Member Since: March 25, 2011
Jennifer McDonald
Books
This member has not published any books.Smashwords book reviews by Jennifer McDonald
- Beautiful Demons (Peachville High Demons, #1)
on April 15, 2011
(no rating)
I won this book from a blog give away. I had read a review of the book on the blog and also on Amazon.com. I read this book in one setting and was enthralled with the storyline/characters. I love Harper. She is a wonderful female character that doesn't have self pity for her situation. Jackson is my new book character crush. I read this book and then quickly had to get the other two to read more about Jackson. Harper is a teenage girl who has been from one foster home to another. She has abilities that she is not sure where they come from and others don't understand them until she moves to Peachville. Once there things start to move along for Harper and she is learning about herself and her family a little at a time. She doesn't take things at face value and is a strong character. She is not about to let others decide things for her she has a great inner strength. I love the way she interacts with Jackson. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a moment of escape. I got lost in this book and its 2 sequels for an entire weekend.
- Starring in the Movie of My Life
on June 13, 2011
What I liked: The author gives us relatable characters. Each character has flaws and that is what makes them real. The two female leads, Samantha and Melody, tell the story. Each chapter alternates between the two points of view. The story works well because of the back and forth. The reader learns things about Samantha and then learns things about Melody. All the while Mr. Linden is somewhere in the middle. The story is about Samantha who is ten years older than her husband. Her husband is a high school teacher who being a nice guy saves Melody from being attacked. That one event sets the story in motion. While each character is living their role in life they are also moving the story along through their thoughts and emotions. Samantha is married but still has an attachment to her ex, Collin. Melody is a senior with a not so good home life. The reader understands the characters motivations and information is given to the reader at just the right time. Just when I would start to question something the answer was there. The author tied everything up quite nicely to give the reader a satisfying ending. I liked that there were references to movies but they did not take away from the story. Sometimes a movie was part of a past memory that was being told. For example, Samantha recalls the first time she met Collin. It was at a showing of When Harry Met Sally. Sometimes in the story Samantha makes comparisons to what is happening in her life to what happens in the same situations in movies. The story made me think about how we all are starring in the role of a lifetime. Our lives are our roles. We can make the story of our lives anything we want by the choices that are made and that is just what each character learns throughout the book. What I didn’t like: I was secondhand embarrassed while reading some of the book. It’s when someone is doing something they should be embarrassed about but they aren’t but you feel embarrassed for them. That is how I felt about Melody a lot of the time. Even though Melody is a teenager I felt that what she was doing was over the top. I understand that her actions were what made the story work but I just wanted to knock some sense into the girl. I didn’t like the character of Nate Linden. He seemed to me to be a push over. It was like he had no control over his life and just let things happen to him. I actually started rooting for Samantha’s ex Collin. Even with his flaws he was more endearing to me than Nate Linden. This book was one of my first summer reads and I was not disappointed. It had a great story line with great characters. I actually left the book thinking about my life and where I am at. That’s what the characters in the book did at the end. After the fall out they stepped back, looked at life and made the necessary changes to get where they wanted.
- Werelove: Dusk Conspiracy
on June 13, 2011
Book 1 really is about laying the foundation to the series. Lakisha Spletzer has written a solid book that has set the series perfectly. Making sure that the reader understands the book completely, the author provides background information at the end of the book. The story is set in the future where the characters are either human or were. There are many weres on this canvas from wolves, bears, and rhinos to felines. Laylah Le Croix lives her life surrounded by secrets. Events are happening around her that she does not understand. Laylah doesn’t know that she is were or that her father is an alpha were. She was raised human per her father’s demands. Her father has kept her clueless by making sure she gets a dose of a drug twice a week that keeps her inner were from manifesting. When a group of weres try to kidnap her she doesn’t understand why she is being targeted. She is a target for attack because of who she is, the daughter of Henry Le Croix and Helena Le Croix. Henry made enemies when he married Helena. He is a wolf and she is a panther. Because of their union and the fact that Henry is a geneticist has one alpha female set on revenge. Zina tried before to bring Henry down. She killed his wife Helena but was unable to get Laylah. Now she is back and has her sites set on taking Laylah. Zina is one who doesn’t give up. She will stop at nothing to gain her prey, Laylah. I like books that have great characters. This book did not disappoint me. To me a great character is one that makes you feel something whether it be good or bad. The characters in this story had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I liked Laylah for the most part but I hated that she was so beaten down emotionally. I understand that she didn’t know her true identity and her father was overbearing but she never stuck up for herself and when she did she backed down too easily. She has a great support in her friend Britta. Britta was sassy and kept reminding Laylah to find her inner strength and stand her ground. Laylah formed a bond with Donil, an alpha panther. Of course, she doesn’t know that he is a were. Donil’s goal is to ease Laylah into trusting him and then tell her about being a were. He believes that Laylah is his true mate. I had a problem with Henry Le Croix, Laylah’s father. He is just too much. He doesn’t love his daughter and places all these demands on her to be obedient. He neglects her and leaves her in the care of his staff. Since Laylah doesn’t know that she is a were and is surrounded by weres she doesn’t understand that alphas are obeyed no matter what. She just wants her father’s love. He is so busy working on the next great scientific discovery that will bring him more money and power. Jacques is the one assigned to Laylah as a guardian. In his inner thoughts we see his struggle to obey his alpha. He doesn’t like the way Laylah is treated but does nothing to help her. He sometimes treats her just like her father does. The story had a lot of action. I liked that the story had an element of romance between Laylah and Donil but it didn’t over power the story. The story was more focused on the were aspect. Each character had a stake in the outcome of the story which leads nicely into the second book. Different characters with their own agendas made for a very interesting plot.
- Werelove: Midnight Revelations
on June 13, 2011
Henry Le Croix is a man who demands obedience. He doesn’t care what others want. He only cares about his wants and what he wants is for his daughter to not put a wrinkle in his plan. Laylah has four months of school left then she graduates. She sees freedom in her future. A future of college and Donil but her father has plans for her future that he hasn’t shared with her. Her father has signed a contract with his business partner alpha Yon that will keep Laylah from fulfilling her dreams. She is once again placed at the mercy of her father’s will and he isn’t having any arguments. She is basically trapped. Now the rush is on to save her from the future her father has planned for her. Is there any hope for her? The time is running out and everyone has choices to make. Donil has to choose between alpha duties and saving Laylah. Jacques has to choose between following his alpha or conscience. Stefan has to choose between staying on the sidelines or rushing in. Laylah’s happiness depends on everyone elses choices. She has no choice. I went right into the second book after finishing the first. This book finds Laylah asserting herself a little bit more. Henry has a plan in place that he is not being up front about. Donil is not living up to my expectations. Jacques is making me question whether he really has Laylah’s best interests. Britta is still the constant friend who never wavers in her support of Laylah. A character who came on the canvas in the first book but was not a big player is now taking up some major story line. Laylah’s grandmere comes for a visit and Laylah does not benefit from it. The bully, Violet, has a new role and is still just as mean. The council is turning out to be ruthless. Stefan keeps tabs on Laylah from a distant but by the end he is forced to take action to help Laylah. I had a lot of hope for this second book. The story had me turning the pages all afternoon until I reached the last word. My only disappointment is that it ended without giving me the outcome to a very intense event. Book 3 will have to come soon because I am dying to find out what happened. I liked that the story kept moving along with twists and turns that had me questioning everyone’s motives. I thought that Laylah’s life would get a little better because she seemed to have a lot of questions from her ordeal in the first book. I was disappointed that she really didn’t do that much to find the answers to her questions. It wasn’t until nearly the end of this book that she is blind sided with the information that she is a were and so are most of the people she knows. Her father is more diabolical than the first book let on. The layer of physical abuse is added to the emotional abuse that Laylah already suffers at the hand of her father. That was a little hard to read. The good thing about Laylah in this story is she is starting to be more assertive. This is due partly to one of her guardians not giving her the serum that keeps her were side under control. We finally see this passionate, confident side to Laylah but it only scratches the surface. Every time Laylah tried to assert herself her father squashed it like a bug. I was a little bit disappointed in Donil. He is supposed to be alpha which in my mind means confidence. Twice he neglects Laylah because his pride took a hit for not being able to protect Laylah. Donil loves her but he treats her like a precious breakable thing. He kind of helps keep her from coming out of her shell all the while saying that he wants to help build her confidence.
- Seranfyll
on June 14, 2011
Seranfyll is an enchanting story that welcomes the reader into its world. The characters are delightful. Rain is a former slave who finds her life changed by the quirky Lord Domrey Seranfyll. Many think of him as a devil but he really is just a charming, magical, lonely soul. Coal is a former slave who completes the little made up family of Seranfyll. The story is whimsical with a hint of danger. The setting is not easy to identify but I believe that it was intended to be timeless. Seranfyll is labeled for readers 10 years old and older. I am in no way a 10 year old but I found this story to be endearing. I was reminded of some of my favorite magical moments like Mary Poppins, Mickey as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and the talking objects in Beauty and the Beast. Domrey Seranfyll seems strange to the people who don’t know him. Young ladies find him handsome and other people think he is a devil. As Rain gets to know Lord Seranfyll so does the reader. His house is enchanted which exposes Rain and Coal to some amazing things that they had never seen before. I love the depth that the author gave to this character. At first he seems to be a drunk although loveable. Then a little deeper we see that he is generous and honest. I loved this character. He could be both comical and serious. Rain was a great female character. As a slave she wasn’t given choices. When she is given her name papers she decides to stay with Lord Seranfyll. At first she feels sorry for this lonely person but then their relationship changes to one of trust and family. Coal is the one who holds out the longest with sharing his affection with Lord Seranfyll and Rain. His time as a slave was quite different than Rain. Rain was treated well by her former master. Coal was not so lucky so he doesn’t accept the generosity and affections of others. He takes his time when it comes to trust. The story itself has many aspects. The main story is about Rain’s journey from being a slave to becoming part of a family unit as a free person. When she was sold she left behind a sister, Snow. Snow plays into a page turning part of the story where Rain has to choose between her love for her sister or betraying Domrey’s trust. There is also the issue of slavery. It is a huge part of the storyline. In Yoan slavery is acceptable but not everyone agrees with it. This issue alone adds to the conflicts in the story. This is a story of love, acceptance, family, trust, honor, and so much more. Christina Daley has created something wonderful. Seranfyll charmed its way into my heart with endearing characters, fantastical storytelling, and varied themes.
- Timeless Trilogy, Book One: Fate
on Oct. 17, 2011
(no rating)
Kris has two great friends in Roni and Grace. She lives in a beach house with her cat Pegasus. Her job is going great and an old flame moves into the empty beach house next door. Can everything really be this good? Maybe not. Kris is a precognitive. So when she starts having disturbing dreams she can’t get past the feeling that something just isn’t right. Kris finds out that she should always trust her feelings. Her feelings for her old flame Nick are being rekindled just as someone unexpected sets their sights on her. Kris discovers that she is the latest obsession of a stalker/serial killer. Can her visions help her in time or will Nick lose her a second time? I loved this fabulous story. This book was a page turner that hooked me from page one. There was just the right amount of suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat. Tallulah Grace wrote some good characters that I want to continue to read about. Now that the story of Kris is complete I can’t wait to read Roni and Grace’s stories. They are sure to be just a wonderful as this one was. I am sold and think everyone should buy into these stories. The Timeless Trilogy is sure to please all.
- Fall
on Oct. 17, 2011
(no rating)
JD is a woman of strength. She is determined to make it in her grandfather’s construction company on her own merits. When she finally gets her big break at managing a construction site on her own she jumps at the chance with gusto. Even though JD is one smart cookie she falls for one of the contractors she has hired to do demolition on the project. He is everything she likes but he has one little secret that will cost JD more than she knows. Then there is Nathan. Someone who shares a connection with JD even though she doesn’t understand it. Everything starts to unravel as JD learns a few things about her life. I liked the story for many reasons. I love characters and JD (Julia) was a great character. She had a self awareness that made her want to prove herself. She tried to portray strength to the people around her but in her inner thoughts there was a vulnerability that made her seem more real. I liked that she turned to a milkshake at one point to get a little perspective. That moment made her someone I could connect with. I liked the aspect of angles/fallen angels. I’m not going to say any more about that but it added to my enjoyment of this story. What I didn’t like: Even though the author does give some background to the connection between Nathan and Julia (JD) it is incomplete. I still found that I had questions and felt like I wasn’t getting the complete story between these two. Overall Fall is a great read. I recommend this book to all those who enjoy a bit of the paranormal/romance/action cocktail.
- Rae of Hope
on Jan. 06, 2012
What I liked: WOW. Great story line with great characters. I liked the the idea of tattoos that give a person powers at the age of 16. It was different from other stories I have read and I liked learning about it right along with Rae. There was so much that I liked about this story. Rae is a character that is learning about this life she never knew about. She goes from normal to special through the course of the book. The way she handles all the new information coming at her shows strength and intelligence. She is 16 so she does have her moments but for the most part she is a great heroine. The story has a lot going for it. It has a unique story line but it also is reminiscent of Harry Potter in that these young people come to this Guilder school to learn about their powers and how to use them. There is a lot of discovery going on in the story. Rae is discovering her abilities, her families history, and first crush/love. It is a page turner for sure. I was engrossed with every detail and was pleasantly surprised with a little twist during the final climax. One other thing I liked is the reference to the school being built during the time of King Henry VIII, Tudor style. Subtle references placed strategically throughout were a nice bonus. May I also say that the cover is awesome. The intense looking face on the cover with the school draws you. The font and the colors just seem to pop out. The book cover alone had me interested in this story. What I didn’t like: A few things I noticed but did not really take away from my reading experience were the change in font for no apparent reason. I don't know if this had to do with reading it on my kindle or not. Also Molly started off with dialogue written to show an accent but as the story progressed it no longer was there. Being American I think of football as NFL so it took me a bit to realize that when the characters were talking about playing football and dribbling down to a net that they meant soccer. That was my own fault for thinking American when the beginning of the story said the school was in Britain. Overall: I liked the writing of this author. It was paced just right with detail that was not overpowering. As a reader I was allowed to get involved mentally and I appreciate that in a book. This is a great book that had my complete attention all the way through. This is a book that I would probably read again and definitely will look for the next one. I am now curious about Rae's second year at Guilder and all that is in store for her. Maybe a little romance with Devon? I hope so. * I received a copy for an honest review
- Rae of Hope
on Jan. 06, 2012
What I liked: WOW. Great story line with great characters. I liked the the idea of tattoos that give a person powers at the age of 16. It was different from other stories I have read and I liked learning about it right along with Rae. There was so much that I liked about this story. Rae is a character that is learning about this life she never knew about. She goes from normal to special through the course of the book. The way she handles all the new information coming at her shows strength and intelligence. She is 16 so she does have her moments but for the most part she is a great heroine. The story has a lot going for it. It has a unique story line but it also is reminiscent of Harry Potter in that these young people come to this Guilder school to learn about their powers and how to use them. There is a lot of discovery going on in the story. Rae is discovering her abilities, her families history, and first crush/love. It is a page turner for sure. I was engrossed with every detail and was pleasantly surprised with a little twist during the final climax. One other thing I liked is the reference to the school being built during the time of King Henry VIII, Tudor style. Subtle references placed strategically throughout were a nice bonus. May I also say that the cover is awesome. The intense looking face on the cover with the school draws you. The font and the colors just seem to pop out. The book cover alone had me interested in this story. What I didn’t like: A few things I noticed but did not really take away from my reading experience were the change in font for no apparent reason. I don't know if this had to do with reading it on my kindle or not. Also Molly started off with dialogue written to show an accent but as the story progressed it no longer was there. Being American I think of football as NFL so it took me a bit to realize that when the characters were talking about playing football and dribbling down to a net that they meant soccer. That was my own fault for thinking American when the beginning of the story said the school was in Britain. Overall: I liked the writing of this author. It was paced just right with detail that was not overpowering. As a reader I was allowed to get involved mentally and I appreciate that in a book. This is a great book that had my complete attention all the way through. This is a book that I would probably read again and definitely will look for the next one. I am now curious about Rae's second year at Guilder and all that is in store for her. Maybe a little romance with Devon? I hope so.
- Water
on Jan. 29, 2012
This story was a slow start for me. It felt like I was coming in to the middle of a story and I needed to catch up. I spent quite some time trying to figure out what was going on and I ended up putting the book aside for a few days. I kept coming back to it to read some more in hopes that I would get into it. It took me 23 days to read this book but I didn’t give up and now that I am finished I am glad that I didn’t give up on it. This book had a ton of action and well developed characters. The characters were one of the reasons I did not give up on this book. Kaitlyn was thrown into a situation that she didn’t ask for and answers to her questions were vague. She was kept in the dark about where she was and what was going on so I felt a kindred spirit because I felt the same way reading the beginning of the book. Her frustrations were my frustrations. I couldn’t let her down. Kaitlyn had strength and a sarcasm that I found refreshing. She didn’t give up and neither did I. I liked Micah but felt like there was more to him. I felt like I got surface details but I wanted to know him more. Shawn was just a hateful person and I didn’t like him one bit. Alex was one that I want to see more of. He is like a brother and his presence eases the tension between others. The writing wasn’t what hindered my reading experience. I just wasn’t sure where it was going and it took me some time to figure it out. The author wrote the story from Kaitlyn’s point of view so the reader learns details at the same pace as Kaitlyn. The story started with an avalanche on a slope and the action continued from there. It seemed that there was always something going on. The story was driven by an organization called the Seven, an organization that protects earth. The elements of water, earth, fire, and wind were all represented. The subtle way the conservation of Earth’s resources was interspersed in the story was excellently written. She handled the intense, sometimes uncomfortable, situations with enough information that the reader got the idea without explicit details. About halfway into the book I was hooked and enjoyed reading it all the way up to the end. I didn’t have all my questions answered and the ending was a surprise. Hopefully the second book, Air, will answer some of those lingering questions. I am interested to see how the characters develop into the next book. The characters are what saved this book from the “unread book graveyard”. Take a chance, get passed the first part of the book and then you will be rewarded with a great story.