I just couldn't get into this book. The characters were well written in both stories, and I liked them. The brutal, futuristic nature of both stories just turned me off. ( )

I just couldn't get into this book. The characters were well written in both stories, and I liked them. The brutal, futuristic nature of both stories just turned me off. ( )

Tengo un nuevo respeto por Lauren Dane , y he decidido darle una chance a sus libros .

Gracias a sus declaraciones sobre el género "Mommy Porn" , me di cuenta lo mal que está usar ese término para las novelas románticas .

Si quieren saber a qué me refiero exactamente pasen por acá

En español

Completo , en Inglés

Sinceramente , nunca me había parado a pensar lo despectivo que era el nombre ... y la autora lo expone tan bien que hizo reflexionar y tener más respeto por las autoras de romances .

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Alluring Angel - Kathy:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls

There All Along is two novellas by Lauren Dane & Megan Hart. Lauren Dane’s offering titled Land’s End is the story of Loyal, a lawman and Verity, a widow who runs the settlement’s mercantile. The setting is in a world where rapists and murderers run rampant in the areas surrounding various outposts. The only way that supplies and mail can get from place to place is by armed escort. Loyal is constantly on the move with shipment deliveries, but he is always drawn back to Verity. Verity dreams of seeing other places, experiencing new things. The chemistry between these two is strong, but Loyal doesn’t think he is a good enough man for Verity. But she thinks he is wrong. This is a sweet love story with hot sexual steam.

By The Sea Of Sand, written by Megan Hart is set in a harsh world where survival is a hard fought battle. Kason Reed is taken prisoner by off world enemies, tortured and experimented on. When he finally returns home, he is put under the care of Teila. Teila, the light keeper at the edge of the sea of sand, tries to help Kason regain his memory while having to keep a secret from him. A secret that could destroy him. By The Sea Of Sand is a fast paced love story that had me instantly hooked. The heat factor was very high throughout. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Two futuristic stories with promise, but being a short story really impacted upon the story.

Opening Sentence: Loyal led the escort up the wide expanse of Highway, up the ramp and the steep roadway.

The Review:

When I received this book in my last packet of review books, I saw Lauren Dane’s name and was super excited to read this book. I was intrigued with the idea of her writing a futuristic romance because the only other book of her’s that I have read is Cake. To say I loved that book is an understatement. Gregori Ivanov still has the ability to get me hot and bothered, but on to Land’s End which is Dane’s portion of this book.

After having a few days to let this book stew in my brain, one of the things that I keep coming back to is that it is hard to categorize either of these books as a short story or novella. They have components, good and bad of both styles.

Land’s End includes an attention to detail in making every word count. I have grown to expect that from any piece of literature by Dane. She has a way of describing a scene but using only necessary words and yet there is great talent in this skill.

On the negative side, this story had moments that I felt could have been fleshed out just a smidge and this includes the end of the story. There is a sudden jump from chapter 17 to 18 that is very noticeable. I think that the final chapter should have been an Epilogue because that is how it feels like it was written.

Now By the Sea of Sand by Megan Hart was actually my favorite between these two short stories. The story gripped me very early on and would not let me go until I had finished the book.

I loved the fact that our hero is brought to a location to heal and he knows very little about his life before he was captured by an enemy race and basically tortured. You struggle with him as he tries to figure out what is real, what is imagined and how to re-learn about his life.

My only quibble with this book is that there are times that this book jars the reader out of the story. I’m betting that was a specific device that Hart used in order to demonstrate the jumble that has become part of Captain Kason Reed’s existence. If this is the case, then high praise to Hart because I felt each one of those jarring moments to my bone.

This book also presented the opportunity to expand my author love now to include Megan Hart. I shall look forward to her next book and would actually like to try one of her other books in a genre that I am more familiar with like contemporary or even one of her erotic romances.

Lauren Dane shall remain firmly on my read list because of her writing style and the unique voice she brings to her books.

If you are looking to put a toe into futuristic romance, I believe that this book is a great way to start, especially if you are familiar with either of the authors. If I could rate the books separately I would give Land’s End 3 stars and By the Sea of Sand 4 stars.

Notable Scene:

His gaze snagged on hers. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Is that so? And why is that?”

“Because you are fine and beautiful. You are feminine and graceful and I am not.”

“If I had want of another woman I could find one and ask her for a kiss, Lawman.”

He blushed for a moment, swallowing hard. “You know what I mean.”

“”No, I really don’t. Do you not have a wanting of me? A woman back home?”

FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of There All Along. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )