Book Review: Rarity from the Hollow

Rarity from the Hollow

By: Robert Eggleton 

Published By: Dog Horn

Publication Date: December 2016

ebook - 284 pages

Buy it at Amazon (Paperback Edition, eBook Edition) or Dog Horn Publishing

Source: Provided by Author

Science Fiction

Eleven year-old Lacy Dawn lives in rural West Virginia with her abusive, PTSD-suffering father and her under-educated, defeated mother. After the sexual abuse and murder of her best friend, Lacy continues to play with her friend’s ghost. Lacy finds refuge in her friendship with DotCom, the robot who has been sent to cultivate a relationship with her and convince her to embark on a quest to save the universe. 

 Reading back over what I just wrote, I have to say that Rarity from the Hollow is even stranger than it sounds. Part of that strangeness is in the way the book is written. Eggleton divided the story into three nearly discrete sections which don’t seem to rely on each other very much. In the tragic first third of the book, the reader learns of the conditions in which Lacy Dawn is living. (This is the part with the physical and sexual abuse.) The second part of Rarity from the Hollow is where the reader meets DotCom, Lacy’s robot friend, and he helps “fix” her parents. Finally, Lacy accepts the quest to save the universe from destruction. The three act structure is pretty typical, but in Rarity from the Hollow they almost feel like separate stories. Lacy carries almost no baggage from the events of the first part of the book, and her parents, once cured, still don’t really act like parents. I felt little continuity through the story except for a persistent feeling of surreality. 

Book Review: Dare to Take by Carly Phillips

Dare to Take (Dare to Love #6)
Author: Carly Phillips
Published by: CP Publishing
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Page Count: 292 (paperback)
Buy it at: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Source: Kindly Provided by Publisher
Audience: Adult (18+)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Dare to Take is the 6^th (and what appears to be the last) book in Carly Phillips’s Dare to Love series. I was a little nervous that I would be missing important pieces to the story since I have not read any of the other books in this series, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it reads well as a stand-alone. Ella and Tyler’s story is one of second chances.  He is the cliché older brother of her best friend, and Ella has always had a crush on him until the one and only night they spent together years ago after which he broke her heart. Now Tyler is there to rescue her, at his sister’s request, and he and Ella have a second chance at love. It’s a cute story, short and sweet, but there were elements that just felt shallow to me.

Book Review: Bound by Law

Bound By Law: Men of Honor, Book 2

Author: S. E. Jakes

Published by: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Release Date: August 9, 2011

Source: Kindle Edition owned by Reviewer

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Reader Store

Audience: Persons 18+

THE RUNDOWN: The one man he can't forget is the one whose memories could destroy them all.

After the one man he trusted disappeared, it took Law Connor ten years to take a chance on another relationship. Trouble is, right about the time he's finally ready to let go of the past, the past stages a hostile takeover.

Back when they were teens, Styx was the boy with no memory. He and Law had each other's backs until he was forced to leave to keep Law safe. Now a CIA agent, he's finally discovered who he is, and why he's a hunted man.

Detective Paulo McMannus has almost succeeded in helping Law forget his lost love when Styx comes plowing back into their lives. No way is Paulo giving up his lover without a fight.

Suddenly Law finds himself on the run with Styx, the man who can still bring him to his knees...and with Paulo, the man who brought him back to life. The worst part? He can't choose between them. And it's getting harder to remember why he should.

Book Review: Bound By Honor

Bound By Honor: Men of Honor, Book 1

Author: S. E. Jakes

Published by: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Release Date: March 1, 2011

Source: Kindle Edition owned by Reviewer

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Reader Store

Audience: Persons 18+

THE RUNDOWN: One year ago on a mission gone wrong, Tanner James failed to save the life of Jesse, his Army Ranger teammate. Before dying in that South American jungle, Jesse extracted a promise that won’t let Tanner rest until it’s fulfilled—no matter what it costs him.

Damon Price loved Jesse, but problems in their relationship had come to a head right before Jesse left on his final mission. Now a reluctant Dom and a man still in mourning, he’s not happy when Tanner appears at his BDSM club. And even less happy with Jesse’s last request—that Tanner sub for him for one night.

After a rough start, Damon realizes that the tough soldier, despite his protests, aches for someone to take control. And Tanner senses a hesitance, an insecurity in Damon that makes him wonder if he’s simply a placeholder for Jesse, or if their tentative connection could grow into something more.

For Jesse’s sake, they agree to try one weekend together. Then duty calls, and a series of attacks that have been happening near the club hits too close to home, making both men wonder if giving their hearts is a maneuver fraught with too much risk…