Review: A Killer's Grace

A Killer's Grace by Ronald Chapman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I came across this book through BookTasters. The author provided an ecopy for review purposes.

This book was a surprise for me. It was what I expected yet not what I expected. It opens with a letter from a criminal to a journalist. The letter was not proclaiming innocence though. The criminal admits to the crime but blames mental illness. In reality, this is not uncommon, in my opinion. I have heard many times, it was because he/she was mentally ill. Or abused. Or another excuse. From the opening I expected a story that explores that. I was right but wrong.

The book unfolds with Pitcairn, trying to decide if he should write something or not. It then goes where I didn't expect. Into Pitcairn's life. We learn that while under the influence Pitcairn did something devastating. Something he can't ever change. He can't even truly talk about it, though his AA sponsor and his wife know what happened. He had no way to make amends with this incident. Now, he believes he may have a chance at it. The story then goes on with Pitcairn. We are left with witnessing his journey.But we are not just silent witnesses. With each step he takes we are pulled along, examining our belief about alcoholism, mental illness and more. It is a book that you want to hurry through because you want to know more. But what you want and what you need are at war. You need to go slower. You need to think about a scene. You need to question or examine something. Make sure you have given yourself plenty of time when you begin. I wish I had this book in hard copy. It is one that I imagine would hold a treasure of my musings in the margins. I rarely write in a book but when I do, it is because it touched me deeply. Would I recommend this book? Yes.

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Review: Ken

Ken by Rachelle Ayala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed listening to this story. I found it to be funnier than I expected. When I picked it up, I was expecting a steamy romance. I got that. This story is definitely steamy. I was also expecting it to be a bit more on the serious or depressing side. Being stood up at the altar doesn't make for happy times. Yet that is what Rachelle Ayala gave us. The "honeymoon" was hilarious! The story also held a sweet surprise for me. That twist made it more interesting. The return of the groom made for some tense reading and a what would you do daydream. Yes. Depending on the story and the skill of the narrator, I can daydream myself into the story. I like Chris Abell. He brings the story to life and draws my imagination in. The twist in this story resonated with me and made it easy to put myself in the story. I had a good time. I will probably be listening to this again during the long cold winter days. I recommend the book to romance lovers who like a story with some heat to it.

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Review: Playing the Rookie

Playing the Rookie by Rachelle Ayala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this book on Audible.

This is a quick read from a baseball themed series. I have read two others in the series. I'm normally not into sports themed books but I have truly enjoyed this series. The players tend to make cameos in each others books which enhances my investment in the series.

This story involves Jessica, a spring training intern, and Jay. who has come to the US as a rookie to start spring training. There is a spark but will it ignite love or just passion?

I connected more with Jessica. I loved her inner goddess scenes.I liked Jay but just couldn't get into him as much. At first I thought it was because he is a male character. However I have read a few books by this author and this was the first time I had difficulty. Then it dawned on me it was the point of view. I think because each of them had their own narrator, Jay being written in third person was what threw me off. I don't believe I would have noticed as much if I were reading it on my Kindle.I enjoy the look into Asian culture. One of my favorite things about Ms Ayala's books is that I learn something while I am being entertained. She has a way of combining humor with respect in teaching us about different cultures and situations. It is a wonderful gift that helps bring harmony to a battered world.

This book is for mature readers. It is a heated romance that uses mild but somewhat explicit wording. I was listening and had the gardener hooked. I have a small Sitka Rose bush outside my window. He took over 2 hours to trim it, normally he is done in 15 minutes. I guess that is proof this book can be enjoyed by both women and men. Ha!

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