Tag Archive | D. G. Driver

REVIEW: The Royal Deal by D. G. Driver

Jan26
The Royal Deal Book Cover The Royal Deal
Chasing the Romantics #1
D. G. Driver
Fairy Tale
January 16, 2018
E-ARC
63
The Author
January 18 - 21, 2018

A pampered princess is told she must marry a prince she doesn't like, let alone love, on her nineteenth birthday. Desperate to find a way to stop this arranged marriage, she makes a bargain with her father. If she can survive for three months in the forest with no help of any kind and return healthy and unharmed, then she can choose the man she will marry. The King accepts the wager, knowing he can't possibly lose. Princess Faith knows she must win this deal, but once she ventures into the forest, she has no idea how she can possibly succeed.

Review

I’m a huge fan of D. G. Driver’s, so when she asked me to read and review her latest release, The Royal Deal, I gladly accepted.

This book isn’t quite like her others. For one, it’s a short novella. And secondly, it’s written as a traditional fairy tale, similar in style to Gail Carson Levine’s The Princess Tales.

I loved the concept of this fairy tale. Pampered princess doesn’t want to marry the prince she sees as irresponsible. She wants to marry his older brother, the prince who is responsible and devoted to his people. The prince who has also been missing since the last battle he fought in.

So Princess Faith makes a deal with her father to let her stay in the woods for three months, if she survives on her own she’ll get to marry whomever she desires. Should she return home, having failed, before the end of the three months, she will marry the young prince.

I loved that Princess Faith believes so highly of herself as an independent and self-sufficient person, but as soon as she enters the woods she learns she’s actually entirely unprepared. Even when a hermit living in the woods comes to her aid, she runs away, refusing to back down and accept help, thus negating the deal.

Faith’s stubbornness and belief in good were a delight. Even though she basically had zero chance of surviving on her own in the woods, she still made the deal to get out of the marriage she didn’t want.

The hermit was an interesting character as well. I don’t want to spoil his story, so I wont say much, just that as a reader I understood the moral/lesson the author meant for me to takeaway right away and liked it.

Unfortunately, I can’t give this 5 stars because there were so many more details I wanted to know! Novella’s are often tough for me, especially in fantasy (as fairy tales are) because they don’t give the details I crave. Everything moves so fast. BUT – this is my personal preference. If you shoved this story into a book of classic fairy tales I wouldn’t question it being there. Not for a second.

So ultimately, if you enjoy classic style fairy tales this could be a winner for you.

Quotes

Prince Jaeger of Aronsite had asked Faith’s father for her hand in marriage. Her father, the King of Devonedge, accepted. When he joyously told Faith the news the night before in front of a banquet full of people, Faith very calmly stood and replied, “I would rather be boiled alive in a vat of lava than marry that sniveling rodent that calls himself a man.”

“You haven’t any skills to survive. This is a wager you can’t possibly win.”
“Still,” she came back, “I’m willing to make it. I’m that against marrying Jaeger and ever hopeful that those three months will bring Mikhail home.”

Failure. Hopeless. Pathetic. Fool.
This mantra looped around and around Faith’s brain…

“Nothing in stories is ever completely accurate for everyone. Nor are stories ever entirely inaccurate about a great number of people.”

Yes, she could marry whomever she wished, but that didn’t mean she would. It didn’t mean she’d give up her nobility to be with a man who lived in the middle of the forest. Marrying for love was not how the world worked for princesses.

 

My (Writing) Life

Oh what to write, what to write!

I suppose, first of all I should apologize for going MIA for a while here. I’ll explain below.

But FIRST I should let everyone know that PEACE IN FLAMES is now available for preorder – WOOHOO!
If you’re in KU you’ll be able to read for FREE beginning Feb 16, 2018 OR you can preorder now and show your love.

In other news I’m nearing the end of my current draft of SUMMER OF PEACE. I anticipate getting this to my editor by early next week, then going through it again using text to speech. (Amazing what your eyes will skip over! Listening is key for proofing!)

If you’re a fellow reviewer and have any interest in reading/reviewing either/both PEACE IN FLAMES (YA Contemporary Romance) and/or SUMMER OF PEACE (NA – clean – Contemporary Romance) shoot me a message. I’d love help spreading the word about my book babies.

So to expand upon what I said above, I recently had about a week of deep depression and didn’t write or blog or really do anything. It was awful. Even reading brought me no joy and felt like a chore. Zero words were written and I second guessed everything I’d written to date. But I made it through to the other side and I’m looking forward to catching up posting my reviews here and diving back into my writing projects. My contemporary YA romance, tentatively titled SOMETHING I’M GOOD AT, is calling to me.

We also had a massive snowstorm four days ago. The roads were absolutely terrible and I was so grateful I didn’t have to leave the house. Unfortunately the schools did not let out early enough and I ended up with my kids school bus stuck in front of my driveway. It had spun around so it actually looked like it had pulled OUT of my driveway instead of like it had tried to drive past. But let me tell you, Minnesota Nice is a real thing because my feeble attempts to help dig the tires out with my snow shovel were met with the assistance of a neighbor across the street with his snowblower. When the bus got stuck again, he was right back out there helping the driver out by clearing more snow. It was a combination of awful/hilarious/amazing to see all of this happening.

And now I need to get ready for a busy night at work. #hotellife

REVIEW: Echo of the Cliffs by D. G. Driver

Jun13

Echo of the Cliffs by D. G. Driver

Series: Juniper Sawfeather #3

Read: September 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 5 Stars

Publisher: Fire & Ice YA Books

Date Published: June 6, 2017

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy / Mythology

Challenges: Flights of Fantasy

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Three warriors asked the sun to grant them wishes
of immortality to protect their people forever.

One was turned into a merman,
another was turned into a tree,
and the final warrior was turned into a stone.

Juniper Sawfeather has learned there is truth to this American Indian legend. She knows how it connects the mermaids she saved from an oil spill to the ancient spirit that trapped her in the branches of an Old Growth tree. Now she wants to find out if the final part of this legend is true: that some kind of magical stone exists. A lone mermaid finds her and shares a vision of a cliff along the ocean shore. This must be the place, and June knows she needs to find it.

Tragedy happens when June and her boyfriend, Carter, join her parents on a mission to the San Juan Strait to collect evidence of construction run-off pollution, and they are attacked by a killer whale. June is convinced that the killer whale was led by mermaids, and she is desperate to find out why they attacked and where they are hiding. Once again, Juniper is on a heroic mission, the most frightening adventure yet. A thrilling ending to this award-winning trilogy!

REVIEW

 

It’s no secret how much I absolutely love D. G. Driver’s writing. She could probably make a shopping list interesting. When she sent me the final book in the Juniper Sawfeather series I was ecstatic to dive in and find out what happens next.

It was a bittersweet journey; June’s story arc is complete, answers are given, and the ending is highly satisfying. But… it’s the end. And that saddens me. The bright side is that Driver has written the story to include a possible New Adult spin off series. Fingers crossed that happens!

In Cry of the Sea June discovered real mermaids and helped rescue them from the evil oil tycoons. In Whisper of the Woods June was almost trapped in a tree for the rest of eternity by an ancient Native American spirit. She also learns of a legend she’s determined to get to the bottom of. Now, in Echo of the Cliffs, June sets off to find her mermaids again and find the final piece to put the ancient spirits to rest.

This story is packed full of action, magic, and Native American legends. Far more action than the other two books put together, this book is an action packed ride. Beloved characters go missing and magic goes awry.

EotC begins shortly after the events of WotW, with June watching the ocean with her boyfriend Carter and best friend Haley. Sure she saw a mermaid below, June frantically tries to get to the water and nearly dies. And this is just chapter one. From there we set off with Carter and June’s parents to collect water samples from a potentially polluted home development on the shore, to searching for a mysterious cliff and waterfall. There are killer whales and mermaids and spirit dreams. Things with Carter get shaky and we find out some not so good things about his parents. The media are after June and her parents yet again after a run in with a killer whale ends badly. Not to mention, Haley is fighting to get the school principal reinstated and the assistant principle fired!

Seriously, this book was full of so many feels for me. If you haven’t read this series yet, now is the time. Grab a copy of Cry of the Sea first, then read through to the end. You won’t be disappointed, especially if you love stories set in our world with a touch of magic and mermaids.

(Disclaimer: I do work for this publisher, and I designed the covers for this series. My rating and opinions are 100% my own. I love this series!)

Get the Book here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Print

~ Add to Goodreads ~

Catch up with book 1, Cry of the Sea, here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Print

~ Add to Goodreads ~

 

Mermaids are real.

Teenager Juniper Sawfeather rescues three of them from dying in an oil spill. She thinks sharing news of them will convince people to fight against oil pollution, but she’s wrong. Things quickly spiral out of control. How can she prevent the mermaids from being exploited by the media? Or murdered by the oil company?

 

 

Read the prequel to the Juniper Sawfeather series  in the ~ FREE ~  Kick Ass Girls of Fire & Ice freebie collection:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Print

~ Add to Goodreads ~

 

 

 

 

 

‘Second Chance For Love’ Release day!

Apr26

I’ve been bombarding my social media followers with news of my latest release, but I’ve neglected my poor (or lucky?) blog followers!

That’s right, it’s release day! (Woohoo!)

Second Chance For Love is an anthology I almost didn’t write a story for. The deadline was approaching and I had no ideas. Then, BAM! An idea popped into my head. I’m not sure what I was thinking about, but I suddenly had this idea of a woman in a Hollywood marriage walking in on her husband with the nanny. Not only has she been betrayed by her life partner, but now how could she ever trust another nanny? The solution was the Manny.

Here’s a little about each of the stories, then I’ll give you an excerpt from my story, Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now.

Second Chance for Love

Who says love doesn’t come around again?

Seven stories of single parents finding love for the second time

 

The Ticket to Her Heart by D. G. Driver

Dalton Jones is a traffic cop who feels guilty about giving a speeding ticket to a beautiful single mom. With his teenage daughter’s help, he finds a way to meet the woman again, and they fall for each other. Only, he’s neglected to tell her who he really is.

The Perfect Beginning by Nancy Pennick

Tracy DeMarco hasn’t been on a date with a man in five years. She has a child to raise and a job she likes. Her daughter says she needs to get a life. Tracy thought hers was fine until a vampire shows up on her doorstep one Halloween night.

A Love for Michelle by Tara Fox Hall

Left by her boyfriend on the same night she lost her job, Michelle isn’t looking for love when she runs into Max and his two children while sledding. In a few short months, the new couple is inseparable. Then Michelle realizes she’s pregnant with her ex’s child. Will Max love her enough to accept a baby that isn’t his?

The Price of Silence by Katie Stephens

Even though Maggie and Rob are divorced, neither can deny the love they still have for each other. As they wonder why their marriage failed, Maggie’s artistic agent is determined to have her. Grant befriends her children in a bid to make her his wife, but will Rob stand aside and allow another man to take his children … and his soulmate?

Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now by Caroline Andrus

Celebrity photographer Rebecca thought her life was perfect, until she walked in on her husband and the nanny—in bed. A drunk phone call later, she’s managed to snag the most sought after male nanny in Los Angeles. Months later, at her best friends urging, she dives back into the dating pool, but will she end up with Mr. Right Now, or will she realize Mr. Right is already at home with her kids?

For the Love of a Horse by Daisy White

Single mum Ali has done everything she can to forget the past, but when a new love is threatened by a freak horse riding accident, she is forced to face her memories. Can she find the courage to take her second chance for love?

Unexpected Match Maker by JT Adeline

Peyton Geoffrey never thought she needed another dad, until her mom’s past boyfriend, Tate Langston, entered her life. Will Peyton be able to get this surly man to understand how important he is to others, and get him and her mom together again?

 

 

 

 

Excerpt from Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now by Caroline Andrus

 

“Well,” he said. “Have a good time on your date tonight.”

“Thanks,” she said, her gaze falling on the floor before meeting his once more. “Have a good time… hanging out here.”

He laughed. “I’ve got a tablet full of books to read.”

“Do you read a lot?” she asked as she began putting her earrings in.

“Any chance I get.”

“Is that why you’re single? Too lost in your books?”

It was his turn to study the floor. “Maybe. I guess the timing just hasn’t been right.”

“That’s too bad. If there’s anything I can do, as far as timing goes I mean—”

He cut her off. “Thanks, but I don’t think so.”

“Well, if you change your mind…” she trailed off. “Oh shoot!” She stared at the floor. “I dropped the darn back to my earring.”

She dropped to her hands and knees on the floor, searching for the tiny metal piece. Simon quickly joined her, his hands working across the plush cream colored carpet beneath them.

“Aha!” he cried triumphantly, his hand in a tight fist shot into the air.

“Thank you.” Her voice was a breath as she reached her hand out, palm open. Simon set the earring back gently on her palm, then with his other hand, closed her fingers around it.

“You’re welcome,” he said, his amber eyes staring deep into her blue ones.

There was a knock at the door and Rebecca started at the sound. She smiled apologetically and let him help her to her feet. As she turned her back on him to answer the door, Simon said something that caused her to turn back.

“Ollie is right. You really do look beautiful.”

She blushed and smiled at the floor. “Thank you.”

Turning, she quickly popped the earring back into place and made her way to the door. She opened it and found Lucas Labelle standing there, flashing his movie star smile.

Selfie with my print copy of the book!

So there you have it, Second Chance For Love.

Let me tell you, I’ve read all the stories. They’re all good, and they’re all different. If you’re a reader who likes a sweet, clean romance, this is the book for you. Who knows, you may find your new favorite author! (Could it be me??? j/k … or am I?)

You can download the book for FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited (or you can purchase the book) from Amazon here: Amazon.com

If you’re not ready to commit yet, I encourage you to add to your Goodreads Shelf here: Goodreads.com

And if you’re more of a paperback kinda reader, we’ve got you covered here: Lulu.com