Tag Archives: adventure

Review & #giveaway – Rum Runner by Tricia Leedom @tricialeedom @xpressotours

July 7, 2017 britishbookworm2014 Leave a comment

Book details:

Rum Runner by Tricia Leedom
(The Key West Escape, #1)
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: July 18th 2017
Genres: Adult, Adventure, Romance

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Janet Evanovich, this action-packed debut from a fresh voice in contemporary romance offers a sexy and comedic take on love, adventure, and what it means to trust your heart.

English socialite Sophie Davies-Stone has been longing to meet her father since she was a little girl. When he sends her a mysterious medallion and asks her to forward it to him in Miami, she can’t help herself from doing something totally un-Sophie-like. Rather than mailing it as instructed, Sophie hops on a flight to Florida.

But the family reunion never happens. Instead, Sophie is attacked and almost kidnapped by her father’s enemies. Her savior is Jimmy Panama, a cocky and annoyingly handsome former Navy SEAL. Sophie isn’t the only one who’s annoyed. After years of trying to find a way to pay back his CO, Jimmy never thought his debt would get him mixed up with his commander’s uptight, British daughter. He just wants to put her on the next flight home and get back to his low-stress life in Key West, but fate has other plans.

As Sophie and Jimmy embark on a heart-pounding adventure through Key West and the Caribbean, Sophie finds herself falling for the snarky American. Still, her head says Jimmy is all wrong for her, and the more she finds out about him – and her father – the more uncertain she is about who she can trust.

One thing is clear. Sophie is in way over her head, and her greatest adventure might be her last.

The Key West Escape Series
1. Rum Runner – Releases July 18, 2017!
2. Bahama Mama – Coming January 2018!

This was such a fun book to read.

The characters were colourful and three dimensional, and I particularly liked that the author didn’t shy away from the less likeable traits of both of the lead characters. Sophie IS spoilt; Jimmy IS a rogue, but neither are written in such a way as to make them caricatures of those elements.

The narrative flows organically and the pacing pushes the story along without any lag. The plot line isn’t too shabby either, and when taken all together, this is a glorious bit of escapism.

Perfect summer reading material!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

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TRICIA LEEDOM enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and having torrid love affairs with hot, dangerous men… even if it’s only in her own mind. When she’s not writing romantic adventure novels, she reads voraciously, tweets compulsively, and fangirls over a TV show based on her favorite book series.

Tricia earned her BA in Creative Writing from The University of Tampa and her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her favorite authors include Diana Gabaldon, J.R. Ward, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Karen Robards, and Johanna Lindsey. She lives in Southwest Florida with two very spoiled dogs.

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Enter the giveaway HERE (US/CAN only)

Review – Wayfarers Highway by Peter Petrak @peterpetrack

January 31, 2017 britishbookworm2014 Leave a comment

Book & Author Details:

Wayfarers Highway by Peter Petrak
Publication date: September 16 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Urban

A camper travels the back roads of America, but it is not what it seems. Pursued by powerful forces: a mastermind, a maniac, and a terrorist, its crew wonders if they’ll ever reach Journey’s end.

When Eloise Corwin – a longtime patient in her desert hometown’s infirmary – finds a wounded young traveler sharing her sick room; she insists that he tell her about his adventures. The young man, Orson Gregory, tells her how he found and stole a glowing gemstone, hidden for decades beneath the government-built factory beside his family farm. He tells her how he’s been chased ever since – by mercenaries, by terrorists, and by other, stranger enemies. He tells her how he threw in his lot with a real adventurer, a mythology professor, an innkeeper, and a duo of hired guns on a cross-country journey to clear his name and return home – something he’s currently failing to do. To reach safety, the motley travelers will first have to deal with each other, evade the foes that follow their every move, and tangle with other forces both strange and powerful, their fellow travelers on the Wayfarers Highway.

I think that this book is suffering with an identity crisis. I’m not sure that it knows whether it wants to be an adventure story, a magical quest or a dystopian novel.

There are so many different factions and extra elements which keep getting thrown into the plot mix, that it becomes a lot to follow, despite the fact that the narrative is not particularly fast paced.

And the main character, Orsen? He too seems to display character traits which are at odds with each other, dependant upon where the story is: by turns self centred, then a hero of sorts and then a fighter? It’s just too inconsistent.

But really, the final straw for me, as I was plodding through the story? I realised that I didn’t care what happened to the characters.

A DNF for me I’m afraid.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Amazon (universal link)

In addition to writing the Wayfarers Highway novels, Peter Petrack is also a composer and performing trombonist. In recent years, he has found growing success as a writer of Jazz, as well as Orchestral, Choral, and Band Works. Between these two artistic businesses, Peter has frequently been forced to write in the third person. He lives in Pennsylvania, where he is constantly surrounded by pieces of paper.

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Reviews

Review – School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino @CTMannino @bookpubservices

July 23, 2016 britishbookworm2014 Leave a comment

Book & Author Details:

School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino
(The Scythe Wielder’s Secret #1)
Publication date: May 14th 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure

School of Deaths (The Scythe Wielder’s Secret, Book 1):

Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.

Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who subjugate a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.

As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn’t an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she’s been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.

Although this is described as a Young Adult novel, I think that it is probably aimed squarely at the younger end of that age bracket.

The author’s world building is detailed and consistent, with enjoyable character interactions. The mythology created is inventive and entertaining.

I did, however, find this book to be a bit long, and the story didn’t completely grab me. That said, it’s not a bad book, just not for me.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

What others are saying about School of Deaths:

“If you like Harry Potter, you’ll love this!” – Sasha Alsberg, A Book Utopia

“Wonderful! Addictive! Two thumbs up! The plot itself was beyond intriguing. It definitely took me for a spin. I wasn’t expecting the story to take me where it did, and it definitely kept me guessing all the way toward the end. The author did a wonderful job at keeping me both entertained and fascinated by the world he created. Would recommend School of Deaths to YA lovers everywhere.” – Kristy Centeno, author of The Keeper Witches series and the Secrets of the Moon series.

“The characters are well developed, the story is complex and non-stop. Lots of surprises along the way. A dash of romance, lots of intrigue, mystery, and fantasy. This was a book I didn’t want to end.” – Montzalee Wittman

“Loved this book! Suzie is a wonderfully well written and in depth main character. I understood her struggle and appreciated her growth throughout the book.” – Ann Andrews

“Not just a book for young adults, but an imaginative read for everyone who likes something a little bit different. 5 Stars!” – Reader’s Favorite

Christopher Mannino’s life is best described as an unending creative outlet. He teaches high school theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition to his daily drama classes, he runs several after-school performance and production drama groups. He spends his summers writing and singing. Mannino holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Catholic University, and has studied mythology and literature both in America and at Oxford University. His work with young people helped inspire him to write young adult fantasy, although it was his love of reading that truly brought his writing to life.

Christopher’s debut novel School of Deaths (The Scythe Wielder’s Secret, Book 1) was published in May 2014 by MuseItUp Publishing. The second book in the trilogy, Sword of Deaths (The Scythe Wielder’s Secret, Book 2), was published in August 2015. The third book Daughter of Deaths is expected to be released in 2016. His series has received rave reviews and been compared to Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

Christopher’s wife Rachel Mannino is also an author. She writes romance books. To learn more, go to http://www.rachelmannino.com/

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Tag Archives: adventure

Review – Wayfarers Highway by Peter Petrak @peterpetrack

Review – School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino @CTMannino @bookpubservices

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