The Treasure of Isian by Serena Clarke

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jul 202015
 

17451999The Treasure of Isian

Author: Serena Clarke

Published: September 2012

ISBN13: 9781477540107

Paperback: 216 pages

FTC FYI: Received a Kindle copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Prince Garin is a brave, proud, adventure-seeking prince. Elani is his most trusted servant and she would do anything for him, even die for him.
Their quest to find the mystical Treasure of Isian is immediately interrupted and they find themselves confronted by angry giants, soul-stealing elves, bewitched dragons, a vengeful water-witch, battling foes, and a mysterious kingdom.
Elani must face her greatest fears to save her prince and her kingdom. Garin must decide what the most important things are in his life.
Will they be able to make a great sacrifice to save the kingdom? And will Elani find true love?

Become lost in the adventure, love, loyalty, and mystery of The Treasure of Isian!

My Review

The Treasure of Isian is great story with intriguing characters.  At times I thought the pacing was off, but I was still enjoying the story.  Elani is a fabulous character with lots of heart and she had many adventures.  Garin too was enjoyable and I really liked the turnaround he made from the beginning of the story.  He at first was a spoiled prince who didn’t care much for anything or anyone but himself.  I also enjoyed how Garin started seeing Elani through different eyes.  Serena did a great job with the supporting characters too.  Ander and Jared were great surprises.

4 out of 5 stars.  Book 2, The Alliance of Isian, is also out and I plan on reading it soon.

Author Links 

Goodreads / Website

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

The Sheik’s Ruby by Jennifer Moore

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jun 032015
 

25416560The Sheik’s Ruby

Author: Jennifer Moore

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Published: May 8th, 2015

ASIN: A00VU8L9VQ

Kindle edition: 248 pages

FTC FYI: Received a Kindle copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Shelby wants to break away from the mold of her small town and make a name for herself in the big-city journalism world. While skiing, she meets mysterious stranger Hakim who is actually the prince of the Middle Eastern kingdom of Khali-dar.

When his enemies learn of Hakim’s connection to an American girl, they target Shelby. Fleeing to the safety of Khali-dar, Shelby falls deeper in love not only with the prince, but with his country. As she struggles to survive terrorist attacks, withstand the Sheik’s prejudice, and find her place in a world she doesn’t understand, she must choose which life she is willing to sacrifice—the comfortable one she has worked so hard to create, or the one with the man she loves.

My Review

Oh my goodness, this book is so much fun.  This was the first book that Jennifer wrote, and it is up there as one of my favorites of hers.  She is such a talented author and has such a wonderful variety of style in her writing.  I loved Shelby instantly.  She is a remarkable character.  I loved how we knew Hakim’s secret early on as we witnessed his inner struggle with it.  Hakim is a fabulous character too.  I enjoyed how Jennifer took care in writing her main characters so well, and also her supporting characters.  Nasir, Hakim’s bodyguard, was a silent but strong character, and Shelby’s mother was a doll.  I loved the jump from Culver Springs (which reminded me of my husband’s hometown) to Khali-dar and the development of Shelby and Hakim’s relationship.  Shelby was such a strong character and won the heart of everyone she came in contact with.  I love the story behind the title too and how it all ties together at the end.

4 out of 5 stars.  Another strong book from Jennifer.  I will read anything this lady writes.

Author Links

Amazon Page / Twitter / Website / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble