He Loves Me Not: I Loved It NOT!

 

He Loves Me Not by Christine Kersey

The story is about a college student named Lily, who receives a note warning her to stay away from a man.  The problem is she doesn’t really know to which man the note refers.  The messages continue coming and Lily continues to ignore them until  her life is in danger.

 

It is an easy read, but that’s about the only positive assessment I can make.  The plot is solid with some interesting twists and turns, but the characterization has holes.  It was difficult to understand exactly why the main character, Lily, made the choices she made.  It seemed as if she was incapable of making a good decision, and this grew old quickly.  Her background was referenced, but didn’t substantiate her current actions in the story.  There was a disconnect there.  Also, there is some redundancy in the use of the phrase, “my heart swelled with love.”  The story itself is not bad, but I think it is not enjoyable for the reader because Lily isn'at likeable.  I found myself feeling sympathetic to her at first, but half-way through the book I felt she had become more pathetic than anything else. 

This book might appeal to a younger, less mature audience, but I am uninspired to pick up the next installment in this series. 

Believability:  Two Stars

Characterization:  Two Stars

Cohesive Flow:  Two Stars

Dialogue:  Two Stars

He Loves Me Not by Christine Kersey -   Overall Rating:  Two Stars

He Loves Me Not by Christine Kersey is currently available on Amazon.

 

House of Lies - FIVE STARS - Mesmerizing

The first ebook I have chosen to review on TrueBlueEbookReview is House of Lies by author S.R.Claridge, published by Vanilla Heart.  The reason I chose this novel is two-fold:  first, because I wanted a new release in the mystery/suspense genre and House of Lies fit that description having been released just this month. (October 2012)  Second, because I was seeking a new release that had yet to be reviewed professionally.  I don’t like to read other reviews until after I have read the book for myself.  Without further explanation, onto my review.

House of Lies is a political cult suspense about a woman who sets out on a mission to save her sister from what appears to be a religious cult group; however, as we move through the novel we discover that the religiosity of the group is merely a cover to hide the real agenda, which is quite political in nature.  An anonymous tip leads her to a private investigator and a cop, who begrudgingly agree to assist her quest.  That’s really all I can say without giving anything away.

This book has it all.  There are plot twists that literally and figuratively take the reader to the edge of their seat and tauntingly leave them there.  There is angst and suspense, action, romance and a little bit of sex.  But, strangely enough, those things aren’t what drive the story.  The character dialogue is the cohesive agent that skyrockets this book to a whole new level of storytelling.  I was so enthralled I felt as if I were watching the story like a movie; that’s how powerfully written is the character interaction.  But it doesn’t stop there.  S.R.Claridge’s ability to tie together past and present events and weave them into a believable storyline is impressive; not to mention this author succeeds at doing something of which most mystery writers fail.   She incorporates humor at precisely the right moments, when the reader needs a release from the mounting tension. 

As I read, I began to wonder if the book, though fiction, held any truth about cult groups and their potential hidden agendas.  I found myself contemplating if the author had once been involved in a group like the one described in House of Lies, and if so how much of what happens in the novel actually happened in real life.  It was a similar feeling to what I had when reading Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code years ago.  In fact, if I had to liken this book to one that is currently on the market, I would say it is The DaVinci Code, and I wouldn't be surprised if we find some controversy developing as word of this book gets out.

I give House of Lies a full five star rating.   If you enjoy suspense novels, you will not be able to put this book down.  Without giving away the ending, I can assure you that a sequel is to follow and I only hope it will be released soon. 

What an exciting way to start off TrueBlueEbookReview!

Believability:  Five Stars

Cohesive Flow:  Five Stars

Characterization:  Five Stars

Dialogue:  Five Stars

House of Lies by S.R.Claridge  -  Overall Rating:  Five Stars

House of Lies is currently available in Ebook at Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes&Noble with a pre-order print date for November 2012.

I've spent the past five years working for two reviewing sites and have now decided to branch out on my own.  I enjoyed my time with those sites, but decided to leave when they became inundated with reviewers and books that were not in the genre I wanted to review.  That being said, I learned a great deal from my experience and am excited about the prospect of starting my TrueBlueEbookReview.

I will review ebooks in the genres of suspense, mystery and romance.  I will not review erotica, horror or sci-fi at this time.  If you would like to submit your ebook for my review, please see my submission guidelines located in the right hand-side margin.

I will review ebooks on a five star scale.  One being the lowest quality and five being the highest quality. 

I strive to keep my reviews short and to the point.  I either like the book and explain why or I don't like it and explain why.  A negative review does not denote a personal attack against the author.  Please keep in mind that reviews are subjective and just because I don't care for a book doesn't mean someone else wouldn't enjoy reading it.

I will not place links to author websites or purchase links inside my reviews.  I am not promoting any authors, but simply reviewing a book.

Please keep in mind that reviewing books is not my day job so reviews will take on average 2-4 weeks to complete.  I only review one book at a time.

I will not review self-published authors at this time.