Tangle of Choices - Perfect fantasy read for the beach, on a rainy day, or on a plane

This drama/fantasy centers around difficult choices and their consequences. The plot centers around a strong female protagonist, Tauria, and her husband, Prince Doron. For those who had the privilege of reading book one in this series, Neglected Merge, the story picks up in Tangle of Choices seven years later. At the start of this tale, Tauria’s marriage appears to fall into the happily-ever-after category until she makes a sacrificial offer in order to broker peace between the world she came from and the world she now calls home. The far-reaching consequences of that choice affect not just herself but everyone she cares about.

I won’t say more about the exact plot because I certainly don’t want to be a spoiler for this well-written fantasy. The worldbuilding is vivid and polished, and the characters are relatable. While Author Eve Koguce's cast of characters is extensive, they are individually distinct, motivated, and flawed behaviors that evolve from their backstory. It all works together to create a rich tapestry of fantasy culture that makes sense.

In this second book of the three-book NegligentMerge series, Tauria meets real adversity head-on as she strives to bring peace to her world. Her unselfish decision carries her into a foreboding scenario that threatens all she holds precious, including her marriage. The consequences affect her emotional, psychological, and social well-being as she gives up everything to be a responsible and thoughtful leader.

 

Review of Tangle of Choices

If I had to sum up this book in one word, I’d call it satisfying. It's a perfect read for the beach, on a rainy day, or on a plane. I enjoyed it on every level. Characters I cared about with clearly defined roles, a believable plot, plenty of drama, a well-crafted fantasy world, and a healthy dose of clean romance. Because I read book 1, it felt like I was reconnecting with friends. However, the book can stand alone without reading book one, although I highly recommend reading both. I’m happy to award this book 5 stars, and I look forward to book 3, Shifting Directions: A Fantasy Drama with Thriller Elements (Neglected Merge Book 3). I recommend this book to fans of epic fantasy adventures like The Entangled Princess: A Clean Medieval Romance (The Bitter Kingdoms series Book 1) by Shantal Sessions, or the Shadowlands King by Amy Horikami.

 

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received Tangle of Choices as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the Author Eve Koguce

Multi-award-winning author Eve Koguce has been in love with books for as long as she remembers herself. The typewriter her first attempts at writing had been made at still sits proudly on its shelf in the basement.

After fifteen years spent trying to fit into the office work pattern, Eve Koguce had decided to pursue her dreams and turned to writing.

Eve Koguce lives on the coast of the Baltic Sea with her husband, her son, and their two exceedingly charming ginger cats. She loves nature, history, and literature. Her hobby – and a childhood dream that came true – is horse riding.

Eve's debut novel “Neglected Merge” - book one in the Neglected Merge trilogy - has won three awards in the following book awards contests: (i) Silver Medal in the 2021 Global Book Awards in the Science Fiction / Fantasy category, (ii) Award Finalist in the 2021 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest in the Fantasy General category, and (iii) Honorable Mention in the 2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.

You can find out more about the author on:

Blog: Eve's Book Diary: Literary journey of an office career escapee, www.evekoguce.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/eve_koguce

Twitter: @EveKoguce  

Instagram: @eve_koguce_books

Facebook: Eve Koguce Books https://www.facebook.com/evekoguce/

Multicultural romance drama edged in suspense

Mrs. Varman reads like period drama with an Indian theme. The book opens with a whirlwind romance between American-born Julia (Mrs. Varman) and Indian-born Sachin. He falls madly in love with Julia, and they marry, but his family is unhappy about it. As the first two chapters unfold, they seem destined for each other until the loss of their first baby through miscarriage. That tragic incident changes the trajectory of their relationship. They become strangers living in the same house. By chapter 3,  stories of the ugly underbelly of the Indian culture, including dysfunctional families, child trafficking, poverty, abuse, and even murder, replace the struggles of Mrs. Varman's marriage. These stories introduce new, complex characters, including an orphaned boy named Vijay, who struggles to survive.

As the chapters progressed, I thought the book to be an anthology with a theme of life in India amid various castes, and I wondered what ever happened to Mrs. Varman. I was happy when her storyline returned in chapter 10 as Julia and Sachin plan for a trip to India. Julia learns how to wear a saree and cook Indian food to impress her husband’s family in India as she prepares for her first trip out of the United States. Traveling away from the familiar makes her feel more dependent on Sachin. The more dependent she feels, the more she wants her relationship to work.

Upon arriving in India, Sachin’s aunt and grandmother welcome them, but as soon as Sachin is alone with his grandmother, she tells him she’d much rather have a grandchild than the gifts he brought for her. He can’t bring himself to tell her that Julia can have no children since the miscarriage. His distant relationship with Julia is palpable, but they blame it on their long journey when the aunt asks if something is wrong. While Granny tells Sachin she had higher expectations for his life partner, she is secretly happy to have Julia visit, but Julia feels emptiness even while around all these relatives. At this point in the story, the boy, Vijay, has grown into a young man looking for love, and the story begins to take a new direction with suspense, danger, and temptations.

 

The cultural details Sanjeeta Behera weaves into the backdrop of this story, like Granny wiping red tobacco spit from the side of her mouth and the common practice of licking fingers when enjoying good food, carry the reader to new experiences. Scents from rich spicy curries to the filth and noises of the streets are enlightening and engaging.

This story takes some unexpected twists and turns, and had me hooked to find out what Julia decides to do regarding her marriage and the love for which she longs. I recommend this book to people who enjoy dramas filled with interesting characters with complicated relationships and plenty of secrets. On the downside, the sesquipedalian vocabulary is somewhat off-putting. For instance, after the young boy, Vijay, is cheated from earnings promised him, “He became a victim of pecuniary dishonesty and hesitantly accorded deference to their barbarity and injustice by accommodating it within a shelter of his fortitude.” The story of Mrs. Varman, itself, I would give 4 stars, but due to the verbose writing style, I give it 3 stars.

As Book Hookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received this book as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with BookTasters. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

 

 

Mariana's Secret - an unpredictable, action-packed plot

Mariana’s Secret is book 2 in the Katori Chronicles. In it, Author A. D. Lombardo picks right up where book 1, The Half-Light, left off, with 15-year-old Prince Kai of Diu discovering and learning how to use his Katori powers as he approaches his 16^th birthday. He is focused on learning what happened when his mother died 12 years earlier. With Kendra’s help, he uses his powers to relive the memory. What he learns changes the course of his life. His skills, both magical and otherwise, continue to grow. One of those skills includes learning to be a spy. It creates secret connections and places him strategically to learn sensitive information. With each new discovery, he finds things are not as he has been told all his life. He struggles with anger and must learn to navigate his painful emotions as he continues to perform his royal duties. 

When a mysterious stranger threatens the royal family in Diu during the Winter Festival accompanied by Landon Maxwell whom he’d known from childhood, it raises a whole new set of questions. Who is this man and how did he get past security? And why does he want to hurt the King’s family? Kai travels to Albey Estate to talk his aunt and uncle into coming to the safety of Diu, but while he is there, it comes under attack. Men equipped with hand cannons and other new and deadly weapons swarm the estate from the sea. Kai senses a Katori man on one of the ships and is sure it is the same stranger who threatened the palace.

While all this is going on, Kai’s prearranged marriage to Amelia is still moving forward. The problem is that his heart belongs to Rayna and Ameilia loves Tolan. Based on his visions, Kai is certain he meant to be with Rayna and tries to find a way to get out of the prearranged obligation that would make him King of Milnos. To compound things, he learns that when he and Rayna turn 17, as full Katoris, they will become sick and must travel to Katori for the Conhaspriga or risk losing their magical abilities altogether. As their birthdays draw near headaches start followed by fever. Responsibilities seem to make it impossible to get away, and the Katori elders do not want Kai to return to Katori for some reason. This places all kinds of hurdles and obstacles in their way.

Mariana’s Secret is full of more than just Mariana’s secret. With multiple plot threads woven into an unpredictable, action-packed plot with relatable characters, this original story easily earns 5-stars and comes highly recommended to epic fantasy readers. I do recommend reading the Half-Light first, but Mariana’s Secret will be an enjoyable read even if you don’t.

As BookHookup I am a longtime book reviewer and I received Mariana's Secret as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.  

 

About the Author

Angela Lombardo was born in Akron, Ohio, raised on a farm by her grandparents. Angela loves animals, the country life and is still a tomboy at heart. You can take her off the bobcat, but you’ll never get her to enjoy the city. She dabbled in playing the piano, sports and fishing.

Her love of comics started with Spiderman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. Being a Trekkie and a BMX rider, Angela did not have many girlfriends or time for makeup. She spent most of her time with her older brother crashing dirt bikes and three-wheelers. As a teenager, her grandmother sent her to Barbizon to teach her how to be a proper girl. She is fortunate she had a son.

Angela started writing The Half-Light in fall 2017 after a sleepless night gave her pause about the mother in a made-up story she created for her son. She spent the weekend solving the mystery of where the mother went.

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