Showing posts with label book reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book reviews. Show all posts

November 28, 2014

Book Reviews (XXXII) His Name Was Ben

                                 His Name Was Ben
                                  by Paulette Mahurin
Blurb


Hearing the words “it’s cancer,” threw Sara Phillips’ life into chaos, until an unexpected turn of events and a chance encounter with a stranger changed everything—his name was Ben. Based on real events, Ben and Sara discover that when all else fails, healing can come in the most unexpected ways. Chilling and heart wrenching, His Name Was Ben is a triumph over the devastating circumstances and fear experienced when faced with a terminal illness. In this narrative, the power of love conquers shadows and transforms the very nature and meaning of what it is to be fully alive. From the award winning, best-selling author of, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, comes a story filled with soul and passion that will leave the reader thinking about it for days after the last page is closed.
Buy link Amazon.com

                                                                             

My Review
  I want to start off with saying  that Paulette Mahurin is an incredibly talented author. I can only hope to someday be half the writer she is. His  Name Was Ben is another wonderful novel from Paulette Mahurin. I really love her books because she tells a great story about people who are not perfect, but are doing the best they can. Paulette Mahurin writes heartfelt stories about deeply flawed and human characters and about tragedy; after all, what would a great story be without a tragic event!

As the author has done in her previous book, here again, she delivers a fascinating read that you just can't put down. Her characters are created with the perfect precision that only Paulette Mahurin can do. The story plot will keep you reading and make you hunger for more when you reach the end. I read her book, The Persecution Of Mildred Dunlap, and fell in love with Mahurin's writing. I have been waiting for another book like it, and she has come through for me. Mrs Mahurin writes stories that pull out a wide range of emotions when you are reading them.  The characters in His  Name Was Ben are relatable people.

She writes heroes and heroines that are a little different than you are used to reading about.  Sara Phillips is a likable character, and we hurt for her as she deals with the hell she’d been through, on the rollercoaster ride her life had become since the doctor diagnosed her with a fearful disease. She will need those around her as she struggles with an ugly reality, the monster in her life – cancer. Once healed from her double mastectomy, she awakens to life when meeting Ben Gottlieb, who works in the legal department at NASA. Ben is a patient, too, waiting to see Michael Zimmerman for a consultation. I hate spoilers so I won’t steal the other readers the pleasure of immersing in this compelling, touching story.

Tazz, the Rottweiler Sara saved from the shelter, is a perfect counter balance for the heartbreaking circumstances, Sara and Ben pass through.

Paulette Mahurin writes stories full of empathy, raw honesty, and grace. Her characters are memorable, the dialogue believable.  All in all the message is a positive one – fight, never give up. It’s about love, life versus living, believing in yourself and others.  I highly recommend this book. A compelling, touching story. My rating:



Buy link Amazon.com

December 18, 2012

Reviews (I)

December 4, 2012 - by Oana Matei (http://www.allfantasyworlds.com/)

Book Review: "Shadows of the Past" by Carmen Ştefănescu 



I'm so excited to tell you today is the release day of Shadows of the Past, a gripping paranormal/ romance novel written by Romanian writer Carmen Ştefănescu and published by Wild Child Publishing. As I myself am Romanian (yes, I come from Dracula's country), you can imagine just how proud I am to present on my blog a Romanian author who writes in English (and does it so well) and review her debut novel. So, I'll leave you with the Shadows of the Past synopsis, my review and the promise that you will read more about Carmen and her books on All Fantasy Worlds.


Synopsis:

When Anne and Neil leave on a one-week holiday hoping to reconcile after a two-year separation, little do they know that destiny has other plans for them. Their discovery of human bones and a bejeweled cross in the hollow of a tree open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England.

Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve her eternal rest?

The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

You can purchase the book on the Wild Child Publishing website. It will also be released on Amazon and Barnes & Noble next week, so be sure to check back for the links.

Update!

Goodreads                    Amazon                    Barnes & Noble

Visit the author's blog: shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro


Review:

Shadows of the Past is a truly compelling story about loss and grief, mysteries that go back to Medieval Times and dark powers that push people to commit unspeakable crimes. A cursed forest, demons, witchcraft, strange rituals and a forbidden love… all these elements come together to build a suspenseful, beautifully written paranormal/ romance novel that will keep you glued to the pages. The universe Carmen Ştefănescu has managed to create is full of magic and superstitions, while her characters are capable of love, hatred, sin, murder and repentance.

The story follows the destinies of two women who live in two different times: Genevieve is a poor girl who lives with her family in a small village in England, in 1468, and Anne is a successful businesswoman who, in the summer of 1990, decides to go on a mountain trip with the man who betrayed her two years prior and now she’s ready to forgive. Camping near a strangely silent forest, Anne dreams of a nun, a lost, tormented soul that leads her to an oak tree deep in the forest, by a stream. Once she wakes up, she convinces Neil they have to find the oak tree and discover why the ghost wanted her to go there… maybe the young woman suffered a violent death and she couldn’t find her peace. When they find a human skull and a crucifix in the hollow of the oak, they embark in an adventure that might cost their lives, for there’s an evil spirit that lurks in the forest and hunts the ruins of the abbey nearby.

There are so many things I loved about this novel that I don’t even know where to start. First, I must say that Genevieve’s heart-breaking story was my favorite part. Carmen Ştefănescu draws a beautiful, realistic picture of Medieval England, when people’s superstitions led to the persecution of wise healers who were considered witches. The legend of the cursed forest is absolutely fascinating, with its red-eyed ghost dogs, the stream with clear, cold water that turns into tar at night and the unsettling stillness of the trees… The cursed forest took everything from Genevieve… will it also hurt Anne? And what exactly is the connection between the two? Even though by the end of the book I kind of guessed what the mysterious bond was about, the author still did a great job at building the suspense and leading to a resolution that the readers will be grateful for. After all, we all want happy endings, and Carmen Ştefănescu delivers hers in a unique, surprising way.

I also loved the fact that I could relate to the characters and Genevieve’s tragic destiny really made me sad, which is a great thing! It’s always a plus when the author manages to make the reader cry and laugh at the same time with the characters. This proves insight and great writing talent. While Genevieve is a frail young woman who cannot achieve her happiness because of the society she lives in, Anne is a strong, determined woman who always takes matters into her own hands.

Shadows of the Past is a real page-turner and a light romance story that, once again, reminded me love is more powerful than any kind of evil and if two people are meant to be together, then they will find each other even in another time or space. There were moments when I couldn’t read fast enough – that’s how much I enjoyed this novel.