Reviews – Page 132 – Sincerely Karen Jo

Lake of Destiny

(Celtic Legends #1)

Martina Boone

5 ★ – Sweet, Magical, and Heartwarming

Published by Mayfair Publishing April 25, 2017

Genre(s): Contemporary, Adult Romance, Myths, Legends

Pages: Paperback 336

Buy Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Half.com, Book Depository

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Helping her aunt organize a Beltane Festival in a picturesque Highland village seems like the perfect escape from Anna’s second broken engagement and the meltdown that wrecked her legal career. But to succeed, she’ll need to wrangle kilt-wearing villagers, dangerous sheep, a disaster of a dog, and the reclusive laird who refuses to open his property to the public for the ancient tradition of “Sighting.”

For centuries, Loch Fàil in Balwhither has been known to locals as a “thin” place, one where the veil between worlds peels back on Beltane morning to show the face of a person’s one true love. The tradition could draw tourists by the busload, but that’s exactly what Connal MacGregor fears will reveal the two secrets he’s been desperately keeping hidden.

While Anna struggles to mediate between the needs of the village and Connal’s need to protect his identity and his child, Anna finds herself falling in love with all of them: Connal and his daughter, the magical glen, the villagers. But day by day, opening herself to love exposes deep scars from Anna’s childhood, and confronting those wounds could finally set her free–or endanger her every chance of happiness.

I fell in love with Scotland after I finished reading the Doon Series by Lorie Langdon and Carey Corp, so when I read the description for Lake of Destiny, I so could not resist. With hot guys in kilts, destiny, myths, and a romance set in a beautiful place, I instantly requested. And boy Oh boy am I glad I did because this book is seriously sooo AHH-MA-ZING!!!

I absolutely adore the characters and could picture myself being friends with most of them. I like Anne a lot and thought she was such a great heroine. She’s a bit of a mess, (who isn’t though –I think we’re a mess sometimes), but she’s also very smart, passionate, and determined. Her character is so real and likable you just feel for her. Connal — LOVE HIM!!! He’s ridiculously handsome, charming, a bit mysterious and very talented. He’s also a great father who does everything he can to protect his only daughter, Moira. (Awwwwww…right?!? ) Seriously, how can you not fall for him? Then there’s Brando – another hottie in kilts who swooned his way into my heart. He’s sweet, funny, and just as charming as Connal. (He’s going to get his own story in Bell of Eternity – squeal!!!) Anne’s aunt, Elspeth, really love her. She’s such a great mother figure not only to Anne (Love their relationship/bond), but also to most of the people in the village. I just wanted to hug her and sit in her kitchen forever eating her delicious desserts.

I’d really love to talk about every single character, but then I’ll be spoiling everything for you and I definitely don’t want to do that. Just know that the side characters are pretty darn awesome – yes… even the ones that get on your nerves. Their interactions and personalities definitely added that extra oomph that make the story more interesting and entertaining. Seriously, this book has one of the best group of characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. They’re quirky, boisterous, ridiculous at times, and just SO. MUCH. FUN.

I honestly can’t rave about this book enough. Martina Boone’s gorgeous storytelling enthralled me from start to finish. The plot is captivating, whimsical, and full of surprises that kept me turning the pages. Her writing is compelling, creative and so vibrant I felt like I was part of the story – as one of the villagers witnessing the events unfold. You already know how much I love the characters – they’re delightful and so relatable. And the setting — gosh where do I even begin.. The Glen is absolutely enchanting and so dreamy that I didn’t want to leave. It’s overflowing with so much wonder and magic. As if I couldn’t love Scotland any more than I already do, Martina just put the cherry on top!

Lake of Destiny has everything I look for in a romance and more. It made me smile like a dork, swoon a wee bit crazy and tug at my heart. There’s no doubt in my mind that Martina knows just the perfect recipe for a heartwarming story – Start with a bunch of lovable characters and a heaping scoop of romance. Add in a pound of family drama, an ounce of heartbreak, a dash of myth, a drop of mystery and a pinch of suspense. Blend together with a lot of love and humor in a breathtaking setting. While mixing, sprinkle creativity and magic and voila! You get a wonderfully sweet fairy-tale love story that will fill your hearts with so much happy you’ll be craving for more. I absolutely can’t wait to take a bite on whatever she serves up next!

Sincerely Karen Jo

Starstruck

(Starstruck #1)

S.E. Anderson

4.75 ★ – Quirky, Outrageous and Fun

Published by Bolide Publishing Limited May 4, 2017

Genre(s): Science Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult,

Pages: Paperback 386

Buy: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Bolide Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After an incident with a hot-air balloon causes college-dropout Sally Webber to lose her job, she sets off to find direction in her life. Crashing into a teleporting alien, however, is not on her to-do list.

Now she’s on the run from TV-drama-loving aliens, and things are just getting started. Zander won’t stop reeling her into life-or-death situations to save her planet, as he waits for his laser-wielding sister to search the universe for him. Though Sally isn’t quite sure if he wants to save Earth from annihilation, or just quell his curiosity of all things human.

On top of this, she’s got to find lost alien emissaries, as well as a job, and stop the planet from getting incinerated in the process. But with Zander as her roommate, what could possibly go wrong?

Starstruck by S.E. Anderson is unique, entertaining, and so much fun. I have always been fascinated by the idea that aliens exist, so I was beyond excited when this gem arrived in the mail. I couldn’t wait to read it and when I finally did, I was smiling and laughing within the first few pages.

The characters are fantastic, hilarious, quirky and so darn lovable. They’re all pretty awesome really… but I definitely have a soft spot for Sally, Zander and Blayde. They’re so funny and their camaraderie is so endearing. Sally and Zander — totally LOVE them! They’re great as they are, but CRAZY ADORABLE together! I wholeheartedly 110% ship them. And then there’s Blayde…if there’s one character that steals the show, that would soooo be her! Blayde is confident, beautiful, intense, sassy, a great sister to Zander and oozing with so much badassery. If I didn’t know any better, I think I may have developed a serious girl crush on her.

The plot is fast-paced, well written, and easy to read. There’s plenty of action, suspense, fun twists, and unexpected surprises that make the story exciting and addictive. While the romance is quite subtle, there are a few moments here and there that made me swoon. And that ending… totally crazy! I don’t want to give too much away, but let me just say that Anderson, without a doubt, knows what she’s doing. She lures you in with an intriguing premise, sends you on a fabulous out of this world adventure, messes with your mind just a little (okay…. maybe a lot), and then zoom… she leaves you with so many unanswered questions you’ll be ridiculously anxious for the next installment.

With incredible writing, amusing characters, and a fascinating storyline, Starstruck is definitely one of my favorite reads this summer. I had such a blast going on this laugh out loud adventure I can’t wait to see how Anderson continues this amazing series. If you’re looking for a delightful, quirky, and thrilling sci-fi adventure, then definitely add Starstruck to your TBR list/pile. You won’t want to miss all the fun now would you?

Sincerely Karen Jo

P.S. It took me almost a month to finish Starstruck only because I was really busy with work, adulting and life. I’ve actually been playing catch up with my TBR for months and it’s killing me. I miss being able to shut out the real world, relax, and just read for hours. I definitely could have finished this in one day because Starstruck is just that awesome!!!