Beneath the Crimson Cloak by Jill Ramsower

Author: Jill Ramsower

Title: Beneath the Crimson Cloak

(Fae Games #4.5)

Genre: Fantasy & short story

Pages: ebook

Published: August 3, 2019

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon freebie)

Morgan Le Fay awakes from her capture in the one place she doubted she’d ever see again—Seelie Lands. Only problem? She’s a prisoner on a vast forested estate. After a month of isolation and frustration, she makes an uneasy alliance with a new furry friend only to discover her canine bed-mate is much more than he seems. The classic tale of Little Red and her Big Bad told with a delightfully wicked Fae twist in this Fae Games short story!

A random pick up from Amazon. Ya'll know how much I love my freebies ;) But yes, a freebie but an intriguing one. 

This is a short tale about Morgan who was kidnapped and taken to the Seelie Lands. After a month of isolation and a burning hatred she decides to make an uneasy relationship. 

This is book 4.5 but it was for sure good as a standalone. I believe it is a prequel to this character in the next book. Not 100% sure there. However, it did make me curious about book 1 now. This short did it's job alright! I want more from Morgan and I want more from this world. 

This cover is beauttttiffuuuullllllllllllllllllllll! SO striking. 

I felt so bad for Morgan especially when we get the backstory and her kidnapping tale. Her poor mom. 

This was merely a sip and I want more. I recommend this if you want to get your toe wet before trying the first book in the series . 5 stars for me. Intriguing world!

Carole's Sunday: Pride and Sensuality - PO Dixon

Author: P.O. Dixon

Narrator: Pearl Hewitt

Title: Pride and Sensuality (Darcy and Elizabeth Short Stories)

Genre: Historical Romance, PP variation, & Short story

Pages: Audiobook

Published:  March 27th 2014

Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

With his mind agreeably engaged on the pleasures that await him once he and his dearest, loveliest Elizabeth are man and wife, Darcy's patience wanes, and he begins to wonder if he will ever find time alone with his betrothed.

Elizabeth is not oblivious of the discomfort Darcy must surely suffer. Not only does she have the key to his heart; she knows how to use it.

A random find on Audible. I was feeling a short story and I think I needed a little Darcy/Elizabeth in my life. 

The story follows Elizabeth and Darcy after Elizabeth said 'yes' to the propose. It is a few days before the wedding and they are in a lot of love and lust. 

This was sweet and short and gave me the Elizabeth/Darcy fix I needed. They are adorable and I loved the interactions not only between them but between all the siblings. It was cute. 

Now - I was a little thrown off with the title. There really was no smexy time. It was nice to just see them kissing and talking and Darcy introducing Elizabeth to new things like cocoa. There was a lot of lust, but they are creatures of their time so I can see them waiting for their marriage but doing other things instead. 

Read one by the author a while back and I remember it being meh, but I like the writing style. Glad I gave this one a try! It made me more curious about the author.

I do wish it was longer. It ended at an awkward moment story-wise.

The narrator was perfect for an Austen-y story. I want to listen more by her. 

In the end, I liked this. Short and sweet. I wanted more at the end there. I'll give this 3 stars. For sure worth it if you need some Austen-y type stories in your life. 

Seasons of Sorcery anthology

Kindle Edition, 370 pages

Published November 13th 2018 by Brightlynx Publishing

Fantasy romance/UF

for review

My Thoughts and Synopsis

WINTER'S WEB BY JENNIFER ESTEP

An assassin at a renaissance faire. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if you’re Gin Blanco. This Spider is trapped in someone else’s icy web—and it seems like they don’t want her to leave the faire alive . . .

The story was ok and all, but, I have only read one Gin book and that was ageeees ago. I never read more. And I did feel like fans would love this so much more. While I was all, ok she is an Assassin. I guess those are her friends and BF. So she kicks some ass and saves the day

A CURSE FOR SPRING BY AMANDA BOUCHET

A malevolent spell strangles the kingdom of Leathen in catastrophic drought. Prince Daric must break the curse before his people starve. A once-mighty goddess trapped in a human body might be the key—but saving his kingdom could mean losing all that he loves.

This was a nice fantasy romance. Leathen grows up with the former Goddess of Spring. Oh I would have liked more of that. I know that this was only a novella, but still! This would have been a great book.

The country is dying. Can Leathen and Rain save the day? There are baddies trying to stop them and well obvi these two will have feelings for each other. Took them long enough!

Nice story

THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER BY JEFFE KENNEDY

As unofficial consort to the High Queen, former mercenary Harlan Konyngrr faces a challenge worse than looming war and fearsome dragons. His long-held secrets threaten what he loves most—and he must make a choice between vows to two women.

I know I often say that everything works as a stand alone, but here, well you really should read the rest.

As for what happened...FINALLY! OMG I HAVE WAITED FOR THAT. Happiness is something all should have.

Also, when will we meet Jenna again? Is she still alive? Arghhhh

A WILDERNESS OF GLASS BY GRACE DRAVEN

The stretch of sea known as The Gray rules the lives of those in the village of Ancilar, including widow Brida Gazi. In the aftermath of an autumn storm, Brida discovers one of the sea's secrets cast onto the shore—a discovery that will change her world, mend her soul, and put her in the greatest danger she's ever faced. 

I did not expect that and I did learn something I always wondered about, well at least Draven came up for one explanation lol.

I have read a story set in this world before, or two? Interesting little town and now it is Brida's turn, a widow, to find something and oh I can not say too much! Spoilers.

Like maybe there is some romance *whistles*

Conclusion:

Two of these are stand alone and worked great as that. Another one does work on it's own, but I feel you get more for your money if you know the series. And the final one really should be read in its series. How else can you love Harlan and Essla!

Carole's Sunday Review: Be careful what you wish for

Author: A.C. Hutchinson

Title: Be Careful What You Wish For

Genre: Short Story, Horror

Pages: ebook

Published: October 31st 2015

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)

When David Patzpowski takes his breakfast at a motorway diner, he discovers the clientele to be a little on the strange side.

A random freebie from Amazon! Just what I was looking for. Something short and something a touch spooky. 

The story follows the man who gets everything he wishes for. I can’t say much else…but he is visited by someone who has a message to send him. 

I felt bad for him in a way because I do not really believe he truly understood he had a gift. I don’t want to believe he is a baddie….but still…maybe he did know? He had to have an inkling, but then a certain event happened and I don’t think he really knew that it was a gift. 

But yes, this was a short one. I would’ve liked a little more backstory and more about the power. Was it a power? Was it karma? Was it luck? I wanted more detail. 

Overall, though, this was a pretty good read. Didn’t scare me too much, but it does make you think. I’ll give this 4 stars. 

Carole's Sunday Review: Roses in December

Author: Matthew de Lacey Davidson

Title: Roses in December

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Short Stories

Pages: 126

Published: Jan. 2018

Where I Got It: My Shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Roses in December is a short story collection which defies categorisation. Some of the stories are haunting – others are deeply troubling.

A man receives a religious vision in his ordinary back garden; a nuclear physicist in Australia experiences a great surprise where he least expects it; a duct-tape salesman unsettles his faithful customer; Voltaire does not put his best foot forward; someone makes a grim discovery upon waking up in a prison; a psychiatrist does his best to treat a political extremist; a nineteenth-century photographer goes about his usual (and highly unusual) business; and a wealthy neighbourhood in Montreal becomes the scene of an immense and avoidable tragedy.

In twenty-two short (and extremely short) stories and fables, Matthew de Lacey Davidson cuts close to the unintended poetry and grimness of every-day existence, while at the same time enabling the reader to have compassion for those described therein.

There are 22 short stories. Some were very short indeed. Here are my thoughts: 

Neshama

A cute short story. It was an interesting glimpse into this couple's world. I wish we got more so I could see more of them. 

Quite the Spectacle

A super quick on but pretty good. I had to reread this twice. 

The Road to Hell

That poor guy!! I liked this one but it was sad and I wanted to give someone a kick in the romp. 

There Are No Spirits Here

Amazing. Breathtaking. I had goosebumps. It made me really think. There was a lot of good symbolism for our lives and society. My 2nd favorite overall!

Demystification

This felt like there was supposed to be more. It just ended. More please!

A Complicated Gesture

Wow. That was good. I was in shock but honestly? It was a great metaphor and everyone should read it. I will not spoil it, but there is a lot to talk about here. This makes you think especially after reading a certain line. SO good and creepy at the same time. My overall favorite. 

Die Ausländerinnen

I truly did not see that coming. This started off barely okay but by the end? I was utterly hooked and in awe. 

A Glorious Debut

Had a hard time getting into this one. Maybe I try it again another time. 

Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother

Not a lot was said but you still feel unsettled and worried. Lots of secrets with that family! I liked it. This was subtle but filled with lots of things there and the reader is left to just imagine and the imagination is so cruel. 

Le Déjeuner de Voltaire

What an interesting piece. I totally did not expect anything that played out. The host was annoying but the ending made me happy but also...sad. Why? I wanted more!! I wanted to see what happened AFTER dinner. 

A Summer Harvest

The moment I read the title I KNEW this one was going to be super dark. And super dark it was. What a horrid world! That poor girl! I will say no more, but this was my 3rd favorite. 

Rose in December

Awweeee this one was sad. Really good and confusing until you realize they tragedy. It did make me shudder. 

The Brick Wall

This one really struck a cord. It really speaks volumes and it made me sad and mad all in one. Lots of feelings and lots to maul over. 

Saved By the Bell

The ending had me in shock. Just.....wow. I was unsure as the story went on but then what happened happened (or not happened) and it made everything come together. Very good. 

Splitting Hairs

Too short. I wanted to know if he was going to spill the beans or not!! Too much of a cliff-hanger for my liking. 

Reluctance... 

An interesting piece. It was dark in its own way but I did chuckle.

Give Yourself a Pat on the Back

Makes you think and feel but it was just okay. 

A Thousand Words

Not what I expected but it was pretty good. 

Drink Me

This was seriously haunting and in a way, I did not expect. Another good one that shines a little light on society. 

A Dream Come True

I read this one a couple of times. The beginning had me curious to see what was going to happen next. Yessss this sure does show how fickle fate is. Holy cannoli that ending!

Your Opinion Matters

Not my favorite, but not bad overall. An interesting story for sure, but I did feel like something was missing. Not sure what. 

Looking Down

What a good way to end this collection. This was very sweet and I liked it a lot. 

Overall

This author really, truly has a way with words and presenting a story. These were all really short stories and some of them deserve more! Lots of good ideas for some full-length novels. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. A good read. I shall stamp this with *does math* I'll round up to 4 stars. 

Spring Tide - Chris Beckett

A thought-provoking collection of contemporary short stories from the winner of the Arthur C. Clarke award 2013.

Chris Beckett's thought-provoking and wide-ranging collection of contemporary short stories is a joy to read, rich in detail and texture. From stories about first love, to a man who discovers a labyrinth beneath his house, to an angel left alone at the end of the universe, Beckett displays both incredible range and extraordinary subtlety as a writer. Every story is a world unto itself - each one beautifully realized and brilliantly imagined.

Hardcover, 304 pages
Published January 3rd 2018 by Atlantic Books
Fiction Short story
For review

My thoughts:

I do not know how to review this one. There are 21 one short stories spanned over 300 pages. Do the math. Maybe just review one here and there then.  That I will do. Here are the best ones in the entire collection.

Cellar

What was up with this cellar? I need more info! How can there be a bottomless cellar?

The end of time

WOW. This one made me feel really really alone. Was it really worth it man?

Lake

Weird....he is really good at these short ones.

The Kite

How we miss things when they are gone. Is this a collection about loneliness? No happy ones so far.

The Steps

This one was good and about something horrible. That poor child...

Rage

Good point at the end, good point. And a sad one

Ooze

A creepy sea creature...

The man who swallowed himself

What the h? These are weird and good

Sky

Nice finish, though not a conclusion to that story, I think this one needs an entire book. I really want to know what's going on

So this was just a few of them. There are others dealing with people growing apart, lost chances and just taking a look at a moment in your life. Some are not a good, some are sad, some are weird, all in all making it one interesting collection of short stories. They all work perfectly just as they are, it's like walking by a window, looking in and moving on. You do not need to know what happened before you walked by, you are there now.

Conclusion:
A good and interesting collection

Carole's Sunday Review: A very country Christmas

Author: Zara Stoneley
Title: A Very Country Christmas (Tippermere #2.5)

Genre: Historical Romance and Short Story

Pages: ebook

Published: October 2015

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon freebie)

A short Christmas story of three courses.

Love is in the air in Tippermere as Lottie dreams of a white Christmas with no trimmings – other than her hot and hunky eventer, Rory. But things are never quite that simple on the Tipping House Estate.
Festive fervour takes over and it isn’t all seasonal peace and goodwill as expectations rise and it soon escalates from cosy dinner for two, to all the trimmings for ten!

With missing turkeys, loose horses, troublesome terriers and randy huntsmen, Lottie is hard pushed to find time for a kiss under the mistletoe, let alone find the opportunity to woo Rory with her sexy Santa costume.

But there is only one thing Lottie really wants for Christmas, and only one man can deliver it…

Here I go again reading a book in the middle of a series. At least this one was pretty decent as a standalone, so I don't feel I missed a whole bunch. There were some references and back story I could tell I was missing, but the story still did well without it. 

This story follows Lottie and her family. I liked her and her beau Rory a lot. I was rooting for him to give her the one thing she really wants!

The story was fun a few slow parts that seemed to drag on and on. I had to skim a couple of times for my sanity. After a while I did get used to the occasional lull in the story, it seemed to be a part of the author's writing style. 

Honestly? This made me in the mood for Xmas. LOL It was very Christmas-y, but done in a good way where it wasn't obnoxious. I may put up my tree a little sooner than I normally do this year ;) So yes...this is a good way to start your Xmas reading for sure. 

There were some lulls, but I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot, so I found it was worth the read. It helped that this was a freebie lol! I loved that this was a quick read even with the lulls here and there. 

If you need a good, quick Xmas book this is the one for you. Fun characters and a fun story to get you in the holiday mood. I'll stamp this with...mmmmmmm....3 stars.

Carole's Sunday Review: Cross Cutting

Author: Wendy Hammer

Title: Cross Cutting The Trilogy

Genre: Paranormal, short stories, & Urban Fantasy

Pages: ebook

Published: July 2017

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion.)

This gritty urban fantasy by Wendy Hammer is an omnibus of three novellas: The Thin, The Hollow, and The Marrow, and features two new short stories.

The Thin: Strange vans roam the streets as people go missing or turn up dead. The city can't fight the monsters alone. Trinidad O'Laughlin is a guardian looking for a territory to bond with and protect. Indiana's distress call may give her a chance at one--if she can survive long enough to take it.

The Hollow: Ache Vetrov is clairvoyant and a caretaker of secrets and lost things. When a mysterious wave of violence threatens to overwhelm the city of Lafayette, Ache begins to investigate. He and Trinidad O'Laughlin uncover creatures with concave faces devoid of feeling or mercy. Ache, Trinidad, and their friends must hold strong if they hope to find a way to stop the monstrous invasion before it erases everything.

The Marrow: Trinidad O'Laughlin has people to love and a city to watch over. Lafayette has become a true home. Her newfound peace is shattered when another cut opens in her territory and unleashes the malevolent force behind the previous invasions. Trinidad and her friends must defeat it before the whole world falls to its hunger.

What a fun world and fun ride! There were three short novellas and then two short stories.

The Thin:

Not a bad introduction to the world and characters. It started a little shaky though. The dialogue was shaky as well As the story unfolded it got better on both accounts. I started to understand what was going on and start getting invested in the world. I was still a little confused about Trinidad and her powers. I didn't really get it even near the end. Maybe it was just me?

I liked Ache and Iris, but I LOVED Fireman Dan. Cute old man. 

The Thins were creepy, but I wanted to learn more about them. They were interesting. 

The chemistry between Trinidad and Ache made me angry. JUST KISS ALREADY! *shakes fist* But kuddos to the author for making this chemistry and for not making this a paranormal romance that just focuses on them. Yes, there is some love, but it is not the focus. Kicking the baddies butt was the main objective and I liked it. 

I hated the ending though. It made me sad. I wanted to throw my kindle.

In the end, this was okay. A good intro to the world and characters. I'll give it a 3. 

The Hollow:

Ooooooooh! I love this being in Aches POV. It allowed us, the readers, to learn more about Aches and his feisty sis, Iris. I had liked Aches in the first short story, but now I love him.

I was hooked from page one. I blow right through this one. 

The unfolding of the story and the dialogue was WAY better in this one. Everything felt more natural and less awkward. 

We were able to learn more about Aches and Iris, but we were able to learn more about Trinidad, so that made me happy. Questions I had from the last short story was answered in this one, so that made me happy as well.

We were introduced to Marshall who the about the cheesiest person alive. Hello, soulmate! LOL!

The ending was good. I liked this one SO much more. Out of five, I'll give this 5. 

The Morrow:

Sighs. Back to Trinidad's POV. I do like her, but I like Aches much more and a part of me was hoping for Iris' POV. One can always hope and dream. 

This was a little scarier than the last two and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to beat this new baddie. I wasn't sure what to expect! 

I can't really say much else without giving away major spoilers, but I feel like the other two stories were just practice for this baddie. There was a lot on the line and you could feel it on each page. We got to see more and learn more about everyone. 

This was good but not as good as the last one. I'll give it 4 stars. 

All Your Fears:

This was super short. I really feel like it needed more pages to really come to life. It was okay, but not great. It felt like it just ended. No real resolution. Maybe I am just spoiled now with the longer novellas before it? Who knows. I'll give this 2. 

Snow Days:

Another short one, but this, I feel, had the right amount of pages. I am happy that I got to see more of Iris. It was a fun little short story and I want to see more of Iris and Carmela in the future. I'll give this 5 stars. It was really good. 

Conclusion:

In the end, this was a fun journey as I mentioned before. A very interesting group of pals saving the cities they love. Very interesting concepts and the writing was done well. I want more for sure! Maybe a full-length novel in the future! Now...overall stars? *does math* I shall stamp this with 4 stars.