Book Review: Resonance by J.A. Belfield

Love this author so when a chance to get an ARC copy of her book came along, with the promise I would give an honest review, I snatched it up. Yes, this is a book in exchange for a review. My first one ever. Consider my cherry popped.

First, I’m kind of a big fan of the author. I just love the whole Holloway pack she’s created. I also like that the language stays true to where it’s set, which is the country the author lives as well–England. It just wouldn’t do first person justice to ‘Americanize’ the lingo.

This novella is like a ‘bridge’ between Blue Moon and the next book Caged which deals with my favorite Holloway pack member Ethan. Yum. I know a little about Caged so I’m going to inner squee about the introduction of Shelley and Gabe in Resonance.

Okay, back from GiddyFest 2013….maybe.

I’ll admit that, while it’s on my Kindle, I haven’t read Blue Moon yet which is the precursor to this novella. However, as every author worth their salt should be able to do without a grand info dump, Ms Belfield gives me enough info that I get the gist of what happened and why the characters are in the situation for Resonance.

Jem does her usual scheming which seems to always get ratted out in the end. Nevertheless, she always plans it out for the most part. We start the story with her trying to break through to Josh, one of the pack who is in a coma-like state. She reads to him and just babbles. Anything to help him wake up from whatever the witches in Blue Moon did.

In the process, she discovers some more about her bond with Sean and unfurls another mystery surrounding it. Nice intrigue and possible set up for another book without making me roll my eyes. Yes, this technique can be over used. I personally find little books like this a wealth of information for fans who want to know more without feeling like they’re reading a dissertation or college thesis paper.

In any account, her sister Jess figures out what is wrong with Josh and the possible solution. The problem is that Jem is the only one that can do it which sends the pack into a bit of a mental state. Females are rare in the werewolf world and losing her would be a huge blow. Stubborn as she is, she says she’s doing it anyway and it’s really in character for Jem. Her heart is that big. So it’s go time for Jem to save the day…risking her very soul.

There is one naughty scene that’s done very tastefully and shows the deep connection, through the centuries, Sean and Jem have for each other.

Onward to the meat of my review!

What I like about this book: The ending was strong. Nice build up, especially the rescue of Josh. It really showed how a pack comes together to protect their own. Plus the *cough* Ethan factor. Again, as I stated before, the little bit of golden nuggets Ms Belfield puts in are perfect bread crumbs for a person just getting into the series to go…I really, REALLY want to read the others books. Plus, as a teaser, you get a few chapters of Darkness & Light.

What I wished for: That the rescue hadn’t happened so quickly. I realize, in the grand scheme of things, Sean wouldn’t have allowed her to be under for too long but I would have loved a bit more of a battle or stealth to stay away from the baddies. The tug of war, however, in the rescue was very well written. It hooked me with the emotion behind it. I’m just a big paranormal whore and could have seen the ‘soul searching’ journey a little more impactful.

What I didn’t care for: Nothing, really. I gave it four stars because I thought there were places where the bones could have used more meat to chew on. That’s it. Being an ARC copy, I ignore the weird punctuation parts and whatnot. The writing is fluid enough to get over the twitchy parts.

I still recommend it and all the other Holloway books. Just ‘mind the gap’ between American and British speak.

Afterburn by Sonia Hightower

BLURB: Their love burns hot, but will it stay fueled?

Crystal is an enlisted mechanic with a tragic past. Grant is an officer and a pilot with a broken heart. When faced with a difficult decision, will Crystal choose wisely or lose the best thing that ever happened to her?

The love between them burns hot, but their relationship won’t stay fueled if they can’t beat the obstacles that stand in their way. Besides breaking the fraternization rules, Grant and Crystal have the difference of race between them…but can they prove to the rest of the world, and to each other, that love is color blind?

Afterburn is about overcoming one’s past, not judging others, learning to forgive, and what it’s like to be a woman in a “man’s world.”

Working with the military gives me a unique perspective on a lot of things. For one, the amount of training I must endure yearly on subjects such as security, EEO, and sexual harassment. It’s a necessary evil to make sure one knows the good from the bad. It’s not about if it offends you, it’s about if it will offend the person sitting two seats from you. A very delicate issue indeed.

Enter Sonia Hightower’s Afterburn. It not only tackles the subject of interracial relationships but the sexual harassment that still goes on today in the military–despite all the mandatory training. While I read this novel, I became enraged at what was happening to Crystal. My agitation grew when she allowed the harassment to happen not only to her but a fellow co-worker. However, I also know when it’s close quarters, no amount of complaint to a CO could stop the potential backlash. It’s a sad state of affairs, really. Still, I loved that Crystal found the courage to not only report it but stand her ground.

Now onto the reason she did–Grant. Grant’s had his share of the discrimination pool as well. Again, Ms Hightower sucked me emotionally to what he went through. While I don’t see the color of someone’s skin, I know others in this world refuse to be color blind. More’s the pity for them. He took a chance on a fair-skinned woman once and it bit him in the backside. I think that taking that leap again showed perseverance on his part to look beyond what people think.

Of course being the person I am, I have a few parts that didn’t sink well with me. The back story of both characters, for instance, I found way too brief and left me with too many questions. I believe deciding to enlist is a big step in a person’s life. I would have liked to see why they made their decision. Sure, I could draw a picture of it and guess but I didn’t want to. I wanted to know who these characters were before the Air Force. Beyond Grant’s rejection and Crystal’s heartbreak of losing her parents.

Another thing I thought a bit jarring was how fast they went into the sack together. I would have liked to see more interaction between the two and Crystal, given that she’s dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace, show a little more distrust in the beginning as far as warming up to Grant. It was almost a little too insta-love for me.

Regardless, I thought the writing to be well done and most important–even with my nick picks–I was emotionally engaged with the characters. I rooted for them to win in the end and have their happily ever after.

Thank you, Ms Hightower, for giving me the opportunity to read your book. I’ll be looking forward to more.

Breaking Down a Book Review

Book reviews are a wonder. They can range from an in-depth breakdown of the story with spoilers to the idiotic OMFG! This is awesome/suckage without further explanation.

How to draw the line between tasteful and tacky seems to be a sticking point for some, both reviewers and authors alike. How do we come to a common meeting ground? Reviewers obviously want to create something (I hope) memorable that a) shows they actually read the book and aren’t some trolling hatemonger and b) tells the author what worked for them and what didn’t. I mean, it’s already published so remarking that they missed a few Oxford commas isn’t really in the picture, is it? Gross misspellings, maybe. If it’s self-published you might see a spike in those but it doesn’t mean that publisher driven books aren’t absolved from errors either. Nothing is to say that just because it’s from a publishing house means that editing was even done. Trust me, I know. The best stoppage to the neck-tensing misspell is the author themselves but I’m drifting away from the topic at hand.

When someone from John/Jane Q. Publique does a review on Amazon or another book buying site, the best thing they could do to make themselves look like intelligent bipeds is to cast away the ‘OMFG this author is full of awesome sauce that I’d gladly slurp through a silly straw’ review. Really, what does that show other than there’s a good possibility that you’re a butt-licking friend who wouldn’t dare tell your BFF their shit stinks.

So, did the author draw you into their mind-numbing world so hard you forgot the fundamentals of the written word? Back off, take a cleansing breath while removing your fanboi hat, and calm down. Your star rating is going to tell them you liked it. The written review, more or less, is to gather more potential readers in akin to a campfire song to herald the sheer greatness that your eyes have just witnessed. You are the bard of the new age.

Now let’s dwell on that for a moment. How often do you read the reviews before buying something? Personally, I like sifting through reviews and I always start with the lowest ratings first. Here’s where a keen eye and a heavy bullshit meter come in handy. What did the reviewer tell us about the book? Was there something in there that the human body couldn’t do or something that defied natural laws? I mean, science fiction is great and an easy way to break the rules but did it go too far into the gap of credibility zone to fester? Was the dialogue believable or did it come across like two cardboard cutouts masturbating to their love of all things cheese-related? How about the overall tension of the book—Did it grip you and throttle you within an inch of your life or did you snicker ‘called it’ as the plot ploughed along in a cliché pace.

Emotion and clarity are two of my must haves in a book. Emotionally invest me in the written words with the trials the main character go through. Make it clear so that when I read those words an image is vivid in my mind of what is going on. If I have to re-read a passage, something’s not right. If you’re rehashing something on page 100 you showed on page 50 not only is it insulting, I find it nothing more than a word count++ maneuver.

Most of all, whether you want to bash the living hell out of the author or not, present the facts not the fiction you want to spew. If you read science fiction and really like westerns better, don’t compare the two genres. If you pick up something marked erotic romance, don’t expect closed doors sex. Know your genres. Period.

Be honest without being an ass. I know, that’s rich coming from me but I must say I try and tell why I didn’t care for it. In detail.

Now onto the authors side of it. We all get our share of bad reviews. They bring us to tears and we start down that dark path of questioning our skills. If you’re published with a publishing house, remember that they handed you a contract for a reason. If you self-published, well, maybe next time get an editor or join a writing site to get a little more experience under your belt. This, of course, in both instances applies to thorough reviews and not the ‘this sucked worse than a two dollar hooker” ones. Please learn to know the difference.

The best way to combat these bad reviews is to be the better person. Thank them for their time and purchase (if the site they reviewed on can show that they actually bought it). Scream and yell all you want AWAY from your computer and certainly don’t go on a social media site with a call to arms for people to attack this egregious reviewer. Again, be the better person.

When it comes down to it what makes a review a review is the human element and there’s no way we’re ever going to change a Cro-Magnon into a rocket scientist overnight. Learn to laugh a little and enjoy that ice cream your royalties bought you. I know I am.