Magic of the Drums by Gael Morrison

Magic of the Drums by Gael Morrison 

Blurb:

After failing to save her risk-taking father's life, Dr. Lise Dawson hangs up her stethoscope and seeks refuge with her aunt, a Catholic nun working in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Met at the airport by coffee-plantation owner Simon McDowell, a University educated Aussie, Lise is reminded why she hung up her heart, too.
Which suits Simon just fine. His ex-wife, also a medical doctor, couldn't hack it in Papua New Guinea, either. Then Simon helps Lise deliver a plantation-worker's breech baby, and shortly afterwards flies her through a mountain storm in his two-seater plane to aid a village man gored by a boar.
Yet, despite Lise's newly-found white-knuckled bravery, nothing can convince her to risk her heart on Simon-a dare-devil just like her father.
Until she discovers the magical allure of the drums.
 

Puh, hier fällt es mir wirklich schwer, das Buch zu bewerten, weil ich es schon zwischendurch immer wieder abgebrochen habe. Da es ein Rezensionsexemplar war, war klar, dass ich es zuende lese, wobei es, wenn ich dabei war, auch immer gut war und interessant, aber....

Ich kann nicht genau festmachen, was mich gestört hat, da das Buch ausgesprochen farbenfroh und intensiv geschildert ist und ein buntes, lebhaftes Bild Papua New Guineas zeichnet. Die Liebe zum Land, den Menschen und ihren Traditionen, mit allem, was das Leben dort an Schwierigkeiten und Fremdartigem mitbringt, kommt immer wieder ganz stark zum Ausdruck. Allen Widrigkeiten zum Trotz, zeigt sich dem Leser ein hartes, aber gutes Leben.






Auch die Charaktere sind eigentlich interessant, allerdings bleiben sie mir trotz allem immer ein wenig fremd. Hier war die allgemeine Intensität der Darstellung allerdings auch mit ein Teil meines Problems, glaube ich. Die Personen blieben mir fremd, dennoch waren sie sehr intensiv geschildert, ihre Probleme und Gefühle waren genauso lebhaft und plastisch dargestellt, wie das Land und das Leben dort. Mir war dies manchmal ein wenig zu leidenschaftlich, sowohl wenn es um ihre Verzweiflung, ihre Zweifel und ihre verletzten Gefühle ging als auch wenn es um ihre Liebe und ihre Leidenschaft ging.  Es grenzte immer wieder ein wenig ans Kitschige, ans Übertriebene, wobei demgegenüber auch immer wieder Szenen standen, die diese Intensität gut vertrugen und wo diese einfach zur Situation passte.

Letztlich muss ich zugeben, dass ich bei beiden Protagonisten ein wenig ungeduldig wurde, als sich herauskristallisierte, was sie bedrückte und was so einschneidend war, dass es ihr ganzes Leben so stark beeinflusst hat und ihnen auch jetzt noch im Weg stand. Ehrlich gesagt, so tragisch dies oder das auch war, aber es kam ein gewisses Gefühl von "suck it up and deal with it" auf. Insgesamt waren sie mir aber dennoch sympathisch.

Atmosphärisch schön und eindringlich gezeichnet, manchmal ein wenig zu emotional und intensiv, wobei ich trotz meiner Probleme mit dem Buch denke, dass es vielen sehr gut gefallen wird.

                   *I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review.*

  ★★★

Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7) by L.P. Dover ~Review in English and in German~

  Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7) by L.P. Dover  

Blurb:

 The Carolina Cougars keep fighting for love as the Second Chances series from bestselling author L. P. Dover continues! In Defending Hayden, a damaged football star teams up with the only woman who can take the pain away.

No one's tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin. But when a fatal car accident claims the life of his girlfriend, Derek finds himself caught in a destructive spiral of drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex. But not even a string of one-night stands can ease the hurt. Football is all he has left. Then fate leads him back to the scene of the crash, and into the arms of a kind, gorgeous woman who sees past his façade to the man he once was . . . and can be again.

When a chance roadside encounter brings Derek into her life, veterinarian Hayden Hunter isn't fooled by his bad attitude: All bark and no bite, he's hiding a wounded heart beneath that gruff demeanor. And Hayden wants to be the one to kiss it all better. Soon they both find that a dose of passion is potent medicine. But when a hidden enemy lashes out at Hayden, Derek steps up to do what he does best: put his body on the line in the name of love.


Wow, this book was just amazing! Once started I couldn't put it down but kept walking around with my reader in hand. I really really loved Hayden and Derek and their friends!  The well written story is gripping and has its fair share of twists and turns that kept me glued to the pages.  Derek and Hayden are amazing characters. They are complex and multi-layered, both struggle to trust and to be able to believe in a relationship due to their past experiences. Derek tries to overcome the loss of his former girlfriend who was killed in an accident and Hayden has some real trust issues because her ex of some years cheated on her. Badly. Sooo, with all these issues flowing around, the two don't really have an easy ride there but mess things up more than once. But when things happen and Hayden is threatened, Derek is at her side. Will that be enough to save her?

I liked the way, Hayden and Derek opened up to each other and I was pleasantly surprised that, even though they make mistakes and made me scream with frustration and I could ...well, right, you geht it?....they realize their mistake and act accordingly and stay with their decisions. It's not a repeat of the same 'Oh my...I can't , everything is bad'-Scene over and over again like a broken record . They have their issues, you can understand why they react the way they do and they learn from their mistakes - sounds almost like a new concept, right?

Friendship is very important in this book as well. It's Michael who keeps Hayden sane and who helps her, when times get rough, Michael whom she knows for ages and who is her best friend. And Derek, well, I really liked the way the team supported him and how his friends tried to be there for him after the loss of his girlfriend. I also liked the way Derek tried to help Jax when he saw that Jax suffered from the rejection of the team. It's all about friendship and about being there for friends and simply for those in need.  Haydens dedication to her work was great. You could feel how much those animals meant to her (even though sometimes I wondered how well behaved and  absolutely not noticeable their dogs are because they never need to go for a walk or something like that) and I felt with her when she lost them.  Friendship, trust, dedication and a whole lot of romance are thrown together in this beautiful that went straight on my "To be read again - often"-list., I really enjoyed reading this story about Derek and Hayden which is not just well written but also well constructed and heart-stopping till the end.

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★★★★★

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Wow, dieses Buch war einfach nur genial! Einmal angefangen, konnte ich es nicht mehr aus der Hand legen und lief die meiste Zeit hier mit dem eReader in der Hand hin und her. Hayden, Derek und ihre Freunde sind einfach nur liebenswert und toll!

Die gut geschriebene Geschichte ist fesselnd und ließ mich mit ihren Irrungen und Wirrungen und unerwarteten Wendungen gebannt am Reader kleben.
Derek und Hayden sind wirklich tolle Charaktere. Sie sind ausgesprochen komplex und vielschichtig, beide kämpfen auf Grund ihrer früheren Erfahrungen darum, dem anderen vertrauen zu können und an eine Beziehung zu glauben.
Derek versucht über den tragischen Verlust seiner früheren Freundin hinwegzukommen und Hayden hat große Probleme, ihm zu vertrauen, da sie noch darunter leidet, dass ihr langjähriger Freund sie betrug. Alsoooo, mit all den Problemen, die sich da so tummeln, haben die beiden es nicht unbedingt einfach, sondern schaffen es auch durchaus, die Sache immer mal wieder gründlich zu vermaaseln. Als jedoch einige merkwürdige Dinge passieren und Hayden in Gefahr ist, steht  Derek ihr zur Seite. Wird das ausreichen, um Hayden zu retten?

Ich mochte sehr, wie sich Hayden und Derek einander öffneten und ich war sehr positiv überrascht, dass sie trotz der Tatsache, dass sie manchmal Fehler machen und ich vor Frust hätte schreien können und ich … Ihr versteht, was ich meine?....sie erkennen letztlich ihre Fehler  und handeln nach dieser Erkenntnis – und dabei bleiben sie dann auch. Es ist keine ewig wiederkehrende Wiederholung des Dramas, sondern sie haben ihre Probleme, sie sehen die Prolbem und sie lernen aus ihren Fehlern – so unvorstellbar das auch erscheinen mag.

Freundschaft ist ebenfalls ein sehr wichtiger Faktor in diesem Buch. Es ist Michael, der Hayden unterstützt und immer wieder aufmuntert, als es etwas härter kommt. Michael, den sie schon aus  Kinderzeiten kennt und der ihr bester Freund ist. Und Derek natürlich, dessen Team nach dem Tod seiner Freundin versucht, ihn zu unterstützen und der selber später versucht, Jax, der von den anderen Team-Mitgliedern gemieden wird, mit ins Team zu bringen, als er merkt, dass dieser unter der Zurückweisung leidet.

Es geht viel um Freundschaft und darum, füreinander da zu sein, nicht nur für Freunde, sondern für die, die es brauchen.

Hierzu passt auch Haydens unermüdlicher Einsatz in ihrem Beruf und die Hingabe, mit der sie sich um die Tiere kümmert. Man merkt immer wieder, wieviel ihr die Tiere bedeuten (auch wenn ich fasziniert war, wie pflegeleicht diese Hunde sind, die nie Gassi gehen müssen und dergleichen) und es tat mir sehr Leid, als sie die Tiere verloren hat.

Freundschaft, Vertrauen und ein ganzer Haufen Romantik treffen in diesem wunderschönen Buch aufeinander, das sofort auf meine Immer-wieder-lese-Liste wanderte. Ich habe diese Geschichte über Derek und Hayden, die nicht nur gut geschrieben, sondern auch gut konstruiert und bish zum Ende ausgesprochen spannend ist, sehr sehr gerne gelesen.

Maclean's Passion - Sharon Cullen

  

 Maclean's Passion by Sharon Cullen

Blurb:

Colin MacLean has always felt like a black sheep—especially after his brothers are slain before his eyes in the Battle of Culloden. A smuggler by trade, Colin makes for an embarrassing chieftain. He can't even save his friends from their British pursuers without getting himself captured. But before he is martyred by the hangman's noose, Colin escapes with his cellmate, a brave lad he's come to admire. It's only in the depths of the Highlands that Colin discovers the lad is a lass—and a bonnie one at that.
Raised by her older brothers, Maggie Sinclair can drink a pint in no time flat and wield a dagger with the best of 'em. Still, men have always excluded her and women have always shunned her. Colin makes her feel different. His wild spirit and rugged good looks have Maggie reconsidering her less than ladylike ways. For the first time, she's tempted to put on a gown, just to see how Colin would react. She can only imagine what might happen next: a kiss . . . a touch . . . and perhaps enough sultry heat to melt a cold Highland night.


Dieses Buch war mal wieder ein echter Lesegenuss, einmal angefangen, nicht wieder freiwillig aus der Hand gelegt und mittlerweile auch schon zum zweiten Mal gelesen - und es ist immer noch spannend und fesselnd und einfach richtig gut.

Die beiden schottischen Protagonisten, Colin und Maggie, stoßen nach der Schlacht bei Culloden, in der beide gekämpft haben aufeinander, genauer - sie verdanken diese Begegnung der -allerdings wenig willkommenen- englischen Gastfreundschaft, die ihnen ein gemeinsames Zimmer beschert hat, Gitter und Galgen inclusive.
Als Colin auf der Flucht feststellt, dass sein junger Zellnachbar, mit dem er doch geraume Zeit in einer Zelle steckte, bei genauer Bertrachtung weiblichen Geschlechts ist, ist er nicht wenig erstaunt. Noch erstaunter ist er, als er feststellt, dass die junge Frau ihre Hosen nicht zum Spaß trägt, sondern auch noch gut mit einem Schwert umgehen kann.

Bald haben die beiden einige Leute mehr auf den Fersen und mehr als einmal wird es doch recht kritisch und sie laufen immer wieder Gefahr, erneut gefangengenommen zu werden.

Das Buch war eine echte Achterbahn der Gefühle. Mal schnappte ich erschreckt nach Luft, mal musste ich lachen, mal war ich betroffen....das ganze Buch ist sehr intensiv und zog mich von der ersten Seite an in seinen Bann.  Wenn ich nicht über die verflixten Rotröcke schimpfte, haderte ich (wieder einmal) mit einer Gesellschaft, die Frauen nur als Handelsware ansieht, um Bündnisse zu schließen oder finanziellen Gewinn zu erzielen oder ich freute mich über Colins selbstverständliche Akzeptanz bezüglich Maggies Art und die langsame Annäherung der beiden Protagonisten aneinander.

Wenn zwei unsichere Menschen aufeinander stoßen, ist es ja nicht immer einfach, aber allen Tritten vors Schienbein zum Trotz, die gerade Colin von mir gedanklich ab und an verpasst bekam, fand ich die beiden einfach niedlich miteinander und sehr überzeugend in ihrer Unsicherheit, gerade auch angesichts von Gefühlen, die nicht ganz so einfach einzuordnen sind.

Mir gefielen die gut ausgearbeiteten Charaktere und die gut konstruierte, spannende Story, die mit vielen interessanten und unerwarteten Wendungen aufwartete. Dies ist definitiv wieder einmal ein Buch, das ich nicht zum letzten Mal gelesen habe!

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★★★★★

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This book was a very enjoyable read which I simply couldn't put down once I started it. I've already read it a second time now and still think that it is thrilling, gripping and just great.

The scottish heroes, Colin and Maggie meet after Culloden where both of them fought, actually, well, they owe this encounter to the fact that both of them enjoy the rather questionable hospitality of the English that grants them a room - iron bars and impending gallows included.
Colin is quite amazed when he realizes that the lad with whom he has shared his cell on closer inspection turns out to be a member of the female sex. And he is even more amazed when he discovers that the young women doesn't wear her breeches for naught but knows very well how to wield a sword.

Very soon quite a number of people are on the couple's heels and more than once things get rather tight and they risk getting caught over and over again.

This book was some kind of emotional rollercoaster. Sometimes I stopped breathing, sometimes I laughed out loud, other times I was concerned, ...the whole book was rather intense and captivated me right from the beginning.

When I wasn't ranting against the Redcoats, I was railing against a society that views women as some kind of merchandise, as something to forge an alliance with or to draw profit from. I was very pleased with Colin and his acceptance of Maggie and her rather uncommon ways and of course I also enjoyed how those two got close and started to trust each other.

When two rather insecure people meet, things don't tend to be easy but even though they sometimes frustrated me and I was tempted to kick Colin's shin more than once, I loved those two and enjoyed seeing them opening up to the other. Even their insecurity was convincing, especially when they were faced with feelings that are not that easy to understand.

I really loved the well wrought characters and the well constructed and intriguing story with its many twists and turns and I'm looking forward to reading it again – and again and...

Within the veil - Brandy Vallance ~Review in English~

Within the veil by Brandy Vallance 

Blurb:

They never should have met. But they might be made for each other.
Feya Broon, a Scottish half Gypsy, knows what it is to go hungry. Trapped in the Edinburgh tenements with a father lost to his past and only the faded memory of her mother’s faith, Feya is desperate to provide for her siblings. When an ill-conceived plan leads to thievery, she finds herself in the last place she’d ever want to be–captured by an English palace guard. But there’s something about this man that tears at every preconceived notion she’s ever had.
Alasdair Cairncross never dreamed he’d be forced to transport a Gypsy woman halfway across the wilds of Scotland. The timing is disastrous, considering his fiancée’s imminent arrival and his father’s political goals. Not only that, but the fiery young woman threatens to lay bare secrets Alasdair would rather keep hidden. And the farther they travel together, the more conflicted he finds himself with duty–both to the crown and to the plans his family has for him.
As their walls begin to crumble, Feya and Alasdair must fight to survive a decades-old feud, a Highland kidnapping, and the awakening of their own hearts.


This book really surprised me. I was a bit reluctant to read it at first because of the Christian part. I am a Christian but sometimes books with that kind of stories are too "educational" for my taste and the story suffers due to that. This is definitely not the case in this book.

Within the veil is different and it made me think about many things that are not often thematized in books, especially in historical romances. It made me curious and made me look up other things about the gypsies and their treatment in Great Britain in those times, it made me look up phenomenons like synesthesia - and it made me feel and fear with the hero and heroine of the book.

It's never been easy to be different no matter if you can see the veils or you're a gypsy or have just some gypsy blood in your veins. Being poor has never been easy either so when our heroine, Feya who is poor and part gypsy desperately needs money to provide for her siblings, she makes a mistake. A pretty bad one that sees her end up in prison and by some twist of fate on the road to said prison with Alasdair, a young noble who has some demons of his own to fight.
Travelling together it's not just demons that he has to fight anymore but also this stupid thing called attraction. He, the son of Edan Cairncross, the man who hates gypsies almost above all else, feels attracted to someone like Feya?

Well, as it is a romance we might deduce that there'll be a happy ending but the author doesn't make it easy for her characters.
It is an interesting, well written story, not only a wonderful romance but also a story that highlights some aspects of the history of the gypsies in Scotland in the Victorian era. I like books that don't just tell the usual stories but tell about things that are easily forgotten nowadays.
I really liked this book and will definitely read it again.

★★★★

 

 

Finding Flynn - Alexandria Bishop

 Finding Flynn by Alexandria Bishop

Blurb:

 Ashtyn Moretti is ready for the best summer of her life. But her parents have other plans when they drop the bomb that her perfect summer will be spent…

Away from home.

Away from friends.

Away from half her family.

Armed with her Summer from Hell playlist and a Kindle full of book boyfriends, Ashtyn prepares to face what she is sure will be the worst summer of her life. Or will it be?

Flynn James has one thing on his mind—the success of his band Marlowe. He’s focused and doesn’t have time for any distractions, and that includes facing his past. But then a petite brunette comes walking into the pub where he works.

Neither Ashtyn or Flynn were looking for love but they can’t deny their obvious attraction. Ashtyn’s summer has been full of lies. The last thing she expects is for Flynn to be one of the liars too. Can she forgive his lies and turn her summer around? Can Flynn keep his secrets without losing everything? Or will this really be the Summer from Hell?


This was a really sweet read that I very much enjoyed reading. Flynn and Ashtyn are amazing characters and I really loved the way their story developed. Despite their instant attraction you never feel that it is too soon, too intense, too whatever - you just feel that they are absolutely right together.
Following their ups and downs, their doubts, their fights, you just know that they belong together no matter what happens. Then tragedy strikes and things get rough...

Actually, every girl should find her Flynn because he is not just gorgeous but also loyal, kind, rather determined and - well, he even knows how to cook, could you resist such a guy?
I liked the other characters as well, espescially the other members of the band and the way they stick together and watch out for each other. The way they care for each other shows how much their band feels like a family to them. being familiy doesn't stop them from fighting and competing but in the end they are there when they are needed and that's what really counts.

This book is a light and easy read that has an interesting story even though there are not many unexpected developements or surprising twists and turns but it is well spun and really enjoyable.

★★★★

Willowkeep - Julie Daines ~Review in English~

 Willowkeep by Julie Daines

Blurb: 

Charlotte Darby’s ship is sinking. Penniless and alone, she is struggling to care for herself and her young sister in the harsh seaport town of Kingston upon Hull. When a solicitor from London brings news that she is the heir to a vast estate in Kent, it seems her days of rough seas are over. Willowkeep is prosperous and grand, far too much for a shipping merchant’s daughter to manage, and she quickly comes to rely on the help of Henry Morland, the estate’s kind and handsome steward.

Henry has worked hard his entire life, but all the money he’s saved won’t be enough to get his father out of debtor’s prison. Henry’s fondness for Charlotte and her sister is only another reminder of his low status and lack of money. Though he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Charlotte happy and looked after, as the county’s wealthiest lady, she can never be his.

Courted by a charming man of the ton, threatened by those desperate to get their hands on her money, and determined to keep her sister safe from the same fate that cost her the rest of her family, Charlotte turns to the ghost of the beheaded queen, Anne Boleyn, for help. But no matter the size of the fortune, life—and love—are never smooth sailing.


I like books that are not just well written and captivating but that also have interesting characters. Charlotte Darby, orphaned daughter of a shipping merchant and unexpected heiress of one of the most prosperous and most renowned estates of the country, definitely is one of those interesting characters.

Charlotte's love for her sister Susan, for example, a child with special needs, is one of her most prominent qualities. At the time the book is set, being different was even more difficult than today and since their father's death life has been extremely hard and uncertain for the two sisters. Circumstances have made Charlotte very protective of her sister who is shunned by their neighbours and who has often been jeered at or threatened.

When Henry Morland, the steward of Charlotte's new estate arrives to accompagny the sisters to their new home, he is astonished to find a young woman in dire circumstances and with a very down-to-earth upbringing instead of the sophisticated spinster he expected.
Charlotte's open and loving nature draws him in but their social statuses separate them. And of course there are also those who want to keep them apart and who have an agenda of their own.
Despite all that Charlotte and Henry slowly fall for each other but will that be enough to overcome all obstacles?

I really enjoyed reading this book as it was well written and had a well constructed story line along with some great characters. This is definitely one of those books that I haven't read the last time!

★★★★

 

 

Lady Midnight - Amanda McCabe

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lady Midnight by Amanda McCabe

 

Blurb:

 

The daughter of an infamous courtesan, Katerina loses everyone she loves in a shipwreck off the coast of Italy. Now, without a penny to her name, she decides to pass herself off as a governess.

Still mourning his late wife, Michael Lindley knows his little sister and daughter need a woman's nurturing. But the dark-eyed beauty standing on his doorstep, claiming to be a widowed governess, is rekindling feelings he thought snuffed out long ago. Albeit, he hires her anyway.

But when Katerina and Michael finally dare to give way to desire, Katerina's past steps from the shadows... and demands her life.

 

 

Okay, all those who put emphasis on historical correctness might have some difficulties with this book as I think that some parts of it might not be very probable but all those who are more open minded will find a wonderful book that I really enjoyed.

The story of Katerina who gets a chance to change the course of her life and who finds people who are willing to help her and stay with her no matter what the opposition is really sweet. I loved Katerina and I loved Michael - and of course Christina and Amelia and... well, I didn't like Michael's mother. Nope. And I really hated Sir Julian Kirkwood, just saying.

When Katerina wakes up after a terrible accident, she finds herself alone. Her mother is gone but this also offers her a chance - the chance to have a different life than the one her mother, the most famous courtesan of Venice, had her prepared for. She finds a position as a governess in a small village in England and soon she finds that this life holds many surprises, not the least of them the attraction she feels for her employer, Michael Lindley. Life could be fine but then her past reaches out for her and someone is willing to do everything to get her back to the life she left behind... Will Michael and his family be brave enough to face scandal and worse for her?

The interesting, complex characters and the well constructed story with its twists and turns kept me well entertained and I really really enjoyed reading the book.

 

 

 

*I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review.*

 

★★★★

Isn't it romantic? - Eileen Dreyer

Isn't it romantic? by Eileen Dreyer 

Blurb: 

Pete Cooper and Brooke Ferguson were once childhood friends who spent evenings watching TV with Pete's Aunt Mamie.

Now Pete is a famous cable news anchor who earned his stripes in war zones, and Brooke watches Pete on the same old TV in the same small town.

Then Aunt Mamie passes away, and everything changes.

When Pete and Brooke set out on a road trip to fulfill Mamie's last wishes, they discover more than tornadoes, Hell's Angels, New Orleans Jazz Funerals, and one unique antebellum mansion. They find they might just be falling in love.

After a rather depressingly conventional memorial service that didn't do justice to her motherly friend Mamie and her eccentric ways at all, Brooke packs up her newly inherited Thunderbird and her lifelong friend Pete, Mamie's nephew and sets out on a road trip to fulfill Mamie's wishes. Mamie had very distinctive ideas concerning her memorial service including Hell's Angels, jazz bands, limericks and ...well, alright, the Tornado was not on Mamie's list but actually, considering Mamie, it might well have been - anyway, as her family didn't honor her wishes, Brooke and Pete will see to that.
This road trip turns out to be the adventure of a lifetime and - it'll change everything!

I really loved this story. It is really sweet and charming, funny, gripping and - well, it was hard to put the book down. The characters are amazing, especially Brooke is someone I'd love to have at my side when going on such a trip. I loved all the small scenes when Brooke and Pete fulfill another one of Aunt Mamie's wishes. They are all very special and I'd have loved to join them. The people they meet, the things they experience and the easy acceptance and friendship offered to them are wonderful to read about.

A wonderful story of love, friendship and new chances!
 

*I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review.*

★★★★★

 

 

Her Highland Rogue - Violetta Rand ~Review in English~

 Her Highland Rogue by Violetty Rand

 Blurb:

Errol MacRae’s days of gallivanting across the Highlands are nearing an end. His father’s health has taken a turn for the worse, and rumors are swirling that the crown intends to transfer ancient lands into the hands of the MacKenzies, the clan the MacRaes are sworn to defend. Errol expects to lead his men into battle soon. So he isn’t pleased when his father instead sends him to retrieve a beautiful flame-haired lass who has fled into the mountains.

Orphaned as a young girl, Aileana vividly remembers how the MacRaes rescued her and welcomed her into their clan. For ten years, she has served them loyally—until the night she’s nearly despoiled by one of the laird’s captains. Aileana risks her life and her reputation to seek refuge in the snowcapped peaks of the Five Sisters, the one place that has always felt like home. But after the strong-armed, strong-willed Errol tracks her down in a blizzard, she finds herself tempted to risk something even more dangerous: her heart


This book was a nice and steady read but it couldn't captivate me completely. It was a solid story, with nice and interesting characters but I found my thoughts straying every now and then. Apart from that, it was nice and easy to read even though I couldn't always understand the hero's and the heroine's actions  - well, and those of the other people around them. The whole story sometimes seemed a bit far fetched starting with the hermite living in the mountains without anybody being the wiser and several other things that made me question the pprobability of people behaving like that or things happening like that.

On the whole the story about Errol MacRae and the orphaned Aileana, foundling and beauty extraordinaire, is sweet and romantic. Both are very likable characters and despite the critical points mentioned, I enjoyed reading the book. It is not a book that will rate among my highlights of the year and it won't be one that I reread very often but I loved the interaction between the hero and the heroine and after everything she's been through, I also loved how things turned out for sweet and gentle Aileana, even though I was furious (again) with the men who didn't even think of asking a woman whether she wants to marry someone...as usual. Definitely something I'll never get used to.... But, well, in the end all is well that ends well, isn't it?

★★★

 

Gods (Eirik #3) - Ednah Walters ~Review in English~

For those who've also been waiting (im)patiently for it:

Gods, the 

final 

book in the series about Eirk and Celestia is

finally

 

HERE!

Gods (Eirik #3) by Ednah Walters

Blurb:

Eirik has finally accomplished his mission, but he paid a steep price. Now he must start all over to prove his love to the woman he can't live without. But can he protect her from her kind without crossing the line? As new threats emerge, Celestia and Eirik will learn how far they must go to protect each other and their love.



Wow, just wow! I don't know where to start because I really really love this book! It is simply amazing!

I loved Demons, a lot, and I thought that it couldn't get much better but then Heroes came out and I found that against all odds, it could get even better but I wasn't prepared for Gods being even better than that! I've read all the books in the Runes-Series and it's so great to see how the story and the characters develop and become more complex and even more authentic.

This books concludes the story of Eirik and Celestia that started in Demons. Those who have read the other books of the Runes-Series now Eirik rather well -  at least you might think that you now him well, these books show you a completely different side of the rather nerdy Eirik we encountered in the first books. The Eirik we meet now is the son of Baldur and Hel - confident, strong, a bit cocky and also very sweet and caring. Having seen him lose Raine and Cora to other guys it is really heart-warming to see him with Celestia now. I loved how those two care for each other and how they try to be there for each other despite all obstacles that they have to overcome.

It is also really sweet to read about Eirik and his mother Hel, this awe-inspiring, fierce goddess of the underground who turns out to be very loving and, well, just awesome.
There are many great characters in Gods that we've met before in Heroes and in Demons and I must admit that I hated to leave them behind when I closed the book.

I also love how all the books of the Runes-Series are linked and  interwoven with each other. Reading Gods, I always compared the timeframe with that of Witches and tried to find out what might happen next and... well.

What I also really enjoyed is the development of the author. Having read all books in the series (and some others of hers as well), I think it is amazing to see how much her writing unfolds in the course of the series. Each one is better than the last and every time that I think it can't get much better, she proves me wrong.
Brilliant writing, a wonderful, imaginative story with amazing and multifaceted characters in a complex and well constructed world - it can't get better than that! - Can it?
To cut a long story short - I really love this book and I can absolutely recommend this series that is part of the Runes-Series.

★★★★★

 

 

Ein Sonnenschein-Puzzle

Ein Löwe in der Sonne ;-)

Wild Wolf (The Wolf Shifters of Raven Ridge #2) - Tessa Clarke

  Wild Wolf (The Wolf Shifters of Raven Ridge #2) by Tessa Clarke

Blurb:

When sexy wolf shifter Sam Stone hears Sasha Green singing in church, he's determined to have her join his band... and come to his bed. But Sasha has lived under her parents' strict rules for a long time and doesn't quite know how to let her hair down.

Curvy Sasha has had a crush on Sam since high school, and he sets everything in her body on fire, but she has promised her dying mother that she will date Ben Collins, a good church-going boy and family friend.

To make matters worse, her police detective father isn't very fond of shifters, and there is a predator stalking women in Raven Ridge. 

Can Sam keep Sasha safe, win over her parents, and convince her to pursue her singing career and explore her wild side? 


Wild Wolf was a nice read but on the whole I felt that something was missing. The characters were very likable but lacked some depth. The story is nice as well and well done but I got rather mad while reading it because I was really upset by the way Sasha's parents controlled her life by always reminding her of her mother's illness and her imminent death.

Sasha, the 24ys old heroine of our book, is completely under her parents thumb. They expect her to be a good girl and to marry the man of their choice.  -  Yep, welcome to the 21st century....

When Sasha gets to know wolf shifter Sam, she realizes that she wants more from life than that and that she wouldn't mind having a certain good-looking, banjo playing shifter in it.
Unfortunately those around them don't agree Sasha and Sam find that it is not easy to claim your life especially when your father is a police detective.

I know that such things happen in reality either but very often I was just too upset by the way Sasha's parents tried to manipulate her to really enjopy the story even though it is well done otherwise.

★★★

 

 

Pretender's Games - Louise Clark

 Pretender's Game by Louise Clark

Inhalt:

To be pardoned for the crime of joining the Jacobite Rebellion, James MacLonan must marry a woman who supports the Hanoverian dynasty.

Theadora Tilton fits the bill perfectly. But in every other way, Thea is his enemy.

Thea has her own reasons for agreeing to the quick marriage to James, but none included his sudden decision to move her to his clan home in the Scottish Highlands.

Then the notorious leader of the Jacobite Rebellion returns and James disappears. Now Thea must rally the strangers around her if she hopes to reclaim the man who first stole her heart.


"Pretender's Games" gefiel mir sehr, weil es nicht nur eine letztlich romantische Liebesgeschichte mit Höhen und Tiefen bietet, sondern auch ein ziemlich drastisches Bild des Lebens in Schottland nach Culloden zeigt.

Vor dem Hintergrund der Willkür der Engländer und den Konsequenzen, die diese für die Jakobiten und deren Familien hatte, entfaltet sich die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Theadora Tilton und James McLonan. Aus einer reinen Vernunftehe entsteht ganz langsam ein wenig mehr und als es hart auf hart kommt und James' Leben in Gefahr ist, wird deutlich, wieviel die Beiden einander bedeuten.

Ich fand es wieder einmal hart, vor Augen geführt zu bekommen, wie wenig das Leben der Schotten damals wert war und wie schwer es war, sich gegen die Engländer zu behaupten, selbst wenn man unschuldig war. Die wackelige Rechtslage, die allgemeine Stimmung und auch die Abgeschiedenheit des Hochlands, trugen viel dazu bei, dass das Militär viel zu oft frei schalten und walten konnte.

Das Buch ist gut und fesselnd geschrieben, auch die Charaltere sind gut entwickelt und sehr komplex. Hinzu kommt eine schlüssige und interessant gestaltete Story, so dass ich das Buch nur ungerne aus der Hand legte, nachdem ich einmal angefangen hatte zu lesen.
Mir gefällt es auf jeden Fall sehr gut und ich kann es empfehlen!

*I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review.*

★★★★

 

 

SEDUCED by a bad boy millionaire movie star - EMME CROSS

SEDUCED by a bad boy millionaire movie star by EMME CROSS

 Blurb: 

Sexy Swede Sven Larson can sleep with any woman he wants. He has the money, looks, and power, as one of the world’s top stars. And he doesn’t care if he breaks a few hearts along the way. There will always be another willing young starlet for him to seduce.

Shooting a film on the idyllic and exclusive tropical island of St. Barts, Sven meets the enticingly innocent Sunny O’Hara. She’s returned to her childhood home and is beginning to find her feet again after a tragic loss. But she's too sweet and innocent for her own good, and needs to do a lot of growing up fast.

Sven first encounters Sunny in a restaurant where she is helping out. And for once she’s a pretty girl who doesn’t want to sleep with him just because he’s hot and famous. She doesn’t even know who he is. But Sunny’s not immune to his sex appeal, she’s never met anyone who makes her body feel so electric. Their first kiss is momentous and leads to more . . . a journey of emotional and physical discovery marked by incredible challenges.

This series takes you on an exciting, dramatic, sexy, emotional journey through jealous lovers, murderous stalkers, natural disasters, tragedy and joy. Will Sunny ever tame bad boy Sven, or will the world of fame and money she’s thrust into tear them apart?
Find out now! You get all eight books in this edition, so grab them now and start the epic romance read of your life. 


Okay, I must admit that this book or better this series was a nice read but unfortunately it couldn't completely convince me. The books presented a string of catastrophies, betrayals, inscurities and so on which were interesting in the beginning and of course I wanted to know how the story goes on so I started with the next book and the next and... You get the meaning.
Actually, after a couple of books I lost interest for a while because I felt that it was a bit too much of all those bad things happening while that characters stayed somewhat flat.

Sunny, our heroine, was indeed sunny and sweet and...well, of course it is delightful to have such a person around but I missed some edges whereas Sven, our hero, sometimes had too many of them. Okay, I liked him despite his flaws because he is very likeable in fact with his adoration of Sunny and such - if he doesn't screw things up - but I felt that the characters on the whole were lacking some depth.

It was a nice read but I had no problem putting the book down every now and then and even needed to read something else in between because it just was too much of the same seemingly neverending cycle of events.

I liked it, I don't regret reading it but I won't read it again.

★★★

 

 

Wir beide in Schwarz-Weiß - Kira Gembri

 Zwar gibt es in letzter Zeit immer wieder auch Jugendbücher oder überhaupt Bücher, die sich auch mit etwas schwierigeren Themen befassen, aber ich kenne nur wenige Autorinnen, die diesen Themen dann auch gerecht werden, eine davon ist Kira Gembri:

 Wir beide in Schwarz-Weiß von Kira Gembri

Inhalt:

Für die Sommerferien hat die quirlige Studentin Kristina große Pläne: Sie will an einem wichtigen Kunstwettbewerb teilnehmen und sich dabei auf keinen Fall von irgendwelchen Männern ablenken lassen. Dummerweise wählt sie als Kulisse für eine ihrer Kunstperformances ausgerechnet das Café, in dem Alex arbeitet. Der Typ mit den indigoblauen Augen verdreht ihr nicht nur den Kopf, sondern verpasst ihr beinahe ein Schleudertrauma – nie zuvor hat sich Kris von jemandem so stark angezogen und so hart zurückgewiesen gefühlt. Regeln scheinen in Alex‘ Welt nur zu existieren, um gebrochen zu werden, und er ist ständig auf der Jagd nach dem nächsten Adrenalinstoß. Als es Kris endlich gelingt, hinter seine Fassade zu blicken, wird ihr klar: Das alles ist für Alex viel mehr als ein Spiel ...


Mit der Geschichte um Alex und Kris, ihrem neuesten Buch, hat Kira Gembri sich und ihre Protagonisten erneut in mein Herz geschrieben. Insbesondere im Fall von Alex was das schon eine kleine Leistung, weil ich nach meinen Erfahrungen in "Wenn Du Dich traust" mit ihm, doch schon ein klitzekleines bisschen voreingenommen war.

In der ihr eigenen sensiblen und dennoch schonungslosen Weise, thematisiert Kira Gembri auch hier wieder Dinge, die ansonsten selten in Büchern thematisiert werden. Ihre authentischen und facettenreichen Charakteremit ihren vielen Ecken und Kanten, haben beide ihr Päckchen zu tragen.
Auch wenn man von Anfang an spürt, dass es sie zueinander hinzieht und das romantisch-sentimentale Herz sich natürlich wünscht, dass alles gut wird, macht die Autorin es ihren Protagonisten (und ihren Lesern) nicht leicht. Sie erleben kein Märchen, in dem sich alle Probleme mit einem "Puff" in Wohlgefallen auflösen, sondern sie müssen an sich arbeiten, sie müssen auf den anderen eingehen und sich aufeinander einlassen und sich gegenseitig vertrauen. Nur so ist es möglich, allen widrigen Umständen zum Trotz ein gemeinsames Miteinander zu schaffen.
Die Erkenntnis, dass man nicht perfekt sein muss, sondern dass man in seiner ganzen glorreichen und manchmal auch anstrengenden Unvollkommenheit für einen Menschen genau richtig sein kann, ist etwas, was sich diese Protagoniten erarbeiten müssen. Als Leser verfolgt man mit Bangen und Hoffen, wie aus Schwarz- Weiss manchmal auch Bunt werden kann.  Dieser Wandel zieht sich auch auf vielen Ebenen durch das Buch hindurch.

Alex und Kris, die beiden nicht immer uneingeschränkt sympathischen, aber immer unwahrscheinlich liebenswerten Proatgonsiten des Buches, treffen unter höchst ungünstigen Umständen das erste Mal aufeinander, als Kris mitten in den Vorbereitungen für einetwas andersartiges Kunstprojekt steckt - das nebenbei auch ursächlich für die Bekanntschaft der Beiden ist und das dazu führt, dass ihre Wege sich immer wieder kreuzen...

Der gewohnt leichte Ton, in dem Kira Gembri schreibt, schafft es, dass dem Leser allen ernsten Themen zum Trotz immer mal wieder ein Lachen oder auch ein leicht verklärtes Lächeln zu entlocken, ohne die Schwierigkeiten, die die beiden haben zu beschönigen. Man liest es gerne, man fühlt mit den beiden Protagonisten, aber es wird nicht fürchterlich auf die Tränendrüse gedrückt oder dergleichen. Ein Buch zum Mitfühlen und Miterleben, das sich auf gesunde, sensible und realistische Weise mit schwierigen Themen auseinandersetzt.

Okay, ich denke, man merkt, dass mich auch dieses Buch von Kira Gembri wieder rundum begeistert hat, darum hier nun nur noch einmal die Kurzform: Lesen - es lohnt sich!

★★★★★

 

 

Vierundzwanzig Stunden - Guillaume Musso #vierundzwanzigstunden

Vierundzwanzig Stunden....

 Vierundzwanzig Stunden von Guillaume Musso

Inhalt:

 Lisa träumt von einer Karriere als Schauspielerin. Um sich ihr Studium zu finanzieren, arbeitet sie in einer Bar in Manhattan. Dort macht sie eines Abends die Bekanntschaft eines faszinierenden, aber rätselhaften Mannes: Arthur Costello. Der junge Arzt hat eine ungewöhnliche Bitte: Lisa soll ihm dabei helfen, als Krankenschwester verkleidet seinen Großvater aus der Psychiatrie zu befreien. Se lässt sich auf das Abenteuer ein. Zwar gelingt die nächtliche Aktion, doch verliert sie Arthur dabei aus den Augen. Erst ein Jahr später soll sie ihm wieder begegnen, aber diesmal ist sie es, die seine Hilfe braucht. Aus den beiden wird ein Liebespaar. Bald stellt sich heraus, dass Arthur kein Mann ist wie jeder andere. Er offenbart ihr sein schreckliches Geheimnis, und von nun an kämpfen beide gemeinsam gegen einen unerbittlichen Feind - die Zeit ...


Hätte ich den Klappentext gelesen, wäre ich wohl beim Lesen etwas enttäuscht oder zumindest irritiert gewesen, weil ich dann doch eher etwas anderes erwartet hätte. Da ich aber nur Musso gesehen und mich sozusagen blind für die Leserunde dazu beworben habe, weil ich von anderen Büchern von ihm bereits sehr begeistert habe, konnte mich die Darstellung im Klappentext nicht auf eine falsche Fährte lotsen.

Dennoch hielt dieses Buch etliche Überraschungen bereit, allerdings kenne und liebe ich das so auch bei Mussos Büchern.

Was passiert, wenn man einem Mann einen Leuchtturm schenkt, mit der strikten Auflage, alles zu tun, aber diesen einen Raum um keinen Preis jemals zu öffnen?
Genau. Jeder, der seine Märchen kennt, weiß, dass sowas nie gut ausgeht! Hier hat es weitreichende Folgen und treibt den Protagonisten des Buches zu einem verzweifelten Kampf gegen die Zeit.

Was macht man, wenn man alles hat, was das Leben lebenswert macht, aber das Schicksal es einem immer wieder wegnimmt?
Was macht man, wenn diese eine große Liebe einem zu entgleiten droht und man kann nichts dagegen tun?
Was macht man, wenn man erkennen muss, dass man selbst sein größter Feind ist?

Mir hat das Buch, das ich in diesem Fall im Rahmen einer  stilgemäßen 24-Stunden-Leserunde gelesen habe, ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Es zieht den Leser schnell ins Geschehen hinein, so dass man das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen mag. Die Ereignisse folgen Schlag auf Schlag und man fühlt mit dem Protagonisten Arthur Costello mit, der sein Leben geradezu im Zeitraffer dahinschwinden sind und viel zu viel von dem verpasst, was das Leben ausmacht.
So wie Arthur geht es auch dem Leser, man jagt von einem Erlebnis zum anderen, es folgt Hoffnung, auf Trauer, auf Entsetzen, auf....jedes Aufwachen im Leben ist anders, nichts ist berechenbar, das Leben lässt sich nicht planen, nicht steuern, sondern überrennt ihn geradezu bis....ja, bis nichts mehr so ist wie es mal war. Oder wie es sein sollte.

Anfangs haderte ich mit dem Ende sehr, das sich mir ungefähr mit dem Charme einer ungebremsten Dampfwalze näherte und mich erst einmal umhaute, aber je öfter ich darüber nachdachte, desto besser gefiel es mir und desto mehr passte es. Okay, "gefallen" ist der falsche Ausdruck, gefallen wird mir das Ende nie, aber es wirkt rund und in sich stimmig.
Mir hat es auf jeden Fall ausgesprochen gut gefallen, ein Buch mit Ecken und Kanten, das einen fesselt und zum Nachdenken treibt.

★★★★★

 

 

#‎vierundzwanzigstunden‬

Die Uhr tickt....

Vierundzwanzig Stunden in vierundzwanzig Stunden....

Neugierig?

#‎vierundzwanzigstunden‬

Audio books - Relentless-Trilogy by Karen Lynch

Talking about audio books and amazing books....

 

 

The books are amazing, as most of you probably know because I've written about them once or twice or......sometimes - and I was absolutely thrilled when I listened to those books because the narrator is just perfect.  I couldn't stop listening and carried my bluetooth box with me because I didn't want to miss a single sentence despite the fact that I have read those books at least a dozen times or more! The narrator has a wonderful voice and pronounces everything just right. Not over-emotional, not too what ever, just perfectly right. I loved every one of those audio books!

★★★★★

 

 

Love on the Rocks - Kay Harris

 

 Love on the Rocks by Kay Harris

Blurb: 

 Hot rock stars, conniving groupies, two crazy moms, and a park ranger - this romantic comedy has it all!

Dani Roberts is on break after a long winter in Yellowstone. She has a couple weeks to kill before heading to her summer job, so she hits the road for a little adventure.

But in a lonely cafe in the middle of the nowhere Nevada she runs into two rock stars. They are kind and funny... and ridiculously hot. They offer her a ride on their tour bus that ends up changing Dani's adventure, and her life, for good.

Hank Tolk he is definitely her type, and definitely a terrible player. Sean Rush is a bigger-than-life, scary-looking, tattooed monster of a man.

Falling for a rock star is not in Dani’s itinerary. But when disaster strikes and one of them proves what kind of man he really is, she can’t resist. Dani has to decide – do a park ranger and a rock star really stand a chance at love?

"Love on the Rocks" was one of those books that I couldn't (and didn't want to) put down once I'd started reading it.

I really enjoyed the story about Dani "Baby"Roberts, Sean Rush, Hank "Henry" Tolk and all the others that are part of their time on the road. When park ranger Dani sat in a diner in the middle of the night right in the middle of nowhere, she couldn't imagine how much her life would change when the door opened and two rock stars entered. Finding herself on the road with them was just the beginning of a wonderful road trip leading to much more.
Of course it is not easy to be catapulted in such a world but somehow against all odds - and despite evrythign groupies and roadies and exes and....well - everybody around them, actually - throws at them, Dani very soon finds her place in the world of those stars. Fortunately she was well prepared to guard herself against someone getting into her pants but somehow it seems that while she was protecting herself against the one guy the other one was slowly finding his way into her heart - and maybe also in her pants, who knows...

I liked the complex, very lovable and sympathetic characters and the wonderful story that  was never dull but kept me on my toes. Despite the fact that Dani has serious problems with her self esteem due to her personal history that shape her relationship with....the one she is falling for...as well and that make her act insecure and not always sensible, I never felt that it was too much or too ... anything. Her reactions made sense and additionally she was also capable of analyzing and of drawing conclusions and acting accordingly.
It wasn't always easy but always very authentic and I felt with them even though I felt with her when the guys were always fussing over her even though it was also very cute.

An entertaining story, that made me laugh and cry and sigh and dream - and want for more! I loved this story and this definitely wasn't the last time that I've read it!

*I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for an honest review.*

★★★★★

 

 

Hungry Tigress - Jade Lee

 Hmmmm.......

 Hungry Tigress by Jade Lee

Blurb:

Joanna Crane is captured by political rebels with a taste for white flesh. Her rescuer: a Shaolin master with fists of steel, eyes like ice, and ideas of his own. But protection will come at a price...for both of them.

In Jade Lee's award-winning Tigress series, western women discover that sex is not simply for pleasure, but for religious ecstasy. The question is, who will come out on top: the Western Tigress or the Chinese Dragon? And is the sensual realm they discover true love?


"One day all women will stand beside their men, beloved by their mates and blessed by heaven."
This is the last sentence of the book but I must admit that when I think of this book, I think that perhaps one day I'll actually be able to really read it.
I was really torn when I tried to decide how many stars I'd give this book as it left me shaken, disgusted and I couldn't bring myself to read all of it. I flipped the pages and read here and there while trying to find a place from which I could go on reading. If it hadn't been given this copy by ebookdisvcovery, I wouldn't have finished it.
Usually I like the books by Jade Lee and this one is also well written and it definetely has complex characters so it could have been a really good book - could have been. As it is, I couldn't enjoy it because the picture it presented was deeply disturbing.
I can't feel any romance and roses in the air when I read about a woman being beaten, hurt, chained and coaxed into any kind of sexual activity no matter how glorified it may be presented. This is not about "reaching heaven", this is about dominance and taking away ones choices. This is also about different cultures and different mentalities and I must admit that I had some problems coming to terms with the way it was portrayed and - well, I was also upset about the way things ended. Maybe this is supposed to be a happy ending but in my eyes the hero and the heroine being forced to act the way they did and the way things happend . Nope. Doesn't do it for me.
Soooo .that's not my cup of tea, sorry.

 *I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for an honest review.*

★★