No-Nonsense Reviews - Objects in the Rearview Mirror by F. E. Feeley Jr.

Pros
+ Intriguing, moving story
+ Relatable characters
+ Emotive subject

YMMV
+/- Some references to earlier times in characters' relationship are never expanded on

Cons
- The writing reads a little oddly in places
- The last part of the epilogue felt superfluous

I remember vaguely reading an effusive comment about this book that prompted me to go and check it out on Amazon and, curious, I bought it, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

What I got was a surprisingly touching paranormal tale about a haunted house and a loving couple, and I absolutely could not stop reading it.  The characters felt real and spoke in a convincingly human way to each other and to friends in the story, and I really rooted for both their relationship and their sanities to remain intact.  The plot itself is intriguing, although very different from how I'd expected after the prologue, and although I kind of saw the end coming, I didn't expect its execution, which was pleasant.  Even the moral (there is one but it doesn't get in the way, I promise) is good—and is well worth remembering.

It's only when I added it to my Goodreads read list that I discovered that this is actually book #2 in the author's "Memoirs of the Human Wraiths" series, but it reads nicely as a standalone novel.  Although I marked the final paragraph of the epilogue as a 'con', I'm not sure if it may actually relate to the first book (which I'll very likely pick up now), or if it'll become relevant further along in the series, but as it is, it just feels a bit redundant and nonsensical.

Also, I don't often comment on covers, mostly because I barely notice them when they're Kindle novels, but the cover artwork is beautiful.

I've not seen that many new ghost stories (or maybe I'm not looking in the right place?), but it's nice to read a good (and genuinely creepy) example of the genre.  I'm really hoping that the author writes more!

• Goodreads page for Objects in the Rearview Mirror
• Objects in the Rearview Mirror at Dreamspinner Press

Footnote: while I was reading this book, we discovered that the toilet paper in the downstairs loo had decided to empty itself onto the floor for no apparent reason.

No-Nonsense Reviews - Forest of the Forsaken: The Witch's Snare by Joanne Brothwell

Pros
+ Interesting modern premise
+ Had good moments making the reader doubt themselves

YMMV
+/- The relationship between characters developed too quickly

Cons
- Disappointing ending

I picked up The Witch's Snare based on its premise as being a modern-day Grimm's Fairy Tale, which it most definitely is, but for the most part I considered it to be a 'middle of the road' kind of read.

It was well-enough written, well described with good sex scenes, but I found the development of the relationship between the two main characters too fast to be particularly believable.  Luckily it wasn't as incest-y as the description seemed to imply (I don't like incest stories, but I'll give anything a try once) and there wasn't any interaction between the characters before the plot started.  Although, considering the suspicions of both main characters, that they agreed to go along with the plot at all felt a little weird and slightly off—if I had the suspicions they did, I'd have run a mile.

The witches themselves were nicely creepy, particularly in the middle of the story, and I found myself second-guessing my theories a lot, particularly in an "is she-isn't she" kind of way which was nice, even though rationally I already knew the answer.  That's always the downside to reading a story based on an established tale.

Considering the nature of the plot I'd say there are little surprises in store, but some twists were interesting, but the ending came too abruptly and too neatly for me.  I'd have liked a little more and, although everything was explained, it somehow didn't feel explained quite enough to be fully satisfying...

• Forest of the Forsaken: The Witch's Snare on Goodreads
• Joanne Brothwell's Author Page

No-Nonsense Reviews - The Carr Family series by Susan Coolidge

Pros
+ Easy to read and hard to put down
+ Fairly short books
+ Likeable characters

YMMV
+/- Victorian novels, so heavy on the morality
+/- The fourth book moves focus to a secondary, less likeable, character

Cons
- The third book does not give a good account of Americans (particularly children) abroad

I was given the first three of these books as a child (there is a fifth, which I've not read), although I only really remembered the first two and part of the third.  When I first got my Kindle I found these free on the Amazon store, but I only remembered I had them recently and decided to re-read them.

The first three stories revolve around Katy Carr who starts out wild by Victorian standards, but with a kind heart, and follows how she is eventually 'tamed' with the aid of a sainted cousin and a life-changing event.  Even when she's bratty Katy is likeable, and she grows into a sensible young woman who still retains a little fire and temper while still being the model of Victorian womanhood.

It was obviously written as a kind of manual for how young Victorian women should be and can be pretty heavy-handed with it, but it is typical of its time, so to judge it too harshly for it or view it with modern eyes would be to do it a disservice.

The first two books aren't too bad, but the third makes American travellers to Europe seem unbearable, particularly the child, Amy, who becomes a complete and utter brat—definitely my least favourite out of the four I've read.

The fourth breaks away from following Katy to follow her younger sister Clover instead, which is an interesting change but I didn't find Clover, sweet as she is, as engaging as Katy and it doesn't hold the interest as much as the first three.

They're interesting reads for a snapshot of Victorian America, and they're apparently semi-autobiographical too, and they make an interesting change of pace, but I think it'll be another fifteen years before I feel the need to read them again.

• What Katy Did on Goodreads
• What Katy Did At School on Goodreads
• What Katy Did Next on Goodreads
• Clover on Goodreads

No-Nonsense Reviews - First There Wasn't, Then There Was by Troy Blackford

Pros
+ Brilliantly written and difficult to put down
+ Gripping story
+ Unexpectedly emotional

YMMV
+/- Near-impossible to categorise

To be honest, this is the most difficult book I've ever tried to review or describe.  It's just... so different, and that's not a bad thing.  It's just a little awkward in this situation, because many parts of it that make it so remarkable would be giving away spoilers.

It's well written and very difficult to put down once you've started it, but as it's quite short it's a two or three hour read.  The story flits from the present to the past, but the interruptions are well done and although I was a bit dubious about the modern-day office boys to begin with, they grew on me and shared my sense of "wait, I want to know what happens!"  Each chapter is masterfully finished, which only compounded the issue of "can't put it down!"

At one point, I was a bit confused to find myself crying at it.

I'm not sure whether it's a supernatural story, or a metaphysical one, or a metaphor for something and to be honest, I don't really care. (Although for me, I liked to take it at face value as a supernatural story.)

It's a bloody good read.

• First There Wasn't, Then There Was on Goodreads
• Buy First There Wasn't, Then There Was at Amazon

No-Nonsense Reviews - Nothing Save The Bones Inside Her by Clayton Lindemuth

Pros
+ Well written and immediately attention-catching
+ Impressive sense of foreboding
+ Very, very difficult to put down

YMMV
+/- Some sections possibly not for the squeamish
+/- Moral is a little heavy-handed near the end

Cons
- "Aughhhh noooo" (that was actually in my notes)

I have to start this by saying that if I'd known that this was a Christian novel, I probably wouldn't have bought it.  That says a lot more about me than it does about the book, which I could not put down to save my life.

The author describes it as "rural noir", which seems a more suitable category as one thing it is, is most definitely dark.  It grabbed me as soon as I started reading and refused to let go despite the feeling of doom that started very soon.  That's not to say it smacked me over the head with the foreboding; instead it builds gradually, until I realised that yes, things really were going to get that bad.

The characters were either likeable, in their own ways, or were well-written enough that I didn't mind that they were loathsome (and some really are), and yes, my note really does say "aughhhh noooo" in near-incoherent scribble, which was jotted down around the halfway mark and which I can't say any more about for fear of spoiling it.  I'll just say that later on in the book, I realised that the main character's path was going to be just a little different from what I'd expected...  The moral did become a little heavy-handed later, but it was only for one section and by then I was so hooked it didn't really matter.

It's probably not a book for the squeamish.  It starts out violently enough and while it's neither sustained or gets particularly worse, the times it does appear made even me go "huh..."

If you're not a fan of 'Christian fiction' (and this isn't like others I've read, believe me), call this one "supernatural" instead, it's equally fitting, but give it a try nonetheless.

• Author page for Nothing Save The Bones Inside Her
• Goodreads page for Nothing Save The Bones Inside Her

No-Nonsense Reviews - The Phoenix Conspiracy by Richard L. Sanders

Pros
+ Technically well written, for the most part
+ Nice cover

Cons
- Drags on too long
- Generally unlikeable characters
- Plodding pacing that never changes
- A prime example of telling, not showing
- I might as well have played Mass Effect and had fun

As part of my intention of making a dent in my unread Kindle books, I started reading this one because the cover looked interesting.

I wish I'd chosen something else instead.

While technically well written--up until the last quarter of the book, anyway--the interest piqued by the opening chapter soon goes out the window.  Calvin Cross is, it seems, intended to be a quirky and intelligent character but instead comes across as arrogant and stupid, doing things for no real reason.  Not enough time is spent with his crew, ostensibly his friends, to give you any real reason to care about them, and the love interest Summers Presley is a downright unpleasant woman.

Plot points are introduced that go nowhere and serve little purpose other than to give the main character a free source of information; I presume they're intended to be elaborated on later in the series.  At one point a minor character is revealed to speak an alien language, which is promptly disregarded a couple of pages later when they meet a friendly alien and never mentioned again.  I was actively hoping for some characters to get killed.

The main issue is that the whole novel felt like an overlong Mass Effect fanfic with the names changed.  Well, some names: I assume the passing reference to an "Alenko" was intended to be humour, but combined with some others I can link to the game series, I'm not sure.

The writing started out well, insofar as sentences were structured well and contained correct punctuation, but the pacing never changed.  There was an attempt to punch-up some sentences in the last quarter but they seemed to mostly consist of putting full stops in the middle of a sentence. And then carrying on like nothing had happened.

I really wanted to like it.  On the surface it has everything I love in a sci-fi novel, but on the whole I wish I'd just dusted off Mass Effect again.

• Goodreads page for The Phoenix Conspiracy
• Richard L. Sanders' store page for The Phoenix Conspiracy

No-Nonsense Reviews - Blackout by Emily Barr

Pros
+ Short, fast-moving story
+ Interesting plot twists
+ Large, easy-to-read font
+ Interesting presentation

YMMV
+/- Slightly implausible ending

Cons
- Very few contractions in writing makes it feel stilted and simplified

I picked up this book at Waterstones on a whim without knowing anything about the author and little about the plot as the blurb isn't exactly detailed--but for £1 you can hardly go wrong.  I finished it in around an hour (they really are quick reads).

It didn't start entirely promisingly as the writing felt a bit stilted, but once beyond the first chapter things picked up and I found that I couldn't tear myself away.  The change in font between present and past sections was jarring but made it clear at a glance exactly when things were happening, and the starkness of the font for the past sections was an interesting choice given the plot.

It doesn't take long for you to start feeling sorry for Sophie and the plot moves at a fair lick, being well paced despite the slightly odd way it's written.  It manages to keep you on her side despite the events of the past and you root for her in the present sections, although the ending came a little quickly and I wasn't wholly sure I believed in it.

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable way to while away an hour or so.

• Goodreads page for Blackout

No-Nonsense Reviews - The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Pros
+ A kind, tenacious main character you can empathise with
+ Easy, flowing writing
+ Sweet and believable relationships between characters
+ Strong supporting characters

YMMV
+/- The writing was in places a little too breathless for me

Cons
- The After was a little disappointing

I saw a recommendation for this book on the author Jenny Trout's blog and, as I've always been a fan of myths retold, bought it.  And then, in the usual way of things, it sat unread for a few months before I saw it again and thought, oh hey, I'll read that one now.

I didn't have any particular expectations, but fell in love quickly with both the author's writing style and Persephone, the main character.  For quite a young and naïve girl she has the strength to stand by her convictions, even when they run the risk of backfiring spectacularly on her--and there never felt like there was any guarantee that they wouldn't.  It always felt as though there was an element of danger to her decisions.  It also didn't read like a "classicly YA" story; I quickly forgot its genre as it contains certain delicately-written love scenes that wouldn't be out of place in some of the non-YA romance I've read.

The ending was satisfying, which is possibly why the After section felt a little like a let-down, jarring in comparison to the end of the story itself.  It makes sense and fits in, it just felt a little discordant following on from the rest of the story--but it certainly doesn't detract from the overall effect of a touching love story that converts a myth into something wonderful.

• Goodreads page for The Dark Wife
• Sarah Diemer's The Dark Wife store page

No-Nonsense Reviews - Come To Me by Megan Derr

Pros
+ Well-written with an easy, readable style
+ Likeable (frankly adorable) characters
+ Brilliant sex scenes

YMMV
+/- Might not make sense if you've not read Black Magic

Cons
- Not long enough!

It's quite hard to condense my feelings about this book into a coherent review, mostly because I'd preordered it, pounced on it the minute it became available and proceeded to squee pretty much all of the way through it.

I love the characters involved.  I fell pretty heavily for them in Black Magic, which I couldn't put down, so getting to read more about them was fantastic, although I (selfishly) would have loved the stories to be longer.  Both stories were sweet and both characters' personalities shone through along with just how much they love one another--and both managed to stab me sharply in the soul, something the first book also succeeded in.

I recommend picking it up for a short, fun and frisky read (both chapters contain sex), but don't blame me if you're just forced to have to buy the first one too.

• Goodreads page for Come to Me
• Buy at Less Than Three Press

• Buy Black Magic at Less Than Three Press

No-Nonsense Reviews - Blood Skies by Steven Montano

Pros
+ Interesting, likeable characters
+ A very different take on fantastical creatures
+ Emotive, clear description

YMMV
+/- Became very afraid of getting attached to characters very quickly

Cons
- Sometimes prone to repetition

I started reading Blood Skies, I have to admit, out of an urge to deal with the fact I have a ton of books on my Kindle, and I've read only a fraction of them.

However, it didn't take long for me to become hooked.  The story, after an initial moment of "what the hell is going on?" soon grabbed me and didn't put me down again until I'd finished.  I quickly grew fond of the likeable Eric Cross and his sister and, wanting to know more about them and the world they inhabited, didn't want to stop reading until I got to the bottom of what was happening to them.

The world was clearly described, to the point where I could imagine every scene and location in detail.  The only downside was that some facts and points were repeated after only a short time, probably to hammer home their importance but it instead gave me an odd feeling of déjà vu.  It wasn't enough to become a major detraction, but just enough to be a little irritating.  Maybe I'd have noticed it less if I'd not finished it in only a couple of sittings.

However the plot, pacing and ending were all more than satisfying; as soon as I finished it I ordered the second one and I'm looking forward to reading it.

• Goodreads page for Blood Skies
• Steven Montano's Blood Skies Series page

No Nonsense Reviews: Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran

Pros
+ Well-written, easy to follow text
+ Real-world examples and quotes from authors
+ Optimistic outlook

 Cons
- Several sections are now slightly outdated

I bought this while in a mild panic over one of my own projects, due to it being referenced in another "how-to" book I was reading.  It was a quick read (around a day at most) and contained several helpful hints, many of which were useful and which I think I'll no doubt return to in the future, but some sections have become outdated between publication in 2011 and now -- for example, sections about pricing from big publishers omits that Apple and several publishers were sued in both the US and EU for price-fixing at higher rates in 2012 -- which is a peril for all reference books.

I recommend it for everyone who wants a 'second opinion' or perhaps simply another view into the world of self-publishing, but the optimistic author success stories felt a little like padding and I admit to only skim-reading them --  no-one is going to ask the many unsuccessful or struggling authors, are they?  (This isn't sour grapes, I should add!)

It's worth it for the price and it's very well-written, but be aware that some information in it may not be wholly relevant any longer.

• Goodreads page for Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should

No Nonsense Reviews: The Roman Boy / Wine and Honey by Cally Sharp

Anselm Kahler is sold into slavery to pay off his father's debts.  Scared and helpless at a slave auction in a foreign country, he's bought by easily the most terrifying and imposing man in the whole audience.  But Septimus Tuditanus isn't all he seems, and Anselm now has to learn to navigate Roman society under the tutelage of his new master while avoiding the attentions of Septimus' old enemy--which is easier said than done...

Pros
+ Easy and enjoyable style
+ Great use of present tense
+ Genuinely likeable characters
+ Remarkable sex scenes (very hot)

Cons
- The second book ends quite abruptly

I bought the first book because I follow the author on Twitter and she'd just posted about the second.  It was an enticingly affordable price so I bought it and started reading immediately.

And then I couldn't stop.

I finished it the same day I bought it (it's not a long book) and bought the second one the next day, which I devoured at roughly the same rate.  I was a bit disappointed at the suddenness (in my opinion, obviously) of the ending of the second--especially as the first drew to an end beautifully--but the rest of the book was more than enough to make up for that one niggling issue.

Now I just have to cross my fingers that the author will write a third as I did really fall in love with all the characters--in particular Anselm and Septimus, obviously, and Lyudmila in Wine and Honey too--and would love to see how things progress for them.

• Goodreads page for The Roman Boy

No-Nonsense Reviews: The Left Hand Of God by Paul Hoffman

Thomas Cale is an acolyte at the Sanctuary of the Redeemers, a horrific place where students are instructed in both religion and warfare under the worst conditions imaginable.  Cale suffers more than most in the hands of the Redeemers and when he without thinking commits a crime to save a life, he also seizes the chance to escape, taking along two of his fellow students and a terrified young woman.  Except the world outside the massive walls is more difficult and complicated than he’d expected...

Pros+ Likeable main character+ Easy, enjoyable writing style+ Occasional bursts of laugh-out-loud humour

Cons- More writing than story--could easily have been shorter- Repetition of information and phrases- Middle section drags with parts that don’t seem to add to the story- Occasionally things happen that don’t appear to have a point (although they might be important in a later book)- Ends very abruptly

To be honest I finished this book a while ago, but I’ve been putting off finishing this review because the book itself left me feeling so conflicted.  The three main boys are likeable, including Cale himself who, no matter what he did everyone seemed to end up hating him, as is the sole main female, Reba, but I did have issue with how very perfect she was. Despite that she’s raised to be so, she’s more beautiful and curvier than all around her, much nicer to talk to, all the men she meets love her to the intense frustration of the women around her, and she can get away with saying what she wants no matter the situation.  She should be irritating to high heaven, but I found myself liking her.

There was far too much middle for me (the paperback is 500 pages long) and introduced characters that were either pointless or appeared superfluous who, I assume, will become important in another book.  The large-scale battle felt sterile and full of people I didn’t much care about, although the more close-combat scenes with Cale had a far greater sense of immediacy, as well as a better sense that not everything would go according to plan.

I have absolutely no idea what to make of the religious angle, although to a certain degree it seems the staple “Christianity is evil” trope, but I think I’d need to read the next book to see if it comes to make more sense in light of the ending.

The writing style is easy and pleasant (not that I’d call it simple at all), a little too wordy in places but with a great sense of humour, which is part of my disappointment.  The ending came like an unexpected blow to the back of the head and I’ll probably buy the next book at some point (it’s not high on my list of priorities, admittedly), but I do hope the next one is more tightly plotted and contains more relevant characters and scenes... or at least explains some of the ones in this.

• The Left Hand of God at Goodreads

No-Nonsense Reviews: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

Darian Frey is the feckless captain of the Ketty Jay, living day-to-day unburdened by such little things as morals, skittering from one failed enterprise to another--an existence no longer viable when his life goes belly-up and he becomes the most wanted man in the civilised world, dragging his loose crew of desperate individuals and the occasional fugitive with him...

Pros
+ Likeable characters
+ Enjoyable, engaging plot
+ Incredibly difficult to put down
+ Nice 'extras' at the end of the book

YMMV
+/- Pitches you in at the deep end (this depends on whether or not you like this kind of thing)

Cons
- Occasionally prone to repetition
- One moment of something that felt a lot like a deus ex machina, even though it technically wasn’t (confusing, I know)

In short, I couldn’t put the book down.  The chapters are short enough to be snaffled in quiet moments and usually end on enough of a cliffhanger that not reading the next one is difficult.  I did have to check if there were any books before it as I did feel like I was missing something, but over a very short space of time the feeling ceased and I was just as desperate to find out what happened to the people as I was to discover the plot.  I became very attached to the characters, even Frey who I’d have been happy to slap now and again--something I’m sure was intended and his development into a genuinely likeable man was enjoyable--and even for the one whose awful past was revealed, I felt nothing but genuine sorrow for him.

In fact, the only major downside I can see is that I didn’t realise it was the first in a series when I bought it and now I’m forced to buy the next one.  Forced, I say.  I was bereft when I finished this.

• Retribution Falls at Goodreads