Book Review: The Institute by Stephen King

     Lucas is a genius and can easily remember anything he has ever read along with so much more, but that is not all there is to him. In fact, he is a low-level telekinetic meaning that he can move small objects with his mid. Because of this his entire world is about to change, and not for the better. 

    Due to this his parents were murdered and he finds himself in something called The Institute where they are running tests and giving them all kinds of injections. There doesn't seem to be any escape as himself and other kids are slowly being turned into batteries for what the people who work there consider the saving of humanity. What will it take for these kids to get back some kind of a life or is becoming a gork (brainless kid just used as a battery-pack) as good as it will get?

    As always King does not fail to deliver. Personally this book reminded me of one of my favorite King books, Firestarter, although that was The Shop. For once I am actually glad that King didn't use Derry in this book. Derry feels like a home away from home and somehow putting this place in that town wouldn't have been right. I have already suggested this book to multiple of my friends who are also lovers of King, but honestly this is a great book for anyone. 

    I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have. This book is available on Amazon for $14.99 at https://amzn.to/3kF6e6y.

Books by this author:

Dark Tower 2

Salem's Lot

Mr. Mercedes

Finder's Keepers

The Outsider

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

    America Singer is a Class 5 singer in love with a lower class worker and thinks that everything in her life is as perfect as it can be. That is until her family receives a letter in the mail stating that she has the opportunity to register for The Selection and potentially be chosen as the prince's bride. She doesn't want to do it, but after pestering from both her mom and boyfriend she agrees. She doesn't think there is a chance she will be chosen, but when her boyfriend breaks up with her and she is selected it becomes a temporary escape. 

    Once she arrives at the palace America becomes claustrophobic which ends in a chance encounter with the very prince she has already decided she does not like. The only thing is Prince Maxon is nothing like he has seemed. In fact, maybe this is just the distraction she needs to nurse her broken heart. 

    I started this book because it had a pretty dress on the cover and have heard is as a suggestion to read in the past. I was quickly pulled into the dystopian future comparing it not only to our current world but to the world of the Hunger Games. Only thing is instead of rooting for the male at home I liked the one she meets outside her home. Prince Maxon is open and honest and anyone who knows too much about me knows I am a sucker for a redhead so America and Maxon would be amazing together. That is if they go down that path together and if she decides she can move on from Aspen. 

    For anyone who loves Hunger Games or Mortal Instruments I would suggest this one to you. There is nothing better than a good YA romance. This book is available on Amazon for $6.48 or with Kindle Unlimited at https://amzn.to/3klYqGy.

Book Review: Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly

     Luisa has travelled to a Tibetan monastery in order to seek the ability to not have to feed on blood in order to survive as a upyr. While their initial ideas only threaten her life there may be some secret within a dangerously sexy male monk that will help her after-all. 

    Luisa is also a child of Auriclus and has been abandoned just as Gillian in Midnight's Desire that I have already read by this author. This short story was harder for me to enjoy. It was just boring to me. There wasn't anything to be thrilled by. There was sex and a desire for something and some self denial. But all in all you knew how everything was going to play out before it began and the minor details were simply not enough to keep the interest for this story. 

    That being said, if you are someone who enjoys a short story full of sex and self discovery this just may be one for you. It is a second story at the end of Midnight Desire by Emma Holly, which is the same book that Catching Midnight is in. 

Books by this author: 

Catching Midnight

Book Review: Frey by Melissa Wright

     Elfreya has never fit in with the other elves of her village and isn't even welcome at home, with her Aunt. She isn't magical and is more clumsy than the others. In fact, she had her own Council Assigned teacher, Junnie to help her as much as was possible. That is until a stranger arrives in the town, named Chevelle. He is a dark elf from the Northern Realms and around him Elfreya is slowly able to master some small portions of her magic. All was going well before she was dragged before the Council and convicted for practicing Dark Magic without a trial. 

    She has now escaped and is on the run to the North following a map she accidentally cast as a spell onto her hands. She isn't sure what will happen when she reaches the North, but it has to be better than whatever the Council has planned for her. The question is: can she trust Chevelle to help her or will he just drag her back to the village to face her punishment?

    This is the first book in a series and the only one that I have read thus far. I found myself bored during certain parts of the book, such as the journal, because it wasn't a surprise to me. In fact I wasn't really surprised by anything that I discovered in this book, which is kind of disappointing to me. All in all it is a good YA fantasy book that I am sure you will enjoy. 

    This book is available for purchase on Amazon for free at https://amzn.to/34b7Per.

Book Review: Die for Me by Cynthia Eden

     Katherine almost married the Valentine's killer without knowing it and since then has been in witness protection until he can finally be caught. and brought to justice. She uprooted her entire life and moved from Boston to New Orleans. Yet, years later she has now received his tell-tale 11 roses signaling not only that he ahs found her, but that the killings have begun again. This time she cannot sit back and hope for the best. Pairing with the detective may be the best option she has at Valentine finally being brought in and this nightmare being over. But, will the detective play a much bigger role in her life than just catching a murderer? 

    Katherine seems doomed to repeat her mistakes with anyone she falls for and is thereby not letting anyone close. Until Detective Black enters the picture and she feels safe in a man's arms for the first time in years. With a past just as damaged as hers and Valentine's is Detective Black truly the one to save her or will she be saving him? 

    For a woman that has dealt with as much as Katherine has I don't blame her for being cautious of people or for any of the choices that she made in the course of this book. Dane (Detective Black) is a man who feels like he is also constantly battling his past in an effort to make himself a better man. Meanwhile, Michael (Valentine) has embraced the monster he has become and believes Katherine is the only thing that ever left him wanting to be a better man. 

    This is not a book of mystery that leaves you guessing who the murderer is from the start. In fact, you know who it is all along and are constantly searching for him amongst the crowd along with Katherine. That is not to say that this book is not without it's surprises. I was surprised at more than one point, but they are not points that I will be giving away, as anyone who has read my blog posts know. 

    I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have. This book is available on Amazon for free with Kindle Unlimited at https://amzn.to/35cfdG1 or purchase it for $0.99. 

Book Review: The Case of the Too Large Panties by Shawna Cummings

     Sarah Trumbull is a private detective that specializes in cases where a partner is cheating in a relationship. When a curvy redhead walks into her office telling her she has found some panties that are too large to be her own and that she suspects her husband is cheating the case is taken. The holding fee is some feminine playtime and soon after Sarah is in search of the adulterer. The reason the panties are larger, however is quite the thrilling surprise for Sarah, who hasn't encountered this in her previous endeavors. 

    This is a short story, that while well written, was not my type of story. For anyone who is a fan of trans female and male sex this will be a sexy little short story for you. I am not saying there is anything wrong with this, it is just not something that turns me on. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $0.99 at https://amzn.to/3j5zIcd.

Book Review: Catching Midnight by Emma Holly

    Gillian was changed into a Upyr by Auriclus at a young age and sent to live with one of his packs. While loved, she feels she never fits in and heads out to make her own way. In doing so she finds her familiar in a young Falcon and their souls are merged. Now either form is theirs. When Aimery catches the young falcon and takes her with him he could be the savior she is looking for, or she could lose a piece of herself to him forever. 

    I bought this paperback book from a thrift store and it sat on my shelf for a long time, lost amongst all of the other books that have found their home there. I chose it on a whim an finished it in 2 days. While there are some typos and occasionally you have to guess what the author intended with a sentence since certain words simply do not fit the book is a good one. There is a lot of sex in it, which is something I never complain about. That being said I found myself getting bored during the sex scenes. 

    Gillian is a girl who grew up quickly and "reached the perfect age" immediately when she became an Upyr. One moment she is being treated like a child and the next she is an adult and is having sex with the pack leader, whom she doesn't really have feelings for. Then when she leaves she merges souls with a falcon instead of the wolves that the rest of her pack were and meets Aimery. 

    Aimery is the second son of a lord that died in battle. He envies his brother and what he can never have while Edward (his brother) envies the battle respect that all of his men hold for Aimery as well as the fact that his wife is hopelessly in love with the man. Luckily for Aimery he does not feel the same for his brother's wife and is able to continue on with his life. Aimery is a heart-throb due to his brutish statue, since all every woman wants is someone who can protect them-gag- who characteristically has a giant dick. Thankfully he is actually sweet. 

    By the way, a Upyr is a shape-shifter (only with a merged animal) who drinks blood, has an ethereal glow, can't go in the sunlight, can be killed by iron, and who is immortal. So basically we combined were-wolves and vampires, but instead of becoming a wolf they find an animal with whom they communicate telepathically and merge souls. 

    Basically if you can ignore the boring sex scenes and embrace the fact that the females in it, outside of the main females, fall at the feet of the "biggest baddest male around" you will enjoy yourself as you read this book. It is one I would recommend if you are just looking for a fast romance novel, since it doesn't take very long to get through. 

This book is available on Amazon for $2.99 at https://amzn.to/37c9FO4.

    Books by this author:

Luisa's Desire