Wednesday Review: A Flawed Jewel by Dawn Brower

I won this from an event I attended, and was so very happy to receive it! Dawn Brower has a unique writing flair, one that draws you in and holds you until the story is done. Wait, the story is done? But… Aha! There’s more to the series. Whew. Wait, more? I must get these!

My Review:

Dawn Brower weaves a tale of a lady and a pirate in A Flawed Jewel. You start as the Lady Pia boards a ship bound for France and her grandfather’s estate. You follow her journey as she is kidnapped and falls for the handsome Thor, the pirate determined to make her grandfather pay for wrongs done.

Romance has these wonderfully predictable plot points, and Dawn Brower covers many of them in this offering. A beautiful maid, and handsome rogue, odd circumstances, and a happily ever after. The reader is indeed pulled into the plot, and the character building is there.

What bugs me, in this day and age, is the continuous use of kidnapping by authors. The maid always falls for her kidnapper, and he for her. Because its romantic, right? It really shouldn’t be, and the use of this, even in today’s society, irks me to no end. Kidnapping is serious business, and I truly wish it would be made as serious in novels, rather than the romantic fantasies so many fall into. Stockholm syndrome is real, and should not be pushed off as something to be ignored.

However, for my rating, I am ignoring the kidnapping and focusing on the story as a whole. I was indeed surprised at the end, which made me smile. I like having emotions as I read. There are some sections where I am sure a word should have been added in, or a sentence that was cut off too soon. All in all, I give this four out of five stars. I do look forward to reading more of the series.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a fairly typical historical romance, especially romances featuring pirates. Thor is definitely going to be visiting me tonight in my dreams!

Blogger’s Notes:

Dawn Brower did exceed my expectations, in spite of using the kidnapping. She did make it work for the story, and I am genuinely excited to read the next in the series. If you are going to be offended by the kidnapping thing, stay away, otherwise join this fab artist as she weaves her tale around your dreams.

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Wednesday Review: A Christmas Imprint by McKayla Schutt

A Christmas Imprint by McKayla Schutt

I can’t say where or how I ended up with this text. I am glad it appeared on my Kindle, but how it got there continues to elude me. I decided it was time to make a cut on my TBR list, so started with this one. I have many books that need to be read, but time is a big factor for me. This review has already been posted to all the review sites, so enjoy!

My Review:

My memory fails me, I do not know how this book ended up on my Kindle. But I read it anyways, and being the good girl I am, am now leaving the review. I say this because I’m simple not sure if this was a gift or something I bought on a whim, as I often do.

McKayla Schutt weaves a brief tale about a romance between Anne, an assistant in a law firm, and Drake, a lawyer in that same firm. The pair meet at a Christmas Party the law firm throws, and later form their romance.

I did not see a “problem” in this story. There did not seem to be any odds to beat, or any resistance at all, to the romance between the two. What draws the reader in, though, is the mystery of what an “imprint” is, and how it affects the characters.

In this respect, however, the author did not quite give a full explanation. Rather, the point of the story rather seemed to be a brief tale of sex between strangers that is somehow love. If that is what the reader is looking for, you’ve found it.

However, one must take into account that this is indeed a short story, and should not have the same standards as would be expected from a full novel. In this respect, A Christmas Imprint fits the bill of a quick paranormal fling, gratuitous sex included.

In spite of the setbacks, it was an enjoyable read; a read I may very well grab again when I’m in one of my lonely moods. For this reason, I give this a four star review. If you like paranormal romances and want a quick read, grab this now. It’s worth it.

Blogger’s Notes:

I know I normally don’t tear into people, so writing such a harsh review makes me feel guilty. But as much as I’d love all my reviews to be pretty, I simply can’t. I ended the book craving more, and was slightly disappointed in it. I wouldn’t read it again, but I may still give the series a chance. Time will tell.

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