New Books of 2017 (Part 4) #ShortReadsSaturdays Lisa Shea Edition

Welcome to another list of 2017 new releases! This is a special #ShortReadsSaturdays edition, all the books on this list are short reads!

This list features short books by author Lisa Shea 

If you have kindle unlimited this is your chance to stock up on a bunch of reads for #ShortReadsSaturdays! 



Cinderella - A Retelling with Strength andCourage (Courageous Heroine Fairy Tales Book 1)

Snow White - A Retelling with Strength and Courage (Courageous Heroine Fairy Tales Book 2)

Black Sea Deluge - A Flood Myth Short Story (The Historic Noah Flood Series Book 1)

Colonial Destiny - Sweetly Romantic Time Travel Mini-Adventures (Eternal Time Shadows Book 21)

Book 1 is free here!

Raining Cats and Dogs - Dog Fosterer Museum Mysteries (An Art Detective Dog Lover's Short Story Book 7)

The Swimming Snake - A Rosalinda Alameda Mystery (a Cozy Zoo Short Story Book 7)

Manchaug - Love and Loss during King Philip's War (Nipmuc Praying Village Short Stories Book 1)

Lisa Shea's Official Site
Free books



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The Reviewer #ShortReadsSaturdays (REVIEW)

The Reviewer 

Author: MK Alexander
Category: Short Story, Revenge Thriller, Dark Comedy

Suitable for: 12+

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle

Pages: 14

Description: This is a short story about an indie-author driven mad by a negative review from a villainous reviewer.

In Short: If you enjoy short stories and revenge thriller type genres you should give this book a read. It is exciting yet suspenseful, and witty yet dark.

Pros: This short story is very well written and fast and fun to read. I would definitely read more by this author. Even though it is short there is a lot of character development for our "protagonist" who is a struggling author. We get to know him through watching his daily life and struggle to promote his books. He is a very sympathetic character and I felt for him when the reviewer appeared and things escalated. The story is thought provoking. The ending even left me wondering, so I translated the two Ukrainian words and was pretty shocked! This short story had a killer ending. The author was really driven mad!  

Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.

Parent's Guide: Mostly clean. This story contains themes of blackmail and violence. No gore or extended graphic scenes. No swearing or sex.

                         

Translations I found for the ending:

Shcho: What?

Nemaye: No

Thank you for joining me for this #ShortReadsSaturdays edition review!

Have you read any good short books lately?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway contest we have running this month! Entering is free and easy and you could win 13 e-books! 

The Lucky Cat (REVIEW) #ShortReadsSaturdays

 The Lucky Cat

Black Cat Vol. 1

(A Salem Massachusetts Mini Mystery)

Author: Lisa Shea
Category: Cozy Mystery, Short Story

Suitable for: All Ages

My Rating: 3 Stars

Format Read for Review: Nook epub

Pages: 15

Description: Kathy Taylor, a former police officer turned P.I. is offered an unusual case by a stressed mother who comes to her to find a missing cat. The mother claims that this is no ordinary cat but one that she credits with performing miracles. Kathy takes the case and together they quickly discover what happened and find resolution for everyone.

In Short: If you like your mysteries extra cozy and are interested in short reads (15 pages) that are part of a series check this book and others by this author out.

Pros: Cute story, well written and very descriptive. The story has a great ending that is happy for everyone involved. I love the author's writing and would definitely like to read something longer or a full series by Lisa Shea. This is a feel good story full of nice characters. There is a lot of character development for our heroine, Kathy, which will really suck you into the series.  

Cons: I expected this to be more of a mystery so it was kind of disappointing for me when the culprit so easily appeared and spilled the beans. This story was a bit too short and rushed, lacking development.

Books 1-10 on Amazon for $4.99 click here. 

I received a free copy of this book from the author's newsletter signup. (here)


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Chartreuse (REVIEW) #ShortReadsSaturdays

Chartreuse

A Sci-Fi Short Story

Author: Lisa Shea
Category: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian, Short Story

Suitable for: All Ages

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Nook (free)

Pages: 17

Description: Set in a dystopian France in an overpopulated world a woman makes an unpopular choice to join a solely male monastery. Despite her loved-ones objections she follows her dreams to La Grand Chartreuse where the monks make the 'Elixir of Long Life.' She quickly finds herself at home and at peace away from the overcrowding and starvation. Years pass and she becomes a full fledged member. One day she makes a huge discovery about the Elixir and is faced with a choice that will affect the world.

In Short: An entertaining short story full of detail and plenty of plot. For me this was a very peaceful and relaxing read that also makes you think, what would you do with such a powerful secret?

Pros: Beautifully written and very descriptive. Great standalone, feel-good read. I thought the story was very interesting and well thought out. In this world illness is a thing of the past and people live to be 120 years of age. The world has become overpopulated and people are starving. The protagonist is a very well developed character that sought employment in a monastery to escape her dystopian world. A lot of detail was packed into those 17 pages.

Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.  

Parent's Guide: Clean.

This is a perfect #ShortReadsSaturdays read!

HEY DOORMAN VIII (REVIEW) #ShortReadsSaturdays

 

HEY DOORMAN VIII:

True Tales of an Uncommon Bouncer in Los Angeles

 

Author: John P. Kildemm
Category: Short Story Anthology, Nonfiction, Narratives, Political, Humor, Entertainment

Suitable for: Adults

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Pages: 36

Description: A series of short stories based on the author's experiences as a bouncer for a Los Angeles night club. He has had some crazy experiences and he shares these short tales with a lot of thought and wit.  

In Short: This short book definitely resonates the post-election angst that many Americans are currently feeling and expressing. If you enjoy humorous short stories based on the dark reality of nightlife that draw comparisons mocking the rhetoric of Trump's campaign you will like this book. But if you are a Trump supporter you could be upset by many of the comments made in this book, and I would suggest passing on it.

Pros: This book is very interesting and really more of a 3.75 Stars Rating. It gives you a fantastic view of Los Angeles club culture. These stories are quick, fun to read, smart and humorous. Some of the stories or commentary were so funny that I laughed out loud! It was like watching a TV show about a bouncer who encounters some pretty wild people and then throws jokes onto it. Many of the stories were very exciting, action packed, and entertaining. Some of the stories featured very violent characters and it made the story quite scary. Very well written anthology of unique narratives.   

Cons: The amount of cynicism was a downer for me at times, fortunately there was humor too or I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. Some of the pop culture references went over my head and left me lost. At times I thought some of the stories were too negative and based on just interpersonal issues that I didn't think were very important or entertaining. For example the narrator explained how he didn't like a particular man's name so he chose to call him by a name that he created to insult him. It came across as a bit disrespectful to me. I wish the book had been longer because there were many stories that I did enjoy and would have liked to read more.     

Parent's Guide: This book contains graphic language, swearing, violence, sexual themes. I suggest only adult readers.

#ShortReadsSaturdays

To find more time for reading in my busy schedule I read short books on Saturdays! If you like short stories, novellas, novelettes and other short books, join me for the fun and let's discuss great short reads!

What great short book have you read lately? 

#ShortReadsSaturdays Spotlight of Last Request: A Victorian Gothic

Instead of reviewing a new book this Saturday I've chosen to spotlight a particular short book that I read last year that I really loved. 

This 42 page story really stuck out to me!

It is a chilling and thrilling story of dedicated niece who embarks on a dangerous journey to fulfill her uncle's last request... to be beheaded. 

Read my 5* Review for it here.

Last Request: A Victorian Gothic
by Jeff Chapman

Description off Amazon:

For the love of God, cut off my head."

The last request in Uncle Silas's will shocks everyone speechless, everyone except his favorite niece, Anna. More than death itself, the claustrophobic Silas fears a premature burial. Will her elders carry out his request? Anna is certain they will not. It's up to her to do the right thing, even if it is a bit grisly. Armed with butcher knife and candle, Anna heads for the crypt underneath the church in the dead of night. All does not proceed according to Anna's careful planning. Graves have a way of not letting go.

Last Request is a historical novella set in Victorian England with gothic sensibilities. What's more gothic than beheadings, nightmares, and a dusty crypt filled with moldering corpses? Your heroine faces plenty of suspense, terror, and horror in her quest to fulfill her uncle's wish, but there are also moments of comedy along the way. Fans of historical fiction, gothic thrillers, and Edgar Allan Poe will find something to like in Last Request.

So step inside a dark story in the tradition of the penny dreadful, at times humorous and horrifying, but don't close the door behind you. Someone might lock you in.

Categories: 19th century historical fiction, historical fiction novellas, gothic historical suspense, Victorian horror stories, gothic thrillers, Victorian thrillers.

$0.99 on Amazon or Free with KindleUnlimited

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Please join me next Saturday I will be reading and reviewing:
HEY DOORMAN VIII:
True Tales of an Uncommon Bouncer in Los Angeles
by John P. Kildemm

#ShortReadsSaturdays

What are you reading?

Claimed (REVIEW) #ShortReadsSaturdays

Claimed

An Uncommon World Prequel

 

#ShortReadsSaturdays

Welcome to another Short Reads Saturdays! These are the Saturdays I am lucky enough to put all of my busy aside and read a good short book! Today, I read this little freebie prequel that you can find here.

Author: Alisha Klapheke
Category: YA Fantasy, Prequel to a series

Suitable for: teens+

My Rating: 4 Stars

Format Read for Review: Nook/epub copy

Pages: 24

Description:  A short teaser for a YA fantasy series with a lot of potential. In this prequel we get a glimpse into the situation our protagonists are in. Kinneret is trying to get her and her sister out of debt so that they can advance in society and she can be with the man she loves. She is a skilled sailor and witch that uses forbidden salt magic to help her.

In Short: This series seems like it would appeal to fans of YA fantasy who enjoy nautical themed stories with magic and romance mixed in. I think this story shows a lot of potential for the series. 

Pros: By the end of the story I was very interested in seeing more. The main character, Kinneret proved to be a strong and likable character. I would like to see her story continue and see her accomplish all of her goals. There are a lot of promising features to this story. I would like to learn more about the myths and magic of this world including what exactly are Salt Wraiths and what role do they play. I would like to see the characters earn the removal of their bells, that symbolize their low-caste. I see a lot of potential for exciting conflicts in this storyline. Although short, this book was well written and edited.

Cons: Because of the short nature of this book it lacked character descriptions. I jumped in without knowing anything about this story so as I read the first several pages I wasn't sure what the main character looked like or their gender. The character you get the best/only physical description of is the love interest of the narrating character. I was a little disappointed in the use of magic in this book just because I thought it was too brief and lacking wonder. The spell started out nice and rhymed a little and then lost its flow for me. The magic itself wasn't descriptive, I assume the spell worked but didn't see it work. This teaser was a little too mysterious for me at times.

Parent's Guide: This short story was clean.

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To Trust a Wolf (REVIEW) #ShortReadsSaturdays

 

To Trust a Wolf

Unnatural Alliances Book 1

Author: Danielle Hardgrave
Category: Short, Supernatural, Romance, Werewolves

Suitable for: Adults Only

My Rating: 4 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy provided by the author or publisher in return for an honest review.

Pages: 76

Description: Helen is an archivist for a museum and is planning a fundraising gala featuring a collection of Viking relics that have recently been discovered in an unusual location. These relics attract the attention of a mysterious and wealthy man, Rune, who shows as much interest in Helen as the artifacts. When things go wrong at the gala Helen is caught in the middle of a supernatural battle, unsure of who she can trust.   

In Short: This is a fun, quick read that is perfect for when you need a supernatural romance fix. This short romance novelette is the first in a series about a conflict between vampires and werewolves with a human woman, whose knowledge of ancient artifacts brings her right into the action.

Pros: This is a well written story with an intriguing plot that includes mysterious artifacts and characters. The ending didn't leave me on a cliff hanger but did make me curious to see what happens next, now that the powerful relic has found new hands. I liked the characters and dialogue but at first I had a hard time getting into Helen's character. To me, she came across very stuck up when comparing her accomplishments to that of her secretary's. I wanted to tell her to get over herself, but eventually her character developed, became interesting and sympathetic. As the story progressed I saw what a hard worker she was and how stressed out it made her. I was very happy for her in the end and I really did love the conclusion of this book. 

Cons: The supernatural themes could have been more pronounced for me. Even Helen didn't seem interested in the fact that vampires or werewolves were real. Besides their interest in the artifact there were no other conflicts created by the supernatural elements of this story. That being said, I do imagine those aspects could be explored more in the sequel as the action continues. Due to the short length of the story the romance develops quickly, a tad unnaturally and lacking suspense. I think to really appreciate the love story I'll need to read more of the series and watch their love grow.

Parent's Guide: Rated for adults, swearing, violence, sex.

#ShortReadsSaturdays

In effort to find more time for reading in my currently very busy schedule I had an idea to read a short story, novella or novelette on Saturdays. I'll occasionally review short books on Saturdays and I hope you'll join me in discussing great short reads!


This book is $0.99 on Amazon or free with Kindle Unlimited.

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