Chere Taylor

🎶 Walking on Madness ...And Don’t it Feel Good? 🎶

Lonnie Heart would do anything for her large and indulgent family. Born as the middle child among her eight siblings, she is used to making all sorts of sacrifices for them. That is, until her mother announces that she is pregnant with baby number nine. Oh and by the way, daddy just lost his job.

It’s all too much for Lonnie. She runs out of the house feeling trapped with debt and responsibility. How will she ever be able to afford college and become independent herself, if all her money must continually go to supporting her family? That is when her best friend Claire makes an interesting suggestion. Why not get a job at the Prison site? Claire works there, and makes ten thousand dollars a month doing exactly ...what?

Lonnie decides it doesn’t matter. Right this feels like the perfect solution. But as the company eagerly offers her a job, without even requesting an interview, Lonnie begins to wonder. What will she be required to sacrifice this time? And will this sacrifice become a fatal one?

Wonderful premise for a novel. I certainly was never bored while reading. Lonnie’s frustrations are easily relatable and her no-nonsense personality was refreshing. You can tell that she is not easily fooled or manipulated. An interesting protagonist for what is bound to be a dangerous job. My only very minor complaint is that I’d like to read some physical descriptions about the characters. I picture Lonnie as a long haired brunette with hard features and and her friend Claire as a blonde. But I won’t know for sure unless author NoFuses gives me the correct interpretation. Lol. Otherwise an interesting story that again reminds us of the dangers of getting exactly what you wished for.

Beyond the Pale

All her life Dani has suppressed her desires and curiosities in favor for her upcoming coronation. After all, she is first in line for the throne and there is nothing in her life more important then that. She is not even allowed to choose her own husband, but is betrothed to the handsome but awkward Elvin Prince, Flynn. That is until she meets the exotic Neowise and her whole world changes. Dani loves Neowise’s beautiful dress, her milk pale skin and the unusual ivory horns that grow from the top of her head. “Come with me” she whispers to Dani. But dare she throw away her crown for a creature she barely knows?

There are some very unique characters here. (Especially with the alluring Neowise who was my favorite.) But I was a little disappointed with how short the individual chapters were. Hopefully author Vinnie will choose to add more details to her fascinating story. I did detect some lesbian under tones between Dani and Neowise. I’m not sure if that’s on purpose or not. Personally I think it makes the story more interesting with the triangle romantic relationship between Dani, Neowise and Flynn. At any rate this was a very nice start to what will surely be an interesting adventure ...and perhaps an intense romance.

Enslaved to My Benefactor

Vivienne knows how to take care of herself. Not one for heavy make-up and frilly dresses, she prefers isolation to friendships and sincerity to foolish smiles. Vivienne also enjoys playing with knives and she knows how to use them. Perhaps the result of her father’s ultimate betrayal of her family. A memory Vivienne is never sure is real or a hallucination.

But life turns very dark indeed after Vivienne is kidnapped and is forced to become the sexual slave of an evil clan of men. Oddly, they seem more intent on making her bleed, then performing any kind of sexual assault. There are no such things as vampires, right? Then who are these men and why are they so intent on making her suffer. Worse of all, why does the one they call Levi, is so interested in impregnating her with a possible creature that will terrify beyond her most horrible nightmares?

Whew! Quite a ride here. I never knew what to expect in each new chapter, and that made the story unexpectedly thrilling. Vivienne’s ultimate fate as a breeder is a clever parallel to the experience some Black women suffered during slavery including the selling of the father’s children. This was a surprising novel about horrors that go beyond a vampire’s bite.

It’s All in the Blood ...

It was never Amber’s desire to become a vampire. What others took for granted (going to school, going out on dates, living a normal life.) she yearned for with all her heart, but it was too late. The four male vampires were impossible to resist. They enjoyed using their good looks as a weapon and they’re collective sexuality as bait. While they train Amber, running their hands on her silken body, she wonders what they’re ultimate motive could be. Was it to teach her how to procure her own blood meals? Or more likely was it to train her to become their willing perfect victim as they consume her blood again and again with burning kisses.

This was hot. I do have a thing for Vampire stories. (I tend to prefer sexy vampires to sexy werewolves. What can I say? I’m old school that way. Lol.) Author Perez is good at delivering on that front with her sexy, male vampires each desirable and powerful in a special way. You can’t help but feel lucky if any of these lads were to turn their attention your way. Lol. The grammar could be a little tighter, but an entertaining novel nonetheless.

Ain’t no Cure for the Summertime Blues.

Being the mayor’s daughter doesn’t include all the perks it should have. At least that’s how Summer sees it. She is bullied at school and sincerely believes herself to be fat and ugly. Now she is dragged to some ‘Graduation Ceremony’ by her handsome older brother. Summer dreads the whole ordeal. Men staring at her and fighting to get closer to her as if she were some sort of beauty. But Summer is convinced this isn’t the case or why would she be bullied at school? Is there hope for this Summertime Cinderella to realize the truth about herself?

I admit I didn’t get the humor of the story at first. All I could do was feel sorry for poor Summer, and I still do a little bit even though now I understand she is an unreliable narrator. (Her take on reality may not be reality if you get my meaning.) The premise was clever and that earns a ‘like’ from me. An interesting story about a girl who has far more to offer then what meets the eye.

I See the Spooked ...

Life is supposed to be normal for Brendon Bannon. He takes comfort in his daily routine; a boring train trip to and from his job, his ability to go blissfully unnoticed in all of his surroundings. When Brendon’s glasses becomes broken, he reasonably goes to have them fixed. But why is this particular Optometry storefront so off-putting, complete with it’s mad looking eye doctor known only as Dabra? Brendon tries to ignore the gnawing feeling in his soul that Dabra’s peculiar sight treatment he performs on Brendon is not right. And when the dead begins to approach Brendon with a familiarity that seems to hide sinister motives, Brendon fears that going unnoticed may never be a welcoming option again.

For starters this was very well written. I couldn’t find a single, grammar error. (An accomplishment I have difficulty achieving in my own writing.) Author MicMac 21, certainly has a way with describing horror. One of my favorite scenes is when Brendon sees a ghost for this first time. “I don’t care how many zombie, crime forensics, or horror shows you’ve seen, nothing prepares you for the sight of someone’s hideously decomposed face.” Excellent. Loved that line. Be sure to read this novel when you’re in the mood for a good scare by a talented author.

Sunshiney Expectations!

Kiara Suns’ world was turned upside down the day she lost her family fortunes to an unscrupulous CEO manager. Once known as the unofficial Princess of the Sunshines Hotel Chain, she now finds that she must prove her worth through ordinary means; college, business sense and hard work. Deep down Kiara doesn’t mind. She had secretly disapproved of unearned wealth and is pleased to be in a position to establish her own company on her terms. That is until she meets Jeremiah Diamond who threatens to overthrow her world once again. Gorgeous and with intimidating wealth Jeremiah is intent on making Kiara his. But is this what Kiara really wants? To once again be tied to someone else’s wealth while her identity is swallowed up by the Diamond Brand Name?

Nice romance story staring realistic people. I like the well-developed character of Kiara. Her chatty friend Adrienne seems to have a life of her own with Ricardo. (I was grateful to see she’s not the stereotypical, gay best friend who’s only purpose is in the story is to prepare the main character for dates.) An enjoyable read about a lovely romance.

Smile Baby Smile

Winifred hasn’t had much happiness in her life. Growing up as an orphan and bullied in both elementary and high school, all she wants to do now is concentrate on her college studies and move on with her life. But Lucas her childhood tormentor won’t have any of that. He follows her around the school campus and always has some smart-ass remark to give her. Why won’t he just leave her alone? Sure, he’s grown up kind of handsome if you liked the lean muscled and lanky blonde hair type. And too, every once in a while she thinks she sees a soft glance from him. Something vulnerable and questioning before he covers it up with the usual smug-arrogance. But surely those yearning glances are just a trick from her imagination. Aren’t they?

For starters Moi-Moi is an excellent writer. If it is her goal to become a professional published author, I believe she will successful some day. (If she’s not already.) What I like best about her writing is how she realistically portrays her characters. They are not Mary Sues (a character so perfect that they ruin the plot of the story) but are well-rounded individuals and allowed to have faults. Warning, there are no fantastical, exotic creatures in this story to fall in lust with. But here is a simple love story that us ordinary humans can relate too.

Double Dare ‘Ya

Sage has always felt socially awkward in life. She is not as outgoing as her more popular twin sister Salem. And she prefers working on her art then to attend social outings. But when her newly made friend Avery traps her into attending a school camp fire, Sage promises herself to keep her distance from her new friends. After all, she does not want to recreate the tragedy with these innocent teens. The one where everyone dies ...

Honestly, this was very well written. In fact I wasn’t expecting the quality that I found here. I particular liked how well formed Wordspileup has developed her characters. Sage for example is not some cookie-cutter cliche as our protagonist, but a distinct personality with her own thoughts and feelings. (I suspect Sage might possibly suffer from some form of undiagnosed Autism too. But I would have to read more to find out for sure.) Wordspileup is certainly a talented and skillful writer. I wouldn’t be surprised if to see this particular author’s works in Barnes and Nobles one day. Just not under the name of Wordspileup. Lol.

Finding Love in all the Right Places.

The time period is a little after War World II. Rationing is still going on in Great Britain and the Pennington Boys are preparing to attend the prestigious St. Christopher’s school. Most of them are looking forward to the experience with the possible exception of Anthony who fears that his bookish personality might antagonize the other students. Also, girls will be attending St. Christopher’s for the very first time. How will the Pennington brothers react to the attractive Athene and the other girls they will soon meet on campus?

Sofia Corsi is a gifted writer. At all times I felt I was reading about distinct individuals with their own personalities. She has introduced several characters in the beginning chapters of this book and she juggles all of them well. Having said that I must admit this particular genre isn’t my favorite. (I love horror stories about things that go bump in the night. What can I say?) But Sofia Corsi has charmed me with her writing. If there was any novel that could persuade me to indulge more in romantce period pieces this would certainly be the one. A must read if you enjoy Romance from the Past.

Evil Never Dies ...

Nisha fears very little in life. That is due mostly to her powerful and very dangerous dog, Macho. He is humongous and intimidating. As the villagers eye both Nisha and Macho suspiciously, they are careful to keep their distance. They never want to learn what it’s like to have Macho’s merciless jaws wrapped around their necks.

Unfortunately, two boys haven’t learned how to be cautious around Macho. They attempt to sexual assault Nisha which earns them Macho’s wrath. The dog attacks them, but the villagers come quickly to the rescue and kill the dog, also leaving Nisha’s body broken and beaten.

However, evil never dies, and as the Inspector Vijay learns about a new dog who kills without devouring his victims, he wonders if this could somehow be the return of Macho. He isn’t sure. All he knows is that he had better solve the mystery quickly or he may one day feel an unforgiving dog’s teeth sink into his own throat.

This was a good story. It had some nice elements from what to me is the greatest killer dog story of all time; Stephen King’s Cujo. In fact I admire Skallinkeel for continuing in the killer dog genre with King’s novel Cujo in existence. What makes The Dog distinctive is that I actually like and feel for Macho. He is the perfect anti-hero, and I’m kind of glad he’s getting vengeance for Nisha. An intense and interesting read.

Video Game Madness!

Lydia Johnson has grown bored with her daily work routine even though it provides her with many financial comforts. But is this what she wanted out of life? To rubber stamp the approval/disproval of video games while finding ways to avoid a mother who still attempts to dominate her even though Lydia is a grown woman. She yearns for change, a sense of adventure? But what can be done when she is chained to her nine to five job?

It is then when a car accident provides a way out. She is given a new identity, a new purpose. Even her physical appearance is no longer the same. At first Lydia/Portea is grateful for all the excitement and new challenges. But as she is taken to trial, she slowly realizes that change comes with a cost and to loose in this game may cost her and the nation of monsters all of their lives.

I liked this story. I found it quite engaging. The title is a bit deceptive. I for one was imagining this psychopathic woman who would be the leader of a gang of criminals preparing for their next crime spree. Instead author Morgan Powers has created a relatable character that I couldn’t help but greatly sympathize with. (Lord knows I can relate to Lydia. But perhaps the less said about that the better.) Morgan is also a skilled writer and avoids the past/present tense trouble I often see on Inkitt. Glad I discovered this novel and keep your eyes on Morgan Powers. We maybe hearing big things from her in the years to come.

Hope is a Wish with Wings.

In the Shierran Kingdom darkness rules over this once happy land. Their country is over-run with vampires and werewolves and monsters that bite. The towns people live in daily despair with no real reason to hope.

Or is there a reason? For an ancient prophecy states that when the three princesses are re-united once again, then the good fortunes of Shierran will be restored. But where are the princesses? Perhaps a simple peasant girl with an unusual jeweled stone embedded in her belly, can supply the answers ...even if she is unaware of her own importance at first.

A charming fairy tale. I liked how author Quilltip the made her characters as three distinct individuals with their own personalities. (A less-talented writer would have more or less cloned all three of them.) My favorite princess-sister was Esther. She has this unique, magically inspired disease that I won’t spoil by describing it here, but it was her character and her condition that drew me into the story.) I saw little bits and pieces of Shrek here and there. Especially in the over-talkative and clinging Lilly character. This is a wonderfully, creative piece of writing. I’m a bit jealous actually of Quilltip’s unbounded imagination.

Love, the Ultimate Challenge

Coraline loves challenges in life. A gorgeous and free spirited beta-wolf, she does whatever she pleases and damn the consequences. Even when Finn tries to inspire fear in her by recklessly driving his car towards her, Cora does little more then sneer. This irritates Finn greatly, but he knows his position as the son of the Most-High Aloha Wolf he could do with her as he pleases. Cora might have found trouble with this irresistible werewolf ...or perhaps a burgeoning love interest.

Livvie Ray has created an intricate romance story. I’ve read other werewolf fantasies before. But none where the rules were so carefully built and acknowledged. It gives the novel a strong feeling of realism. I admired Cora’s indomitable spirit and am wondering how both of these strong willed characters (If I understood correctly I think Finn is an alpha) are going to work together. Definitely not your average werewolf story. Be sure to give this one a try if you like strong, indomitable women.

A Star-Crossed Tribe!

Raymond, a lazy archaeologist along with his best friend Sigismundo explore a mysterious section of Northern Italy hoping to stumble onto something valuable. Instead Raymond accidentally transports himself to a dark tunnel full of ancient evil secrets. There he encounters a man who in a horrendous scene psychologically molests Raymond (in one of the best descriptions of mind rape I have ever encountered.) Somehow he manages to escape and returns to his friend’s villa.
There is a betrayal and Raymond is again recaptured. This time he will be forced to endure an even worse threat then the mere penetration of his mind. Perhaps a fate even worse then death.

This was really good. I mean really good. I truly didn’t expect to enjoy Pentaurus as much as I did. So much so that I was disappointed that there weren’t any more chapters. (At the time of this review there were only four available.) I can see myself buying Pentaurus at Barnes and Nobles if it was available there. Bleeding Petals is an excellent writer with a strong, narrative voice. It’s not often that I give a novel the perfect five star review. (I think I only did it three times before.) But Pentaurus certainly deserves it. I hope the author posts some more chapters soon. I gotta know what happened to Raymond.

A Lone Wolf

This review pertains to the first four chapters only. He dreams of love, of perfection. But he lives in a broken body. His only companions are Jafril and Shadow who are somehow tasked with his care. His own past is a deep mystery even to himself. Is he fully human? An alien perhaps? Or possibly a mixture of a living organism and cold animatronics? He doesn’t know. All he knows is that once was more. And he wants more, an awakening if you will. Though what this awakening ultimately means can come with a huge cost for him and his only companions.

I’m not normally into science-fiction. My taste runs more toward horror and romance. But I do know quality when I read it and Brittney Miller is a talented writer. I didn’t note any past-present tense issues in the chapters or what I call ‘jumping head narratives’. (Where were seeing the story from Bob’s perspective and then suddenly were in Alice’s head and then we’re back with Bob’s again. That can be quite confusing.) An engaging story with a very unique protagonist. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Miller’s books in Barnes and Nobles one day.

Her Name is G201 ...

... And she can be deadly. G201 is certainly not your typical teen. She has the ability to knock a grown man unconscious and seems to be fairly comfortable around firearms. She can be programmed to be reckless with her life in order to serve her current commanders. Like a true psychopath, G201 seems hardly to care if she is serving good or evil. But there’s something vaguely intimidating about her newest order. She is given voluptuous house to live in and is told to go by the name of Natalie. What is the secret behind all this given wealth and what will Natalie be required to do in order to preserve it?

Clever story so far. G391 reminds me of a young James Bond. Noley Smith the author, hints at a dark past for her provocative protagonist. (I admit I’m very curious about G201’s upbringing.) Mission Denied promises to be a novel full of intrigue.

Fiery Madness!

Young Sheyryar can hardly believe his horrible fate. He is only nine years old and yet is forced to support his entire family. His mother has disappeared long ago and his father has become an almost legendary, evil figure. A selfish and ruthless man who cares for himself and little else. Certainly not for the suffering of his children. Sheyryar and his siblings are truly on their own.

Sheyryar arrives home one night only to discover that his modest family home is on fire. As he watches the hungry flames destroy his only home with his siblings trapped inside, a tiny flame is born within his heart. Nothing but a spark perhaps but it grows into a burning knowledge that he will do whatever it takes for him and his family to survive. Perhaps even engage in a deal with the devil himself.

A powerful beginning to Nishat Fatima’s novel. It is a story full of anger and revenge and hot passions. On occasion I noted some awkward phrasing, but there was also some truly poetic language use too. I particularly enjoyed how the author described the setting sun. Nishat Fatima is an interesting writter who is worth exploring further.

Beware the Truth!

A lonely thirteen year old named Ralphie lives in a stilted, barren world. He never visits children his own age and his parents treat him almost as an after thought. His only entertainment is in the form of a headset. Through his headset he can virtually visit other places even though those areas also feel empty. Yet, bleak as Ralphie’s world is, there creeps at the edges of his life a dark, dark secret. One that is capable of destroying his entire world if ever discovered.

I don’t dare reveal more but what a wonderfully creative story. I didn’t see the ending coming and was genuinely chilled by it. The author MG Trazor has a very strong narrative voice. By that I mean there is a personality and a skill in his (or her) writing. It’s not the drab “...he said this, then she said that. He did this. She did that.” In fact his/her narrative voice reminded me a little bit of my own if I can butter myself up a bit. I’m not sure if I’ll ever reach the stage of becoming a traditional published author, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to see a MG Trazor novel in Barnes and Nobles one day. Remember, you heard it here first.

Where Have You Been, my Oblivion?

This review refers to the first chapter only ...

On a seemingly ordinary day, thirteen year old Chance and his best friend Jaden attend school which is filled with boring lectures. Chance tries his best to remain focused on his teacher but he daydreams anyway and sees his own shadow mysteriously move and shift even as Chance himself remains still. Is this an illusion? Or has he gained some wonderfully new super power?

After school Chance tries to demonstrate his new skills for Jaden but he fails miserably and this causes Jaden to regard him with suspicion. But after leaving the movie theater, the two boys encounter a dark and dangerous entity. Suddenly Chance knows he is in the fight for his life. Will his new powers be enough to save himself and Jaden. Or will they fail him yet again?

This chapter ends with quite the cliffhanger. I enjoy super hero stories. (I’m a huge Batman fan, myself.) And I liked the Batman connection of a possible fatal crime occurring at the exit of a movie theater. (I picked up some nice Shazam vibes too in Chance’s sardonic but youthful personality) Interesting enough I couldn’t find any grammatical errors in this chapter. However there were on a few occasions an unusual phrasing of the English language that was mildly distracting at times. But nothing fatal to the story. I’m hoping Chance survives his encounter with the dark stranger and becomes the superhero he is destined to be. Go Chance!

Bad Moon A’ Rising

This review is for the first two chapters only. It is the time of year when werewolves are required to mate and Killian Darcy is very impressed by the Anglo Saxon beauty of Helena his mate chosen by the Luna Goddess, herself. Will he be equally impressed when he sees her in wolf form and vice versa? For that matter will their marriage be enough to heal their warring factors of their two werewolf tribes? What will be the ultimate fate for both of them?

M.Mokka has all the answers in this novel. He/she is a confident writer and carefully guides the reader’s attention through this version of Romeo and Juliet story with werewolves. I saw no grammatical errors here. (Very rare for Inkitt). In fact this is the best werewolf story I have read to date on this site. Definitely take a look if you’re a fan of Twilight.

Choose It!

An interesting retelling of Stephen King’s It novel, this time told through the character of Richie Tozier. In this version, his adult self slowly comes to the realization that he was in love with Eddie while they were both children. This brings about conflicted emotions in Richie and the story becomes an interesting study on how his lost love effected and continue to effects the rest of his life. I liked the explanatory nature of Reddie’s story. Realistically love is based on time and experiences instead of the stereotypical “You look so hot let’s fuck” message of so many romance novels.

Kudos to Reddie’s bravery for borrowing characters from the great Stephen King. (And between you and me, I think Richie would have been a more interesting character if King had chosen this sexual orientation for him.)
I noted some past and present tense issues but nothing that can’t be easily ignored (or fixed). A promising read if you’re looking for something beyond the typical romance novel.

Elyren’s Destiny

In a world far different from our own, lives a child with the destiny of becoming a great sorcerer. He is influenced by Seer Savi and as a child even tries to attack him in his thirst for magical knowledge. Lord Arwell tries hard to control the fate of his son by enrolling him into the military. But it quickly becomes obvious that Elyren is not a man who can be controlled by traditional means.

This is a very particular world that Vin Wintergreen builds quite carefully and skillfully. Magic abounds as well as a feeling of grandeur and legendary history. This novel has that same hopeful sense of awe and wonder I felt when watching the early Star Wars movies (But this is not a science fiction work. It is strictly fantasy) Grammar was superb. I could find no technical errors. Elyren is an intense read, but ultimately enjoyable.

You’ve got talent!

You certainly have talent. To be fair I’m still new to Inkitt and I haven’t read many stories yet, but yours is the best written I’ve encountered so far. I liked your opening paragraph which did the unique job of describing Georgina and setting up immediate tension with the dog. What a hook. You read this paragraph and you immediately want to know more. Creating that kind of interest takes skill as a writer.

Saw a minor grammar issue, a repeated word Most likely a typo. I’d quote it to show you where, but Inkitt doesn’t allow direct quote from author’s work. But if you look for it in the first chapter I’m sure you’ll find it. That’s nitpicking really. Honestly, you’re a good writer. You have a strong, narrative voice and you provide your characters with distinct personalities. I’m a little jealous actually. I wouldn’t be surprised to buy your book from Amazon some day. Keep writing. You’re very good at it.

Die Trying

Annie doesn’t particularly consider herself a noteworthy person. Yes, she graduated from law school and married a multimillionaire to boot. But she’d still prefers to live her life under the radar. As far as Annie is concerned, the less attention she receives, the better.

However, when the nanny forgets those all so important items for her daughter’s sixth birthday, Annie has no choice but to purchase them herself. She under dresses when she arrives at the mall, knowing her good looks often draws unwanted attention to herself. Unfortunately it isn’t enough to save her from Thomas Kronz, a dangerous man from her past.

“What do you want?” She asks as Thomas as he traps her from behind, allowing the gun to trace the outline of her breasts.

“Just a little revenge,” he replies.

And Annie knows she is about to engage in the fight of her life.

I do love the plot. Author Emmanuel Abraham promises us a harrowing story about the fate of Annie and her evil nemesis Thomas. I stopped after chapter four to write this review, but I plan on reading further. I did note some past/present tense issues and grammar concerns. But it’s nothing that can’t be ironed out with a little editing. Things do get quite intense between Annie and Thomas so I’d advise a trigger warning for those who are uncomfortable with rape. This was a fun read nonetheless. If adventure/thriller is your thing, you’ll be in for quite a ride.

🎶 I See Your True Colors Shining Through 🎶

Raven, a shy, dark haired beauty living in Italy, finds herself in the depth of a depression. Her parents have died and her brother is in critical condition at the local hospital. Her cat Shakespurr does all he can to comfort the poor girl, but Raven is close to loosing all hope. That is until she finds a bracelet on the hospital floor. Don’t stop praying …the message on the bracelet advises her. As Raven prays, the nurse interrupts her with important information about her brother. Dare she hope?

Meanwhile the dashing Sasha prepares more canvases in the presence of his cat Flip. He finds Shakespurr annoying but he certainly doesn’t feel that way about Raven, his sister. He knows her silky, long black hair and sparkling gray-green eyes can mesmerize potential suitors. He wonders if the time may come when he will have to defend his sister with more then just a paint brush.

A colorful and exciting romance novel. I love how Nana the author uses vivid hues to describe the Italian atmosphere, from the purple-blue of twilight down to Raven’s and Shakespurr gray-green eyes. This novel is unusual in that it begins with narration from a cat. It’s sort of cute. Like when Pongo and Perdita link up their owners for romance from 101 Dalmatians. At any rate this is an enjoyable novel for both cat lovers and lovers of romance. 🐱

Biters and Rotters

In Breqien’s nightmare world, the earth is a hellscape filled with only two kinds of people. The Biters who seek to kill and destroy ...and everyone else. Max, a forty-five year old man is determined to protect his small group of human survivors. It’s true that he doesn’t have much experience with leadership, but he figures common sense will be all that is necessary to continue with his group’s survival.

Hayden however isn’t so sure about Max’s leadership skills, despite Max being much older. When the two men are confronted by a rival human gang, Max makes a foolish boast that ensures a gun battle. Men and women die on both sides, but it is Max and Hayden who are captured and forced to meet The Baron. As Max’s sanity starts to slip, Hayden wonders if he himself should step up to the leadership position. That is ...if The Baron allows them to live.

An interesting start for a Zombie novel. I’ll be honest with you. While I love horror, the Zombie genre is not particularly a favorite of mine. But this story managed to charm me somewhat. Maybe because the focus is more on the people then on the zombies. That’s not a bad thing at all. The human character’s had engaging personalities. (That Max for example. He’s a fun character with his arrogance and how he bumbles everything.) If you’re into zombies, be sure to give this novel a try. It has a nice human factor to it. And you won’t find that in many zombie stories.

Follow Your Heart

Spunky and hard working Hael isn’t looking for love. Her sole interests are in deepening her knowledge of the magical arts. But that was before she met Eidan, a man who can turn any woman’s head. Sure, he is sexy as hell and Hael does admire confidence in a man. But Hael senses something dangerous in his personality too. “Back up,” she warns him. “I’m not the one.” But as her gaze wanders over his dark, well toned body and his eyes that are soft and yielding, she wonders how long she’ll be able to keep her resolve and self control.

Eidan has never had problems in the woman department. As a good looking African American male, he can have women from any race. So why, when he declares that Hael is to be his mate, she doesn’t seem to understand the privledge? Indeed her very resistance causes him to feel his wolf struggle within his soul. Dare he reveal to Hael his real identity? Will she be repulsed by that, even though he knows she is his designated mate?

A good wolf romance story with some intriguing characters. I too have noted that African Americans are under represented in the Fantasy genre except maybe as a sidekick. So I did find it enjoyable and relatable reading about such fun characters. My only criticism is that Hael and Eidan tend to talk to each other a lot, and I’m impatient for them to get to the action if you know what I mean. But I’m sure this will happen in chapter six. A satisfying story and I’m glad I found this novel and author.

Spill the Wine ...

Gorgeous Avery has finally got her man, the long sought after CEO of her hospital, Damien Foster. The happy couple seems destined for wedded bliss. After all that Avery has been through last year, she decides no one deserves a happily ever after more than herself.

But life is rarely calm for a celebrated doctor and Avery is soon confronted with the unusual bruises and markings on two young children. It looks like a classic example of child abuse. I need to share this information with the police as a mandatory reporter, she thinks but little Carden refuses to admit that any abuse has occurred. Wanting to share this disturbing news with her new husband she turns to Damien for advice. However Damien for the moment seems more preoccupied with the running of hospital then listening to his wife. Will this be the start of an eventual rift that could tear their relationship apart?

I haven’t read the first novel yet, but I can tell from how well written it is, that the introductory novel must be excellent as well. In fact I’m planning on starting on the previous one tonight. It also becomes obvious fairly quickly that Artic Thoughts is a gifted author. (I detected no past/present tense trouble, no POV jumping heads. The story doesn’t begin with Avery waking up to an alarm clock). I’m surprised she doesn’t have a much bigger following. But that may change with time. This is an excellent novel about a more contemporary and realistic view on love and I hope she finishes it soon. I’m dying to find out what’s going to happen between Avery and Damien, along with the fates of the abused children.

I Am Jason ...Hear me Roar

The Apopcalypse arrives not with a bang, but a stealthiness that confuses Jason. He wakes to his new existence with no memories of how he got there, no family no friends. He is even unaware of how his physical appearance has changed, and he is shocked at the sight of his deathly, white skin and blood shot eyes. Jason realizes he has become what he once thought to be an impossibility. He is a walking, breathing corpse.

Walking, breathing corpses are not popular in this new world of annihilation. He is shot at despite his willingness to help his fellow humans. But Jason isn’t human anymore and the new inhabitants are more then happy to remind him of this despite Jason’s willingness to help them. Luckily he stumbles upon Brad, who uses his psychic powers to help Jason escape. But what is Brad’s ultimate goal with Jason? Will he teach him to use his new found Zombie powers for good? Or will Jason become the ultimate pawn in a game that may cost everyone’s survival, human and zombie alike?

I liked the twist in this novel of a kind-hearted zombie and it is the ordinary people who are the mindless delivers of violence. Also there was a superhero vibe here that I enjoyed, especially with the Xavier like Brad who whole kind hearted and patient, has a bad habit of under estimating people. (Okay, I admit it. I’m a sucker for horror and super hero stories.) Warning, this is not your run-of-the-mill, apocalypse story. Be sure to give this one a try for a fresh take on the Zombie genre.

Not a G’Day Mate ...

Sexy wolf Xavier, has made up his mind about women. Life is much simpler without a mate. He sees what happened to his twin brother Xander. How his lust forces him to destroy all of his rivals along with the helpless female of his desire. No benefit can come from being tied to a mate. Xavier doesn’t even care that his mate-less condition would mean the end of the Furry dynasty. By controlling his heart, Xavier will save himself from death. That’s the only thing that matters to him.

But then comes the unexpected death of his surrogate grandparents, Xavier is pressured by his remaining family members into having the funeral at his home. Not problem, he thinks. After all, he lives in a large home and has plenty of room. But what Xavier doesn’t count on is the affect that one gorgeous, strawberry blonde attendee has on him. She smells of blueberries and cinnamon and sets his mouth on fire. Why now is now confronted with his possible mate? A woman who may destroy not only himself with lust and desire but the entire Fury Clan with her passion.

I hope I didn’t get anything wrong with the plot description. I haven’t read the prequel yet, so I don’t know any of the characters back stories. What I read looked very good, though. I was highly impressed with the details Author Mrs. Toomey adds to how her characters mind works. They feel like fully developed, thinking individuals, and not just characters who act on the whims of the author. There are a lot of romantic wolf stories out there, but I was particularly charmed by this one. Give it a try when you’re in a mood for a sensual romance book.

A Secret Letter of Love

Amelia knows about secrets. There is a special one she holds in her heart, and is worthy of only one person, her friend and enemy Anike. He is a good looking boy with his thick black curls matching Amelia’s own, and he is capable of inspiring the very best in her. But he is also talented at destroying her self-esteem and will sometimes call her child. Dare she share everything with him, a boy who could be so indifferent at times? Maybe Anike should learn what a broken heart feels like. But will his destruction become her own?

An unusual romance story with a large juicy secret in the form of the letter Amelia writes to Anike. We never quite know the reason or contents of the letter (at least not in the three chapters I’ve read so far) and I admit that’s driving me crazy with curiosity. I bet you she’s going to break up with him. Anike has a sort of mean side at times. (Of course this is just my opinion. It doesn’t mean I’m right. I’ll have to keep reading to find out.) I liked how Author Adalia provides some light comedic parts to ease out the tension. An enjoyable and surprising love story with a secret at it’s core.

The Flower is like a White Bride

It finally happens for Zel. He has fallen in love. And not just with any girl but with what Ian perceives as the most perfect girl in the world. He is impressed by her milky, white skin and crimson colored hair. But Zel is also intimidated by her beauty. How can he even hope to become Mika’s boyfriend when he can’t even get up the nerve to talk to her?

Mika is initially unaware of the effect she has on Zel. She is distracted by her own secret, a psychic power that terrifies her even as she wishes to use it to help other people. Can Ian help Mika learn to accept the dangerous aspects of herself, and how to use her power as a tool for good?

I’m going to be honest. I was a little taken back by the name of Lucifer for Zel’s brother. It’s not really a common name in the English language. Maybe because it translates directly to ‘Satan’. But other then that minor complaint, I found ‘Just As You Are’ to be a delightful read. Mika was my favorite character with her mind reading ability. I loved how Nana (the author) described Mika’s fear of her unusual beauty. Other authors would have simply stayed that Mika had a special ability and be done with it. So kudos to author Nana for that. A cute romance story with an unusual twist.

Dream on, Myra. Dream on ...

Myra feels that she is nothing without her dreams. She lives in a household where she is bossed around by her sister, put down by her mother and mostly ignored by her father. But there is one thing that Myra believes will validate her worth. Winning the all important, once in a life time beauty contest. She becomes a contestant despite her mother’s constant reminder that “ ... if something bad happens to you, I will not be responsible for it.”

Despite all odds, Myra wins first place. She proudly brings her trophy home to display for her family ...only to learn that nothing has really changed. Her family is still verbally abusive towards her and each other. Myra falls into a depression wondering why her family still treats her this way, when she won the trophy for being the most pretty.

Myra has a surprisingly amount of depth in this story and a good character arc as she learns that winning a beauty contest is not enough to earn her own self respect or fix the problems in her dysfunctional family. There were some punctuation problems and maybe some mild misuse of the English language, but I was able to ignore most of that and simply enjoy the story. I hope Myra grows to realize her own self worth and that she doesn’t need her family support to become successful in life.

A Harrowing Trip to Hell ...

Hal is an ordinary bus driver who simply wants to live an uneventful life of going to work, eating and sleeping. But one day he takes an unexpected turn. A semi truck slams into his bus ...and the familiar is gone forever. Hal and three of his passengers wake up in a landscape where the dead keeps on dying and screaming in agony. Was this death? Or something far far worse? As Hal observes the burning man who stares at him with a blackened grin, Hal realizes that the Hell his church had told him about, maybe a far better place then what he sees burning around him.

Wow! I was highly impressed by Rebecca Johnson’s work. I’m going to be a little more blunt in this review then I normally am, simply because the author requests it in her excellently written ‘Becoming a Published Author’. (Another Inkitt novel I highly recommend. ) Ultimately I agree with her about finding that sadist reviewer, though personally I prefer my stories to get beaten up on the Scribophile website then here.

Anyway to start out with the great stuff, Harrowing was well written. I saw no past/present tense troubles. No jumping head narratives. No excessive eyebrow talking, etc.) We are shown what is going on instead of being told. The author has a strong narrative voice and you sense that there is a definite plot with well defined goals. Kudos to her for all of that.

Passive voice jumps up on occasion. (Not even that is a great writing sin. I defiantly use the passive voice in my own writing at times. I even used it at the beginning of this paragraph. Lol) Even so the writer might want to use it a bit more sparingly as that it can come as a distraction. Also other then Amun there were no physical descriptions of her characters. Well, we are shown what the Goth chic is wearing, but other then her clothes we have no idea what her characters look like, their age etc.

But this is nit picking really. Overall I was drawn into her story and found her characters engaging. Especially Amun. I plan to finish reading this book and I don’t do that often on Inkitt. Yes, I suspect Rebecca Johnson maybe another author we find in a professional book store one day. I’m grateful to have discovered this novel.

Not Your Average Household

Zadine is an ordinary teen who dreams of having the same luck with girls as his more adventurous, best friend Brandon. Alas, Zadine knows he doesn’t have the level of confidence or classic good looks to be as successful as Brandon in the women department. That is until he meets the most beautiful and exotic woman in the world. Her beauty is stunning and intimidating, smooth dark skin and lips that seem to hide a sensual secret that may prove impossible to resist. How can he ever hope to impress this dark, classic beauty? Let alone win her heart?

Kyra is used to men of all shapes and colors flirting with her and she usually finds their attention irritating rather then stimulating. So why can’t she stop thinking of the Zadine boy? She can have any man she wants, but it’s Zadine she burns for and she imagines tasting his blood as he enters in the darkest part of the night. Yes, Zadine will be her latest sex toy, Kyra decides ...if she doesn’t kill him for his blood first.

Whew! Some hot, sexy stuff here. I’m surprised this novel isn’t labeled as erotica. There’s plenty of well described sex scenes. (Kyra likes to use sex as a way of dealing with the ennui that comes from being over a thousand years old.) I also enjoyed reading about a gorgeous African American female vampire. I believe she is the first one I’ve encountered here on Inkitt. Overall this was a compelling and well-written book. I do understand why it’s so popular. As a matter of fact I wouldn’t be surprised if this particular novel ends up on Inkitt’s best seller list in the future. Remember, you heard it here, first.

Welcome to Jonesville ...

..A sleepy little town where nothing much happens outside of the local diner. Cahdla, the attractive server who works at the diner doesn’t much mind though. She finds the daily routine a comfort. Unlike her sister, she is not looking for romance and finds it convenient to live at home with her parents.

But that was before the stranger bought the house next door. His name is Lars and he visits the diner where Cahdla works at on his move-in day. Who is this crazy guy? Cahdla wonders as she serves him and his friend spaghetti that they both eat with a spoon?!? Cahdla doesn’t know. All she knows is that she likes the appreciative glances, the good looking Lars keeps throwing her way. It just might be time Cahdla thinks to herself for the sleepy little town of Jonesville to finally be shaken up.

For starters this was well written. Present tense writing is difficult to master without falling occasionally into past tense. (I know from personal experience. I’m not even sure how well I handled present tense in this review. Lol!) But Jacque C writes it beautifully. There is also no jumping head narratives and the story doesn’t open with an alarm clock. These are all things I fully appreciate in a story. Lars is certainly a fascinating character. Part of me is wondering if he’s an alien. I had to my pause in my reading to write this review, but I plan to read further just to find out. An interesting tale about an unexpected and unusual lover.

All in the Bucket.

Jenifer, an attractive young woman has always tried to inspire hope in others. After surviving an emotionally abusive family that values money above all else, she promises herself to never let those warped values change her into someone she can’t respect. But when cancer invades her body, forcing her to realize how short and precious life really is, Jenifer is forced to come to a decision. Does she feed her long resentments towards her uncaring mother and extract revenge? Or does she try to inspire hope in her younger brother, just one more time?

A very sentimental novel that aims to tug the heart strings and I admit with me has somewhat succeeded. The first chapter was the best in my opinion and my favorite. There we learn about Jenifer’s difficult past and how her half brother managed to live a more privileged life then she did. But this doesn’t destroy the love between the two siblings. Nicely done. I did note some grammar errors, but none that ruined the flow of the story. This novel certainly spoke to me and reminded me of the power of love and forgiveness.

My Mystery Lover ...

Jay has never had a hard time attracting male attention. With her long curly, black hair and startling blue eyes, the problem had always been how to let her more friskier bar customers know she that she wasn’t interested in them. But all that changes when she meets her invisible lover. Jay is unable to see him, but she feels his stare on the back of her neck. She can feel his touch on the most intimate parts of her body. How can she refuse a lover that is unable to be seen. And even worse ...did she really want to?

I haven’t gotten to the Hotel part of the novel yet, but I can tell already Jeayness Is a skilled writer. I saw no past/present tense problems here. No jumping POV syndrome. The novel doesn’t begin with Jay waking up to an alarm clock. (The protagonist getting up out of bed as the starting part of the novel happens to about seventy five percent of the stories here on Inkitt.) My only very mild complaint is that on occasion two separate lines of dialogue would be combined together in one paragraph, hence the four stars in grammar. Otherwise this would have been a perfect five stars in every score. A fascinating novel that is sure to grab your attention and keep it. At least, that’s what it did to me.

P.S. The author did correct the dialogue errors, therefore earning a perfect five star salute.

Fuc-ing Oblivion, Baby!

Survival is difficult in this new world, created by scientists who lost control of their serum that ironically was designed to promote life. Instead, the serum mutated, turning humans into mindless zombies and forcing Nature itself to create monstrous creatures bent on destroying humans. Despite his dangerous surroundings, Ethan finds the will and means to survive. He is filled with guilt over the accidental shooting of his best friend and has decided that he deserves a life of solitude. So why does Lixa insist on saving him? Yes, she is attractive with her wild, flowing black hair and her tight shorts that show off her well-muscled thighs. But Ethan sees himself a murderer, not worthy of giving or receiving love. Can Lixa’s patient understanding perhaps change Ethan’s mind?

An interesting take on the Apoplectic genre. I don’t find too many End-of-the-World novels on Inkitt. I liked Erhan’s no nonsense attitude, honed by the battles he survived. My favorite character though was Lixa (what a beautiful and exotic name.) At the time of this review there were only two chapters available. (The first three chapters were actually copyright information and detailed plans about the future of the novel.) Here’s hoping Ethan and Lixa survive ...and perhaps cook up a nice romance.

The Hostest with the Mostest

When Alexis and her friends get bored with their repetitive yet opulent life styles, she asks herself, why not spend some time in a beautiful mansion off the coast of Ireland? There, they can love, live and laugh without any adults interfering with all the fun.

However there is something a bit wrong with Greenbane Manor. Something off kilter that Alexis can’t quite put her finger on. Worst of all, their host who goes by the name Taffy, refuses to leave the mansion despite the available ferry. But no, worries. They can still continue with their nice vacation. That is until Steven from their party turns up dead.

An enjoyable horror story that I think leans a little more towards the mystery genre then horror. In fact it reminds me a little of Agatha Christine’s great mystery novel ‘And Then there were None’. Here’s hoping the teens find a way off that island before each of them end up dead.

All Hail the Bad Ass Queen!

Meet Selena Winston. She is a very special teen with witch and wolf and vampire powers. She is royalty as well, but is forced to hide her true nature for the protection of her people. She uses a blonde wig to help camouflage her wild rose beauty. Contact lenses cover the true color of her ocean blue eyes.

But try as she might, Selena can’t hide from the attention of Adrian. He is aware of her beauty and knows there is far more then meets the eye to this would be nerd. Can Selena continue to hide her identity from Adrian’s possible romantic interest? .And is he worthy of the attention from this saucy, exotic princess?

Selena is certainly a very unusual creature. I don’t think I ever read a novel about a woman who was a wolf and a witch and vampire. I like it. Such an exotic mixture of races. Lol! Cute story. At the time of this review there were only three chapters available, but here’s hoping for a hot and sexy love affair between Selena and Adrian.

A Rose can Grow in the Harshness of Hell

The Tsunami creates horrible damage to the Dalian country side. The drowned bodies stack up quickly and there is destruction and despair as far as the eye can see. But this does not destroy the spirit of Zachariah the leader and president of Dalia. He physically helps his people, with the removal of debris and offering personal words of encouragement, despite the disapproval of his officials. They believe that mixing with the common folk is not Zachariah’s place as their official leader.

It is during one of his rescue missions that he discovers a beautiful but broken woman named Isabelle. She is pregnant and despondent just having witnessed the death of her husband and prematurely born daughter. Yet Zachariah is touched by her inner strength. He realizes Isabelle will survive even if she is too blinded by the horror of her circumstances to understand this yet. Zachariah also realizes it’s too early to hope, but perhaps eventually Isabelle will be able to move beyond her past, and see the true love he has for her.

A unique story about an unusual love affair. Funny how the leader of a country can be more exotic then a werewolf, but there you have it. Maybe because there are so many werewolf love stories out there, but few involving real people. I enjoyed learning about Zachariah and Isabelle. (Especially Isabelle who has more depth and character then your average female love interest.) A good read if you want to remember how realistic romance works.

Partners in Love

Ellie is not necessarily looking for love in her young life. She has no time for friendships let alone romantic entanglements. Her goals are to get good grades and then graduate from school. But Bad Boy Ethan simply refuses to leave her alone. “He’s a stalker,” she tells herself. She knows his tainted reputation, all the detentions he receives. How can he hope to form a romance with her when they are such complete opposites. Ellie believes the entire idea is hopeless. But when she looks into Ethan’s eyes and sees the caring, sensitive souls beneath the tough boy exterior, she begins to wonder if there might be room in her life for love after all.

This was a sweet romance tale filled with lots of heart melting moments. Like when Ethan tenderly cares for his infant sister. (Those were my favorite scenes.) Ethan, interesting enough, starts out as the typical detention riddled bad boy but then morphs into a sensitive and caring individual. It was a fun transformation. As a matter of fact I’m not sure where the ‘Arson’ is from the title. I haven’t encountered any fires yet, other then the fiery love the two leads have for each other. Though it’s possible this might be coming up in future chapters. This was an enjoyable about a sweet romance. It’s sure to put a smile on your face.

🎶 Falling in Love Again ...🎶

Anne has survived a difficult marriage. Married to an abusive man who liked to communicate his displeasure with his fists, she somehow managed to find the daily strength to start each day anew. Yet her soul remains torn down, especially after the fate of her infant son. “You need therapy” her older sister JoAnne advises. But Anne resists this idea at first. Therapy in her opinion is for the weak. Eventually she does succumb and meets Andrew the first authoritative male to treat her with kindness and understanding. Can Andrew show Anne the inner strength that lies within herself without loosing his heart to Anne?

Overall this was an encouraging story. I hope I didn’t make it sound too depressing. It’s easy to identify with Anne who doesn’t put on airs but has an uncanny knack for seeing the truth that can make others including Andrew her therapist feel uncomfortable. Truly an enjoyable character. There might have been a few grammar errors here and there. But they are easily fixed. A good novel for those looking for reasons to hope.

Don’t Mess with Aviry

Her slender build disguises the danger, along with her good looks and mix matched eyes. But life has taught her to be merciless, and once she raises a gloved hand, her opponent is almost certain to fall down bloody and defeated. But what happens when Aviry is sold against her will to a new manager who is as merciless and cunning as herself. Will she still remain champion during her battles in the forest? And what does it mean to fail under this evil new management.

This was a well written, action intense novel. Aviry is certainly one of a kind. I never met an anti-hero quite like her. Also, there’s some nice character development here. We learn about the experiences that has shaped Avery’s fierce personality. This novel reminded me a little of a The Hunger Games and yes that’s a compliment. I can understand why it’s so popular. Be sure to give Rejection Denied a try.

Legend of the Found!

What drives Astrid, a powerful and gorgeous witch to search the dangerous woods? Surely she is aware of the forest’s notorious reputation. Anyone who enters, will never return, their ultimate fate left unknown. But this doesn’t frighten Astrid. She believes her magical powers are a match for the forest, even if she has no control over her ‘trance’ state. The trance causes Astrid to become a demon. Her powers ultimately to be used on the whims of a mysterious conductor, whether for good or evil.

This was a good fantasy and well-written. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice which was excellent at invoking an enchanting but dangerous world where you are as likely to meet a demon as easily as a fairy. I only have one minor complaint. The author for some reason prefers passive language. The passive voice is when the subject of a sentence receives an action instead of giving it. There’s nothing wrong with using an occasional passive voice. (I used it myself when describing the plot.) But I find a lot of it can be a little distracting. At any rate this was a fun read with some truly imaginative characters you won’t meet anywhere else.

Go on, Girl

Veronica Reeves isn’t sure what started her down the slippery slope of addictions. Sure, she’s an adopted child, but her adoptive family is very loving towards her (if perhaps a little lax on supervision.) Then there’s her best friend Nicole. Ronnie sees how Nicole falls apart over the betrayal of a former boyfriend. “That will never be me!” she assures herself. Yet there is something deep within her that remains unsatisfied. She can cover up that need now with alcohol and sex. But Ronnie knows that eventually the consequences actions will catch up with her. And she wonders what will happen if there is no one there to rescue her when she eventually falls.

An interesting story about the seductive powers of anti-authoritative reasoning. Veronica is charming and a little naive in the way she assumes she can control all actions that occur to her in life. You don’t want to see her life choices destroy her. So far I’m on chapter five and things haven’t gotten to bad for her yet. I’m assuming the potential love interest Derek will be there to support Ronnie when she’s ready to admit she needs it. An interesting read.

An Agency of Evil

How does one cope surviving an evil government who’s only concern is the survival and perpetual growth of itself? Agent 411 doesn’t ask herself these questions but only operates as a protector for the agency. She knows how to stop potential threats through her superior eye sight and physical prowess. If her actions are moral or not is beyond her interests.

Then there is Sarah. As a journalist she understands the risks of asking questions. But how can she ignore the human right violations of the Agency? She gives a powerful speech warning her fellow media specialists about the dangers of their government as well as the suspicious death of her good friend Tristan. When her speech is over, Sarah immediately catches the interest of a strange man. He introduces himself to her as ‘Hugo’. But the question still remains. Is Hugo friend or foe?

There is a lot going on in this novel. A whole history of intrigue and government spies and betrayals. Anastasia Thomas has a good bit of skill as a writer. Her greatest strengths is her creation of such a unique and pressured government along with her ability to add human touches to her characters to make them personable. I won’t say this book is a casual read, because it isn’t. There’s a dedication needed to enjoy it properly. But you will be rewarded with an interesting world full memorable and vulnerable characters.

The Last Sorceress and Emma’s First Hope

Emma, an orphaned nine year old, dreams of love and acceptance from a would be family. Instead she is bullied at her orphanage and labeled ‘Freak’ by the other children. Her only friends are the characters she finds in books. Emma especially enjoys consoling herself in the tales of King Arthur.

But then the unthinkable occurs when she is adopted by a female couple. Surely a ‘freak’ does not deserve such good fortune, Emma assures herself. Especially since Sam and Meghan, her new parents, also share a love for reading. When Emma discovers a rather unusual book in her new home, a book that is leather bound and tantalizing labeled Hero’s Journey in silver script, she begins to sense that her good fortune maybe has just begun. As well as challenges that could destroy her if she is not properly prepared.

As usual, author Sofi Corsi doesn’t disappoint with her excellent writing skills. She labels this novel as a children’s story. If so, then it is as much of a children’s story as the Harry Potter books or C. S. Lewis Narnia tales. In other words there are significant things here for an adult to enjoy too as well. I certainly enjoyed it. Sofi Corsi is another one of those authors I believe whose works we may one day see in a book store. At any rate this is a wonderfully inspiring tale about daring to hope when the odds are against you.

🎶 Big Werewolves Don’t Cry ...🎶

...At least Jesse doesn’t cry no matter how many hearts he chooses to break. With his teen, blonde, good looks, Jesse is used to picking whomever he wants among the beautiful girls. But lately he has become bored with his easy conquests. What would it be like to have sex with a male? he wonders. Would he able to destroy their hearts just as he has done to so many others?

Gray on the other hand, has always harbored a secret crush on Jesse. When Jesse mentions his casual interest in boys, Gray realizes his chance has finally arrived to announce his love to his best friend. But unfortunately Gray realizes that he is too late or too early. He watches Jesse casually flirt with another boy named Kai. Gray rages feeling the wolf trying to from emerge inside of him. How can Gray remain friends with Jesse after this betrayal? And will he be able to control the beast that demands both blood and vengeance?

Interesting story. While I’ve read many novels about bisexual and homosexual vampires, this is the first time I’ve encountered a homosexual werewolf. (Though technically Gray is asexual.) I also enjoyed reading about Gray’s painful transformation into a werewolf even as he desperately tries to control himself. Personally, I’d label this under erotica rather then romance or horror genres. I think it fits there better. At any rate this was a fun read about the dangers of romance running amuck.

A Bit on the Side and A Lot in Betwen ...

Ujunwa does her best to appear content in her marriage. She knows that peace can only occur as long as her husband Somadina is happy. Unfortunately Somadina has many rules in his household and one of his most important laws is that Ujunwa is never to give birth to a child. However Unjunwa desperately wants a baby. As she does her best to hide her growing pregnancy with a feigned appetite she watches Somadina becoming suspicious. Will Ujunwa be able to continue to fool her husband? And can she bear the punishment that will swiftly follow if her husband ever finds out?

Wow. I’m not sure if my one paragraph description does the story justice, but this was very, well written. Yes there were some grammatical errors, but grammatical errors can always be fixed. A narrative voice however is something else altogether. A narrative voice is skill that can’t be taught. Either a writter has a voice or she or he doesn’t and Toniyene has an excellent one If I say so myself. I’m a little jealous actually. Lol! Anyway, I greatly enjoyed this story and I’m looking forward to reading more work from this author.

The Tale of Jule-sel and Gretel ...

In a deep corner of the world, hidden from all those who are in a position to help, two twin children are forced to endure unthinkable physical and emotional abuse. The monster calls himself ‘Dad’ though he’s not their real father. His favorite weapon of choice is a clothes iron which he uses to burn poor Jules mercilessly. Completely helpless and alone, all Jules and his twin sister Tay can do is dream of escape.

A cheery, uplifting story that promises to brighten your day. Ha-ha. No, sorry for the sarcasm. In actuality this is a grim story that I wouldn’t recommend for the faint hearted. Still, if you have the stomach for it (And I admit I do. Maybe because I love horror) this could be an interesting study on the psychological changes that comes from abuse. This novel is an interesting, modern day version of Hansel and Gretel. But again not for sensitive readers.

Creature See-ers, Doers and Believers ...

It’s not easy being a high schooler in a small midwestern town. Every day Ryder tries his best to keep his mind on his studies and continue with his progress as an upright, proper student. But that’s difficult to do when his imagination gets away from him. One day he sees the unbelievable; a sinister woman in a floppy, white hat cackling to no one in particular. “It must be the ADHD medicine,” Ryder tells himself remembering what happens when he is late with his medication. But medication alone can’t explain why his younger brother also shares the hallucinations. Nor can it reveal the reason behind the charming, mystical store where magic comes shockingly to life and the fantastical is real.

This was an enjoyable fantasy to read. It reminded me a little of the works of C.S. Lewis. I adore the notion of magic hiding just beneath the ordinary, ready to surprise (and sometimes even terrify) those who are brave enough to see it. A heart warming tale that encourages it’s readers to see the magic too.

Shadow Love that’s Inside Out

All Riley really wants in life is romantic love. She dreams about it every night and day, much to her father’s chagrin. But with a sudden move to a new country and a different culture, instant love hardly seems likely. Or is it? “Beware of shadow love ...” her former best friend warns her. But surely she couldn’t mean the harmless looking Riya. She is a pretty girl with goth clothing and thick, black hair yet there lies a vulnerability underneath. Riley is helplessly drawn to her. As she stares into Riya’s unsettling, hazel eyes, Riley realizes that she just may have found the girl of her dreams ...and possibly her nightmares.

A love story with unusual characters. The beginning in particularly reminded me of Pixar’s ‘Inside and Out’ which also stars a character named Riley who is forced into a sudden move and a new school. The difference is that this Riley is a full-fledged teenager with more complex motivations. Author Goth Jay has a way with dialogue that I admire and am a little jealous of to be perfectly frank. She knows how to make it clear who is talking without the use of distracting dialogue tags. I’m still working at the skill. Lol. Anyway this a vampiric romance story that still manages to be about ordinary love.

Forever, My Evermore

All sixteen year old Julia Greyson ever wanted was the freedom to be herself. She works at a movie theater but she dreams of becoming a writer even though she knows her father wouldn’t approve. “You just need love” her best friend Shelly informs her. But Julia scoffs at this idea. Love, she decides is not the answer to everything. It is patience and understanding that is far likelier to bring her the success she craves.

However far away in Romania a man with a merciless hunger for blood awakens from his death. Is he destined to meet Julia? Perhaps he will offer Julia a chance of freedom ...at a terrible, terrible price.

Wow, this is a well written story with a strong narrative voice. (In other words there is a true and consistent personality in Julia. In fact I’m curious about what this particular author can do with a third person narrative.) I’m only on the second chapter so far but I definitely plan to continue. I read on Jacky’s wall that she wishes to be a professionally paid author some day. I think this is a strong possibility in a few years time.

I’m Madly in Hate with You!

If there’s anyone in this world that Tobias Harris truly detests then it’s Alexander, captain of the swim meet. Never mind Alexander’s gorgeous, tanned body and that he carries about him the sexuality of a jungle cat. Alexander has made it quite clear that he hates him and the only way Tobias knows to defend himself is to return the favor. Tobias will conquer him. If not with a swim challenge ...then most certainly in bed.

The ‘I hate you, I hate you, whoops it’s love’ is a bit cliche. But it also happens to be the opener of some of the best romance stories in the world. (There are even some tv shows that depend on the ‘I hate you’ romance exclusively) I’m only on chapter four now and they haven’t quite hooked up yet, but I cant wait to see what it’ll be like when these two guys finally get it on.

I love the author’s name by the way, Dominant Grey. It reminds me of Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray. (One of my favorite Victorian novels.) At any rate this is a good, solid read when you’re in the mood for a male romance story.

Goodbye Panties ...

Beautiful Aurora very much wants to be the good girl. It was a role her abusive father had assigned to her, so naturally she finds herself dating an equally abusive man. But what if deep down she desires her freedom ...and a bit of naughtiness too. That’s what Vincenzo promises her. When she gazes on his muscular build and sinister good looks Aurora’s purple eyes light up with lust. She imagines her tongue tracing the many tattoos on his perfect body. Vincenzo is more then willing to accommodate her. But here too lies danger. For Vincenzo is quick to anger and his favorite manipulative tool is violence. As Aurora does her best to satisfy Vincenzo in all the ways she possibly can, the unthinkable occurs to her. Could her newest sex partner have had anything to do with her mother’s death?

A hot sexy story. Author Crystal Love does not hold back on sharing with us the juicy details of Aurora’s and Vincent’s physical relationship. The characters are interesting too, my favorite being Vincenzo who practically has no-good stamped across his forehead. Of course this may be the very thing Aurora likes about him,the poor foolish woman. Let’s hope she doesn’t pay the ultimate price for her sexual curiosity.

The Void of Madness!

All Jonathan wants to do does is lead an normal life with his somewhat ordinary family. He has a snotty older sister and a rather distant mother and father. He has dreams of dating the pretty teenaged girl Jenny, if his best friend Levi doesn’t accidentally ruin it for him with his over-the-top antics. Overall Jonathan is satisfied with life but then comes the fateful car accident and nothing is the same for Jonathan ever again. He wakens and yet is tormented by nightmares; dreams that present themselves as reality but is only a curtain hiding infinite horrors underneath. As Jonathan struggles to understand his new existence, he slowly looses his grip on reality. What is real and what is imagined? Will Jonathan ever be able to return to what he perceived as ‘normal’ ever again?

I enjoyed this story. It reminded me a little of the anime ‘The Blue Line’. Especially when things really go off the rockers in Jonathan’s nightmares. I also liked some of the themes Jake H explores in his novel; the accelerated descent into horror, the family that Jonathan initially took for granted now becoming monstrous versions of themselves. (He didn’t realize how good he had it before. Lol!) I’m looking forward to reading more of Jake H’s works. This was a fun dissection of the world of chaos.

Flaming Love Burns On ...

What can you do when the one you love is no longer within reach? For that is what happened to Veda with his gorgeous best friend Ava. He remembers the look of her dark hair against her tanned skin, the way she wrinkled her nose when she smiled. How she wasn’t repulsed by spiders the way many girls were. Most of all, he remembers the touch of her hand when he led her through the school hall ways. How could she forget him so completely after her new found fame and fortune? His other friend Jimmy is rather relieved by Ava’s absence seeing her as a bit of a third wheel in their friendship. But as Veda stares into the night sky with it’s countless of stars, he knows he will one day see Ava again ...and his burning kiss will be enough to cause her to remember what they once shared together.

I for one am very curious as to what happened to put Ava far from V’s reach. Did she become a rock star? A Hollywood actress? There was only four chapters at the time of this review but I hope Black Heart the author makes this information available soon in the upcoming chapters. Black Heart is also quite fond of poetry and cleverly weaves some of her/his works through out the story. A pleasant read especially if you enjoy poetic language.

Blockbuster Curse

It is the time of the video store chains where the idea of downloading a video was as remote of the idea of watching that same video on a CD. While working at the Video Shack, three male friends lazily discuss their interest in magic. (Dan casually mentions that he has the ability to levitate himself off the floor.) But their biggest interest of all is in movies especially the film-that-will-not-be-watched. Cursed, this movie holds an unholy fascination for the three boys.

Three girls enter the store. Young and attractive they too express interest in the nameless film. Will the boys be able to resist their charms, or will all of them destroy themselves by watching a film that promises the ultimate death to all who view it?

I loved the time period of this piece and the brown-note feel. (A brown-note is a sound that is unbearable to to the human mind and often induces thoughts of suicide.) Reminds me a little of The King in Yellow mythos too. Deserthorror has a wonderfully, dark and twisted imagination. I can only hope some of it inspires me as I continue to read his works.

🎶 L is for the Way you Look at Me 🎶

Alivia has never had time for love. As a best selling author, her only desire in life is to give back some of the blessings she has received. She enjoys giving funds to the local orphanage and watching the joy light up in the children’s eyes as she plays with them. No man can match the pleasure of that, Alivia thinks. That is until she drops her phone on one fated day and looks into Nick’s emerald green eyes.

Nick, on the other hand always knows when he wants a woman. And right now he has his eyes settled on Alivia. But she is so insistent on playing games. She gives him only a two digit phone number and the first initial of her name. Later when fate arranges for them to meet again she gives him more vague hints. Nick tells himself that Alivia is worth the wait, but a part of him becomes just the tiniest bit impatient. How long will he have to play games with Alivia before she is finally willing to give him more then just a taste?

A cute story that has a lot of potential. It sort of reminded me of that movie ‘Isn’t it Romantic’ with it’s sly, coyness, particularly with Alivia’s character. In fact, (author please forgive me for this) but I almost wanted her to push fate and Nick so far that he decides he’s had enough of the game playing and decides to go after a simpler girl. (Lol, I know there’s no way that’s ever going to happen.) A fun book if you want to learn about the hide and seek version of love.

The Sun is Out

The nightmare for Ray never ends. She is haunted with memories of her abusive past; the beatings, the rapes. Will she ever find peace? She runs through the forest hoping for escape. There she is discovered by yet another man who at first frightens her intensely. Yet he is very different from the men she is used to. He treats Ray with kindness and compassion and Ray becomes very confused. Haven’t her former abusers explained that she was only useful as a punching bag and a rape object?

The man’s name is Dark but he means only sunshine and hope to poor desperate Ray. Without any questions he provides food and a home for her. He administers helpful medications to her as well. Dark can heal Ray’s body, but does he have the ability to soothe her spirit which will perhaps allow Ray to love again?

Cute names for the characters. I also like the slight irony that it is Dark who brings a ray of hope to Ray. Ha-ha. This is quite an intense story. I’m wondering if Ray’s abuser’s will pursue her and perhaps attack Dark as well. There are many interesting plot lines this story could take. I’m curious as to which ones author Shezz will ultimately choose.

Friends Light the Way

Gabrielle can hardly imagine life without her three best buddies Emma, Candice and Ava. Together they decorate the school halls for an upcoming party and they enjoy hanging out at the mall too. Gabrielle feels that there is nothing she can’t accomplish as long as her pals are there to support her. But then the unpredictable happens ...Gabrielle may be forced to move away. Can she find a way to survive her new environment without her life long buds?

This novel is about friendships and I haven’t read too many novels that have dealt purely with this topic, so kudos to author Aleena Abraham for that. I also liked the cover she chose for ‘Unpredictable’ though ironically enough it doesn’t seem to describe the actions in the book. The cover suggests a dark mystery and sensuality. Not the sort of thing one would expect for a light hearted story about teen friends. Then again I haven’t finished the novel yet so my initial impression could easily be wrong. At any rate ‘Unpredictable’ is definitely not your typical novel on Inkitt. Enjoy the read.

Let the Right One In!

Sage Nwafor knows she deserves better then ugly relationships in life. Tired of being mistreated by men, she decides to never fall in love again with anyone including Dylan Andino. Sure he’s drop dead gorgeous with his stunning blue eyes and well-toned body. But she’s been with attractive men before and knows how deceitful good looks can be. Does she dare trust him with her heart?

Women have always came easily to Dylan. But there’s something different about Sage. Somethings that pulls him in and stops him from playing his usual hurtful games. Perhaps for the first time ever, Dylan realizes he wants something more from Sage then just her body. Can he convince her to trust a man just one more time?

A nice romance story, starring normal human beings instead of fantastical, magical creatures for once. I kind of liked that. There was only two chapters at the time of this review but it’ll be interesting to see how their romance proceeds. I’m predicting something is going to happen that will cause Sage to distrust Dylan. (Like she’ll see him with another woman though it would be under totally innocent circumstances) then he’ll have to work his butt off trying to win her over again. Lol. We’ll see. An excellent start to a promising romance novel.

Beloved Queen Esther

An attractive, dark haired woman named Esther feels like she’s simply wandering without purpose through life. Her uncle transported the entire family from Iran to America when she was a young child. After her parents die in a tragic car accident her uncle decides to raise his beautiful niece all by himself. Sometime after Esther’s twenty sixth birthday she learns that one of her favorite media figures, the handsome and wealthy Jack Rhodes is about to break his engagement with Vashti Wilmer. “Ahhh” says Esther’s uncle. “Now is the time to apply for a new P.A. position for Rhodes.” But is Esther up for the task? And will this shy beauty somehow worm her way into Rhode’s heart.

I suspect this story maybe based on Esther that exists in the Bible. The plot beats seem similar to what goes on in the biblical chapter. If that’s the case I think it is a clever idea. I wish I had come up with it myself. It’s also fun to read about a beautiful character that doesn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes for a change (I’ve read about so many blonde hair/blue eyed characters to easily fill an entire Aryan Empire. Of course I should be the last one to be complaining. I’ve done it myself.) If I’m right about this novel being a modernized Esther, may I suggest writing more about the Vashiti character? I always found her a fascinating character in the Bible and wondered about her view point on things. At any rate this is a great start to a fascinating story. Can’t wait to read the next chapters.

The River Runs Wild

Erik is a wolf who is used to getting whatever he wants. As the handsome leader of the River Runs Wolf Pack (one of the most powerful Wolf nations in the New America) very few say ‘no’ to him be they human, wolf or warlock. So he becomes very shocked when Caelynn, a gorgeous human female refuses him as a mate. Doesn’t she realize how difficult it was for him to lower himself to romancing a mere human girl? Erik decides he will then punish her because she does not realize his worth. Caelynn will be his even if she is unaware of it yet. Even if some regrettable force is necessary.

Caelynn on the other hand has murder on her mind. She knows that with Erik’s death she will become the new leader of the River Runs pack once their mating ritual is complete. Does the fool not realize the danger he is in? Or perhaps the danger is actually for her as she imagines the feel of his lips on her body. Can she control her unwanted feelings towards Erik long enough to carry out her plans?

This story is really ...sexy. I hope I don’t offend anyone by that description, but I loved it. I enjoyed the push-pull dynamic between these two characters; arrogant Erik and defiant Caelynn. I’m grateful that none of the leads are sappily in love with each other like I’ve read in other werewolves stories. You get the sense that you’re reading about grown-ups here as the two naturally feel suspicious towards each other. If you like your werewolves stories with a little more bite to them (ha-ha) be sure to give this novel a try.

A Shifting Perspective

River has lived a rather lonely existence. She knows she is different from other people from the way her parents have isolated her. Then there are her obsidian eyes marring her delicate beauty with their hints of terror. And of course there is the shifting. Her clan has a way of introducing nightmares into their victims and then feeding on their fears as they sleep. All of this has pushed River into social isolation. She is not sure if she wants to continue with her family’s tradition of inspiring fear in humans or not.

But River has found hope in Liam. He is another lonely soul who is trapped in a family that skirts narrowly from physical and emotional abuse. Together they have seemed to have formed a bond as they promise to protect each other from what they fear the most. But as Liam grows into adolescence and he begins to feel lustful towards River’s teenaged beauty, will this be a promise he can continue to keep?

Wow. This is a good novel and I was highly entertained while reading it. Lana Fox is certainly a talented writer. My only minor complaint is that this novel might have been labeled in the wrong genre. Right now it’s listed under horror. But River seems to be a little too beautiful to be scary. I have a feeling there would be many men (and possibly some women too) who wouldn’t be disappointed from a visit by River in the middle of the night. At any rate, Shadow Shifters is a very good story and I wouldn’t be surprised if Lana Fox’s novels becomes one of the top ten in Inkitt after a matter of time.

I’ll Get You My Pretty!

There is a girl with long, dark hair who lives within the pages of an ancient, mostly unread book. Her skin is eerily pale and her face remains unseen as she sleeps for the moment, trapped within the book. Hope never to wake her up. For she never leaves any living victims once her tome has been read after midnight.

Unfortunately, this is the mistake that Ivy commits. Scoffing at the simple warning of the danger of reading the journal once the clock strikes twelve, Ivy does so only to feel the ticklish sensation of an unseen something breathing down her neck. But Ivy refuses to loose hope. With her new friends, she prepares herself to battle the thing in the book. But will she ultimately succeed?

There are only two chapters so far and the prologue, but what I read was nice. I love these Ring type stories. The ones where the protagonist and the reader breaks the rules together, therefore implying that the reader will suffer the same nasty fate as the protagonist. It gives the novel this spooky breaking-the-fourth-wall feel. Brrr, I shudder just thinking about it. The details about Nigeria feels very authentic too and adds more realism to the story. I hope Lala Pubs finishes her book soon. I can’t wait to read more.

Too Cruel to Be Petty

Something is very wrong with Officer Petty. His fellow police officers have noticed it, but prefer to ignore their observations. And he has that sexy new girlfriend McDaniels. Maybe she was the reason for his skittish behavior, the false pep in his step. Their relationship certainly went beyond the Officer Friendly treatment.

But only Petty knows how far he has really gone and the only thing that frightens him more then his self acknowledged insanity is his inability to control his thirst for personal justice ...and just how far he’ll go to get it.

I love stories like these. Stories about crazy and inventive serial killers. The fact that this guy is a police officer makes it all the more juicy. My favorite chapter was the first one with the girl trapped in the dog cage; a wonderfully, frightening experience. The author Jason Boyce has come up with some great characters. I certainly hope he continues with this novel. It would be a real shame to let Officer’s Perry’s ultimate fate (and the other crimes he will undoubtedly commit) remain unknown.

A Tormented Night in Salem

Salem is a witch who likes to keep to herself. She alone knows of the dark and powerful magic that resides deep within her being ...and how difficult it is to control it. After all, her namesake is a town where hundreds of witches were once killed. Is her name perhaps a curse? Suggesting that she too has the power to kill, if she looses control of the dangerous magic within herself?

Leopold unfortunately doesn’t sense the danger. Or perhaps he does and is strangely attracted by it. He is deeply fascinated by this mysterious dark-haired beauty, but he is not sure why. Is it perhaps because he senses the destructive power within herself? Or even the deep secret she carries along with guilt? Whatever it is, Leopold finds her irresistible forgetting perhaps what happens to moths when they fly to close to a burning flame.

A refreshing paranormal love story. Werewolf stories are nice too, but sometimes I yearn for something a little more exotic and this story satisfies. I’ve only read three chapters so far, but I think I already know Salem’s shameful secret. I hope Leopold knows what he’s in for. I can see him accidentally getting killed if he doesn’t handle Salem the right way. Can’t wait to see how the romance progresses.

We are Kaspar!

He is royalty but he is not treated as such. Abused, kicked, unwanted, Kaspar is forced to live in a dungeon even while his princely brothers enjoy the best of their privileged lives. Even death will not bring Kaspar peace, for suicide will tarnish his family’s reputation and he wishes to bring them no harm despite their abusive attitude towards them.

But hopes lies with Terra and her mother. They do not treat Kaspar with disrespect even though this is seemingly the attitude of the entire kingdom. And with thirst love and acceptance he sees a new strength in himself ...a determination that suggests that the true king may have arrived in the guise of this humble looking child.

Wow, I’ve been reading a lot of good stuff on Inkitt recently and that doesn’t happen terribly often. This is another well-written story. (I loved the prologue in particular- the idea of an infant’s arms becoming seperate whole identities. How creative is that?) There is a strong King Arthurian Sword in the Stone vibe here and yes this is a compliment. Author Alicia D’Tourna really knows how to build a suspenseful, compelling story.

A Blood Red Flower

Eris Rozentilla was uniquely cursed. Born into a family of assassins she was carefully trained since birth not to have a conscience or to care about anyone but herself and her family.
Most importantly, she was trained how to kill and in the most ruthless and efficient fashion.

Yet despite her upbringing and all of it’s difficulty, Eris dreams of a better life. Feeling ashamed of her lack of feeling shame, Eris wonders if some where in the world there is a better garden. One where her sense of morality would be allowed to grow and flourish.

The grammar was a bit different from what I’m used too. (It took me a while to understand that the words in bold were intended to be quotes and the rest of paragraphs was Eris’s inner dialogue. But I did eventually catch on.) This novel had a nice mafia feel. Reminded me of The Godfather a little bit. It will be interesting to see if Eris can escape her family’s murdeous ideals and discover the person she truly is inside.

Me and You!

Dalisay is caught in a romantic relationship which she insists on re-writing, changing if only in her own mind. She is full of regrets, but she only hints at the dark secret, (at least at first) the knowledge that has somehow destroyed her relationship with her nameless lover. She writes a novel to him and as we slowly learn the traits of her nameless lover (he is handsome, yet shy, seemingly harmless) it is difficult not to wonder what went so wrong in their relationship ...and that is the hook in this unique novel.

I’m not usually a fan of 2nd person narratives. But I have to say this novel was well written and charmed me somewhat. The author Sadie Anne hints at a complex, romantic relationship with fully developed three dimensional characters. I liked that. It was engaging. Certainly not your average love story. I’ll definitely have to continue reading.

A Dangerous Secret ...

Beautiful and young Prisha is in one hell of a jam. Her beauty has unfortunately attracted the attention of her boss and he makes no secret of the lust he has for her. His flirtation towards her comes uncomfortably close to rape. Will Prisha be able to escape this man and discover who she is without him?

This story certainly is very juicy and I’m intensely curious if Prisha is going to be able to get away from this creep. Having said that, I also must note that I did see some grammar issues. (Remember, always capitalize the beginning of sentences. Also, you could find some friendly editors who specialize in the English language to help with some of the other minor grammar issues.) But none of these issues were very damaging to the story. At any rate a promising start.

Purple Pearl Eater

This review pertains to the first two chapters only. You don’t want to mess with the law firm belonging to the inquisitive Amira, her identical twin Amara and the physically attractive Caleb. On the the surface the three fight against injustice of all kinds especially if it involves cheating children. But in reality their law firm hides their true identities and motives. In secret they are Werewolves who prefer to curb their appetites for human flesh at least for the time being. What they crave more then anything is to once again posess the purple pearl, a special jewelry that is necessary for their tribe’s continued survival.

A rather unique werewolf story. I dare say I have never read a werewolf story quite like this one before. So far I haven’t encountered any love triangles which is kind of refreshing for this genre though this may change in the future. I admit I’m curious as to how the purple pearl will effect the three of them. The only way to learn the answer is to continue reading Fajitas intriguing story.

He Looks Like an Angel ..

Reyna McCall is nobody’s fool. Young, beautiful and adopted into a prominent family, she knows she is a prize for any man. But she has no plans of becoming a ‘trophy wife’ especially to dead gorgeous Davian Cross. She senses something amiss in his flirtations with her. Perhaps something even a little threatening. But it’s so hard for Reyna not to become distracted by his sensual kisses and seductive touch. Will Reyna disentangle herself from a possibly dangerous relationship? Or will she find herself becoming the ultimate victim in ways she has never imagined.

First off ...wow! A. L. Long is a skilled writter. I haven’t run into any miss-spellings, past or present tense problems, pacing problems (my own Achilles heel as a writer) or awkward use of the English Language. Her characters are three dimensional and therefore all the more interesting to read about. You sense there are real stakes here. I’m definitely enjoying The Perfect Wife and can’t wait to find out what happens to Reyna and Davian next.

A World With No Problems ...

The future is presented as a happy place in Mare Midnight’s novel, at least on the glittering surface. The energy crisis is over. There are flying cars and flying hover boards. There is no such thing as world hunger and all illnesses are a minor inconvenience at best. But there is another kind of illness breeding underneath the surface of this future society. One that can turn human minds into horrendous monstrosities with an unthinkable craving for human flesh. Sky and Jay try to cope with their rapidly changing society. But will it be too much for them? Can they ultimately survive?

An interesting take on the zombie apocalypse genre. Reminded me a little bit of Stephen King’s ‘Cell’. (And yes that’s a compliment.) Get ready for a harrowing ride with this novel.

Pride ...But No Prejudices.

What does success feel like? Financial freedom, good looks and youth all wrapped up in the American Dream? The beautiful Evelyn White knows. She has founded her company at the age twenty six. But success hasn’t gone to her head. She still makes time for an old college friend Allison who is trapped possibly emotionally abusive relationship. Allison unfortunately will not take Eve’s very sobering advice.

Enter Adrian Stone a man with the looks of a Greek God. Intelligent and wealthy he is in every way Eve’s equal, and this disturbs her greatly. Eve feels that conquering Adrian through a romantic relationship will mean the pinnacle of success. A once enemy now conquered. But can she tame his arrogant spirit. Or will they fight through means that are fair and unfair until one of their companies is destroyed ...and the owner is left with a broken heart.

A fun story about the rich and famous that’s enjoyable to read. Reminds me a little of one of my favorite television programs, The Haves and Have Nots.

Wren-ching Fate ...

Wren is a beautiful, intelligent young woman and yet her life is somehow shrouded in mystery. There’s the sense of something dark creeping around the corners of her existence and she is chased in the forest by a strange man. Her mother comes to rescue her and is oddly nonchalant about the mystifying stranger or the fact that she requires for both her and her daughter to carry knives.
Wren is puzzled by her mother’s odd behavior but is not necessarily troubled by them. Until she wakes up in the morning and discovers an attractive but sharp eared stranger staring back at her.

“You’re not human.” Her mother replies. Then who is she? The answer to this question terrifies her as well as ignites a new sense of purpose in her soul. Will Wren accept her ultimate destiny? Or will she doom herself and her people to an unkind fate?

Aella Stormwind does a good job at building sympathy for Wren as well as passion in her novel. Her characters are well written and believable. I could find no grammatical errors or misspelled words. Plus her pacing was excellent (a skill I’m still working on.) I know I’m concerned for Wren’s fate. Here’s hoping for the best for her.

Hot for Teacher!

Poor Eva. Not only does she struggle to perform well in school, but she just met her new history teacher. Or to be more precise she learns that her teacher is the good looking Bret Davis, a man she has known since childhood and is also a good friend of her father’s. But Eva is no longer a child. She has blossomed into an attractive teenager. As each of them become aware of their growing physical attraction to one another, the sexual tension deepens. You know someone is about to succumb to their forbidden attraction and the result ultimately will destroy one of them ...or possibly both.

The plot is one of those ‘forbidden fruit’ stories that can be a lot of fun to read. The author will have to take great care however not to let this become an accidental support for pedophile type behavior. (For that very reason many authors use the female teacher/male student hook-up and even that has to be handled delicately.) So far the author seems up to the challenge. A fun, naughty read.

Room of Blood

Everywhere there is blood. It pours from the walls and drips from the ceiling. Your foot prints leaves smeared blood on the floor and the strong copper smell of blood chokes the oxygen out of the air. In the mirrors your own image laughs at you with deep obsidian eyes. Is this your new reality? Or have you receded into a dark place in your mind, where something laughs and controls your every move ...like a puppet.

A wonderful start for Paola Droz’s new novel. What I liked best about Uncontrollable is it’s unique premise. I’ve read and seen plenty of movies about possessions before but never one told from the possessed view point, the horror of truly loosing your control to an evil spirit. I get the shudders just thinking about. Can’t wait to see what this author has planned on what happens next.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall ...

Samantha’s parents are happy at the prospect of an affordable vacation for their three unique children, happy Sam, awkward and solemn Sami and the oldest and wisest of the three Samantha. Indeed her parents can’t understand Samantha’s reluctance to visit the old fashioned cabin. But it has always been Samantha’s nature to question surprises. When she first discovers the mirror, a seemingly innocent piece of glass hanging in her parent’s bedroom, it only becomes a matter of time before Samantha learns that she is the keyhole through which evil can tear her entire family apart or remain locked safely away from doing harm. Can she ultimately control the forces in the mirror?

There is much more, but to continue with my descriptions of the plot would be to ruin some of the nice surprises in the story. So I’ll stop here. Let it suffice to say that “Mirror” is well written and provides some genuine chills. This story reminded me of one of my favorite horror movies; Oculus. That’s quite an achievement.

Maya’s Hope for Oragon

Maya loves history, especially the intriguing secret that she has discovered while reading letters from her ancestors. Yet this is not enough to impress her imposing father who believes that young women should only engage in careers that doesn’t involve studying or reading books. Torn between pleasing her father and also satisfying her deep thirst for knowledge, will Maya learn to accept herself without her father’s approval as well as discover the amazing secret of Oragon?

This is an awkward name for me to spell correctly, but Scholarstica5858 is a talented writer with a strong, narrative voice. Her characters are fully three dimensional unlike the characters I’ve read from some other books that were flat and uninspirational. This is another author I wouldn’t be surprised to discover published works outside of Inkitt some day. Probably not with that particular pen name though. Lol!

Hope He Never Finds You ...

He knows how to seek and he is very skilled at hiding. He knows how to blend in among the ordinary people, despite his large, muscular frame. He uses his good looks to appear harmless to the unsavvy. Deadliest of all, he knows how to find the right shadows to shroud himself with, never revealing his dangerous presence until it’s much too late.

John and Carol the two detectives assigned to the case do their best to track this killer. But he always seems to be one step ahead of them. Mocking them even with a murder performed right in front of the medical examiner’s home. Will the Hide and Seek killer ever be found and forced to endure justice?

Very good plot. I liked the side story of the romance between the two detectives. There’s a nice diversity in this novel as well. Be prepared though. It’s quite an intense read.

Something Evil this way Comes ...

This review pertains to the first three chapters only.

Meet Violet. Beautiful, popular, surrounded by friends and supported by teachers, life has always been rather easy for her. And perhaps that right there provides some unexpressed yearnings from Violet. Is there some boredom underneath her seemingly perfect life? Perhaps some secret deep desire to see what it would be like to be the bad girl for a change?

Eli, a handsome eighteen year old seems to pick up on Violet’s suppressed desires. He is an intense psychopath who unabashedly portrays himself as evil. (This becomes very obvious when Eli straddles the corpse of the dead high school principal.) Can Violet resist this wicked but oh so attractive boy, and what he means to her reputation and possible sanity?

I admit I love these type of wicked stories. There’s sort of a nice Cruel Intentions vibes here. This is the perfect book to enjoy with a soft comfortable chair and a whole box of chocolates that you’re not willing to share. Quite a fun read.

No Agony for Agni ...

This review pertains to the first chapter only.

The Pradhan’s responsibility is to protect his people. He carries this knowledge deep in his heart and yet he fears that this time he may be overwhelmed by an unseen, terrible force who’s very presence cracks the earth. “Run!” He yells to his people. But running can only do so much. At the very end when Pradhan and his people can run no further they are forced to face their own helplessness as they observe their broken huts ...and broken dreams.

Agni promises to be a grand adventure of an epic scale. Something akin to Tolkien as mankind fights an impossible monster. Yes, there were grammar issues. I won’t deny that. But if you can manage to ignore that you will be in your way to an exciting adventure and a perilous journey.

She cuts off their tails with a carving knife ...

It begins with a nightmare for Michael. He dreams of a witch who mercilessly attacks children by slicing into them. He wakes up with a resolve to protect all humanity against such magical creatures. After all It is his job to protect humans while they continue to pretend that the fantastical world doesn’t exist. But can he and his partner Anthony be successful against evil when witch’s have access to mind bending magic?

This was a surprisingly good read. I admit I wasn’t expecting to like The Watchman as much as I did. Of course I have a taste towards horror. That’s part of what drew me in. Also, R.D. Arlove has a good command of the English language. I found only one typo error (the use of ‘care’ instead of ‘car’) which was probably caused by an auto-correct function. So if you like detective stories with a splash of supernatural and horror, be sure to give ‘The Watchman’ a try. I’m glad I did.

Time After Time ...

This review pertains to the first two chapters only.

How does one handle the guilt of not being there for a loved one? And if not being there caused the death of your lover?
Joanna does her best to continue in a world without her girlfriend. But she is haunted by the memories of Carra, the only woman she had ever loved. The author Kei Angelus cleverly weaves Joanna’s struggle with acceptance of loss through Joanna’s own fictiin story about Lauren. She wonders and is concerned about Lauren the same way she wonders about Carra, and is unable to come to a conclusion about either relationship ...an interesting analogy.

There were some small grammatical errors but nothing that stops the flow of the story. A painful love story which may have some hope for Joanna in the end.

Lelia’s Hope is Our Hope!

This review only pertains to the first two chapters of the novel.

You don’t always get what you wish for ...” No one knows this better then Lelia; a girl who learns at an early age the cruel lesson of abandonment. It is a curse she has difficulty breaking. Her mother leaves her at an orphanage as a young baby and she never had the good fortune of being adopted unlike the other children. At the age of eighteen Lelia is forced out of the orphanage (the only home she ever knew) and must somehow learn to fend for herself without family or friends.

Lelia quickly learns that life outside the orphanage is a sink or swim world. She attempts to drown herself in the ocean only to be saved at the last moment by a mysterious benefactor. Who is her savior? Perhaps future chapters will reveal more answers to this mystery.

Lelia is easy to sympathize with. She seems to be innocent and helpless and as readers we hope along with her that life will get better. There does seem to be some potential for a better life for Lelia if Mr. Smith agrees to hire Lelia as a waitress. This was an enjoyable read with very few grammatical errors. Let’s hope all of Lelia’s dreams come true!

Buckle up, Buttercup!

This review is for the first chapter only.
What can young, genius Oliver do when his mother insists he get a job? And not just any old job ..but as a janitor at the local Haunted High-school! (Some mother. You’d think with Oliver’s grades, she’d push for him to be a scientist or something.) Only younger sister Sophie seems to properly understand the dangers of the new high school but is helpless to save her brother. Quite sad really.

Grammar was good though I did notice one paragraph was duplicated in the very next paragraph. Overall a delightful read and humorous look at what can happen when the warning signs are ignored because the ones giving the advice are supposedly too ignorant. Beware the monsters!

Answers can be found ...in the Lost Pages!

Interesting novel. I love the premise of comparing people to books. We all have pages of ourselves we try to hide from others for fear of judgment, or embarrassment, or maybe even something deep and dark that we’re afraid to acknowledge even to ourselves that we have. The Lost Pages attempts to explore these feelings in the two characters of gorgeous Aryan and the kind hearted Mila.
They flirt with each other in their attempt to find each other’s missing pages; Aryan’s goal might be only to manipulate Mila better, while Mila simply wants to help Aryan.

I did find some small issues in the novel. I’m not crazy about the use of ‘Aryan’ as a name. In English ‘Aryan’ roughly translates into ‘White Race’ which is sort of awkward reading for me. There were also some past and present tense issues and a few misspelled words. But other then that a good, solid read.

Tris in Wonderland

As usual this review only refers to the first chapter but ...Wow! You certainly are a talented writer. I’m impressed and a little jealous actually. Your grammar is spot on. Your descriptions are excellent. While reading I found it easy to imagine myself trapped in Tris’s mind with her. A place full of all kinds of possible wonders and terrors. And yet it is a place that Tris does not wish to leave. How sad and horrifying for her.

This makes me wonder if Tris suffers from some form of autism. I suppose I’ll have to keep on reading to find out, but I am very impressed so far. Please keep writing. You obviously know what you’re doing.

This review is for the Prologue only.

Good writing style. You definitely have talent. I was drawn in your story of humanoid dragons. You gave great detail in their descriptions. I wonder how they would look like in a movie. Very interesting, I’d imagine.

I also enjoyed your descriptions about the floating rock island. In fact I liked it so much I wish you have written more about it, the way you did with the dragons. For example do rocks ever crumble off it and fall into the sea? (How picturesque, though I suppose it would also be dangerous to those on the sea or ground) Is there a strong sense of magic there? A feeling that can encourage fear and maybe excitement at the same time? Is it a scary place? A welcoming place? See what I mean? I crave more details about your fascinating island.

Also, I noticed you call your dragonoids, ‘dragons’. The only problem with that is that I would often get confused. Each time I read the word ‘dragon’ my brain immediately shifts to the big lizard non-talking kind. Not the very unique type of creatures you’ve created for your story. Maybe you could call them dragonoids or something else unique. This is just my opinion. Other readers may not have the same identifying problems I had.
Grammar was very good. I couldn’t find any errors. That’s often not the case on Inkitt, so kudos to you.

Overall good story. Well written. Keep up the good work.

Death becomes us.

Overall an intriguing story. I have to say, I found the beginning prologue to be a bit purpley -overly dramatic, too many adjectives. But the rest of the story didn’t match the prologue’s tone and was an enjoyable read. The chapter on Alfred Pottinger was well written and compelling. It was interesting seeing how Charon in a sense becomes Alfred while reviewing his life, and all that Alfred experienced, we experience with Charon. Also I liked how you ignored the cliche of Charon’s becoming a fearsome deliverer of death. Instead he is kind and sympathetic towards the suffering of others. I’m normally a huge horror fan, so I wasn’t expect to like a gentle angel of death. But I did like the personality you gave Charon. That was nice. I saw no major grammar issues. Good job.

Luke, Alex and Isabelle In Between ...

Isabelle never asked for a complicated life. Known throughout the village for her blonde beauty and gentle nature, she is completely unaware that this makes her the perfect vampire bait. That is until she meets Luke. Luke has everything a girl would want. Good looks, charm and the ability to protect Isabelle from all matter of threats with his powerful vampire strength. The cost for his love is only one kiss. Surely that is not asking too much, though Isabelle fears what might be lurking behind his oh so luscious lips.

I didn’t get to mentioning Alex yet (a rival vampire who is equally in love with Isabelle) but this was a nice, balanced love triangle that reminded me a lot of Twilight. You feel the love between Isabelle and Luke and also the terror of the man eating creatures they sometimes encounter. I’m not sure who is the better romantic fit for Isabelle, Luke or Alex. (Personally I think I prefer Luke simply because he was there first and Alex feels like an interloper.) At any rate this story makes it fun to find out. Be sure to check this out when you’re in the mood for a light vampiric romance.