Carries Book Reviews

Timekeeper by Tara Sim
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Danny Hart is the youngest clock mechanic and he knows all too well what is at stake when he’s sent to repair a clock tower that has been damaged. Danny’s father has been trapped for the last three years in a town with a clock tower that was destroyed stopping the time within the town so that no one can cross in or out.

When Danny is sent to Enfield to fix the tower he finds that it seems to be forever plagued by more and more problems. What Danny finds is that the boy that he thought was his new apprentice has actually been the spirit of the clock tower that likes having Danny around so he’s been causing his own problems with his tower. Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden but he finds himself more and more drawn to Enfield and when a series of bombings start happening at other towers Danny vows to protect Enfield’s tower.

The first book in the new Timekeeper series takes place in a sort of alternate Victorian era London and surrounding cities where these clock towers control the cities and time. One of the things I found with this book is I had a bit of trouble grasping the world in which the author was trying to create. This is taking place in the late 1800’s in and near London but the characters have access to things like automobiles and telephones which seemed a bit weird to me. For me I think I would have preferred a new fantasy city/world being created instead of a known city and time so that it didn’t seem that things weren’t fitting the era. While I understood the idea it just kept seeming a bit off to try to remember the time and setting and mix it into a fantasy.

I did however enjoy the plot and the characters in this one with one exception. The idea of a stopped city was also a bit off with the description given when the characters actually encountered one themselves. Supposedly time stops within which would seem like nothing could occur but that wasn’t what was actually happening so that seemed an odd term to me. I kept thinking shouldn’t we just be referring to it as a broken city or something along that line where time is off and the characters can’t escape.

In the end I decided on 3.5 stars for this first book of the series. Even with the little details I’ve mentioned though this was still an interesting start to this series and I would continue to see what happens in the later books.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

His Christmas Miracle by Dani Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quincy Ryan hadn’t known that an ex-girlfriend of his had become pregnant and given birth to a son, Atlas. But now that she is gone Quincy finds himself with custody of the young boy with no idea of how to be a father so Quincy decides to move to Marietta, Montana to be near his own father to help with his new son.

After failing at her dream of becoming an actress Nicki Darren finds herself in Marietta looking for any kind of work she can find. Meeting Quincy and finding his need for help with his four year old son Nicki jumps at the chance to take the job since she had lost her own mother at a young age and immediately felt for the young boy. Quincy soon finds that Nicki is just what was needed in his and his young son’s life to bring them all closer together.

His Christmas Miracle by Dani Collins is the fifth book in the Love in Montana series set in the charming town of Marietta, Montana during the holiday season. This one features something that I adore when it comes to romance, not only the couple involved bonding but the child in the relationship coming in first before the thoughts of developing a relationship.

As with other Marietta, Montana books there are glimpses into previous characters from the other books and glimpses into this small town and it’s charm especially during the holiday season. Another lovely romance read in this somewhat magical town that always seems to end up with such heartwarming results.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Touching Fate by Brenda Drake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When out with her friends Aster Layne visits a tarot card reader thinking it’s all just fun and games, that is until something happens during the reading. When Aster touches one of the tarot cards it seems to change her friend’s bad reading but as with all magic Aster will soon learn that magic comes with a price and that price is usually very bad.

Reese Van Buren’s family has been cursed for centuries and now Reese is doing everything he can to escape his fate. The first born male in each generation is Reese’s family is cursed to die upon his eighteenth birthday so Reese has been traveling looking to find a Fate Changer that could possibly help him outlive his curse.

Touching Fate is the first book in The Fated series by Brenda Drake. A fast paced young adult read bringing in a new twist on fates and curses with the main character, Aster, finding out that she has the ability to change the fate of those with a bad fortune during a tarot reading but doesn’t find out until later that messing with fate will come with a price.

I really enjoyed the characters in this one. The book changes the POV between Aster and Reese showing both sides as the two get to know one another but have their secrets they are dealing with. There’s romance and magic along with suspense on how things will work out with Aster using her abilities.

Overall, a fast paced young adult fantasy with a twist on fates and curses.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Crossing Roman
Ginger Ring
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: November 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Madison Miller is a small town girl with big dreams, but years of running her mother’s bridal business has put a damper on that…

Madison is weary of planning other people’s dream weddings and ready to find a man of her own—when a sudden encounter with a handsome visitor leaves her world spinning. He’s all she can think about, but the son of a mafia boss is not the kind of man she’d had in mind. She wonders how being involved with him might impact her life—and the lives of those she cares about.

Roman Caponelli is looking to expand his family’s business on the legitimate side—not the mafia side—and perhaps find a little romance…

Roman is captivated with Madison, but this local beauty wants nothing to do with a criminal like him. Madison said no to him once, and come hell or high water she won’t deny him again—and if he has to use mob tactics to make that happen, so be it. Roman sets out, determined to win the only woman who has kept his interest for more than one night.

Madison is everything he wants in a woman, and he will stop at nothing…

Not until the entire town knows that Crossing Roman is not an option.

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Author Bio:

Ginger Ring is an eclectic, hat-loving Midwestern girl with a weakness for cheese, dark chocolate, and the Green Bay Packers. She loves reading, playing with her cats, watching great movies, and has a quirky sense of humor. Publishing a book has been a lifelong dream of hers and she is excited to share her romantic stories with you. Her heroines are classy, sassy and in search of love and adventure. When Ginger isn’t tracking down old gangster haunts or stopping at historical landmarks, you can find her on the backwaters of the Mississippi River fishing with her husband.

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Everything Bundt the Truth
Karen C. Whalen
Publication date: November 2nd 2016
Genres: Adult, Mystery

Recent widow, Jane Marsh, is determined to recapture a rich, full life. She strives for youthful fun by riding a bicycle downtown on her lunch hour in a suit and heels, smoking cigars, eating at hipster restaurants, and re-entering the dating scene, even if her dates prove to be peculiar.

Her most fervent desire, though, is to join an exclusive dinner club. She auditions, but is barred when her housekeeper is found murdered, and she and her guest list become the suspect list. Her, a killer? So what if her two late husbands died under suspicious circumstances. It doesn’t make her a killer.

Having passed off a store bought Bundt cake as her own creation, she may have committed a culinary crime, but never murder!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Wild Rose Press

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SNEAK PEEK:

She grumbled during the drive home from the bakery. What kind of a housekeeper would show up late on the first day on the job? What if Monica was still there when the guests arrived? She had Cheryl’s vote of approval, but the other club members may not accept Jane if the dinner did not go smoothly. Well, a delicious Bundt cake would help—or was that cheating? Would the group reject her if they found out she hadn’t made the entire dinner from scratch? Once home, she threw open the door and walked inside. “Monica? You here?” Where was she?

Author Bio:

Karen C. Whalen is the author of a culinary cozy series, the dinner club murder mysteries, the first of which is Everything Bundt the Truth. She works as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and has been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She has hosted dinner club events for a number of years.

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