Exotic Snack Size Reviews

Here are a couple of books that swept me away to exotic places recently... One is the prequel to a book I'll be featuring on the blog (The Paris Connection) for a tour I'm organizing. The other is one I heard about on Elle Strauss's blog earlier this month and couldn't resist making one of my Kindle purchases this month.

Gentle Persuasion by Cerella Sechrist

Rating: Spring

Once again, Sechrist has penned a sweet romance with a charming setting and delectable food descriptions. The title and cover fit perfectly - this is a gentle love story featuring a hero and heroine whose dreams are at odds, both determined to persuade the other of the rightness of their stance. The unique tour of Hawaii, a fun cast of secondary characters, insight into interesting careers, and a "dream theme" that encompasses the heroine's mother make this a nice medley of story elements. I'm looking forward to following one secondary character's romantic Parisian adventures in The Paris Connection!

Pieces of Jade by Lani Woodland and Melonie Piper

Rating: Spring

From the cover to the blurb to the preview, I knew I wanted to read this story. It completely engaged me, even if that sometimes meant I was voicing my frustrations over certain characters' choices or plot elements! The characters are really intriguing, and the situations Jade finds herself alternately hysterical and heart-wrenching (and occasionally bizarre, LOL). I really enjoyed the adventure. It has sort of a historical-fantasy-dystopian vibe. I'm glad to see this is considered Book 1, which hopefully means the story will continue in subsequent releases! Several things to note: there is violence and some disturbing descriptions, as well as sexual innuendos (though that's basically as far as it goes) and the use of magic. 

Note: "Seasoned" or "unseasoned" is in reference to my book rating system. Thanks to Juju of Tales of Whimsy for the inspiration regarding mini reviews!