REVIEW/RELEASE BLITZ: INK by Elizabeth Hunter

~Synopsis~

It’s everything but business as usual.

Emmie Elliot hadn’t expected to come back to Metlin, California. She definitely didn’t expect to stay. She returned to her childhood home with a mission: Sell the building that housed her grandmother’s book store and move on with her life.

But life doesn’t always go according to plan.

To reopen her grandmother’s book shop, Emmie will need a hook. She’ll need a strategy. She’ll need an… Ox?

Miles Oxford doesn’t have much interest in quiet bookstore owners. He’s a tattoo artist without a space to work, and the last thing he wants is to get involved with anyone after his last disaster of a relationship. Work and pleasure don’t mix for Ox, but since he doesn’t have any interest in the cute girl with the bold business proposal, he should be safe from any awkward complications, right?

She sells ink. He tattoos it. Unusual? Yes. But a book shop/tattoo studio might be the ticket for both Emmie and Ox to find success on their own terms. As long as they keep their attention focused on business.

Just on business.

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~Book Review~

 4 Stars

Emmie Elliot, 27, can’t resist the opportunity to open her own bookstore so she takes a chance on her grandmother’s old shop after she passes. She also can’t resist the hot tattoo artist who’d make a pleasing addition to the work space. Miles Oxford, 28, otherwise known as Ox, is out of a relationship and out of a work space. When the cute book girl makes him an attractive offer, he hopes he doesn’t repeat his mistakes.  

 “‘Thanks for dreaming big enough for both of us.’”

This story is written in 3^rd person, which I generally have huge problems connecting with in romance so major points for keeping me engaged. I still would have preferred a dual first person, but the writing was smooth and it flowed well.

I also liked the premise—books and tattoos; yeah I could get lost in that shop for several hours. I seriously think the real world should emulate fiction on this concept.

Both main characters and the side characters were likable. Ox was a sweet, good guy. Swooned a little over his interest in books. Wanted to shake him a little over his work ethics. Emmie was a down-to-earth, responsible heroine. Liked her tattoos and collection of book t-shirts. Wished she would have quit stressing that she was inferior to other females at times. She otherwise had a solid head on her shoulders and was a sweet person. This is a slow burn romance, but the chemistry between them is very palpable. I appreciated how they stressed taking their time and how the reader saw the relationship grow from friends to more.

 “‘All the best romances have to bubble under the surface for a while.’”

All in all, it was an enjoyable romance. I only have one complaint—the kissing scene with Ginger in the opening which all the girls observe and gush over how hot it is. Not only was this utterly counterproductive to the upcoming romance between Ox and Emmie (the real focus of the story), as well as a turn-off, but it made no sense about a chapter later when Ox states he’s been wanting to end it for months and they’ve been living as roommates rather than lovers.  That scene was just completely unnecessary, and why it was brought up again at the end, well I think the author should have heeded her own character’s advice when Ox replies, “‘Don’t remind me.’” Exactly! It served no point in the story. Incidentally, Ginger and Ox’s fight and break-up—now that was kinda funny.

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~Giveaway~

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ELIZABETH HUNTER is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and paranormal mystery author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening. She’s the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, and the Cambio Springs Mysteries.

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COVER REVEALS & SALES: The Good Guys series by Jamie Schlosser

~NEW COVERS~

“She licked her lips and my body suddenly felt electrified, like a soda can after it got shaken up, ready to combust.”

Book Review

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*March 9-15, 2018*

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“The first lick made me gasp. The second swipe had me gripping the headboard so hard my knuckles turned white.” 

Book Review

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*March 9-15, 2018*

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~SALE~

FREE

*March 9-13, 2018*

Book Review & Character Interview

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“And when she fell asleep, her ear was right over my heart—the heart that was becoming a little less mine and a little more hers every day.”

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Cover Reveal

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Book Boyfriend Interviews

BOOK REVIEW: Ticket to Love by R.C. Matthews

~Synopsis~

After only one year on the police force, I’m already eyeing my first promotion. Chasing my dreams is hard when my family is disappointed that I chose not to run our family B&B. Not to mention writing tickets, keeping the peace, and arresting criminals is hard on your love life. 

That’s why I went for Don: he’s smoking hot and just passing through town. Our evening between the sheets was perfect … until it wasn’t. Turns out my one-night stand is actually my best friend’s wedding planner. He’s hanging out in our small town for the next three months, meeting with my friends, negotiating deals, looking at houses, and oh—he’s also the main suspect in my first police investigation. The case I must solve to become a detective. And the crux of it all? I’m falling head over heels for the guy.

I’ve dreamed my whole life of this promotion. I thought I’d never find love. Now I’m afraid I might lose both.

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~Book Review~

2.5 Stars

Kristy Stone, 23, is a police officer living in a town of judgmental busybodies. Don Cooper, 28, is the newbie in town.

I had to keep checking the copyright to make sure this was really written in 2018 because honestly it felt like a bad ‘80’s romance. The attitudes and behaviors of probably half the characters are that “retro.”

While Don’s an easy going guy with more tolerance and patience than could be expected, there’s no shortage of other jackass males in this small town.

The top prize for pompous douchery goes to one of Kristy’s brothers. This is how he talks to his little sister:

“‘Have you forgotten I’m the mayor of this town? People talk. The last thing I need is my younger sister spreading her legs for every tourist because she can’t snag a steady boyfriend.’”

Does our heroine take offense? Does she tell him to mind his own business? Does she remind him that he’s an elected official spouting sexist and slut-shaming rhetoric in public? NOPE, none of the above. Instead she insinuates that the hero is gay because he has a gay best friend. Now mind you, this is the second time Kristy has inferred that Don might be gay simply because he has gay friends.

It’s freaking 2018—gay and straight people should be able to hang out together without backwards thinking people implying that there’s something more to the friendship, as if they can’t associate with each other without something sexual happening. 

“I took the coward’s way out,” Kristy monologues as an excuse.

No, you took the bigoted way out! And then she absolves herself of any guilt over the whole situation by reconciling that he’ll be leaving town soon.

Next, Don’s career as a wedding planner spawns more outdated thinking.  

“‘…no self respecting guy plans weddings for a living unless he’s gay.’”

*checks copyright again*

Call me enlightened, call me progressive, but I found nothing odd about a man being a wedding planner. Why the characters in this story obsessed so much about it utterly baffled me.

Enter misogynist jerk #2, a male police officer. ‘What self-respecting man does a woman’s job?’” he asserts. Then jerks #3-6, also another male officer and three no names, make kissing noises after knocking Don’s profession and the fellow officer makes what even Kristy characterizes as “thinly veiled comments about Don’s sexual orientation.” Does Kristy report this to their superior? Nope. And in fact, the chief of police, along with this fellow officer, engage in what is tantamount to sexual harassment as well as makes derogatory statements about gay men.

Jerk #7 comes in the form of Kristy’s neighbor who grabs his junk and proclaims, “Anyone with these doesn’t take offense to dumbass wisecracks.” Translation: women should just suck it up and laugh off sexual harassment in the workplace.

By now you can probably guess that I’ve lost any respect I had for Kristy in the beginning when she appeared to simply be a perky and friendly officer just doing her job. Not only does she not stand up to these men who devalue, degrade, and harass her, but she continually obsesses over what people might think about her while repeatedly letting them influence her opinions.

“But I’m keeping my mouth shut. I never confront my brother so directly on our issues.”

In addition, her handling of the detective case raised my eyebrows on more than one occasion when she shared information that could have compromised the case.

All in all, while the premise of the story hints at defying gender roles, what the narrative perpetuates is tired fallacies and misinformed beliefs. Kristy too often partakes in dated ways of thinking.

“Turns out I’m not much different than the people who won’t give me a fair chance.”

If the story really wanted to make a positive message, then Kristy would have had a backbone; her brother’s obnoxious comments to her would have gone viral, causing him to lose re-election; and Kristy’s co-workers and boss would have been suspended pending an internal investigation.

Come on Kristy, say it loudly: #METOO

Told via Kristy’s sole first person POV, this is a light-hearted romantic suspense. The mystery was meh, and the love scenes were meh, but it’s safe. So it’s got that going for it.

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COVER REVEAL: Outcast by Jamie Schlosser

Genre: A New Adult/College Standalone Romance

Release Date: March 15, 2018

~Synopsis~

KAYLA

My infatuation with Ezra Johnson started how all obsessions begin—with a simple crush. Over the years I silently soaked up every shy smile and random act of kindness, wrestling them away to a secret place in my heart meant for unrequited love.

Because if it wasn’t for the fact that I tutor him once a week, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t even know I exist.

Then I find his sketchbook.

And it changes everything.

EZRA

There are two certainties in my life: I’ve been in love with Kayla Reynolds since I was fourteen, and I can’t have her.

I’ve spent years settling for a two-dimensional fantasy world, capturing her beauty with a pencil and paper. She’s kind, smart, gorgeous… and she belongs to someone else.

Or so I thought.

An interesting turn of events makes me realize things aren’t always how they appear on the outside, and now I’ve got my chance to be the man she deserves.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been called a loser. The cripple. An outcast.

But maybe—just maybe—this time the good guy won’t finish last.

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Photographer: Lindee Robinson

Models: Brian Boynton and Destiny Hughbanks

Jamie Schlosser grew up on a farm in Illinois surrounded by cornfields. Although she no longer lives in the country, her dream is to return to rural living someday. As a stay-at-home mom, she spends most of her days running back and forth between her two wonderful kids and her laptop. She loves her family, iced coffee, and happily-ever-afters.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Woman's Bible by Elizabeth Cady Stanton & The Revising Committee

Happy Women's History Month! 👩 Knowledge is power, and, therefore, I'm recommending this read, written by an impressive group of intelligent, determined, and insightful women. Arguably, without them, women might not have the rights they have today.

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4.5/5 Stars

King Solomon took 700 wives and 300 concubines. 😦

Even stepping away from romantic fiction I still can’t get away from these manwhores! But, putting my romance reading commentary aside for a moment, I’m going to organize this review much like I did other women’s history texts that I’ve reviewed (see Who Cooked The Last Super? and A History of Women in America). I’m also going to rely more heavily on quotes from the women of the Revising Committee as their words show the profound thought and insightful analysis they provided on such a renowned text. 

What I found most interesting:  I found it quite revealing that when a group of women seek to analyze the Bible it causes more alarm than all the men who’ve been “translating” it and “revising” it for centuries. If that doesn’t illuminate the inherent sexism in most societies, I don’t know what does.

What does this book cover?

The Woman’s Bible essentially utilizes feminist and deconstructionist literary criticism to examine the ways women are presented and often marginalized in the portions of the Bible where they are included or referenced. The authors also grace us with some entertaining commentary on the “esteemed” men in these biblical women’s lives as well. This late 1800’s committee of women also looked at contradictions, omissions, and whether the women and men of these stories should be held as role models.

Relevant background/historical information:   

“Thus woman’s strongest foe have been of her own sex; and because her sense of duty and religious sentiment have been operative according to a false ideal, unintentionally women have been and will continue to be bigoted until they allow a higher ideal to penetrate their minds; until they see with the eye of reason and logic, as well as with the sentiment which has so long kept them the dependent class.” —Ursula N. Gestefeld

Published in two parts in 1895 and 1898, this title evolved out of the women’s movement, and representative of this movement, it reflects and addresses the differing schools of thought among women of their time, and in many ways still today. 

While Elizabeth Cady Stanton might have been the biggest voice of concerns regarding the interrelatedness of religion and women’s oppression, this title is a collection of various views and interpretations by a committee of women, including female reverends, called the Revising Committee.  “His Satanic Majesty was not invited to join the Revising Committee, which consists of women alone,” Stanton assures her critics in her often intellectual sardonic tone which keeps the commentary fresh and insightful.

There was no cohesive agreement in the women’s movement regarding the role of religion, and many didn’t want to touch the controversial subject. Those who did tackle the topic approached it from different standpoints, some affirming the Bible was originally the word of God but twisted over years of translation and, in places, conscious misogynist edits by men; others asserted that the Bible was not the word of God, but a historical document.

“…why should the customs and opinions of this ignorant people, who lived centuries ago, have any influence in the religious thought of this generation?” — Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Among these women, there were differences of opinion as to whether the book should be dismissed altogether or analyzed to expose the sexist rhetoric and produce social change.

“The only significance of dwelling on these women and this period of woman’s history is to show the absurdity of pointing the women of the nineteenth century to these as examples of virtues.” —Stanton

Yes, I thought the same thing, particularly when I got to the love triangle of Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah, all three seemingly obsessed with having children since that’s how their worth was measured during this time. Dude takes two wives and is miserable when both wives are constantly jealous of each other due to the fact that the first wife isn’t getting pregnant while the second is easily knocked up. Spoiler alert: wife #1 does finally get pregnant after he has sired many children with wife #2. Perhaps his greedy little peen should have stayed focused on the first wife and just gotten the job done instead of pumping away his sperm in wife #2!

Moving along…

There also appeared to be a sentiment among some of the participating women that the Bible was a mixed bag of positive inspiration, allegories, and subjection of women. Some among that line of thought felt that it was not for the masses as it has been consumed, but of an esoteric nature, and thus misunderstood by many societies and civilizations who interpret too literally. Ursula Bright in her letter stresses that it’s “quite misleading to anyone ignorant of its esotericism.”

Controversies: Obviously religion. Even during its [The Woman’s Bible] inception, many fellow suffragettes didn’t dare think or speak to question the role religion was playing in their subordinate position.  Responses to this publication are also included.  As modern readers, whatever your beliefs, this is a publication worth studying. The authors offer not just interpretation but plenty of food for thought.  

“Every religion, says a modern thinker, has curtailed the rights of woman, has subjected her to man’s ruling; in emphasizing the life beyond, the earthly existence became a secondary consideration.” –Clara B. Neyman

Assets of this text:  Multiple viewpoints from different selections are presented. It’s a great starting point for insightful discussion as it allows for varying interpretations. It is organized by books of the Bible and the corresponding verses are included.

Shortcomings of this text:  I don’t feel this is a shortcoming as it allows the text to keep it’s focus, but it is worth noting that commentary is mostly limited to passages including or referring to women. In essence, it does not cover the entire Bible.  While some readers have criticized it for “picking and choosing,” a popular practice among religious followers, the authors aren’t making a sermon or preaching a gospel; they are conducting a critical analysis more akin to a scholarly level where it is customary to limit discussion to the quotes and points relevant to the thesis.

How I felt reading this book:  

Accepting anything at blind faith can be risky and dangerous. If nothing else, it’s contrary to how we learn and grow. As a former English lit major, I feel every piece of writing is open to analysis and critique and no work is above reproach. That being said, I think The Woman’s Bible is an often forgotten but valuable publication that has never reached the wider audience it was intended for and who would benefit from it.

“The ideal womanhood portrayed by ancient writers has had by far too much sway. The prevailing type which permeates all literature is that of inferiority and subjections….Ancient literature is wholly against the equality of the sexes or the rights of women, and subordinates them in every relation of life. The writing of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, are no exception to this rule.” –Louisa Southworth

Is this a feminist text? 

Yes. The Woman’s Bible sets out to discuss the far reaching effects that this most widely read, and often revered, publication has had on the rights of and attitudes towards one half of the population.

Why this text is still relevant: 

Amen Elizabeth!

With churches and religious groups still influencing public policy as well as vast institutions (such as marriage) across the globe, this title is still very relevant.

“The greatest block to advancing civilization all along the line has been the degradation of women.” — Stanton

It’s also worth noting that Frances Ellen Burr includes a discussion on other translations and commentaries in the works and recently published at the time of The Woman’s Bible’s publication.  On the eve of a new century, she imparts a hopeful tone and predicts a day of spiritual enlightenment when the Bible is “not above the application of reason and of common sense.”  Bright also felt that in due time the future generations will exalt in the good of the Bible while righting the wrongs for “the needs of humanity and the advance of knowledge.”  It’s now over 100 years later; have we reached that level of enlightenment?

 “So long as they mistake superstition for religious revelation, they will be content with the position and opportunities assigned them by scholastic theology. They will remember to ‘keep their place’ as thus defined. Their religious nature is warped and twisted through generations of denominational conservatism”  —Gestefeld

“You would better educate ten women into the practice of liberal principals than to organize ten thousand on a platform of intolerance and bigotry.”  —Susan B. Anthony

How I got this book/Why I read this book/My background: 

I downloaded a free e-book version of this text from Amazon. The formatting as a result of  being a scanned text was not perfect, but it was still easily readable. I’ve included this publication as part of my children’s homeschool studies curriculum for social studies/women’s history. I have children of both genders and aim to provide a more comprehensive study of history and political science than most textbooks offer. It’s just as important for girls to be knowledgeable of their heritage as it is for boys to learn the value women have provided to societies since the dawn of time alongside the subordination they were thrust into in order for our current society to continue working towards equality of the sexes.  I have a background in women’s literary theory.

Genre:  Non-fiction/World History/ Women’s History/Political & Social Sciences/Gender Studies/Theology

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~Of Related Interest~

Book Review

Book Review

BOOK REVIEW: Sharing Rylee by D. Kelly

3.5 Stars

Rylee Stafford, 28, can’t decide between her new love interest Pete Rafferty and her longtime on-again/off-again love Nick Morris. Rylee feels the pressure to choose while struggling with her ultimate fantasy.

I think I picked this up as a freebie at some point. It’s been sitting on my kindle for a while, and I just now gave it a try.  It drew me in and it was pretty hot….Okay really hot, especially Nick who was also sweet.  I should point out that while I generally don’t have a problem reading ménages provided they have a group HEA, I don’t do love triangles. Initially it seems like Rylee and Nick and Pete’s love story is a triangle, but it’s really a ménage romance or more accurately a triad relationship.

On one hand, this story offers the feel-good perfect coupling signature of many romantic reads. In fact, Rylee frustrated me in the beginning because her perfect happily-ever-after is literally right in front of her, and yet she didn’t communicate very well with either of the men in her life. On the other hand, the story maintains a realistic approach to the topic. The three character’s struggles with their sexuality are detailed, Rylee’s therapy sessions are depicted, and stress and anxiety over family reactions is portrayed. There’s no insta-love or insta lust driving this plot.  Rylee, Nick, and Pete’s desire for an alternative relationship as well as their love for each other is aptly developed.  

“‘…you don’t get to be ashamed of who you are. Of what God made you. Made us. People may not understand it, but that’s their burden to bear, not ours.’”

I also give major points for the positive discussions of sexuality and acceptance of non-traditional pairings.

“‘…just because your sexuality isn’t the norm, doesn’t mean you’re not normal.’”

The glaring flaw in this otherwise engaging erotic romance was the abrupt shift from first to third person for part two. Until this almost half way point, the story is narrated by Rylee, Nick, and Pete, allowing the reader to hear all three perspectives and become invested in their individual as well as shared struggles. But once the third person narrator, a detached observer, kicks in, I was pulled out of the story and struggled in what were otherwise anticipated and critical scenes. The POV change was not just abrupt and annoying, but made me feel cheated of the character’s inner thoughts and reactions for the rest of the tale. This narration switch appears to be a poor editorial decision.

Sharing Rylee is the second book in a series, the previous title depicting Rylee’s twin brother and his girlfriend’s romance. I have not read Chasing Cassidy so that may be why there were places where it seemed like backstory was referenced. I was still able to easily follow this one though.

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REVIEW/RELEASE: Fix My Fall by Carey Heywood

Series: The Fix #3

Genre: Romantic Comedy

~Blurb~

Abby Thompson’s love life is a disaster. Everyone around her is blissfully falling in love, while she’s busy binge watching anime. The last thing she needs is a walking temptation, in the form of ex-nerd turned dreamy astrophysics professor, Spencer Hill, aka her new client.

It’s her job to find Spencer his dream home, NOT fantasize about a ride on his space rocket. But the sparks between them are impossible to ignore, and soon, Abby is wondering if her losing streak in love could be turning around.

Can she get over her anxiety he’s got her out-brained, and can he let go of the past and the fear that the girl he crushed on in high school is still out of his league?

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~Book Review~

3 Stars

Spencer Hill is an astrophysicist working at the university in his old home town in New Hampshire.  Abby Thompson is the peppy younger sister to Noah and Asher from the first two books. Acquaintances back in high school, when Spencer needs a realtor, his mother knows who to call.

Like the heroes in the series books before him, Spencer is an upstanding guy—a real gentleman.

“I’m not going to make her jealous, and I’m not going to force myself on her.”

He avoids some popular romance pitfalls, displaying his maturity and intelligence. While Noah remains my favorite hero from this series, Spencer is a good guy too.

Abby was a cute supporting character in the previous books, seemingly confident and even a bit of a matchmaker so I was disappointed when Abby’s insecurities showed in her own relationship. Eventually she handled it well, but I would have had more respect for her if she’d also confided in/conversed with Spencer about her feelings.

Fitting with the rest of the series, the story is low angst and slow burn. While the steam level has never been high, I don’t know what happened with this one. The sex scenes are fade-to-black or skipped over. It definitely could have benefited from some more details and to be spiced up.

One other item to note, which pulled me out of the story to ponder and felt a bit awkward dialogue wise. There’s what I would deem an inaccurate exchange between Abby and Spencer where Abby claims that all professors are doctors in regards to the titles Spencer and his colleague go by, which Spencer confirms, and then asserts that ‘professor’ is a cooler name than ‘doctor.’   While the later could be construed as simply her opinion, most Ph.D holders I’ve ever known would certainly prefer ‘Dr.’ over ‘professor’ when being addressed since they put in the time and study and earned that degree. In fact, some professors would even take offense to not being called ‘Dr.’ The terms are not entirely interchangeable as most but not all professors (post secondary teachers) hold doctorate degrees. You can teach at a college level with a master’s as well (probably more likely an adjunct position as opposed to tenure track); hence often where the ‘professor’ title is used by the students since they can’t call them “Dr.” While ‘Professor’ is the highest ranking position as opposed to ‘Associate Professor’ and ‘Assistant Professor’ among the faculty hierarchy, typically students don’t pay a lot of attention to that.

Told via Abby and Spencer’s alternating first person POV, this third book in the series can be read as a standalone. The previous couples make appearances. 

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Carey Heywood is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Supporting her all the way are her husband, three sometimes-adorable children, a mischievous black cat, German Shepherd rescue puppy, and their nine-pound attack Yorkie.

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