Tuesday, September 19, 2017

UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale)

UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1) by [Hahn, Chanda]


Synopsis via Amazon:

Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated; until she saves her crush's life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairytale victim.

To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

Do you know the Grimm Editions of the fairy tales? Do you like a twist in your fairy tales? Do you like a little mystery with your fairy tales? If you said yes to any of the above, you will like this story.
Do you prefer a sweet happily ever after with your fairy tales? Well, you may want to stick with Disney stories. 
While this story is not a sweet bed time story, neither is it a story that will bring nightmares to your sleep.
It is a very well thought out, modern day, fresh take on the Grimm Fairy Tales. It is a story of a teenage girl who finds out she and her family aren't what she thought they were. It is a story of family and all they will do to protect each other. 
I really enjoy that Mina is not a typical high school teen. She has a little brother that she loves and adores and a mother that she respects and loves. She is being raised by a single mother, with a less than ideal income and never once does she talk bad about her mother. She even finds the best in living above a Chinese restaurant with colorful and funny owners.
This is a book for both teens and adults alike. As a matter of fact, if you get this book, you may as well get all 6. Believe me, you will want to go right to the next story as soon as you finish this one.
I have already purchased the next book and can't wait to crack it open and see what fairy tale Mina has to tackle!

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Amazed by You by Cheyenne McCray

Amazed by You (Riding Tall 2 Book 1) by [McCray, Cheyenne]

Synopsis via Amazon:

Jayson McBride loses a bet and loses big, and ends up with a commercial shoot on his ranch for a women’s clothing line. Before he can come to terms with city folk leaving gates open and disrupting his operation, he meets Celine, the woman who runs the show. Damned if she doesn’t piss him off then impress him five minutes later.

Celine Northland is a fashion designer with a dynamic new line of clothing—she needs this launch to save her company and herself. She has involved investors, crowd funding, and every other trick up the sleeve she can come up with. She’ll have what she needs to launch if she doesn’t continue to be bled dry by one thing after another.

Celine's whole world tips when she meets Jason McBride and she finds herself falling for the cowboy hard and fast. However, Jayson harbors a secret that could rip their relationship apart before it even starts. 

When Jayson saves Celine’s life, it turns out she just might have saved his.

As always  Cheyenne has blown it out of the stable! She has woven a tale of romance, adventure, suspense, heartbreak, and wrapped it up in forever love.

I have had the extreme pleasure of meeting Cheyenne. She is a genuine, down to earth person. There is no pretense or prima dona attitude with her. Her genuinity (yes, this is a real word. I looked it up.) and warmth is conveyed through her characters. And it felt to me like Celine and Jayson are the two characters who convey these traits the best.
With Jayson she has taken what I have determined to be her favorite hero, a drool-worthy cowboy, placed him in her favorite place, an Arizona ranch, and introduced a woman so unique that she could only have been made for him. If I wasn't already married, I would have to move back to Arizona  and try to find myself a cowboy rancher just like Jayson!
With Celine she has created a strong yet very vulnerable character. She has achieved something that I feel is almost impossible. She has found the perfect balance of 2 very different traits. Most authors tend to make their character either predominantly strong or vulnerable, but Celine is so equally both that the reader can't help but be pulled into the feelings that Celine experiences.
As a matter of fact, Cheyenne is such a gifted writer that, as embarrassing as it may be, I actually teared up when Celine is told to call Jayson's mother "mom". That feeling of total acceptance is so overwhelming that there is no question about how emotional it makes her.
Celine  and Jayson are from 2 very different worlds. She comes from a very cold and sterile family environment while he comes from a clan that is full of love and acceptance. When they meet it isn't quite love at first sight, but there is definitely interest. As they learn more and more about each other, it is easy to see they need each other.
One of the many things I liked about Celine and Jayson's story is it doesn't start out with them at each other's throat and then all of a sudden they are jumping in the sack. No these two are civil and respectful. Both are successful in their own professions, which couldn't be more different, and treat each other in a way that is expected of professional adults.
And the animals! I love how she includes animals as such an integral part of the story. I love how it is so very clear that Jayson's dog Thor is so much more than just a working dog. But it is also very clear how the horses are also so much more than working animals. She projects her love for animals through Jayson and Celine in such a beautiful way.
Another thing I liked is the refreshing way Jayson and Celine's story is more about their story than their sex life. Don't get me wrong, Cheyenne knows her way around a sizzling sex scene and this story is no exception. But there are so many authors out there who create the sex and then try to create a story around it. Not Cheyenne. The sex is a natural progression of the couple's story.
So what DIDN'T I like about this story? Well, the fact that it ended. I fell in love with Jayson and Celine and wished it wouldn't ever end.
This is a definite read!  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐