romance books – Page 2

4.5 star review of Forecast

July 20, 2013roadmancebooks

Curling Up With A Good Book has given Forecast 4.5 stars. What a lovely review to wake up to this morning. Check out the great CUWAGB blog as well, for other wonderful reviews.

Spellbinding!!!!! I loved this book! I could not put it down! I want to be a good witch or at least be friends with one…how cool would that be! Jane Tara did a phenomenal job of getting the reader lost in the magical place of New York City!

The Shakespeare women have been using their powers for generations. Now there are only a few of the women left. Rowie Shakespeare is the lucky one that is destine to carry on the family business, or at least that is what her Grandmother tells her.

Rowie has her own dreams of having a more normal life. When Rowie was finally doing something she loved and making her own life she finds the one man she can not read. “Blissful nothing!” She had waited her whole life to kiss a man and not see his entire life play out in her mind, which did not include her. The man she can’t read is none other than the handsome local TV weatherman Drew Henderson!

You think everything is going to be great but nothing is ever perfect, not even for a witch! I enjoyed their road back to each other and all the secrets that are divulged. I love to think about destiny and how each decision we make can take us down different paths for our future! This book did not disappoint! I give it 4.5 stars!

Readful Things gives Trouble Brewing 4 stars

July 10, 2013roadmancebooks

Ionia Martin at Readful Things Blog had this to say about Trouble Brewing.

Drop by, read the review, and check out the rest of her great site.

When I first began reading this book I noticed a few things right away. There seemed to be an abundance of British slang, which generally tends to irk me. Secondly, the rest of the book was so good that it rather cancelled out my concern for the first thing.

What did I like about it? Many things. One of the main things that captured my attention about this book was the way the characters came to life right before the reader’s eyes. Rather than describing every minute detail, the author let you form your own images of them with simple, yet effective descriptive words. She lets you decide what and who you want the characters to be with just the slightest assistance.

There were a few times where I felt the main character was a bit self concerned and overbearing, but she is a strong personality and her words and actions certainly reflected that. I liked the way she took control of the story, I just felt she was a bit bossy toward her love interest.

The supporting characters are great and also play a major role in the story, which I don’t think happens often enough. So frequently I like one of the secondary characters more than the main, but in this case they are all worthy of adoration.

The idea behind the premise of this story is also something I had not seen before. The way the author made the main character compassionate toward the plight of others helped me grow to really like her.

I would recommend this book to others. It was sassy, and fun.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.

Another lovely review for Trouble Brewing

July 6, 2013roadmancebooks

Another 4 star review arrived today from the lovely Books With Tien. There is also a Q&A with me posted under the review. Drop by and check them both out.

Tien: When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

Jane: I’ve always written. I have boxes of romance stories I wrote as a teenager, tucked away at my mum’s house. They’re hilarious. The stories all end just as the male and female leads are about to kiss. I guess I was too young to really know how to write about what came next.

Want to read what comes next? Read on here …

5 great places to search for Fairies

July 3, 2013roadmancebooks

I’m up to my eyeballs in Fey folk at the moment, as I write my new book. I do love all things magical, and Fairies are right at the top of that list. I’ve travelled the world and seen some very strange things … Here are 5 great places to search for Fairies.

Lake Bled, Slovenia: Bled’s tiny island, the only island in Slovenia, is steeped in magic. One legend says the lake was originally a meadow until the fairies called up the forces of nature and flooded the whole region, leaving only the hill where they danced jutting out of the water. Drifting across the lake towards it, it’s easy to believe that the island is still home to all sorts of mythical creatures.
St Andra, Austria: This tiny town in eastern Carinthia is a favourite of mine. The woods that surround it are filled all sorts of magic, from Witch burning circles, to stone circles and fairy houses—mostly found if you step off the walking tracks. Locals told me that the “Mother Goddess” is still revered, and you’ll find evidence of this all over the fields and forests.
Monhegan Island, USA: This small, rustic island 10-miles from the coast of Maine has always been a haven for artists… and fairies. Scatted throughout the forest and underdeveloped hiking trails are fairy houses. This is an absolute jewel of a place, and a must-visit for any fairy-loving family.
Japan: Japan’s forests and mountains are filled with all sorts of nature spirits. I love their mythical creatures, especially the tanuki, which isn’t a fairy, but certainly magical. Elementals and fey folk are hidden in every rock, every tree in Japan… but you can also see some incredible fairy creatures on the streets of Tokyo. “Fairy Kei” fashion has been popular for years. The Japanese have an amazing street fashion culture, the Fairy Kei style being just one of the many “tribes” found in Harajuku.
Cornwall, UK: No Fairy World Tour would be complete without a trip to Cornwall. There are countless places to search for little people here—the whole county is steeped in magic. My favorite is St Nectan’s Glen near Tintagel. You won’t see fairy houses, but you might just see orbs of light, so have your camera ready!

Want to read more about St Nectan’s Glen and Cornwall? Read my novel Trouble Brewing, which is set in many fabulous places, Cornwall included.

5 star review of Forecast

June 30, 2013roadmancebooks

Mad About Books posted this wonderful 5 star review for FORECAST on Goodreads.

Fun light hearted fantasy with romance, drama and magic. It is very chick lit but extremely enjoyable and abit different from others i’ve read in this genre.

Rowie is a witch, not just any witch mind you but one of the famous Shakespeare witches of old that were hunted during the witch trials. There are only 3 in America, Rowie, her mother and grandmother. All put their gifts to good use and run Second Sight as tradition has had it.

Rowie’s young though and knows her true love is out there somewhere and there’s a life waiting for her to live. Her gift of accurately fortelling the weather has come in very handy for her local neighborhood but she’s starting to think bigger much to the chagrin of her grandmother. Fortune come’s knocking though when the local news station hears of her talents.

Drew is young, attractive, newly single and dedicated to his job. So dedicated he fell through a roof while reporting on a Hurricane. He’s off on sabbatical and has to approve a replacement quick.

Chanced upon this while trawling through Amazon and the fun sounding write up drew me straight in to the whimsical sounding tale. Great fun read with a really intriguing plot line of the women not only being witches but of the incredibly famous Shakespeare line. Even their talents are entertaining with each having a special power unique to them and their personalities.

Rowie is the perfect leading lady for me. She’s attractive but doesn’t flaunt it, is humbled by her turbulent upbringing with the other kids and is generally a tough and feisty female. Not a thing I disliked about her.

Her leading man Drew could be perceived as abit of a jerk but when you realise his past you can completely understand why he’s playing the field but underneath the exterior there’s just a normal guy living his life who loves his job. Ideal guy really.

All the background characters tie in perfectly and really add depth and humour. All three Shakespeares get their story told with it ending lovely.
Really has that feel good factor.

The Infamous Mike Tai

June 29, 2013roadmancebooks

This was posted on Master of the Flying Guillotine, by the Mike Kuciak creator of the Mike Tai … a cocktail I’ve included in Trouble Brewing. Go easy on it.

My friend Jane Tara was kind enough to include the infamous Mike Tai in her fantasy-romance novel TROUBLE BREWING. Here is the sweet nectar of immortality:

“Calypso pulled out a bottle of Captain Morgan’s Coconut Rum and a couple of tall glasses, which she filled with ice. She poured an even mix of rum, orange juice and pineapple juice into each glass. “This is like a kick in the head.”
Taran gave Calypso a quick pat on the backside. “I need one to wake me up. All I want to do is sleep after that little session.” Taran took a swig of his drink. “Love it. What is it?”
“Called a Mike Tai. A friend of mine came up with it. It’s his version of the Mai Tai.”
Taran took another mouthful.
“Go easy there, big boy. It tastes harmless, but it can sneak up on you.”

Wiser words never spoken, Calypso. You’ll never see the Mike Tai coming. I speak from experience.

A 4 star review of Trouble Brewing

June 24, 2013roadmancebooks

A new review on Goodreads led me to the book review site for Sallyfromoz, where reviews for both my books have been posted. Sally is also taking part in the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2013, so supporting Aussie writers. Here’s the review. It’s made my day.

TROUBLE BREWING is the second book in a series about the Shakespeare women and like the first one I had such fun reading it. The first book, Forecast, was set in the USA; now author Jane Tara takes her readers over to England to meet the other women in the family. As with the first book there are quite a few back-stories going on which did leave me wondering how any future books are going to play out as all of the Shakespeare women on both side of the Atlantic now seem to have complete stories. But no matter TROUBLE BREWING has romance, anger, passion, sadness, babies, magic and even fairies – both good and bad – cool! Life is not all magic and roses – and there are some things that magic can’t cure. Like all people, real and fictional, when faced with loss and everything is beyond your abilities to change life falls apart; it is how you put your life together that counts. All the characters go through a crisis in one form or another. It is how they react, cope and still keep their sense of humour and the book light that demonstrates Jane Tara’s talent. I really enjoyed the journey the book took me on, loved the characters and want more!

A 4 star review of Forecast

June 24, 2013roadmancebooks

I scored an review copy of Jane Tara’s second book, Trouble Brewing, from Momentum Books and decided I had better get my hands on the first in the series – FORECAST. I am so glad I did – what a wonderful feel good romance it is. The hero is a bad boy – a love them and leave them type of guy – but ready to find ‘the one’, he is a scientist and deals with what is known to predict what could be. Rowie (Rowan) is also looking for ‘the one’ but she is not scientific, the elements tell her what is going to happen, so you just know these two are destined for each other. The fun part is finding out how Jane Tara is going to do it! There are lots of back-stories that all help to propel the main plot forward – ghosts, magic, new loves, past love, conniving wenches and a battle with cancer. Jane Tara captured the New Age world completely and was not afraid to include characters that think it is all bunkum. I also enjoyed the behind the scenes look at TV news and weather forecasting and how what you see may not be what is happening. Science versus magic, man versus woman FORECAST is a jam-packed funny story full of great characters. Looking forwards to reading the second in the series.

A lovely review for Trouble Brewing

June 23, 2013roadmancebooks

A lovely review from Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust, also posted on Goodreads.

How Do You Know You’ve Met the Love of Your LIfe?

I really had a good time reading this book. It was funny, sexy and occasionally a bit sad.
This is the second book in the series and I didn’t realize that until I sat down to write the review. I did think, at one point, that the author was dumping a lot of backstory, but I thought there was just a lot of history she needed to relate. But, TROUBLE BREWING totally stands on its own.

I love how one of the Shakespeare women said she was glad to be born in a time when witches were ignored and not burned at the stake. Ugh.

I like the unique idea behind this book as the gorgeous Calypso mixes cocktails that magically cure people of emotional, psychological and sometimes physical issues. She come from a witchy family, and witchy books are my first love (since I was like 7). Calypso is a free spirit except she’s running from the past. If she outruns love then she can’t get hurt, right? While Tara includes some plot that feels extraneous (but which may be tying up loose ends from FORECAST, the first book in the series) she does a great job making that emotional conflict real. And, I really felt for the guy that gets pushed away. But as odd as Calypso’s love interest is it evolves naturally.

Calypso also believes she has had her great love, the love of her life. She may be missing something though if she gets stuck in her own mythology. How do you know when you have met the love of your life?

Jane Tara’s voice is edgy and honest, modern and sexy.

Witch-Doctor cure thyself! If only people would take their own advice and talk about things. But then the entire romance book industry would fail because most plots rely on poor communication to get going.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series; and I may even go back to find the first. I can honestly recommend this as a great book to read this summer.

My books are featured on Mums Lounge

June 19, 2013roadmancebooks

Mum’s Lounge contributor Jane Tara has what she calls “SchizoPENia. “I find it impossible to stick to one genre when writing. While most writers have a ‘voice’ … I have a few … my pen name should be Sybil.”

While she’s a travel blogger and runs Itchee Feet, a children’s travel publishing company by day, at night another writers’ personality is unleashed and she writes magical romantic comedies. The first two books in her new Shakespeare Sisters series have just been released by Pan Macmillan’s digital imprint, Momentum Books.
Forecast and Trouble Brewing follow the loves and lives of the psychic Shakespeare women. The books blend romance, travel, heartbreak and humour, with lashings of magic. Trouble Brewing even has some pretty amazing cocktail recipes in it …

Want to read the rest? Go to Mums Lounge. And while you’re there, have a look around. It’s a great site.