Kindred Spirits by Beth Ciotta & Cynthia Valero

I cannot resist books with airplanes on the covers, especially old ones. And while I normally resist time travel stories, because it's so...unexplainable, I decided to give this one a go when I discovered it was featuring a woman barn stormer in the twenties. 

Problem is, there is very little flying. I was aware this was a romantic story, but there's more sex than flying, and I don't mean sex as in the act itself, but obsession with it. The hero is constantly thinking of getting in Grace's pants; Grace is just thinking of sex period, of getting it out of her system, Izzy wants to have sex with Rufus, and every woman in the book wants to have sex with Rufus, from random waitresses, to Izzy's friends. Frankly, the story made it seem like we're all sex-crazed women who throw ourselves at random good-looking men.

It got annoying. Another pet peeve of mine is virgin heroines and super-experienced man-whore heroes. UGH. Though it was nice to see the tables turned on this dude.

However, the story is funny. The banter between these dead siblings/ghosts, alive or dead, is funny. I chuckled a lot in the beginning. Then halfway through the humor started slowing down, the sex obsession started going nuts, and I began to get frustrated. I also loathed Izzy, and that didn't help matters because she's a main player.

But while I feel it took way too long to get to the bottom of Izzy's issue, at the same time I enjoyed the 1923 setting--the clothes, the lingo, the cars. The authors did a great job on that.

For those wondering, the story is about three ghosts haunting a house in the present. They can't pass over  until they figure out what's holding each one here. Rufus, the assistant of the owner of the house, ends up time traveling back to 1923 to help the flapper girl, Izzy, fix her issue. Izzy has a friend named Grace, a barn-storming pilot, who ties into the mess somehow and thus, the sex-obsessed love triangle is born, but whether Rufus beds one of the women or not, if anyone falls in love, how is it going to work? Rufus is from the future... I don't need to say more.

As for aviation, Grace flies a Curtis Jenny and one can glean a few facts from that--the dope on the plane that cows love, etc--but I was disappointed by little actual flying there was in comparison to the other stuff in the story. People looking for a romance though, with some humor and some flappers and speakeasies, won't be disappointed. I especially liked the ending and would love to see a novel told from Grace's POV about her...new living situation and how she adjusts.

I received this via Netgalley.

Darkness Before Dawn: A WWII Romance Promo Blitz

Darkness Before Dawn - PROMO Blitz

By Kellie Wallace

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 7/17/2013

In June 1940, Germany bombed the Island of Guernsey, bringing World War II to the Channel Islands. With her home in the midst of war, jazz singer Catherine La Mar must adapt to change. Within days, the island is overun. Resistance cells start to emerge, hindering the German forces. Catherine’s life is inevitably changed when childhood friend Thomas Potter is linked as the ringleader to one of the Island’s biggest cells.

The people she once knew are no longer who they seem to be. But nothing could prepare her for when she meets Nazi officer Captain Max Engel. Her view on the war forever changes when she is given a chance for love and new beginnings. For once in her mundane life she unveils her true self, as Max teaches her how to truly live. Their love puts a strain on Catherine’s family, risking the lives her sisters and friends. As the war intensifies and divides the people on Guernsey, Max and Catherine must decide if their love is really worth risking it all?

EXCERPT

Plush greenery cushioned Catherine’s as she trudged through the knee-length grass towards the cliff face. A violent wind came up from the sea whipping at her dress and hair. Brightly coloured daisies and narcissi flowers dotted the swaying plain.

A sense of ease and sovereignty came over her as she stood in the wind, moving gently against its brunt. German tankers tarnished the vast ocean in front of her. Seagulls and kestrels sang in the air, catching the passing wind like dancers.

She always loved coming here to revel in nature’s beauty, believing nothing will ever change it. With the occupation taking force, it seems inevitable the world she knew will never be the same again.

Visiting the cliff tops on her own was risk, but as headstrong as she might be, Catherine wanted a release, to see a part of Guernsey not yet touched by the Reich. She slunk past

German patrols on her way, blending into the environment like a chameleon.

As she stared out into blue azure of the ocean, movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. A young man teetered on the edge of the cliff, peering over the brink. Without a second thought, she ran towards him, slowing her pace when he saw her approach. His eyes wide with fear.

“I’ll do it,” he warned, his body stiff as though he was still deciding to jump. The wind grew stronger and the man appeared to be using all of his strength to stay upright.

“Are you alright, sir?” she asked calmly.

His hair was blown high on top of his head and the wind already made its mark upon his skin. “No . . .”

“Did you lose something?” Catherine said carefully. “Has someone fallen off the cliff?”

“I don’t want . . . I don’t want this,” he cried.

“Don’t want what?”

The man stole a quick glance towards the tankers dotting the ocean horizon and turned back to Catherine. “I don’t want them,” he yelled, pointing towards the sea. “I don’t want to be ruled by those murderers!”

Catherine now understood the catalyst to the man’s distress. No one on Guernsey wanted an occupation by the Germans. Half the population had fled in terror.

Catherine took another step closer, wary of the fear in his brown eyes as she did so. She reached out her hand until they were inches apart. “What’s your name?”

“Ben.”

“Ben, what about you with come with me and grab a nice piece of cake at the cake shop? How does that sound?”

The young man shook his head furiously. “No, they will be there! They have taken over everything!”

“No, they won’t be,” Catherine said slowly. “It will only be you and me.”

Ben looked behind him to the crashing waves below, his body limp in defeat. He let out a sigh and turned towards her. “Okay,

I will come with you.” He reached for her hand, when another voice broke through the defiant wind.

“What’s going on here?”

Catherine glanced over her should to see a young German officer standing behind them, bracing against the wind.

Ben’s eyes widened at the sight and he started to back up towards the edge of the cliff. “No, no, no,” he mumbled, slipping on the lip of the cliff.

Heart pounding, Catherine stretched out her hand to the distressed youth. “Ben! Please, come with me,” she ordered, ignoring the figure behind her.

Ben shook his head, his hands outstretched as though seeking redemption from above. “I’m sorry. I cannot do it,” he said. “Not with him around.” Ben’s swollen eyes glanced at

Catherine once more, before turning into the wind, and jumping off the cliff.

“Nooo!” Her body flashed hot then cold as she fell to her knees in the damp grass, her hand stretched outright, grasping nothing but thin air. She felt the officer brush past her as he poked his head over the cliff.

The man’s body lay crucified on the rocks, blood speckling the blue ocean water.

Catherine ignored the tugging on her arm as the German officer hauled her to her feet. Violently, she pushed him away.

“Get off me!” she screamed, regaining her footing. He was close now, close enough she could see the lines of youth etched in his face.

“What is your name?” he asked calmly.

“Catherine La Mar.” She almost spat her name at him.

The officer dipped his head in a polite greeting as if what happened meant nothing to him. “May I see your papers?” he asked, bringing out his hand.

Catherine sucked in a breath of indignation and pulled her papers, which consisted of an identity card and birth certificate from a pocket in her dress. She watched him as he scanned them over. It was the first time she managed to have a good look at him.

It was his eyes that caught her breath, standing out in contrast to his dull uniform. They were the same shade of the sea, crashing and spitting below them. His straw-coloured hair was slicked under his visor cap. He was the perfect example of Hitler’s Aryan race.

The officer handed her papers back to her. She wanted a fight; wanted anything to contest him. “Why didn’t you stop him?” she asked.

About the Author Kellie Wallace

Born in Sydney, Australia Kellie Wallace developed a love for the written word early in life, recalling her earliest memory when she was three years old. Her father used to read to her when she was a child, establishing a deep love and respect for books. Kellie wrote a bit in high school, most memorably her first fantasy book called Giblin the Conquer, an X Files fan fiction and a military fiction.

After finishing high school, Kellie moved to the sunny Northern Beaches from the Central Coast and carved a successful career in the media/advertising industry writing for numerous Sydney based publications.

An aspiring novelist, Kellie fulfilled a dream in 2008 having her first book All She Ever Wanted published by Zeus Publications at the age of 22 years old.

In 2013, Kellie released her newest catalogue of books, Darkness before Dawn and Skylark. In her spare time she loves to write, game and draw. Her first crime fiction novel To lean of falling men will be out in April 2014, along with EarthWalker (out now!) and dystopian Edge of Tomorrow (August 2014).

She currently resides in Sydney with her husband.

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

Giveaway

Copy of Darkness before Dawn

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

"We are the Amazons. We are the killers of beasts and men. Wild ourselves, we inhabit the wild places. Freedom courses in our blood, and death whispers at the tip of our arrows. We fear nothing; fear runs from us. Try to stop us, and you will feel our rage."


A very enjoyable, fast-paced, interesting read. I was not disappointed with this one. The modern-day stories follows a woman who once had a "deranged" grandmother who left behind a mysterious notebook full of scribbles and the lots of rambling about Amazons. Diana would like to believe the Amazons really existed, but evidence and scholars say otherwise... Frankly, I'd like to continue believing they really existed, so I found Diana's running all over Europe to prove they lived and finding all their bracelets as went absolutely fascinating.

Her meeting the sexy and mysterious Nick doesn't hurt either. Sometimes you want them to get together; sometimes you don't. Just like the heroine. Very well done.

In her story, there's much confusion and I don't mean that in a bad way. She's confused, and we're confused. It just somehow worked for me. Normally I loathe not having clear answers, not knowing who's bad and good or who's after who, but this story was told in such a manner that it had me hooked and dying with suspense, unable to sleep even. It seems three different groups are after Diana and/or her knowledge, all for different reasons, one group being, quite possibly, Amazons. 

In between rushing to museums, escaping thieves and bombs, and bit by bit, piecing together the mystery of the Amazons and Diana's granny, readers are treated to a historical what-if story that takes some of the mythology writings and gives them new twists. We meet the Amazons, learn their origins, why they came to be complete with the misunderstandings. The historical tale rewrites the Amazons and even the Helen of Troy  story as we have learned them, making them new and interesting.

I love Myrina and her romance with Paris. I appreciated--and maybe I'm the only one who saw this--how the story showed us not everyone is meant for marriage and there is nothing wrong with that. For some reason, this bit of the story impacted me. It was still a wonderful romance though. I love that this book gave us great romance complete with development and very little sexual details. THIS is the real deal. THIS is love.

And I loved the different forms of strength I saw in the different women. It's not all about sword-fighting. 

Long review short: I loved this book, both the past and present stories. I was riveted, intrigued, I bit my lip, gasped, screamed, "OH no!", I smiled, laughed, Googled things--heck, I even looked for my own bracelet. LOL 

BEST AMAZON BOOK I'VE READ.

"To me there is only one God, unnamed presence we'll never understand. Everything else is human politics. It was human beings who wrote the holy books, and human beings who made all the rules and rituals. In other words, it is human beings who turn life into hell....I try to live the spirit of God, but not by the rules, because rules are made by man, and man is nothing but a fatally conceited flea on the mammoth of Creation."

I received this via Netgalley. Quotes may be altered in the final version.

Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards by Kit Brennan

Lola Montez…a woman who is reputed to have been a spy, a dancer, and seductress. This is not the first story I’ve read that was inspired by her. Though I enjoyed this historical romp laced with humor and gasp-out-loud moments, if I were to compare this to An Invitation to Dance by Marion Urch , I’d find it sorely lacking.

It’s not that it’s not entertaining—it is, and I even learned stuff from it about the situation in Spain during this time and the Royal house and Prime Minister… The problem is I never grew terribly fond of this version of Lola. She’s funny, witty, but I fail to see how she’s independent or strong. She does one stupid thing after another. She is capable of getting herself out of bad scrapes, but she gets herself into them in the first place. I mean, seriously, after all she’s been through—having those she loves murdered, being robbed, stalked, etc, how dumb do you have to be to set yourself up with a crap-ton of publicity and make yourself a huge public spectacle, all the while using a name that your would-be killer knows? And you know he’s alive… How dumb do you have to be?

And she does nothing remarkable, unless you consider the fact she manages learn fluent Spanish in just three weeks. (Really?) She just sleeps with men and dances. And runs away from things. Though I did feel bad for her when everyone was so intent on blaming her for the mission’s failure. It wasn’t her fault.

My other complaint is that her characterization was somewhat off at times. Lola is feisty, I’ll give her that, but she lets some horrid woman and her daughter just waltz into her room and take her dresses and jewelry…and yet just days later, this same Lola challenges Dumas to a duel? Sometimes she’s the spunky Lola we expect; other times it’s like WHERE THE HECK IS LOLA?

But it wasn’t all bad. The Royal family, especially Aunt Carlota, were exceptionally amusing and there were many LOL moments throughout the story. These moments kept me reading even when at times I grew tired of Lola’s bad decisions and just wanted the story to end. It was also interesting learning about a dance called the Tarantuala. Overall, it was also very fast-paced with conspiracies, theater life, masked balls, fine horses, tickling mustaches, politics, executions… I think I’d have loved it if I had liked Lola more.

I plan to read book two, because I do feel this heroine has potential. If she can just stand on her own two feet a while, without depending on a man, and wise up a bit, I can see this series doing great things.

They’re all rogering their relatives, I thought, with each others’ blessing!

The ability to barefacedly throw an accusation back at your accuser seems a necessary skill for the Spanish of either sex. If you’re good enough at it, you can make the other forget what the initial injury or accusation was in sheer dumbfoundedness at your yapping arrogant tenacity.

I bought this on Amazon.

Rhinoceros Summer: The Maturation of a Teen Photographer in Africa

It occurred to me that the central character of Rhinoceros Summer by Jamie Thornton starts off as the mirror image of the central character of another book that I reviewed last year on The Unmasked Persona’s Reviews.  Lydia Gibbs, the aspiring teen photographer in Rhinoceros Summer thinks that going to Africa will be a tremendous career-making opportunity.    Jazz Hooper, the grief stricken teen with no aspirations in The See Through Leopard by Sibel Hodge, resents being uprooted by her father and hates going to Africa.  See my See Through Leopard Review.  Neither girl found what they expected there, but their experiences in Africa were life-changing.  

                                            

                                          

My main criticism of The See Through Leopard about overt didacticism doesn’t hold true for Rhinoceros Summer.  There are certainly ideas in this novel, but no long speeches.  There are thoughts from the characters that give us their perspectives.  Since there are multiple perspectives, I don’t feel that the author is preaching at me. 

As the novel opens, Lydia the preacher’s daughter, is working at a Christian supply store.   I wondered at that point whether this book could be considered Christian fiction.  Although Lydia’s parents are portrayed sympathetically, their beliefs are not the only ones that are portrayed in a positive light.  So I wouldn’t consider Rhinoceros Summer Christian fiction.  At one point Lydia gets what she considers a surprising African viewpoint on Christian missionaries. 

In The See Through Leopard, Jazz works in a wildlife sanctuary.  She encounters the views of hunters indirectly.  Lydia photographs safaris, so she deals with how hunters think about their activities on a daily basis. Nevertheless, the events of Rhinoceros Summer show me that Jamie Thornton is definitely not sympathetic toward hunters, and does have positive feelings toward those who want to preserve animal species.  It seems to me that Jamie Thornton’s approach has more impact.

I also wanted to comment on the romance aspect in this book.  This is not an ideal relationship.  The characters have flaws, but I also thought they matured over the course of the novel as a result of their experiences.

There is a figure who is mentioned as having been an inspiration to one of the characters.  Reference is made to Ernest Haeckel’s drawings of wildlife, but there is also a remark made by another character about his being in accord with Nazi attitudes.  According to the article about Ernest Haeckel on Wikipedia , he was a pre-Nazi advocate of their doctrines.  It seemed to me that Jamie Thornton was showing us that historical personages who are highly regarded by individuals in our own time may not conform to contemporary standards.  

The complexity with which Jamie Thornton approaches her themes, her characters and the African milieu is what makes Rhinoceros Summer an excellent piece of fiction.

I received this e-book for free from the author through a Booklikes giveaway.