Heather Boustead

It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do. Most people by this time have kids are married with a great job. I did get married, not by choice, my husband was just too good to pass up. I could never find a job that I loved to do, and children just weren't for me. The only thing I love to do is read and criticize, so combining the two I decided to start writing reviews.

If you would like to contact me for a review please visit my blog :)

Twitter: @BookWormRflect
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Blog: http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.de/

• Shades of Grey on March 29, 2012
  
  Shades of Grey: British operative John, or “John the Baptist”, has been abducted and is being tortured; this is a crude and tormenting short story that delves into the psyche of the tortured mind. There and Back Again: An Action packed story of James a soldier during World War Two, showing the savagery of war and the bonds that form under such extreme circumstances. Down the Rabbit Hole: An abused young boy, Tom, finds that his best friend, a stuffed rabbit, has actually come to life to help him with his problems. Tom is ecstatic until things become sinister. This collection of short stories is about one hundred pages of action, adventure, and even a taste of the somewhat strange. I personally wasn’t a fan of the first short story only because it tended to bounce around too much for my liking and was a bit too crude for me, but in my opinion Michael Cargill managed to pull it off with the last two stories, even saving the best for last. There were only a couple of things I could see that needed revising other than that well worth the read.
  
• A Marked Past on March 31, 2012
  
  After Lyla’s father dies in a freak accident her mother moves them to her father’s family home in Salem. Shortly after arriving Lyla’s uncle notices a mark on her neck in the shape of a crescent moon, he tells her that this mark means she will be a goddess among their people, witches. After, he tells Lyla about his family’s history beginning with the Salem witch trials and how they had all been murdered by the same man who is now out to kill Lyla and the rest of her family, dragging her into a four hundred year old battle. All while trying to make it through a new high school and falling in love. Once I started reading this book I didn’t want to put it down it has fantasy, drama, action, and romance. From watching the relationship between Lyla and her newly discovered cousin Hana form into something akin to sisters or watching her fall madly in love with Caleb the Preacher’s adopted son, the interweaving relationships will keep you involved. If that is not enough for you, you still have a centuries old raving lunatic to deal with. I can’t wait until I am able to read the next book.
  
• Between The Land And The Sea on April 10, 2012
  
  Between the Land and the Sea By Derrolyn Anderson Marina’s father is leaving for Afghanistan too do research on agriculture but since it is not safe for his teenage daughter he sends Marina to a small California coastal town to live with her aunt and her cousin. Shortly after she arrives she is swept into the ocean and rescued by what turn out to be her other aunt, a mermaid. Once Marina finds out that her mother who had died giving birth turn her had been an actual mermaid never having attended school before seems the least of her problems. This is a very unique book a half-mermaid girl is being lured to the ocean, what may seem innocent turns out to be sinister with nightmare prophetic dreams that have her walking in her sleep towards the ocean. I may be biased mermaids have always been my favorite mythological creatures, but Derrolyn Anderson did a fantastic job with this book she was so wonderfully descriptive there was one scene in particular were Marina had stepped on glass that I cringed with phantom pains of my own. I also enjoyed the other characters she was able to put enough background to them that they all could have their own stories but not so much to take the focus away from the main plot and Marina. Definitely worth the read and I can’t wait to read The Moon and The Tide book two of Marina’s Tales.
  
• Few Are Chosen, K'Barthan Series: Part 1 on April 24, 2012
  
  Few Are Chosen By M T McGuire K’Barthan Trilogy Book One The Pan of Hamgee is accident prone to say the least and when he accidently burns down a mob boss’ flat he soon wiggles his out of a cement box into being the greatest getaway driver K’Barth has ever seen, because if there is one thing The Pan knows how to do it is run away. This is only the beginning for the Pan though he soon becomes wanted not only by Lord Vernon the ruler of K’Barth but also wanted by the head of the resistance which seem just as bad as the current rulers, and for some reason an Old Man seems to bring him even more trouble as the man searches for the person who is destined to rule over the land. This book is witty and fast paced, The Pan often finds himself saying the most inappropriate things at the most inopportune times leaving you silently chuckling to yourself at the audacity of the guy. M T McGuire has also seemed to imagine some of the most interesting characters for instance the three foot tall creatures with cat’s facial feature and only one leg, which becomes very angry if you mention their height. This book is certainly entertaining and imaginative I can’t wait to read book two The Wrong Stuff.
  
• The Wrong Stuff, K'Barthan Series: Part 2 on May 02, 2012
  
  The Wrong Stuff K’Barthan Trilogy Book Two By M T McGuire The Pan of Hamgee is back and as cowardly as ever but this time we travel from K’Barth to modern day London as The Pan is trying to rescue Ruth from the Grongles. We also follow along with the continuing story of trying to find the true Architrave as Deirdre sets herself up for the Resistance to try to deceive the populace that she comes from humble beginnings by working in the castle’s laundry, As Lord Vernon searches for The Chosen One to become his bride so he too can pretend to be the rightful Architrave, all the while the true chosen one has yet to realize who he actually is. As Ruth and The Pan become close and begin to fall in love the story becomes interwoven and immensely beautiful. M T McGuire once again brings to life a fun a hilarious novel. This novel picks up right where the first book left off and I laughed so hard since The Pan was only able to say “I’m a little teapot” to Ruth when he first meets her! I have no idea how M T McGuire comes up with these things but combining his wickedly funny imagination and a fantastic writing style the book comes to life. Not only is this book funny it also has a lot of action and adventure and even romance I am sure this book will please anyone who wants to read it. So far this series has definitely been highly entertaining I can’t wait for the third book to come out.
  
• The Moon And The Tide on May 05, 2012
  
  The Moon and the Tide Marina’s Tales Book Two By Derrolyn Anderson The mermaids are scared someone is hunting them and one of their sisters has gone missing. Meanwhile on land Marina is coming to learn more and more of the people she is surrounded by and secrets that have been kept from her, her entire life come to light. Soon though a terrible accident causes her own secret to be revealed and she is caught in a dangerous world that will take every ounce of her strength to survive. If it is possible this book was better than the first, we learn more about Aunt Evie and it isn’t quite what you would expect. Also Marina soon finds out love is a lot harder than it seems in fairytales and we go through a growth process as she and Ethan learn to cope with the progression of their relationship and Marina uncovers more of her own past. This is a great young adult book and Derrolyn Anderson has once again done a remarkable job intertwining several stories into one beautiful and thrilling novel. This book is a brilliant blend of suspense, romance, and fantasy. As this story progresses the more it draws you in leaving you eager to find out what happens next.
  
• The Fate Of The Muse on May 12, 2012
  
  The Fate of the Muse Marina’s Tales Book Three By Derrolyn Anderson Marina has begun to believe the people who were after her and kidnapped her have given up; all she has to worry about now is her visit with the Muse Council. Now that she knows what she truly is she must also come to terms with her new powers, since she is the only one of her kind that is not as easy as it may seem. It seems her influence on people is so strong that the people around her start to do and become incredible things, the love of her life Ethan is even working himself ragged and she starts to doubt his feelings for her and wonders if this is a side effect from her powers or if he truly loves her. Once again Derrolyn Anderson has written a wonderful book, this one may not have been as good as the previous two but it was still an interesting read as more of the main plot thickens. I have always loved the way the author brings to life each of the side characters and with this book and the end of the previous book we realize they are essential to the main character in so many ways. This novel is fluid and well written with such descriptive and interesting scenes from fashion shows in Paris to Surfing in Hawaii Derrolyn Anderson did a wonderful job of bringing the places to life. I admire the way Derrolyn Anderson has written three books that flow seamlessly together and I can’t wait to read the fourth book.
  
• Elizabeth Clansham on May 14, 2012
  
  Elizabeth Clansham By Catherine E. Chapman Elizabeth Clansham has recently moved to a small town in the Scottish Highlands in order to pursue her writing, all the while she teaches English part time. Across from her small home lives Andrew a former pop star who drifts listlessly through life until Laetitia and her daughter Lauren arrive on his doorstep, Laetitia is fleeing Glasgow when a menacing man shows up to her flat and threatens to hurt her daughter if she does not repay her debt. Then there is Angus, the gamekeeper and father figure who has taken in his niece when her mother has abandoned her. Between the four romance begins to bloom and each of their lives is changed by the others. This book reminded me a lot of Debbie Macomber’s style of writing using real life scenarios as the focus instead of fantastical situations. If you enjoy a laid back approach to the romance genre and something more realistic than vampires or a serial killer who focuses on the main character for any number of reason you will enjoy this book. Each character goes through their own growth period and finds out who they truly are or want to be. Catherine E. Chapman managed to encompass four individuals but also Elizabeth’s students into the story each one having their own romantic trysts; it was very intricate and well written I only wish there had been more conclusions to some of the individual stories, but the author does a splendid job bringing each one to life.
  
• Children of the Gods - A Chosen Novel on May 17, 2012
  
  Children of the Gods By Monica Millard Every twenty-thirty years the “Gods” come into the village where Reka lives to choose a new host body. Reka tries to blend into the crowd and prays she will not be chosen but unfortunately she is and not just to host any “God” but the queen. When they pull her into the ship that will soon become her home every part of Reka fights back but as they insert the queen into her body she fears it was all for nothing, that is until she wakes and realizes Anaya is the consciousness that lies in the background and she is still in control of herself. This book starts off a bit slow, there isn’t much action in the entire thing it is a romance as Reka begins to fall in love with the man who is her king, Jaxson. The inner turmoil she must face is the main focus of the story and Monica Millard did a wonderful job the only thing I wish is that when she mentions the flashbacks that Anaya is showing Reka that she would go into more details some of them she just mentions that Anaya did it and moves on. If you are a fan of Stargate then you will love this book they are very similar in some aspects but then very different in others, it is an interesting book and I hope I will be able to read the next book since this one is left with a fantastic cliff hanger!
  
• The Turning Tides on May 19, 2012
  
  The Turning Tides Marina’s Tales Book Four By Derrolyn Anderson Over the past year Marina has found out that she is actually half mermaid and an exceptionally gifted one at that, which brought her to the attention of an evil group of people bent on finding the secret of immortality after they’ve kidnapped her twice she has had enough of feeling weak she begins her plans to fight back starting with learning how to defend herself in hopes of protecting her mermaid sisters. All the while Ethan’s mother has come back into the picture bent on breaking Marina and Ethan up. Will Ethan be able to trust Marina and will Marina be able to stop the deadly experiments before it is too late? This is the final book in the Marina’s Tales series and Derrolyn Anderson could not have ended it better, though it makes me sad that it is over I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. The tunr of events in this novel are spectacular Marina received an ominous prediction about two four people who would be coming into her life and two of them who mean her harm, with that prediction Derrolyn Anderson keeps you guessing throughout the entire book as to who wants to hurt her one of them is obvious from the beginning, the prologue will have you cursing under your breath, but the other is much more subtle and quite an interesting plot twist. This is definitely a great series, I wish there was more out of pure greed but if there were then the story would become tedious.
  
• Blind Veil on May 20, 2012
  
  Blind Veil By Michael Lorde Former marine and now a long time police officer Lamont Simms has just bought a boat and is spending a few days out on the ocean taking a much needed vacation. As Lamont is napping off the few beers he has consumed a shadowy figure boards the boat only to sink it and wait for Lamont’s body. Fortunately Lamont escapes his imminent death and is rescued by an elderly man only to find himself the focus of a bizarre experiment. Michael Lorde combines psychological thriller and science fiction to create a strange and intriguing novel, what if what you thought you knew was not real at all? The author did a wonderful job at leaving you guessing and in the end wanting to know more but would it be a true psychological thriller if there was a sequel; I loved the cliff hanger of this book. The scenes were exceptional and you can tell the author’s police background came into play giving the scenes a much more realistic feel to them. This was a quick and fun read if you enjoy detective novels you should definitely give this one a try it is unlike any I have read before.
  
• + One on May 25, 2012
  
  + One By Brian Baleno Jake is a workaholic investment banker who tries to juggle the work he loves and the woman he loves. Each one is important but as time progresses one of them must come first or he will lose something he cherishes. But what do you do when you love your career and the sense of pride it gives you means more to you than anyone can imagine? This is not your happily ever after kind of book it is a look into the mind of a man who has hard choices to make where love is concerned. Though this is a well written novel and the story is interesting the woman he is in love with, Kara, drove me crazy. She whined constantly of how much he worked, but this is a personal issue I have considering my husband works twelve plus hours a day and is on call twenty four seven and leaves anywhere from a month to fifteen months at a time I kept wanting to tell Kara to suck it up if you truly love someone you make it work no matter what. In the end the book did turn around for me with an emotional scene and once the main character made his own pivotal breakthrough I did enjoy the book but the first half of the book drove me so crazy it ruined it for me.
  
• Simmer (Midnight Fire Series Book Two) on June 19, 2012
  
  Simmer Book Two of the Midnight Fire Series By Kaitlyn Davis Kira was born with a special ability she is able to harness the power of the sun and use it to defeat vampires. Kira travels with her guardian and best friend, Luke, to Sonneyville home of a large group of protector conduits to hopefully learn how to control at least half of her powers since she is the only person alive who was born to a protector and punisher the two factions within the conduit community. Once Sonnyville is attacked by vampires who are after her she decides it is time to put an end to it and goes after Diana the one who has initiated the hunt for Kira, if she is able to capture Kira and drink her blood she will be immune to both factions powers. Kaitlyn Davis writes some of the best action scenes I have come across in a young adult book; they are fast paced and so well delivered making this more than just a silly romance. With this book we get to see more into Kira’s character and her family life in general we also get an introduction to her mother’s family which doesn’t turn out so wonderful to begin with. The overall book is fantastic like I said great action but also the romance is intense but when Kaitlyn Davis throws a monkey wrench into Kira’s relationship with Tristan you can’t help but wonder if she should really be with someone else. Even if you are not a fan of vampire romances I would give this one a try it is not your average series.
  
• Vengeance of the Wolf on Nov. 10, 2012
  
  Vengeance of the Wolf By Solitaire Parke Politicians are being murdered one by one in mysterious ways that cannot be natural, for instance the man whose heart has stopped that could have been explained as a heart attack except for the fact every bone in his body has been broken. Detective John Yardley, an FBI agent, and Frank Williams are determined to put a stop to these murders at any cost, but when the killer enters into a man’s dreams how will they ever find out who is responsible? This is truly an original paranormal mystery, I had thought it would be scarier than it actually was but it leaned more towards the mystery side rather than the horror genre. All in all Solitaire Parke does a wonderful job bringing her scenes to life, drawing you into the nightmares of men and a bringing each instance to the forefront so vividly you will cringe. I just wish there had been more action, sometimes it can read rather slow but for the most part it is truly fascinating. With such a story line the novel is absolutely riveting; my favorite scene is when several vehicles run a woman over go around the block to do it again with the drivers having no control over themselves. I would give this one a try it may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it is so unique it is worth the read.
  
• The Athena Effect on Nov. 13, 2012
  
  The Athena Effect The Athena Effect Book One By Derrolyn Anderson Cali was born and raised without any modern conveniences having been secreted away by her parents. Completely off the grid until one day when both her parents are in a motorcycle accident that leaves Cali orphaned. She soon moves in with her aunt and her sleazy boyfriend biding her time until she can return to the countryside that she loves so much. That is until she meet Cal and he shows her there is more than just amenities she will be missing. First you have a great storyline of a girl who knows nothing of modern day society except what she has read in books, which the author did an amazing job in bringing to life, then you have the reason she has been kept hidden adding a whole new dimension to the novel. I am fast becoming a fan of Derrolyn Anderson as her writing is fantastic and her stories are truly unique and captivating. This is no exception The Athena Effect has aspects of fantasy and science fiction rounded out by the young adult genre turning this into one fascinating novel. I cannot wait to see where the rest of this series will take us as Cali and Cal are two of the most interesting characters I have come across and when you add in the characters that appear towards the end there is no doubt you will want more. I was sent a free copy of this book for an honest review.
  
• Eden Book 1 on Dec. 09, 2012
  
  After their plane goes down a group of survivors find themselves stranded in a remote area of New Zealand. Through the eyes of the survivors we are shown a world that has been drastically changed after the United States was wiped off the face of the Earth because of a natural disaster that is still sending shockwaves throughout the rest of the world. Eden is the beginning of the end in the year 2022. There is no way to do this novel justice with a brief synopsis, first you have several unique characters each with their own story to tell, and then the story itself is multi-faceted with twists and turns that will leave you dying of anticipation of what will come next. This book is futuristic, with a touch of paranormal, and a dash of murder/mystery, and tons of action and adventure making certain to have something for everyone. What is great about this novel is though this book has so much going on the author manages to incorporate each action and reaction seamlessly into a cohesive and fascinating novel. This is certainly the beginning of the end and I cannot wait to find out what happens next. I was sent a free copy of this book for an honest review.
  
• Broken City on June 01, 2013
  
  This is book number one in a story about a post-apocalyptic world where families live in tribes in one of the many abandoned buildings left over after something known as, “the crash” happened. The main characters of this story are Deeta Richards and Tom. Deeta longs to see what is outside of her building because the only ones allowed outside of the compound are soldiers who go out and fight whatever is still out there and Tom is one of those soldiers. Tom is her dearest friend in this new world and although he keeps secret about his life before he was brought to Clark Tribe , Deeta never expected him to have kept the secret he shares with everyone after a kidnapping occurs from her. It is after this kidnapping that her entire life is turned upside down, and changes in a way she never expected it to. The first half of this story is describing the longing Deeta feels to see the world outside of the tribe, her friendship with Tom, and describing the rules and traditions of the tribe. Although Deeta has her own family she spends a great deal of her time taking after the Jepsjon family that consists of three children, Tom, and the father figure being Professor Jep. Everything in the compound is routine until one night that men in camouflage break into the compound and kidnap Dec Jepsjon while the soldiers who fight outside the compound are gone. When the soldiers return and find that Dec , one of the Jepsjon children, has been taken it is then that Tom shares a family secret with the entire compound, and the tribe is in uproar over it. Soon after the tribe votes to decide if Tom and the remaining Jepsjon family should be allowed to stay in the tribe, the tribe must go out into the city and move to the Marshall tribe for protection against Tom’s secret. Once the Clark tribe has safely moved into the Marshall compound, the remaining Jepsjon family leaves without saying a word and that same night there is an attack on the Marshalls. Deeta and her sister, Jan, is then taken by the same camouflaged men that took Dec. From this point forward I will keep a secret from you because I do not like to spoil a good story but just know that there is a war, conspiracy, and a new found love within all of it. Although I was extremely skeptical reading this book, picturing it being similar to a Hunger Games type plot, but changed my mind when I read the first few pages of the book I cannot wait to read the second book and hope that D.D. Chant releases it soon considering Broken City came out in 2010. D.D. Chant had a few errors that should have been caught in the editing process, but overall is an excellent author and I love how through her descriptions, such as on page 273 when Chant writes the following “The children are listening to one of Uncle Jep’s stories as we enter the flat, it is an idyllic picture: Tarri has again wrapped herself around Uncle Jep and with her head on his shoulder is staring sleepily into the fire. The rest of the children are huddled on the floor, the fire’s warm glow playing over their excited faces.” With such beautiful imagery I am truly able to visualize everything as if I am Deeta herself.