Book Review: Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle

I read this book back when it first came out and I remember thinking it was just okay. I don't know if it's the rewrites or time passing but I enjoyed it much better this time. The plot is a little unrealistic but it's a fun Regency romp.
Maybelle is the granddaughter of a famed courtesan and has never quite adjusting to romance, love, or men. Edmund is a Duke, very serious with no time for women. It's love(or lust) at first sight when they meet at a ball. I liked that Maybelle is the aggressor. It's up to her to change Edmund at first but once he gets the bit between his teeth he's off to the races (or rather Maybelle's bed).
While I haven't read all the books in the School of Gallantry series, I have read a few and this book reminded me to go back and find the others. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

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Book Review: Queen of the Night by Leanne Hall

First of all I did not read the first book and it took me a good part of the book to figure out who the characters were and what the story was about. It's not the fault of the author or publisher but I feel that this is one book where you need to read the series in order as there isn't much in the way of backstory here in the second book.
So the two main characters are Wolfboy (Jethro or Jet-Ro) and Wildgirl (Nia).. Wildboy lives in Shyness, a town that is under perpetual night, while Nia lives in a more regular section as far as day/night goes. Apparently six months before they shared a night of adventure with some sugar-addicted kids and monkeys (that's the first book). But they haven't been in touch since. But Wolfboy is worried about his friend Paul who is hanging with blue-clothed people under the aegis of Dr Gregory (again from the first book so I think he's supposed to be bad but it's not clear). Dr Gregory is running a sleep clinic using Datura to capture dreams. So Wolfboy gets in touch with Nia so they can work together to figure out what's going on?
By the end of the book I wasn't sure that they had found out anything. The characters are interesting and were what kept me reading, but I wanted to know more about Lupe, Diana, Blake, and Amelia than I ever found out. The concept behind the story, the town of Shyness that is cloaked in perpetual night, is a good one but there were so many loose ends in the story that don't seem to be resolved: why the fighting pit, what is the matter with Wolfboy, why did the sugar kids leave, why is Dr Gregory stealing dreams?
Ultimately this was an unsatisfying book for me. I love Martin Millar's books so this should have been a great read for me, but it never felt like a complete story. I received this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

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Literary World Trip

What a fun idea for a blog! The Black Swans is featured today!

Book/Scene Location: Naples Causeway, Naples, Maine, USA

What happens there? The Naples Causeway is between Long Lake and Brandy Pond in the western part of Maine. There is a steam paddle-wheeler boat and all sorts of other water ventures as well as restaurants, gift shops, and other recreational activities.

Link to Literary World Trip

Book Review: EPIC: Legacy by Justin Osborne

Epic: Legacy is the first book in a terrific fantasy series. Deacon McTaggart has been sent to Scotland to live with his uncle because of strange happenings on Earth. What he doesn't know is that even weirder things are going to occur and his life will take a whole new turn.
I really liked all the characters in this book. They have little quirks but they are interesting. The story itself is fast-paced and the world-building is detailed and absorbing. There are aspects of Celtic mythology incorporated and I always like that aspect. This is also a book in which I laughed out loud many times as there are many funny moments (I know it looks like crazy old lady but I adore books that tell a story but can make me laugh).
Now the reason I made this four star is because of my inner Grammar Nazi. The problem is punctuation and run-on sentences. But I will say (and this is unusual for me) that it didn't interfere with the storytelling much. If I have to keep going back to understand a sentence too many times, I'll put the book down. In this case I still found the book readable although I had some twinges. But the story is totally worth it. I've already downloaded the second book and I'm looking forward to the third book in this series. I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy romp.

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Trad Tuesday - MoGhile Mear sung by Mary Black

This song, performed by Mary Black, is an Irish tribute to the "Great Pretender", Bonnie Prince Charlie, the descendant of Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots who had sought to sit on the throne of Britian. To put an end to religious persecution in Scotland, occupied Ireland, Wales, and England his loyal followers of the Jacobite movement fought for him to take possession of the crown. The Jacobite rebellion (1745) was put down and hundreds of thousands died in battle under unsurmountable odds. Under secrecy, the prince fled to the continent and died in exile. "Mo Ghile Mear" was written by Seán Clárach Mac Dhomhnaill (c. 1691-1757). This Spadecaller video dramatizes the Gaelic lyrics with the paintings of D'Arcy Bacon, Caravaggio, Mary Cassatt, Gustave Courbet, Julien Dupre, Winslow Homer, and J.M.W. Turner.

Mary Black is a well-known Irish singer For a number of years, What Hi-Fi? magazine considered Black's voice to be so pure, that it was used as an audiophile benchmark for comparing the sound quality of different high fidelity systems. Music critic and lyricist Michael Leahy once said: "Over the years, Mary Black has come to define what many people see as the essence of Irish woman singers: profound, slightly ethereal and beyond the reaches of trends." Today, Black is held in high esteem in her native Ireland and beyond and is regarded as one of the most important Irish vocalists of her generation.

Kiatana's Journey by Natalie Erin

I was gifted this book from LibraryThing for an honest review. Kiatana's Journey is a delightful fantasy about a sassy fairy, Kiatana, who runs the forest in which she lives. She really wants to get away from her responsibilities so when Keota and his changer Ionan appear she decides to make a journey with them. Before they can leave a deadly plague strikes the creatures living in the forest so their journey turns into a quest to find the cure. Two cute lion cubs accompany them on their way.
The quest takes place in a nicely drawn world. Ms. Erin describes her surroundings and characters in interesting and varied ways. Parts of the story at the beginning were a little rushed and I would have liked to learn more about the forest at the beginning of the book. I did find that the story was a little juvenile for me, but I think it's perfect for younger preteen readers.

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Erosions: The Careless Trilogy Book 1 by Ashlyn Forge - free copies available

"Desperation knows no bounds for a nobleman broke. With his family's estate on the brink of ruin, nineteen-year-old Galen has few dignified options left.

So when a sickly fighter named Osbourne falls into his servitude, Galen embraces the chance with arms wide open. Winnings from a good death match would offset his family's staggering debt.

Desperation can only take him so far, however, when he realizes that strong, violent, fearless, and skilled Osbourne is also mentally impaired.

Forcing a simpleton into the ring is a line Galen hesitates to cross. There's no easy way to get rid of this servant, though, especially now that Osbourne's twin is hunting for Galen's head. Not to mention the very dangerous men who want their promised fight."

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Amazon
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MRU13HU
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00MRU13HU
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MRU13HU
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00MRU13HU
iTunes UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id933456128
iTunes US: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id933456128
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kobo UK: https://store.kobobooks.com/…/erosions-the-careless-trilogy…