble.

But the romance, the writing describing Sara's thoughts and feelings toward Eric....superb. I was right there with her, feeling it, experiencing it, and that doesn't happen often for me in the more romancey scenes. I also found myself growing invested in some of the side characters. By the end of the story, I cared about them too and wanted them to get home to their wives and babies.

A solid read. I received this via Amazon Vine. Quotes may not be exact in the final copy.

Ruby Ink by L.J. Wilson - Book 1 in a New Series #Giveaway @LJWilsonBooks

Ruby Ink wasn't what I expected. The cover made me think this book was going to be my typical romance story I like to read. However, there was much more to this book and I was pleasantly surprised.

Aaron and Ruby were each others first loves until Aaron goes to prison for attempting to kill her father. You see, Aaron got involved with the wrong crowd and became a drug trafficker. When he's released from prison 7 years later, he still long for Ruby. The woman he'll never get over.

For much of the story, Ruby isn't in it. There are other mysteries and suspenseful plots unfolding, but without giving too much away, when Ruby does enter the picture again--sparks fly. She may hate him for attempting to kill her father, but she can't deny how she feels about him.

The book ends, resolving Ruby and Aaron's issue, but does have a but of a cliffhanger, which is fine by me. It let's me know this author will be writing more of this story and I can't wait to see what happens next. There are 5 siblings, so I am assuming that each one will be getting their own book. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Lacey's Rating:

About The Book:

Ruby Ink is the first book in this sensual romance series—journeys of intrigue, seduction, and satisfying storytelling. The Clairmont siblings, known as the "Tribe of Five" —Alec, Aaron, Honor, Jake and Troy—are complex characters whose individual stories and intricate love lives drive these dynamic new novels.

In Ruby Ink, Aaron Clairmont has been granted an early parole. He returns home to Nickel Springs and finds employment at Abstract Enchantment, a trendy new inn. But Aaron’s mind can’t let go of its predecessor, the vintage Rose Arch Inn, the setting for his passionate love affair with Ruby Vasquez. Ruby—the girl Aaron lost after his secret underworld life unraveled, shocking everyone who thought they knew him.

Freedom comes fast at Aaron—a family desperate to reconnect, an employer cast as his savior, and the steamy memories he can’t escape. Just as Aaron surrenders to starting anew, he realizes the diabolical trap he’s been lured into—a fresh hell that makes prison look like a country club. Lives are at stake, his family and Ruby’s. Ruby Vasquez—the woman Aaron never thought he’d see again. The one destined to collide with his future.

Connect with the Author:
Author's website: http://ljwilson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LJ-Wilson/1403193093316379?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LJWilsonBooks

L. J. Wilson’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, May 4th: Mignon Mykel Reviews
Wednesday, May 6th: Bewitched Bookworms
Monday, May 11th: Book Babe
Wednesday, May 13th: One Curvy Blogger
Thursday, May 14th: Smexy Books
Monday, May 18th: Bell, Book & Candle
Tuesday, May 19th: The Sassy Bookster – review and excerpt
Tuesday, May 19th: Written Love Reviews
Wednesday, May 20th: A Chick Who Reads
Monday, May 25th: From the TBR Pile

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, there are two copies up for grabs. U.S. or Canada only, your choice of paperback or ebook. Leave a comment on this review and be sure to include your email address to be considered. You have one week to enter. Winners will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Crafty Ladies...

What are you making this week, or what did you make this last week?

I almost didn't share this one, because it's not ME. But it may be one of you. I made this purse for a friend of my mother's who's coming down with her to visit this month. The lady is doing us a favor, so the least I could do is make her a purse. She's into hunting and stuff like that so I found the deer patterns on Etsy (one is here and one is here and grabbed some pink camo yarn, and ta da!

This one closes with velcro as I didn't feel a blingy clasp was going to look right.

Oh, and I added an L to the left, real subtle.

So what are you making?

Risking Exposure by Jeanne Moran

Please join Jeanne Moran as she tours with HF Virtual Book Tours for Risking Exposure, from May 4-15.

Publication Date: September 2013

CreateSpace

Formats: eBook, Paperback

186 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Young Adult 

Munich, 1938, Nazi Germany. War is on the horizon. A timid Hitler Youth member contracts polio. Photographs she takes of fellow polio patients are turned into propaganda, mocking people with disabilities. She is now an outsider, a target of Nazi scorn and possible persecution. Her only weapon is her camera.

This well-researched historical fiction novel unveils a seldom-seen side of the Nazi agenda. A sequel is in the works.

***REVIEW***

I thought this was a very enjoyable read. It's short, can be read in one nice lazy day. And that's not a bad thing. I get tired of door stops. Its shortness, however, does not detract from the importance of the moral it imparts, nor does it take away from the seriousness of the history within. The writing is also stellar, balancing historical facts with an engrossing story, ensuring that you won't soon forget the history you're learning.

The moral is...that being a silent bystander is just as bad as being a perpetrator. 

In this novel, we meet Sophie in 1938 Germany. She's in the Hitler Youth and she likes photography, just like her father. But whereas she used to be proud to be German, lately she's witnessing propaganda that has not feeling so proud. And when she contracts polio, the reality begins to hit much closer to home. They've gotten rid of the Jews. They've gotten rid of the church. How soon before they come and get rid of the "useless mouths"?

Sophie's family winds up in trouble and Sophie is faced with a difficult choice: run and hide, or expose the truth?

I really enjoyed reading about Sophie's battle both with her feelings and her polio. Her time in the hospital was both sad and inspiring. The author gives us an intriguing cast of characters--both adults and pre-teens. There are the confused German Youth, the mean, the silent, the helpful, the scared. The girl in the hospital doing ballet with her crutch...touched something in me. There's something for everyone in this story. While I'd suggest it be offered in every middle-school library, I also think adults will be just as moved by it all. I was.

My only complaint--and I realize there's a sequel--is the unconcluded ending. I'm not a fan of having to wait a year or so to find out what happens next. I think with how short this was that it and its sequel should have been one novel.

 

Praise for Risking Exposure

“Ms. Moran is opening the door to this thought: if more (maybe only a handful more) people stood up and did small things too, could some of the awful suffering of this era been averted or lessened? And more poignantly, how about today? The book ratifies the importance of small actions done with love, bravery, and purpose.”

”…the book was a beautiful collection of thoughts, historically accurate bits of data, and a easy read in terms of the flowing writing style, but deals with a lot of heavy topics in a censored way. This is definitely a great book to study, for school students, as it’s written in a simplistic yet effective writing style, and provides a brilliant coming-of-age story for all types of audiences.”

“There is so much to talk about in Sophie’s story – – what we accept as normal, what society thinks of its less able-bodied citizens, whether one person can really make a difference… we read it for our own book club discussion next month — and we’re all well past our teen-age years, so that shows the power of this small gem.”

Buy the Book

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

iTunes

IndieBound

Kobo

Smashwords

About the Author

Jeanne Moran reads and writes stories in which unlikely heroes make a difference in their corner of the world. In her everyday life, she strives to be one of them.

For more information visit Jeanne Moran’s website.  You can also find her onFacebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Risking Exposure Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 4
Review at 100 Pages a Day – Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Spotlight & Excerpt at Shelf Full of Books

Tuesday, May 5
Spotlight at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Wednesday, May 6
Review at Mel’s Shelves
Spotlight & Excerpt at Historical Fiction Connection

Thursday, May 7
Spotlight at Broken Teepee

Friday, May 8
Review at Book Babe

Monday, May 11
Review at Book Nerd

Tuesday, May 12
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog

Wednesday, May 13
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, May 14
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Friday, May 15
Review at Genre Queen

American Blonde (Velva Jean #4) by Jennifer Niven

I didn't finish this book. I guess I've grown disenchanted with Velva Jean. I read book two and loved it, probably only because she was in the WASP and there was lots of flying, because book three certainly didn't enamor me as much. To be honest, VJ keeps getting more and more ridiculous with each story. She's almost like a comic book character, with all these incredible skills and abilities, with all the amazing things that happen to her. It's so implausible, like watching Agent Carter in fisticuffs on top of a moving car not lose her balance and kick the butts of two men without hardly a hair disheveled. It's eye-rolling.

So VJ has gone from Grand Ole Opry to WASP pilot to super spy in WWII, to a movie star in Hollywood, where she's instantly in a blockbuster hit with a small amount of training. And her character just felt lacking in this one. I didn't care for the Hollywood setting at all. As usual there's more than one man trying to win her heart, and the characters around her this time are unlikable and fake. And frankly, her courage seems to have escaped her in this story and she seems to be becoming fake too.

There's something different about the writing style as well and I noticed this in the previous novels. And it constantly keeps the reader disconnected from VJ. I don't sit there and as I read, become VJ. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in, at the most unbelievable series of events. I almost kept reading just to get to the bottom of the murder, but in the end didn't care enough about the murdered girl to bother.

So this wasn't for me.

Nail Polish Honoring the Decades @SquareHue

This has nothing to do with books, movies, or crafts. It's just vintage, baby. And I love most everything vintage. Especially 20s, 30s, 40s, LOVE THE FORTIES, and 50s. Sometimes the 60s.

So I was really excited to learn about this nail polish company. No, I don't paint my nails. I've tried and as soon as I go to work--gloves or no gloves--the polish is ruined. But I do paint my toes.

For 19.99 a month (14.99 plus 5 shipping) this company called Square Hue will send you three nail polishes (I was expecting wee little bitty polishes but these are full size) a month. And at this time they have a Decades Collection. I missed the twenties set. Darn it. But I did jump in in time to nab the 1930s collection and the forties is on its way. I can't wait to see those colors!

I thought this something worth sharing because all of you love history just as much as I do. I assume you do anyway because this is a historical fiction blog for the most part.

So...back to my 1930s collection. I love the fact it comes with a card with a short excerpt of sorts on it, just a paragraph to make you feel as though you're in the thirties.

The polishes came with names like Boardwalk 1934, because apparently boardgames became a great way to pass the time when there was no money. WPA--"The WPA was just one of many Great Depression relief programs created under the auspices of the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act"--from the Roosevelt administration. And one I can't figure out. Maybe one of you can tell me? Tomorrowland 1939. The colors themselves...I don't think really tie into the time period. I think they wore orange in the seventies, not the thirties much. But it's all about getting in the mood.

I couldn't wait to get painting, even though nobody is here to see and I'll be covering them with steel toes for the next few days. LOL

I'll be sad when they run through all the decades. :(

I wasn't paid anything for this post; wasn't given a discount. I just did it.