Twisted

by Lola Smirnova

Rating: 5/5

Pages: 314

Publisher:  Createspace

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN:  9781496031013

 

Summary (via Goodreads)


Back in the 90’s, the corrupt post-Soviet Ukraine with its faltering economy, is thrown into a devastating depression. Times are hard. Opportunities are scarce.

Three eager young sisters – Natalia, Lena and Julia - dream of a better life and weigh their options: do they stay and struggle like their parents, or join scores of their compatriots in the sex trade in glittering western European cities, who earn in a night what they’d take several months to earn at home? Naive and tempted by the allure of 'quick' money, the girls set off on an adventure that changes their lives forever...

Can they stay out of trouble enough to fulfill their ambitions?
Can they hold on to their idealism in a world where depravity and danger are constant companions?
How far are they willing to go to make a buck?

Inspired by real-life events, Twisted is a fascinating New Adult SUSPENSE THRILLER about vulnerability, courage and the art of making a living in the sex trade...

Review




I would like to thank both Lola Smirnova for allowing me to review her book and to Book Publicity Services for contacting me in the first place and offering me a review copy or I may never have come across such a captivating and alluring book.


I cannot describe how much I enjoyed reading Twisted, nor how much I cannot wait to read the second book in her series; Craved.


Twisted followed the story of three sisters in their bid to survive poverty and depression in the 90's Soviet Union.


What I loved the most about the book was the language. Smirnova writes in a way rarely seen in most books like this; honest and blunt without overly romanticising the content. The book is neither underplayed nor overdone. It is simply perfectly written to reflect the story.


That may sound over the top on my part but it is my opinion nonetheless. Often I come across books that overplay the sexual nature within their stories, or make the notion of prostitution either too 'rose-tinted' or degrading to the women who work in the profession. Smirnova, on the other hand, shows the sex trade from both sides in equal measure, it can be fun, but it is still the sex trade.


The characters of the three sisters were humorous, sarcastic and incredibly entertaining to read about. I could go on forever about the book, but I do not want to give anything away. All I will say is READ IT! You will not be disappointed. 


I wish to end this review with a quick word of caution. Please be advised that there is an age warning on this book as the content is of a highly explicit nature and therefore is not suitable for young readers. I would only recommend this book to readers above the age of 18!

About the Author: (courtesy of Book Publicity Services)

Lola Smirnova is an author from Ukraine. She loves twisting a suspenseful tale through the dark lens of realism around the sexual underworld, so clocked in secrecy and shame. Lola’s work is inspired by real-life events and is meant for the open-minded readers who are not afraid of a little blood, sweat and semen.


Her debut novel Twisted was released in 2014. The book placed as Honorable Mention in General Fiction Category of The 2014 London Book Festival’s Annual Competition.
Whether you prefer to slide your finger across a touchscreen or turn a paper page, Lola’s thrilling tales will surely shock and surprise you, with both its storyline and its literary value.


Now living in South Africa, Lola is about to release her second novel – a sequel to Twisted – Craved, which proves just how many fascinating stories she has to share about the ordinary women in the global sex industry.

To learn more, go to http://lolasmirnova.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSmirnova

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twistedlolasmirnova

The Sister Queens

by Sophie Perinot

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 503

Publisher:  NAL

Publication Date: 2012

ISBN: 9780451235701

 

Summary (via Goodreads)


Patient, perfect, and used to being first, Marguerite becomes Queen of France. But Louis IX is a religious zealot who denies himself the love and companionship his wife craves. Can she borrow enough of her sister's boldness to grasp her chance for happiness in a forbidden love?Passionate, strong-willed, and stubborn, Eleanor becomes Queen of England. Henry III is a good man, but not a good king. Can Eleanor stop competing with her sister and value what she has, or will she let it slip away?

The Sister Queens is historical fiction at its most compelling, and is an unforgettable first novel.

Review


How do you determine the creator of history? Is it just one person or several? Are they male? Female? Both? Who are they?


These were some of the questions I had in the back of my mind when I was reading The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot.


The Sister Queens follows the stories of Marguerite, Queen of France, and Eleanor, Queen of England in the 1200s. What is interesting about the two women is that, not only were they both married to powerful kings, but they were also sisters who would continue a constant bond and correspondence with one another for their entire lives, despite the very different direction those lives would go in.


I had never actually heard of Eleanor or Marguerite, or their other two sisters who would also become queens in their own right. However their story intrigued me. Eleanor and Marguerite were queens to warring kings who, at some points in their lives, resented one another. Despite this, the two sisters worked together to bring peace between their two countries as they attempted to hold their own in a world ruled by men.


Overall I found the book to be interesting to read and the voices of the characters to be captivating. I found myself following the story and, due to my limited knowledge of the history behind the book, guessing at what would happen next.


Both sisters are portrayed as being strong, independent and intelligent women who learned how to achieve what they wanted despite being considered inferior by their contemporaries.


Perinot has really brought the dead back to life in her book and given them their own voices once again.

A Thousand Nights

by E. K. Johnson

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 336

Publisher:  Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: October 2015

ISBN: 9781484722275

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)
 

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.  
 

Review

My thanks to Macmillan for the review copy of A Thousand Nights.

A Thousand Nights is a beautifully charming version of a classic, a fresh fairy-tale that I couldn't put down!

I have always found stories like Aladdin and Arabian Nights to be of interest, therefore when I read the press release on A Thousand Nights, I jumped at the chance to read a review copy of the book.

A Thousand Nights follows the story of a young woman who sacrifices herself in place of her sister when the king comes to claim his newest bride. determined, strong-willed and brave, the young woman faces Lo-Melkhiin night after night, always wondering if she would see the following dawn.

The woman notices things about her new husband that she was not expecting, moments of kindness that a monster wouldn't reveal. With this in mind she begins to question the reality of her situation and wonder if the man still existed within the demon.

What I found interesting about this book is that the main character, the wife of Lo-Melkhiin, is never given a name. She is referred to as Lady-Bless by the other characters and, for the purpose of this review, I will be doing the same.

Lady-bless is very much a character who goes on a journey of self-discovery throughout the book. In the beginning she believes herself to be plain, ordinary and dull in comparison to her more beautiful sister. However, after leaving her family behind and moving to her new husband's home, Lady-bless finds out that she has her own inner strength that could save not just herself, but everyone in the kingdom.

I found the book to both gripping and well written. The idea behind the book is captivating and tells an interesting take on  the backdrop of The Arabian Nights story where a woman uses her wits and intelligence to survive her marriage to a violent husband. The description of the desert and the it's surroundings allows the reader to become immersed within the story, almost being able to feel the intense heat, taste the sand at the back of their throats.

A Thousand Nights is set for release on 6th October 2015 and I would strongly recommend buying a copy.

Women in Red

By Jordan Rosenfeld

Genre: Psychological thriller

Book Description

Dead-broke single mother Stella Russo, daughter of a world-class prima ballerina, has nearly given up on her own professional aspirations—much less true love—when a dazzling impromptu stunt by a mysterious troupe reminds her just how empowering performing onstage can be. Convincing herself that a dependable gig with such a company just might be the ticket to a better life for her musical-prodigy daughter and now-invalid mother, Stella takes a giant jeté of faith and joins up. But when she lands in the clutches of an enigmatic and demanding impresario bent on making her his star at any cost, has she risked too much? As Stella untwists the troupe’s troubling secrets, she becomes entangled in turns she could never imagine—and is forced to face her own past as well. Women in Red draws readers into the dark, dangerous, and dramatically sexy underworld of the dance—but also into the longing of every living, breathing being for a family of one’s own.

REVIEW

I have not read a book like this in quite a while; it is captivating, relatable, sexy, and incredibly enjoyable to read!

Would you give up every dream you have in order to do what is best for your child?

Women In Red is about a would-be-professional-dancer turned single mother called Stella who battles with the duties of being a mother to her ten-year-old daughter, Izzy. Stella also struggles with her responsibility to her invalid mother and her dreams of being a professional dancer, not to mention hiding from the secrets of her past!

Then, just when Stella has given up all hopes of achieving her dreams, walks in a strange and alluring gentleman who declares that he can change her life, make all her dreams come true (so to speak).

Now Stella needs to decide; does she follow her instincts or her desire to be a professional dancer which for so long she thought never to accomplish?

That's enough about the plot anyway, you need to read it to get the good stuff!

Women In Red is set amongst the backdrop of the glamorous performing world, full to the brim of glitter, PVC, leotards, sequins, make-up and fine champagne. It is the world we dream of because of its alluring and beautiful mysticism. But is it all that we think? Is it really about the parties and the fun of being centre-stage, or is there a darker, more sinister side?

Jordan Rosenfield has created in Women In Red an intricate story of hope, sex, secrets and murder in this entertaining, sassy story that keeps you guessing and planted firmly on the edge of your seat until the end of the book.

What I enjoyed about the book is how, not only is the reader told events from Stella's point of view, but also from her daughter and mother's. This, for me, allowed me to really get to know not only the personality of the main character but also how that character relates to others within the book itself, particularly between Stella and her mother. Between these two characters exists several conflicting emotions throughout the book; love, gratitude, devotion, but also; resentment, envy, anger and fear.

Stella's mother holds an interesting position within the story. She is seemingly dependant on others and yet she holds information about Stella's past that Stella doesn't want revealing. This conflict of character is something that Rosenfield uses with all her characters  within Women in Red and makes for a more interesting and gripping read as the characters clash.

I found myself wanting to know more about Stella from before the book was based despite the information that is given within the book, about her past and how she had ended up in the position she now found herself in (I personally hope the author may consider doing a prequel)

This book is a must read for the summer and should definitely be placed on the list of books to read in 2015!

 

Author Bio

Jordan Rosenfeld is author of the novels Forged in Grace and Night Oracle as well as A Writer’s Guide to Persistence and three other guides to the art and craft of writing. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Washington Post, in numerous literary journals, and on “The California Report,” a newsmagazine produced by NPR affiliate KQED. She lives in Northern California.

Follow Jordan:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordanrosenfeld

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JordanERosenfeld

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jordanrosenfeld/







 

The Ice Twins

by S.K.Tremayne

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 373

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Publication Date: 2015

ISBN: 9780007563036

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)
 

 A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.

But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity—that she, in fact, is Lydia—their world comes crashing down once again.

As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past—what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died?
 

Review (Warning Spoilers!)

I would like to thank Harper Collins Publishers for a review copy of The Ice Twins.

Imagine that you have two identical children. Not only are they identical twins but they have the exact same hair cut, the same outfit, the same eyes, moles and blemishes on their skin. Do you think you would be able to tell the difference between them?

For Sarah, who has lost one of her perfectly identical daughters, this becomes a matter of urgency when one night her remaining daughter tells her that she got it wrong about who died.

When I first read the blurb on this book I was hooked on the idea of a parent not knowing which child she had buried and which was the one who now remained in front of her and wanted to read it immediately. 

The way that S. K. Tremayne has started the book makes the reader feel that they have entered half way through a story. Lydia has already been dead for over a year and her remaining family are trying to move on with their lives without her. The family is broken, struggling to cope and carry on, especially Lydia's twin Kirstie who has no friends and feels lost without her other half.

The Ice Twins is chilling and suspenseful. I found myself questioning the death of Lydia, trying to work out if I believed Kirstie's claims to be her. The hostile relationship between Sarah and Angus at some points confused me, I wanted to know what had caused the love-hate pull that now existed in the void caused by their daughter's death.

One thing I also liked about the book was that there were pictures included within it at certain stages. For me these gave me a sense of excitement and the feeling like I was reading a criminal file and these were the stages which led to that crime. However I would like to point out this is only my take on it and I have no proof that the images are intended to be interpreted this way.

I would recommend this book to any lover of modern fiction or crime fiction (aged 14+). It was an enjoyable read that had a surprising conclusion.

Crow Mountain

by Lucy Inglis

Rating: 5/5

Pages: 368

Publisher:  Chicken House

Publication Date: September 2015

ISBN: 9781910002353

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)
 

While on holiday in Montana, Hope meets local boy Cal Crow, a ranch hand. Caught in a freak accident, the two of them take shelter in a mountain cabin where Hope makes a strange discovery. More than a hundred years earlier, another English girl met a similar fate. Her rescuer: a horse-trader called Nate.

In this wild place, both girls learn what it means to survive and to fall in love, neither knowing that their fates are intimately entwined.  
 

Review (Warning Spoilers!)

My thanks to Chicken House for supplying me with a review copy of Crow Mountain.

 

Crow Mountain is one of the best books I have read this year and, as I have already told the author Lucy Inglis, one of my favourite love stories ever!

Do you ever wonder how the past could have shaped the present? I have, and for me this is one of those rare books that I found so captivating and intoxicating I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting! The way the book was written was easy to read with characters that you fall for.

As mentioned above Crow Mountain  tells the stories of two young couples, Nate and Emily, and Hope and Cal. Their stories are alike in many ways except that they are over a century apart.

In 1867, Emily was on the way to meet her future husband when a freak accident, or fate, intervened and, rather than at her wedding, Emily finds herself in the secluded mountains with a strange man who's every trait is against her own upbringing. Despite the social differences Emily finds Nate intriguing and, as she learns more about him, wonders how she will ever return to her old life. Set around the backdrop of the Indian's vs railroads confrontations Lucy Inglis brings the horrors of history to life.

Meanwhile in modern day Montana Hope is going on holiday with her mother and meets Cal, a handsome boy who seems apprehensive to get too close to her. Once again an accident leads to Hope and Cal being trapped with only each other for company and support. Hope finds Emily's diary and realises that she needs to do something to stop the events of the past repeating itself once more.

Having read books all my life I find that I rarely find books now that make me physically react however in Crow Mountain not only could I not put the story down, but I also found at times I was sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation, trying to predict the ending.

Unfortunately I cannot say everything I want to about the ending to Crow Mountain as I don't want to give it away. Therefore all I can say is that is was perfect for the book and very well written and my favourite part of the book.

Crow Mountain is truly a fantastic read with a beautiful love story where fate and the past become intertwined with the present. At times it was so heart-breaking to the point where I wanted to scream "No, you cant do that!" But in the end when I closed the cover I found that I wanted to start it again from the beginning, to hear the stories of Emily and Nate and Hope and Cal once again.

I cannot recommend this book enough - go and get yourself a copy!

Crow Mountain is due for release on 3rd September 2015

Darkmere

by Helen Maslin

Rating: 5/5

Pages: 368

Publisher:  Chicken House

Publication Date: August 2015

ISBN: 9781910002346

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)
 

A castle. A curse. A dangerous summer. Leo has invited Kate and a few friends to spend the summer at his inheritance, Darkmere Castle: as wild and remote as it is beautiful. Kate thinks it will be the perfect place for her and Leo to get together - but instead, she's drawn into the dark story of a young nineteenth-century bride who haunts the tunnels and towers of the house. And whose curse now hangs over them all.
 

Review (Possible Spoilers!)

My thanks to Chicken House for supplying me with a review copy of Darkmere.

 

Darkmere follows the story of two young women; Kate and Elinor, as they experience adventure, love, heartbreak and fear...the only thing is that they experience it two hundred years apart!

 

Elinor is the youngest daughter of a privileged and well respected family who finds herself forced into a marriage with the alluring Mr St Cloud. Mr St Cloud is handsome, rich and full of charisma but when Elinor travels to his newly built castle, Darkmere, she suspects that her husband is hiding a terrible secret.

 

Kate on the other hand is the new girl at school trying to fit in. When she is invited to Darkmere by the coolest guy at school she is thrilled and excited only to find disappointment and apprehension when greeted by the castle's stone walls. Darkmere is now a derelict ruin covered in dust and secrets and Kate is convinced something...or someone...lurks in the shadows.

I found Darkmere  to be a very interesting and captivating story which I couldn't put down. I usually find ghost stories to be a bit cliché but was happy to find this one kept me guessing. I  think this is due to the characters who had more depth to them than the typical school-kids-get-scared-to-death characters you get in movies.

Kate, for me, was a relatable character who tries to use logic to explain away the scary scenarios she found herself in as she uncovers the secrets of Darkmere and its master.

Elinor was my favourite character however because of her strength and determination and I feel that, as a character, Elinor makes the biggest journey within the book.

Maslin has created in Darkmere a refreshing and alluring ghost story where past and present collide into one form. There is so much that I would love to include in this review but I feel it would be revealing too much and, after all, the best thing about a mystery is figuring it out!

With this in mind I want to end this review by expressing my thanks once again to Chicken House and stating that I would recommend this book to any YA (above 14 years), NA and Woman's Fiction enthusiast!