This site is basically targeting all of you book lovers out there who may be in the process of looking for a great book to read! I have a lot of things to say, so sit back and enjoy a quick peek inside some amazing works of art. This site is also for authors. if you would like to have your book considered for review, please email me at ashley.denis@maine.edu <3 Ashley


Sunday, December 28, 2008

LITTLE NELL-BARRI BRYAN

Below is my review of 'Little Nell'. It was an excellent quick read that left me satisfied.


True to its title, this story is all about Little Nell. As a young child she is an orphan that is sent on a train to be basically auctioned off to the highest bidder. Having quite a temper and a very un-lady like mouth, there are not many takers; until John comes along that is.
John’s family is falling apart right before his eyes. His dear, loving wife is slipping further into madness with each passing day due to the fact that their three year old daughter Nell has died. Deciding that he must do something about it to save his family he takes his two sons, David and Richard with him to meet the orphan train to try and find a replacement daughter. They find this spitfire with the same blue eyes and red hair and change her name to Nell. John’s wife is just unstable enough to believe that her daughter has come back to her.
Years later John has died and once again Sarah is mentally unstable. David, Richard and Nell are now grown adults. Thinking that John and Sarah are her biological parents, Nell is confused. She has been experiencing feelings of an un-sisterly like kind towards her brother Richard for quite some time. She is pretty sure he feels it too, seeing the way that he looks at her and the kisses he steals. Nell is mad at herself, and feels worse when her brother David catches on to the two of them, reminding them how incest is a sin. With Nell being the only member of the family who doesn’t know this well kept secret, she continues to struggle with her feelings. Things get even stickier when outsiders find out about their attraction to each other and try to butt in. Will Nell and Richard ever get to be together and be happy? Will Nell ever find out the truth about her upbringing?
Barri Bryan does a great job writing this story. It is quick, to the point, and the reader is dragged into the drama from page one. Your heart can’t help but go out to Nell, who has so many feelings coursing through her; confusion, shame, and excitement. Barri Bryan does an excellent job of making her characters very real like with very real emotions that the reader can relate to.
I read this book in one sitting because I could not find a pause in the story that felt appropriate to walk away from. This is a great story for a rainy or snowy day when you are cooped up in your home looking for something to entertain and keep you occupied for hours. Her writing is clear and concise, and her characters are loveable and not easily forgotten.


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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

YOUR EVERY DESIRE-MARY EASON

I think my review says it all, but to reiterate the fact....DAMN this was a book filled with chemistry and passion. Aaron and Kylie have it bad for each other!!!! I'm surprised they were ever able to leave the bed room... Not only is this story sizzling on the romantic side of things, but it is also very well written. So many romance books that I have read are just filled with mediocre writing and good sex scenes. This book had both! I also loved the fact that Kylie owned her own business and was struggling to make more of it throughout the book. It made me like her character so much more!
Here is my review! Enjoy :-)

Mary Eason has done a wonderful job creating a very juicy, sexy story. This fast paced, rather short romance book got right down to the romance. No other details or story plots got in the way of Aaron and Kylie’s sizzling passion for each other.
Kylie has known Aaron for awhile. In fact, she was the one responsible for hooking him up with her friend, and house mate Mariah. Kylie has a little secret though; she has the hots for Aaron, and bad. She is good at lying to herself and stuffing her feelings down deep inside and settles for just being his friend. When Aaron decides to break it off with Mariah because of his upcoming job promotion which leads to him leaving the state, Kylie is shocked. She thought for sure Mariah was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with; and who wouldn’t? She’s gorgeous!
Truth be told, Aaron has been trying to break up with Mariah for a while. He does not love her, and hasn’t even slept with her. What he has had are the hots for Kylie since the day he met her. After trying for days to locate Mariah to tell her he wants to end their relationship, he goes to Kylie for help. Knowing she is lying by the look in her eyes, Aaron gets the feeling that Mariah has been cheating on him. Feeling as though their relationship has basically already ended, Aaron takes Kylie in his arms and shows her just how much he has been pining for her.
Both Aaron and Kylie make a lot of assumptions about each other and keep their feelings locked inside because they are afraid of rejection. Due to their lack of communication, they are way off base with each other when it comes to having an actual relationship. The one thing that is right on target though is their passionate lovemaking. They can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. Aaron’s big move out of state and Kylies growing business is muddling things up for them. Will their romance fizzle and die? Or will Kylie and Aaron find a way to make it work and become honest with each other? <>Mary Eason makes it clear to hear readers that she means business when it comes to the topic of romance. She knows how to get to the readers’ heart and how to turn the heat up a notch. I think a lot of books benefit from detail in the story, but Mary Eason seems to be able to do just fine without an excessive amount of it. What she does pay attention to is what Aaron and Kylie notice about each other; Aaron can’t seem to get enough of Kylie’s eyes, especially the way they change color when they make love, and Kylie can’t get enough of Aaron’s perfect looks. These are the types of details in a romance book that make it so the readers can really get inside the characters’ heads and enjoy the story that much more. I would recommend this story to any romance lover out there. It is a quick read that can be finished in one sitting and will not leave you disappointed!


For more great reviews check out www.frontstreetreviews.com

Saturday, December 20, 2008

THE LONG ROAD HOME-LAUREN N. SHARMAN

I think what caught my interest the most about his book was that the story line was unlike anything I have ever read before. Although there was a bit of romance in the story, the main focus was reuniting a girl with her long lost family; her brothers to be exact.
I found myself in love with the characters, and rooting for everything to work out. It really touched my heart. It was nice to read about a family that was so troubled, and went through so much, and in the end for everything to work out.

Below is my review I did. for more of my reviews and others, go to www.frontstreetreviews.com


Being the final book in the McCassey series did not confuse me at all when I decided to read this book first. I am not entirely sure what the other books in the series were about, but I feel that I did not need to read them ahead of time in order to completely enjoy this book. Lauren Sharman did an excellent job with her characters and told an amazing story.
Georgia McCassey has lived a hard life. At the age of nineteen she has endured more than most have in their entire lives. She was taken away from her mother at the age of fifteen by her abusive father as revenge against her mother. Dolan McCassey raped his daughter, got her hooked on drugs, and whored her out for money. Finally seeing her chance, Georgia leaves his apartment in search of her three older brothers that she has heard so much about, but never actually met
Georgia does not intend on actually meeting them because she feels the things she has done in her past would make them ashamed of her, so she decides to just get a good look at them so she can put a face to their names. The situation changes when they catch her looking at them while they work at their garage. Georgia suddenly finds herself immersed in their world; some of it good, some of it scary. She must fight her demons inside herself and decide if she will be able to believe that she is actually good enough to be around her new family and change her life around for the better.
Lauren Sharman creates a world of wonderfully believable characters. They are rough around the edges, far from perfect, but every bit as lovable. She is able to show her readers just what family is all about; watching each other’s backs and making sacrifices in the name of love. I did not have a favorite character because I loved them all. I was able to finish this book in one sitting because there seemed to be no part in the story that I was willing to walk away from and take a break.
Lauren Sharman also seems to have a knack for clarity in her words. I never once was confused. Her story was very straight forward, moved at a steady rhythm and never once got boring. These are the kinds of stories that I love to read; the organization and planning of this story is apparent on every page. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read and who has time to tuck in and read it start to finish.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

3 ACES-RICHARD IDE

I don't have much to discuss when it comes to this story. I think my review will spell it all out. I do want to stress that i give the author a lot of credit for writing this book. The amount of detail he uses in this story is unbelievable. In fact, I haven't seen this much detail in a book more than a few times in my reading ventures. As stated in my review, I think the detail hurt this story a bit, but it may feel like the opposite for people who don't mind a lot of detail.

This story took me about three weeks to get through. Although this was a very well written story, I do feel that the detail was a bit much. I think it could have been just as powerful a story without all of the detail.
Abner Weaver is a Vietnam War vet who makes his living driving trucks and delivering goods. He picks up a woman named Dawn at a stop who says she is in a tight spot and needs to get away. Charmed by her looks, he takes her as his passenger, under the assumption that she will be getting off in a nearby town and that will be the end of that. What ends up happening instead is that she sticks with Abner and together they make a pretty good trucking team.
Abner learns more and more about Dawn’s past; how she is trying to win custody back of her daughter, how her father used to be a gambling addict, etc. Dawn also learns a bit about Abner’s past; that he was in the war, has PTSD from what he endured, and that he will not tolerate any of her drinking. The two acquire a dog, and that completes their team. An issue involving Dawn and the game of cards erupts and their team breaks up.
This story does not have twists and turns and does not leave you hanging on the edge of your seat to find out what is going to happen next. What the story does have are some great characters that you learn to love and a whole lot of information. I honestly think that after reading this I could successfully go out and drive a big rig and I think I could honestly go and gamble successfully at cards. I made myself push through and read until the end, but I think some would throw in the towel because of all of the detail.
For those folks out there that really enjoy books that delve into the story in great lengths, then this is the book for you. If you are a truck driver, a card player, or interested in Vietnam, then this is also a good story to read because there are a lot of interesting things about all three of these categories. All in all I would say this was a good read, but it does take some stamina to push through until the end.


check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!

Monday, December 1, 2008

KUDOS FOR A FRIEND!!!

Hey folks! Usually I just post reviews and such on this site, but I'm really excited to share with you some information about a friend of mine. Susan Helene Gottfried, author of Trevors's Song, has just come out with a demo tape to the band in her book, the ShapeShifters.

Here is a little blip about it!

ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes -- Year 1
A band's demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, ShapeShifter.
Originally published online between April 2006 and March 2007, The Demo Tapes -- Year 1 brings together the moments that parallel -- but never encounter -- Susan Helene Gottfried's debut novel, Trevor's Song. Arranged chronologically and with introductions to each, this is a must-have volume for anyone who's ever wanted to hang with a rock band.

Here is the link to her page to check out more about, and for purchasing information! http://www.westofmars.com/index.php?id=thebooks

For those of you not familiar with her book, Trevor's Song, here is the link for you to go and check it out!! http://www.westofmars.com/index.php

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to check out those links! You won't be disappointed! This lady has some mad writing skills and you owe it to yourself to see if Trevor's Song and the demo tape is something for you!