Missed Understandings

Have you ever had a a colleague at work that you enjoy spending your lunch breaks with? Or even laughed and joked with that person whilst shopping around for the latest deals in nearby shops?

Then out of the blue, the two of you clash over a trivial matter that on reflection doesn't mean as much as your daily friendship? Who knows, this new friction could be attributed to some form of office gossip or snide remark from a jealous bystander.

                     

Would you allow a sweater to come between you and your buddy?!

That exact scenario occurred at Christmas time in the novel Reindeer Wars by author Liese Sherwood-Fabre. Tina met a nice gentleman Brian at her workplace. Her budding interest in him turned to rage after seeing him bedecked in her sweater.

I completed this review on 8 September 2014.  I do encourage you to not let reality mirror fiction. It's only a sweater!  Here is my review:-

Reindeer Wars by Liese Sherwood-Fabre is a delightful romance surrounding Tina, a claims adjuster. Tina literally bumped into Brian Foster, a new salesman at the firm Judicious Insurance. Tina immediately felt an attraction to Brian. He invited Tina on a date which she accepted. Unknown to Brian, Tina was the reigning sweater queen. Each year at the Xmas party, Tina won the sweater competition. At the current Xmas party, Tina turned cold after seeing Brian in her sweater with the reindeer face affixed to it. She was livid with rage and assumed that Brian was the one who beat her bid on the auction website Ebids. Brian ended up winning the competition. Tina was deflated. Brian’s Aunt Sue, who met Tina, turned up at Tina’s door. Will her explanation be enough?

Reindeer Wars is an enjoyable book. The plot revolves around an office setting. The language is colloquial and easy to understand. I love the competition scenario in the book. What is also interesting is the competition within a competition as portrayed by the two main characters. This gives the reader an idea about the office politics of the firm. This book also portrays the thin line between love and hate that occurred with the two main characters. What is also evident is that misunderstandings can likely occur when persons make assumptions. Author Sherwood-Fabre cleverly displays this theme in her book. I also love the illustration of the reindeer on the cover. It is very colourful and endearing and blends in with the overall storyline. I love the traditional way that the characters dated for the first time. Nowadays, most persons have strayed away from really getting to know each other’s personality while dating. This a refreshing move on the part of the author. This book is a good read and one I recommend it to all lovers of romance.

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite

B Outstanding!

Are you feeling depressed? Do you think that you should hide behind closed doors and refuse to go into the city and buy yourself a nice cologne or a new dress?

It's time to take off those ungodly clothes that hide your stunning figure and start to approach your life with zest!  Just because you had a bad break in life does not mean that it is the end of the world!

Find a good friend that you can trust and get moving.  You can think about starting small and do a little jogging in the neighbourhood and get the blood pumping a bit.

Or you can visit that art exhibit you saw advertised in the newspaper and maybe meet a new friend!

Well, I am sure that it takes a lot of encouragement for persons who endured some form of abuse to seek help and slowly learn to love themselves again.  It is not easy to get out of the blame game and see life with rose coloured glasses again.  

The heroine in Stanley Buford's book entitled Selena You're Beautiful!was a victim of abuse.  Selena had difficulty bonding with her boyfriend Trent due to her hesitancy in opening up to him about what happened to her in her childhood. 

If you suffered abuse like Selena, I encourage you to seek help. Remember that you are special!

Here is my review which I completed on 7 September 2014:-

Selena, You’re Beautiful! is a short story focused on the issue of incest. Selena and her current boyfriend Trent went out for dinner one night. Trent realized that Selena was being rather distant with him and wasn’t letting him get close to her emotionally. She finally opens up and confides in him about her uncle who sexually assaulted her when she was young. When her father had to work long hours, he left her with his brother. Selena had also confided in a pastor at that time, but he only told her that she had to make a choice - either keep it a secret or confront both her uncle and her father. What will Trent's reaction be and how will Selena face the future?

Selena, You’re Beautiful! is an emotionally charged novel. Author Stanley Buford did a good job in highlighting the main character’s personal relationship. The language used is simple and the average reader can understand it. I love the beautiful picture of the female on the cover page. It really stands out. Despite the fact that the book only has two chapters, it is very interesting and revealing. As the adage says, good thing come in small packages. The sensitive topic that the author presented indicates his creative prowess. It was delicately handled and I appreciate his bold move in exposing this serious issue. The plot is easy to follow as well as being entertaining. I believe that the novel displays the importance of having a caring person intercede on your behalf in situations which are emotionally difficult. This extra boost to your morale can help to alleviate the stress as well as lighten the mood. I applaud the author for writing about this serious topic. I recommend it to all readers.

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite

Cold Corner

Are you feeling cold in your neck of the woods? Do you grit your teeth at the thought of putting on all those layers of clothes just to get to the store? 

There is usually a quick solution for warming up yourself in the winter months like using ear muffs, woolly hats, insulated coats,etc. Even the heating in the cars can provide a little oasis for drivers.

But suppose you are feeling cold on the inside?

Your heart is cold because your partner forgot that it's your anniversary and shows up when the celebratory chocolate has already melted. Or you invite your best friend over for lunch and he decided to cancel via a text message at the very last minute. Ya mean he couldn't call?!

Surely a woolly hat will not suffice in any of those situations!

Many of us will go through feelings of depression, anxiety or rage at times.  However, the key to getting over these situations in life is having someone to confide in. I'm sure that the character Venus in the novel entitled Cold World - Audaciously Belle felt all those emotions as she found herself pregnant at 15 with no proper role models around her. On top of that her boyfriend was shot and killed leaving her all alone. Who will she confide in?

This book is written by Shanitra Gardner. I gave it 4 stars.  Here is my review:-

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite

Cold World: Audaciously Belle is a fast paced story surrounding Venus Rose, a gullible teenager who lives in the projects.  Venus has been exposed to the gangster life as a result of living with her uncles from time to time.  For the most part, her growing up years have been very unstable. She grew up without the presence of a caring father.  She often saw her mum and dad fighting and quarrelling, hurling indecent language at each other.  Her mum worked irregular hours and many times Venus and her sister were left alone unsupervised. Unfortunately, Venus got pregnant at fifteen years of age. She had the baby and her mother and other relatives chipped in to provide financial support.  Her boyfriend assisted as well, but he was a gangster and not very reliable.  Venus regretted that she had turned her boyfriend away the same night that he died, gunned down in the street.  Venus was grief stricken.

Cold World: Audaciously Belle is an interesting novel.  It is written in the first person.  I like the fact that author Shanitra Gardner included portions of poetry in the entire book. This gives the story a realistic feel.  You can get a deeper understanding of the anguish and pain that the main character feels.  She is really crying out for help.  I appreciate that the author divulges the intimate details of the character's life. This is important because you can clearly see how the events shaped her personality and future decisions.  The reader can relate to this because our initial experiences in the home environment affect us all on an emotional level. If, for example, a child grows up with the loving attention of its parents, that child might not need to seek that love outside of the home.  The language used is simple and punctuated with curse words to reflect the type of environment being showcased.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  It is a warning to parents to be more responsible in the upbringing of their children.

                                         

Do You Treasure Your Freedom?

How many of us really appreciate the fact that we can be liberal, speak our minds and make our own choices?

For instance if I didn't feel like eating rice and chicken for dinner this evening, I can easily opt to go into the nearest fast food or roti shop and buy something else.

On the other hand, some women are hemmed in by their partners  to cook a particular meal for them as well as do household chores.

Some women are not even allowed to choose their partners due to pressure from parents, family members or religious beliefs.

This exact scenario is played out in the novel Unbridled by author Susannah Woods. The character Kathryn was supposed to marry a gentleman she did not love. 

I wrote this review on 29 August 2014. Here is my review:-

Unbridled by Susannah Woods is an enjoyable story based on the escapades of Kathryn Westcott. Kathryn is a lady of honour who was betrothed to Seth McGregor. Seth was chosen for Kathryn by her brother Robert. Seth was also from a well to do Scottish family, therefore Robert felt that this was a good match. Kathryn, affectionately known as Kate, could not bear marrying someone that she did not love, so she decided to run away from her hometown of Aberdeen, Scotland. She worked in bars and taverns to make some money. Kate met Peter, a soldier who befriended her and helped her to get her first job in a tavern. Feeling obligated to Peter, Kate agreed to be engaged to him. However, her true desire was to escape to Canada. She hid herself aboard a docked ship which was actually headed for America. Kate met Jack on board this vessel. As a result of the ongoing war between America and Britain, Kate chose to go with Jack to work as a housekeeper on his farm. Kate fell in love with Jack, but Peter found Kate and took her away. Will Kate and Jack, amidst all the work obligations and instances of turmoil, find each other again?

Unbridled is a fast paced novel with a historical slant. It is filled with suspense from the beginning and this encourages the reader to follow the storyline. The language is a bit formal to match the era of the plot. I liked the fact that author Susannah Woods kept separating the two main characters and reuniting them throughout the book. This clever move serves to perpetuate the adage that love conquers all. This theme is relevant because love is an element that remains constant, regardless of time or separation. I appreciated the portrayal of the main female character as a tower of strength. Despite all of the dangerous situations she encountered, she was focused and resilient. I found this quality to be an admirable one. I believe that in reality more persons should be like her. I also loved the fact that the author included a timeline and location at the beginning of each chapter. This helps to sustain the reader’s interest in the plot. This book is an interesting read. I recommend it to all readers who love historical dramas.

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite

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Oh Chemistree, Ohh Chemistry!

It's a new year and as most of us reckon, new year - new rules!

By now most persons would have already made their new year resolutions.  Or they might have wished for good health, prosperity and all those good things that Santa forgot to bring for Xmas. No wonder so many Xmas trees are still up!

Well, what about good sex? How many of us ladies especially (men too!) secretly wish that they could be as sexually satisfied as the main characters in the romance novels like Harlequin, Mills & Boon and even those written by Zane?

Sometimes, some persons think that they are relatively happy in their current relationship and then they meet someone who makes them come alive. According to author Elodie Parkes in her book entitled Unexpected Storm, Holly is actually on an exotic beach holiday with her boyfriend when this exact scenario occurred.

I completed this review on 25 August 2014. It is a good read even though it is only has 35 pages. Here is my review:-

Unexpected Storm by Elodie Parkes is a fast paced story based on the summer romance between Holly and Will. Holly is vacationing with her beau, Rob, along with her friends Jill and Marcus. While sheltering in a beach hut during the pouring rain, Holly felt a hand caressing her buttocks. She automatically assumed that it was Rob. When she did look up, she was stunned to see that it was a complete stranger being so familiar with her anatomy. Holly and Rob had only been dating for eight months. Holly thought that they could rekindle their strained relationship during this holiday period. Out of the blue, Holly found herself very much attracted to this stranger, Will. The physical attraction between them was instant and mutual. Both Will and Holly succumbed to their attraction to each other and made love every chance they got. But does pure passion lead to commitment and happily ever after?

Unexpected Storm is a short, sexy novel. The beginning was really unexpected. It took me literally by surprise! This tactic is very effective because it spurs on the average reader to become more engrossed in the story. I certainly did. The use of erotica was tastefully implemented. The language is colloquial and easy to understand. I love the fact that author Elodie Parkes fully developed the characters instead of just giving superficial highlights of them. The contrast between the rainy conditions and the scorching physicality between the two main characters is very clever and exotic. Any reader would love to be a willing participant in the passionate embraces showcased at the beginning of the novel. The sultry cover photo also helps to perpetuate sexual tension and create a vivid impact on the reader. I also appreciate the fact that both points of view of the main characters were included in the novel. Most of the time, the female’s thoughts are highlighted in romance novels. This change from the norm is a plus because it gives the realistic impression that men experience inner emotional turmoil in relationships. This book is hot! I recommend it to all readers who need a vicarious shot of sexy romance in their lives.

Reviewed for Readers Favorite

I take this opportunity to wish everyone good health, good committed relationships and of course sizzling sex for 2017!