Review: Gunpowder Alchemy

Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Takes place in 1850, China during the First Opium War, Qing Dynasty, and is steampunk themed.
Soling is responsible for her opium addicted mother and younger brother after her father was assassinated 8 years ago. Her father "allowed" the British steamship to overpower the Chinese fleet and invade the country. When she goes to sell her father's last belonging, a box, she is strongly compelled to find out what clues and secrets he may have left behind.
This leads her to Chang-Wei Chen, an engineer her father mentored and who was her intended (she was 10 at the time). Add in a power hungry foreign nation, a corrupt leader, and rebels who want change, and you have a potentially explosive situation. Luckily, the romance is (very) slow burn.
I liked this, but it was slow in parts.

View all my reviews

Review: Teacher of the Year

Teacher of the Year by M.A. Wardell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marvin is a kindergarten teacher and is fantastic at what he does. In fact he was nominated for "Teacher of the Year" for his school district. He meets Olan, a newly divorced single father, when his daughter Ilona joins the school as a student. Olan is an attractive man and is also drawn to Marvin.
They do start a relationship, but keep on on the down-low because Ilona is a student. They gradually fall in love. However, things do get a rocky on Marvin's part. He has unresolved issues from his childhood with his alcoholic mother (who is now sober). Olan has a history of alcohol abuse which triggers Marvin. It felt like he was still pissed at his mother and he overreacted to Olan's disclosure of his history.

View all my reviews

Review: The Nightmare Before Kissmas

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting how the various holidays have their royalty (Kings, Queens, etc).  They are all in competition for the world's joy; well, some of them.  Nicholas (the eldest Claus), also known as Coal (it's a joke), is the not-so serious heir.  He gets into shenanigans; even when he doesn't mean too.  His mission is to make his brother (Kris) laugh.  They've struggled a bit since their mom left.  She didn't like being married to Santa.   

And now father dearest is up to something.  Coal must now marry the Princess of Easter, Iris.  She is also his best friend and Kris is (not so) secretly in love with her.  That union is challenged by Halloween.  Met Hex, Prince of Halloween and Coal's crush (they had a kiss a few years prior; Hex knew who Cola was, but Coal had no idea).  

I liked the idea of Holidays having their own royalty and the idea of joy (from the holiday celebrants) feeding them.   Nice plot with "Santa" being up to his own shenanigans.  I thought Coal started out very immature. Once he realized something was amiss, I liked his character better.  He got more mature and confident.  I liked the banter between Coal, Kris, and Isis.  I liked Hex and was super curious about him.  A chapter or 2 from his point of view would have been nice.  

View all my reviews