KC Riley-Gyer

I'm guessing this is the conclusion to Ghostly Guardians. I loved the story but felt that the ultimate end is a bit of a let down, like it was over too quickly. I understand that the story is told from the POVs of the two main characters but... that's just the way I feel about it. Still an enjoyable story, though.

I read this for a book club and I don't have much to say about it. I did love how the author handled polyamory. I felt there was a missed opportunity in regards to dealing with the magical side of the plot but then it probably wouldn’t lead to a sequel. I didn’t click with the characters as they sounded like college kids instead of adults in their mid to late 20s.

How this 180 year old story became the inspiration for Frozen, I’ll never know. Aside for the winter theme, there is no relation at all. The religious aspect should definitely be mentioned as not everyone is interested in reading / listening to it.

I have nothing to say about this story other than I have listened to it and I won’t be reading it again. There is nothing wrong with it but it’s definitely a fairytale for kids and it is religious when that aspect is mentioned.

Thank you NetGalley for this pre-published version.

It was an enjoyable read and reminded me of so many old (pre 1960s) movies I used to watch; suspense psychological thriller. I don’t have much to say about the characters, they just are. I didn’t go in with any expectations except the hope to enjoy it and that was met. While others might see the twist at the end with the husband, I didn’t. The story kept me reading to the finish.

While I understand that there will always be differences between books and shows, I didn’t realise the differences would be so huge. The only thing the tv show has in common with the book is the main character’s name and her profession. That’s it.

I almost got a Kay Scapetta (spelling??) vibe when I read this. I read this for a reading prompt and because I liked the tv show Bones. This would have been a 3 star because the writing was fine and the characters were okay, but it just isn’t for me.

However, the use of the ‘c’ word is an automatic 1 star loss because it always throws me out of the story; without fail. Before anyone thinks I’m being precious, I’m Australian and the word is frequently used. I still hate it.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this. This review is for an uncorrected proof. I have been waiting years for this book after reading a snippet of a work in progress on the author’s website. This is a light hearted, whimsical story and one should not expect any deep and meaningfuls. This is escapism, pure and simple. Because I had that view in mind, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Shop of Shades and Secrets (5 stars):
This was fun, quirky with enough intrigue to keep me interested even if I did manage to guess who the bad person was. I found it enjoyable to read a story where the characters actually seemed real and not stereo-typical.

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (5 stars):
I so enjoyed the main character and her form of swearing as it's similar to a couple of my characters. This is another where the characters seem real in their descriptions which added to my enjoyment.

I actually read this last month, but had an attack of the lazies in not adding it to my goodreads. This book is an insight to other authors views about writing, editing and publishing, along with a few other things. What this book did for me was to point out that my method of doing things is neither right or wrong... It just is. It also opened new ideas to me that I could look at incorporating into my current methods for writing. Read this with an open mind. You just might find you aren't the only one to write the way you do.

Please read all before judging my review too harshly.

I would have given this 5 stars if it wasn't for at least one inconsistency in the first chapter and all the various errors throughout the whole book. If the author used an editor (in any of their positions) then they didn't do their job. The inconsistency is where Draken calls Cess by her name but we aren't given an explanation of how he knows. This point should have been covered in the second chapter when we start reading from Draken's point of view. There are vague hints but no clear explanation until much later.

I'm willing to accept the formal speech pattern of the brothers, but the same formal speech patterns from the human characters didn't seem right. It just didn't seem personal, that would draw the reader in as if it was the reader experiencing her life and situation. Although, if the brothers have been visiting earth for years then they too should have been picking up human's mannerisms.

However, having said that, the story is good. It would be better if these issues are corrected.

Very nicely written and I did enjoy this. In my opinion, this story is definitely one for parents to read to their five (5) year olds and older... Even younger if the parent believes their child would understand/enjoy it. I think it could become an excellent bedtime story for children. But, if in doubt parents, do read it yourself first. To me, it put me in mind of Cinderella and Snow White and The Seven Dwarves I read when I was that age.

While there were some errors such as some missing words or wrong words and a mix of present and past tense in the same sentence, this was an enjoyable story. It had me tense with its suspense and a bit teary-eyed the odd time or two. The world created within the story kept my attention until I had it completed. For me, despite the errors, it was a good read (pun not intended lol).