Before Dracula there was Carmilla!
Originally published in 1872, Dracula in 1897, this chronicles the story of a young woman's susceptibility to another seemingly young woman's (Carmilla) affections. But something is very wrong and has been wrong ever since Carmilla came into the picture. Can they stop this evil before it goes too far? This is complete and utter speculation but I just want to put it out there... this could very well be the novel that Bram Stoker read that indeed inspired him to write the novel Dracula. This novel together with Bram Stoker's Irish heritage and folklore would indeed come together beautifully to create the novel that we all know and love. But enough about Dracula. Let's talk about Carmilla! I think it's absolutely fabulous that the very first vampire ever to grace the publishing world was indeed a female. Personally I found her word usage and talk of everlasting love to be so seductive that I damn near threw my arms around her in submittance. I always find it very interesting when the author of a certain sex decides to write from the point of view of the opposite sex. We find that here as the author who wrote the novel was a man and is writing from the point of view of Laura who was the victim in this tragic tale of vampirism. Nevertheless, Le Fanu pulls it off with flying colors! You really do feel as if you are reading the words of a distraught woman penning the details of a horrific occurrence. Although this novel held no secrets or mystery for me (the ever-faithful horror fanatic) it is indeed nothing less than a heart pounding page turner. This one had my heart racing and me reading through the pages as fast as I could to find out what happens next. This is a very well done novel and I can't quite understand why it hasn't gotten the praise that it deserves over the years... or should I say decades now? This is one that every true horror fan should read! Most definitely recommend! 🖤❤️🖤
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Sad...
What would you do if you had unknowingly taken an elixir to make you immortal? This is what our main character poses the question of. Working under the alchemist professor Cornelius Agrippa he stumbles upon a work of his in person form that the professor states will cure him of his infatuation with love. And after drinking half of the elixir our main character finds out that it does so much more. I can't imagine how it would be in the beginning stages of immortality. To stay young while everyone around you grows old and eventually dies. I can't imagine watching loved ones or even my husband in a situation like that. I guess death isn't for everyone but it is something that everyone must face. This uncanny and beautiful writing style comes straight to you from the notorious Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and, as I stated about her beloved Frankenstein novel, this one is simply a classic. Highly recommend. More than sweet, it's SCARY!!! This book is a comprehensive guide to cooking just like Christine McConnell using her recipes to recreate her most beautiful and wicked conceptions. Each section goes through with the seasons of the year, helping you to find the perfect crazy creation for all your holiday and event needs. Within the sections you will find a picture of the finished product, a recipe and instructions for making said product, as well as step by step instructions on assembly and presentation. The photos are all in beautiful bright color and each page is refreshed with a glossy finish. This cookbook is gorgeous! Not only is it gorgeous to look at but it also has practical instructions for any layman (like myself) to be able to follow. Although some pieces are definitely more challenging than the others, for the most part I think that most cooks in the kitchen with limited amount of experience would be able to put together MOST of these recipes in this book. Most of the pieces in this book just take time and a lot of patience to complete. And the recipes are not just limited to cakes and cookies. She also puts together lovely fruit salads, perfect pies, and poison punches. But BEWARE... things are not always what they seem in this book! 💀👀👻 Deception is the name of the game in this, Christine McConnell's Deceptive Desserts! Five stars across the board, highly recommend!!! 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👍 Below are some actual photos from the book
Very torn on this book....
Miranda is a human, a psychotherapist, but she is also two monsters locked within the same body. She is a werepire. She struggles to find a cure for herself to bring herself back to her normal human resolve. On the one hand, this book is rather disappointing. The reason why (mostly) is that the cover art and the book itself is being labeled as a horror when it is anything but. It has moments where it tries to be of the horror genre but as much as it tries to get there it seems to not quite reach its target. The book constantly goes into the three personalities of Miranda in a back-and-forth sort of conversation that takes place within her mind and these conversations are written in italics. These conversations I found to be very disorienting and confusing and I even had to go back and re-read some of them twice and even three times in order to get the gist of who was talking and when. I found the main character to be very unlikable. She seems to have the attitude of "been there done that bought the T-shirt you can't hit me with anything new and nothing can defeat me" attitude. I would almost go as far as to call her a snob with the way that she acts towards others in the book. Teddy has the potential to be an interesting character but at this point in the series seems to be a little more than just background noise. Last but not least the prologue of this book sets you up for what could be a very epic story but this first book completely falls flat. This is definitely not a stand-alone book. You will have to buy the next two books in order to get the full impact of the story. On the other hand, this is a very comically written book with lots of dark humor. This book would be on par with something close to the show Dexter or Santa Clarita Diet. It holds that brand of dark humor. It is a very interesting book in that the subject of a werepire, while having been done before under different names, is still a relatively new concept and was a delightful addition to the story. The way that this author was able to put all three different personalities into one single character was very unique and refreshing. Also the way that the author was able to seamlessly go from one book to another was very delightfully surprising. I would also like to mention that I love her curse phrase of choice "Oh seven hells". It made me laugh every time I read it. 😄 Although I think the book is being marketed incorrectly (it should be a dark comedy or paranormal book, not horror) I do think that this book has potential to be great. Perhaps it would be advantageous, dare I say, to combine all three books into one? I think that would make it easier for the reader to get into the characters and the storyline before they have to buy the next installment of the saga. I would definitely not recommend this book as a standalone because honestly it does not stand alone in any form. But I would recommend this as a part of the saga. Written by Michelle Heron
I loved everything about this story. The three sisters were beautifully rounded with such a wonderful story. The idea of inheriting an enchanted wedding dress from their great grandmother was brilliant. I literally couldn't put it down. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The atmosphere and tone to this story topped my reading experience. I will definitely reach for the rest of the series in the future. If you haven't already added Old & New to your TBR's, please do so. Written by Michelle Heron
Sweat Equity is the second installment in the Stewart Realty series by Liz Crowe and picks up some months after Floor Time (which is book one). Now generally I’m not a fan of “ love triangle's” but I found it suited the story line and characters perfectly. Even with all the back and forth, I really enjoyed this installment of their book and will continue on with the rest of their story in hopes that both Jack and Sara will finally get 'their version' of a happily ever after. Written by Liz Crowe
This is a lovely, well-crafted story about two strong people that fate brings together, thanks to shared friends and family. While I believe that more details about why Anne -Marie requires a wheelchair part of the time would have made it more meaningful, it was gratifying to read about a heroine who doesn't see it as a barrier to anything in her life. Andre is a fully developed character who's been hurt in the past but sees something in Anne-Marie that he knows he likes. His respect for her brother (his high school friend) is also a nice plot point as is his willingness not to see her disability as anything but part and parcel of a woman he will come to love. A wholly satisfying HEA awaits you when you read this novel by Michelle Heron. Daniel is one of three identical triplets. A rare bird indeed. When his perfect world is disrupted by a steamy exotic dancer he has to make a choice between his cut and dry world and the woman he is drawn to like a moth to the flame.
This book was definitely not my type of book. I found the beginning of this book to be absolutely so dry and boring that a damn near brought me to tears. But here's the thing, this book is actually written from Daniel's point of view. Writing a romance novel from the male's point of view is something very daring and definitely difficult for a female author to pull off correctly. This author has done just that! The reason why the beginning was so boring is because they are literally sitting around talking about sports, NASCAR and strippers. And the realism that I felt while reading the beginning of the story put me right into the conversation with them. Which if I was sitting in the conversation with them in real life I would definitely be bored to tears. So bravo to the author for bringing to the table such realism! 👏👏👏 I found that truly amazing. The other problem that I had with this book was the premise was so cliche that it was painful for me. It's the whole "I don't approve of what my parents do but I'm going to follow exactly in their footsteps anyway" sort of story. But again with the realism, this is exactly how life plays out in real time. One more thing I didn't like but I'm sure it's coming in future books, is that I would really like to get to know the brothers a little bit more and I'm very sad that we didn't get to see their parent's wedding. I would have liked to see that since they made such a big fuss over it in the beginning. The romance part of it is written very well. As is the rest of the book which is why I'm not giving this a lower rating. I very much commend this author for her writing style and the way she is able to bring true life into a fictional tale. I can see that others would really enjoy this book, it's just not one for me personally. So with that being said, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance with a lot of realism worked into the story. Was a great read...
Brogen and Samantha have found each other after centuries, but their vampire/human romance is bittersweet when Samantha receives a package that changes her life forever. Will Brogen be able to understand Samantha's secrets nested deep within her past? A clever and unique writing style that not only pulls the reader into the story but really makes you FEEL what the characters are feeling. Noelle is a very gifted writer that is able to put the reader right in to the story being told. I really enjoyed this book. Although I found some aspects of the romance a bit cheesy, the plot twists made the book far from cliche in any respect. This is the sign of a very gifted up and coming author. I do hope that she decides to make this book into a series as I felt at the end that I really wanted more in the story. Not that the ending wasn't satisfying, but I sincerely hope there is more to come. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a really good paranormal romance. Very good...
Justine is on the trail of her wayward father, who abandoned her and her mother years ago, after a photograph of him turns up in a local newspaper. Her search takes her up north to a small town called Lantern Creek. Along the way she meets a few new characters to her life. Including a brother, Adam, that she never knew she had. Adam is mute but is able to speak to Justine through telepathy. With their combined forces they try to figure out the family's deep-seated roots that are shrouded in mystery. Okay this book has a very slow beginning for the type of book that it is. The writing style in the beginning is even repetitive in some points. It's almost like the author was holding out just a little bit longer to hit you with the really good stuff. The characters are both lovely and interesting which also makes for a very compelling read. The romantic aspect of the book is written beautifully. The twists and turns, some of which definitely caught me off guard, were also a very pleasant surprise. Somehow the author managed to mix mystery, paranormal, adventure and romance all together without having it come off as fictional vomit. I know that doesn't sound appealing but please believe me when I say that that is a very big compliment because this is something that is very hard to do without having the book come off as cheesy or overwhelming for the reader. This book was neither. It was engaging and the reader was immediately sucked in as soon as the story picked up in about the 5th chapter. I had a lot of mixed emotions going into this book but once the book started to pick up I was totally on board for the ride. And indeed, what a ride it was! I cannot say bravo to Kemp enough for being able to bring all these elements together and interweave them so cleverly. I am really in awe. So bravo my dear! 👏👏👏 You deserve the praise! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery with a touch of romance and a bit of the supernatural 😉 |
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