eBook Review: A Once and Future Love

A Once and Future Love

A Once and Future Love by Anne Kelleher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The blurb:

England, 2014. When Richard Lambert’s beloved wife dies, he thinks he will never find love again. Until, while exploring a medieval tower, he falls from the steps—and into another time…

England, 1214. When Richard wakes, he’s in the body of his ancestor, who is near death from battle. As his wife nurses him back to health, she finds he is not the cruel man she knew. And he discovers a second chance—with his one and only love…

My review

In all honesty, I didn’t expect much from this book. I purchased it from Bookbud for 99 cents. I had no expectations. The only reason I purchased it was because I felt like reading a book where someone from the here and now goes back in time.

All I can say is that I am glad I succumbed to my own wanting, and I am glad it was this book I decided on. Why? Because I thoroughly enjoyed it, that’s why.

From the start I found I liked the main character and was drawn into his story. When he went back in time, there was nothing about the situation that I couldn’t easily accept. And why not just accept the transition, we all know it’s not possible to really travel back in time. This is fantasy and it is a story, it’s not reality, and I for one am happy to accept whatever the author suggests on how it happened. This meant that I could relax and enjoy the journey. And I did.

And once back in the thirteenth century, I felt the author did a great job in showing how the character coped and adapted. I think about how I would react and believe it would be the most difficult thing to accept and blend in to.

Anyway, the book was well written. The characters likable, or not likeable, whichever the case may be. 😀 And, I felt a 21st century reader could get a decent glimpse of life in the 13th century.

I will be looking for other books written by this author. Recommended.

Book Reviews: Ghosts, Plague & more

I have become slack with my reviews of late. In fact, I look back and find that I have not written a book review since August 2018. In my own defense, I have been working on releasing Domino Effect, so that is why there has been a lack of posts. However, I look at the books I haven’t reviewed and feel it’s “too hard” to write proper reviews now. Translate this to “too lazy”. 😀

So, I have decided to write a single post with mini reviews instead. Here goes:

Audio Book: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Ghost Story (The Dresden Files, #13)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven’t read many of this author’s work–in fact, this is the second book. I enjoyed the first one (which was a paperback), but not enough to continue with the series. However, this time I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed it. Listening to a story unwind is sometimes much better than reading words on a page. This is especially true for me when I can’t seem to get into a story. Ghost Story was exciting. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know the back story. I could easily figure out who was who; and what was happening.

I’m not sorry I tried this author again. Recommended..

eBook Review: Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator (Gilda Joyce, #1)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy books for younger readers. Sometimes I find I can indulge my inner child and just take it as it comes. However, whilst this book was okay, it wasn’t enthralling. I wanted it to be. But it didn’t quite make it for me. A younger reader will probably love it, but I don’t think I’ll be reading more in this series. I might, just to see how the next book goes, but not right now.

eBook Review: The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters

The Turn of Midnight (Black Death, #2)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book 2 of the Black Death duo. I loved the first book and I loved the second book. Honestly, I felt as if the author took me into the past and I was living the events I was merely reading. Even the fact that I read the first book ten months prior to the second book, did not diminish the story line or the experience for me. The fact that I have a huge fascination about the plague or black death certainly helped, but these books were more than about that. They were gritty, suspenseful and brilliant.

I cannot recommend these books enough. Read them…now. 😀

Book Review: At Home with the Templetons by Monica McInerney

At Home With the Templetons

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read one other book by this author. It was some years ago, and whilst it was okay it didn’t make me run out and buy more books by her. This one was given to me by a dear friend. My friend often gives me books, but this is the only one she has ever pointed to and said “you have to read that one, it’s brilliant”. I’ve known my friend for over 30 years, so that comment made me put the book on my reading list.

When I first started reading, I didn’t think I would get into it. But the characters drew me in. And before I knew it, I was hooked. I wanted to know what was going to happen and the pages turned quickly.

Part two of the book didn’t hold me as much, but just as I started to pull away from the story, part three commenced and I was hooked again. If you like books about family, friendship, lies and love, then give this a try. I think you’ll like it.

Difference between “passed” and “past”

Recently, I came across some old critiques other people had written about my work. It was much like walking down memory lane, but for one thing…

I noticed a trend that I don’t think I picked up on at the time. Now, I am worried that I still don’t “get it”. What trend? Well, what is the difference between “passed” and “past”?

I know “passed” relates to movement and “past” relates to time. No issues there. However, when we start talking about adverbs and prepositions, the confusion sets in. Is it?

A lot of ambulances have gone passed, or,

A lot of ambulances have gone past.

Well, “gone” is a movement word and so is “passed”. There are two movement verbs in the one sentence, when you only need one, so the correct one is “past”.

Thanks to Grammar Monster I think I’ve got it straight in my head now. And it’s all because of the following top tip:

Substitute with Went Past

When referring to movement (i.e., not passing tests or handing stuff over), only use passed when it is the past tense of the verb to pass. To test whether passed is correct, substitute it with went past. If your sentence still makes sense, then passed is the correct version.

  • He passed the shop.
  • He went past the shop. (Still makes sense – passed is correct)
  • He skipped passed the shop.
  • He skipped went past the shop. (Not correct – passed is wrong)

Substitute with Gone Past

On occasion, it may be necessary to use gone past to test whether passed is correct. This is because passed is also the past passive participle of to pass.

  • He has passed the dockyard.
  • He has gone past the dockyard. (Still makes sense – passed is correct)