shyd

Smashwords book reviews by shyd

  • Tales from Brookgreen: Gardens, Folklore, Ghost Stories, and Gullah Folktales in the South Carolina Lowcountry on Feb. 07, 2012

    Bravo to Mrs Michelsohn for a lovely book. I loved this book. It is the perfect mix of history and foklore told in a lovely style. As a fellow Lowcountry person I fell in love with the stories told throughout this book. I found myself laughing at some parts of the story as it felt like I was listening to my grandma or aunts telling me another one of the many stories they have heard over the years. The style of writing with it being told through little short stories told over the years was brillant. I loved learning more untold history that I didn't already know. It was amazing hearing about a lot of the famous events in history by way of stories. I really think this is a must read for history buffs,foklore lovers and those that just love to hear old stories. I am tipping my southern belle hat off to the writer. She brought the old world of the south out in this book tenfold. Overall I loved this book and would recommend it to others. flag
  • Meeting Destiny on April 08, 2012

    Where do I begin? First off let me say Im a sucker for a pretty cover and this one didnt't dissappoint it was so beautiful.I dont't think words can express how much I loved this book. It had everything you could want in a book. This book starts out with us jumping right into the action with the main character Lauren getting shot. Lauren is my kind of herione. She is kick butt and you instantly fall in love with her. She is so courageous and has amazing instincts. Lauren's getting shot sends her to the hospital and we are introducted to Max who is the paramedic taking care of her on the way. Let me say that Max would be the kind of paramedic I would love to have if I needed one. Max is a great leading man for this story he is loyal,protective and not to mention cute. He is the type of guy everyone instantly falls in love with and Lauren does just that. Lauren and Maz continue into a relationship that is so sweet and refreshing. It is always great to see couples that compliment each other and they are really made for each other. The instalove for them feels so much like love as first sight and is amazing. The book continues with us learning more about Lauren and Max's pull towards each other and them getting to learn more about each other. Lauren also learns more about herself along the way and really comes into her own. There are some events that play out then Lauren and Max are heading on a trip together to spend more time together. Now this is the part you have to brace yourself for because OMG the first thoughts I had were HOLY CLIFFHANGER!!!. The cliffhanger in this book is so unexpected that I have to read the next book. Overall this book gives you a thriller and romance all rolled into one and being set in my hometown was an added bonus too.
  • Water on May 07, 2012

    This book wasn't what I expected at all and that's why I loved it. It was a truly unique story and a great concept. Let me start off by saying the cover was so amazing. The simple element of the ball of water was all that was needed. It said so much about the book already. This book jumped right into the action with us meeting Kaitlyn who I loved instanly. Kaitlyn has a knack for weird things always happening around her. She is rescued early on and wakes up at a secret location. We soon learn that she can't leave and she meets the Seven. Who are the Seven? That becomes a mystery that I have to keep reading to find out about. As Kaitlyn learns more she learns she is a Gaia which is Mother of Earth. We soon learn that the Seven is an environmental group that trains people to help take care of the Earth. The Seven have found Kaityln and want her to work for them. I loved that even when Kaitlyn was being held she was still kick butt. The snark and wit was so funny. I loved everytime she said something and laughed out loud a few times. The longer Kaitlyn is with the Seven she meets a few people. One of those people is Micah and I liked him from the start. I felt the same magentic pull that Kate felt for him. I could tell they were made for each other and the chemistry between them was amazing. As much as I liked Micah was just as much as I hated Shawn. The author did a great job of fleshing out the character of Shawn but I would have liked to learn more about Micah. As the story progresses there is a scene that I didn't see comingand was completely blindsided by. Bravo to the author for slipping this in and not making it as awful a scene as it could have been. I felt Kate's pain and betrayal. The story continues to build and some events unfold that cause Kate to end up with her tormentor Shawn. I couldn't wait until Kate could get away from him and loved her strength with all she endured I have to again give kudos to the author for the cliffhanger ending. I have to continue this series to see how it plays out. Overall I loved this book. The author obiviously did her homework and got her points across about the environment in a unique way. I loved learning about these things through the eyes of Kaitlyn. I loved how vivid the descriptions were and how well the author pulled it all together. This book truly had a unique concept and was different than anything I have read in a while. I highly recommend this book to others and am looking foward to seeing where Terra Harmony takes us next.
  • Pandora's Key on June 27, 2012

    Let me start off by saying that anyone that knows me knows how much of a mythology lover I have become. I was so excited to get the chance to read this book as I have heard great things about it. I am so glad I read this too. It was everything I expected and then some. The author did an amazing job. We start this book with us meeting Evangeline who appears to be having some sort of dream. The dream is really vivid and feels more like an out of body experience. We learn Evangeline lives with her mom and has a birthday coming up. For her birthday she receives an amazing necklace with a key attached. This is when things get interesting for Evangeline. She starts to notice differences with herself and others do too. Evangeline spends her birthday at school and comes home to find her mom unconscious. Once her mom is at the hospital she learns some life changing information. Evangeline comes from a long line of Pandora's keepers. Yes that Pandora from Pandora's box. The Keepers are entrusted with the key to unlocking the box. She also unfortunely learns they are all fated to die young. Evangeline also learns that her best friend has sworn to protect her with her own life. She also learns that her mom's friend Sam will do anything to keep her safe also. Evangeline finds herself having to take care of herself and figure out who she can trust. The book takes some twists and turns as she tries to find out more about herself and break the curse. She meets Tristan who is her best friend's boyfriend and finds out who he really is. Tristan who's real name is Malledy is such a complex character. I felt so bad for him and then he transformed into such an evil person eventhough I understood his motives. Overall I think this book lived up to all I want in a book. The writing was superb and spot on. There was intrigue and a great plot. The characters were written very well and complex. The author did a great job with this book and I look forward to reading more from her.
  • Reign of Blood on July 27, 2012

    I loved everything about this book. Purdy has a sure fire hit on her hands and I can't wait for book 2. We start this book out with us meeting April who along with her mom and brother are the only humans left alive as far as they know. They hunt down vampires while trying to stay alive. April is my type of heroine. She is so tough and kick butt and amazing. I loved her snark and how quick on her feet she was. There are some unforseen events that occur and April is all on her own trying to find her mom and brother. She decides to search for them and take out vampires along the way. What ensues is a rollercoaster ride that I didn't want to get off of. April finds out she is not as alone as she thinks she is. She meets some type of vampire hybrids that aren't out to kill her. In that group she meets Rye and Blade. Blade is the leader of the hybrid group and Rye is one of his crew members. I instantly liked both of them. They were just such well written characters. The chemistry between Rye and April was something short of amazing. They just went so well together and complemented each other so well. I loved seeing them interact with each other and how in tune they were. Rye allowed April to be herself and not have to worry about what others thought. He respected that she was a strong women. I can't wait to see their story continue. Overall I loved this book and can't wait for more of this book. Purdy has done an amazing job of creating a great story with a awesome plot. The writing flowed so well and kept me hooked from beginning to end. I loved every second of this ride and can't wait to see more from her. I highly recommend this book to readers. I received this book for review but that in no way influnced my review.
  • Five on Jan. 14, 2013
    (no rating)
    Ok I have to say that I have had this book for a while then when I saw there was going to be a blog tour I couldn't put off reading it any longer. I now want to smack myself for waiting so long to read this book because I will sum it up in one word Ah-Mazing. I am totally in love with this book and was glued to it from start to finish. The main character Rayla drew me in. She was so cool on so many levels with her strong personality and confidence. I loved that even when things freaked her out she still pushed through and refused to give up. My first thoughts was that Rayla was just your typical girl going through life and about to embark on a big step of starting college. I loved that this book was set on a college campus. It is refreshing when the book has characters living more of a college life and more independent and having to depend on themselves more. I loved seeing the evolution of Rayla as she grew and learned more about herself. I have to say that she would have probably been stronger than I would have been when all the fae lords starting coming after her. They were all so delicious in their own ways. I think I would have to say that my favorite out of all of them was Zach though. I loved that he just seemed to like Rayla for more than just the powers she possessed. He had a real interest in her and wanted to know more about her than what was on the surface. I loved the relationship that Rayla had with Cassie too. She was really a good friend and I loved the back story we learned on Cassie too. It really helped in explaining why she was the way she was and gave way more insight into her. I loved that Rayla was so protective of her too and would do anything to keep her safe. They truly had an awesome relationship. I have to say that when Rayla visits the Fae world oh my the world building was like nothing I have seen in a long time. The author's descriptions were so vivid and realistic I really envisioned the place in my mind. I could see myself seeing it as Rayla did and being just a awed and shocked as she was. Overall this read is a must read for lovers of fae books. This book is more than just a fae book though because it really shows a girl coming to terms with who she will become and just how strong she may be. I loved all aspects of this book and highly recommend it to others. You will laugh and cry in parts of this book because it takes you on an emotional roller coaster that you won't want to get off of. I was so addicted to this book that downloaded the next book on my Nook the same night. I can't wait to read it and see what ride the author takes me on next.