Lisa April Smith

I read and loved Lisa Smith's first novel, Dangerous Lies. Frankly, I was wondering if she would be able to maintain the level of writing in future books. When your first book is a 5 star read, it is hard to go up. Ms. Smith easily handled it. I was engrossed from the beginning of Exceeding Expectations. Ms Smith writes well thought out stories. I believe she researches and knows her subject matter. She brings to the shelf a book she can be proud of and one we can get lost in. Exceeding Expectations does exactly that. If you like a thrilling read pick up this book. Ms Smith handled writing a story that goes from one location to another, one generation to another without dropping the ball. I am a person who looks at the cover for first indication as to my level of interest. I'm not fond of the cover, although I do understand's relevance. If you are also not fond of the cover, remember to not judge a book by it's cover, even if it fits. Which it does in the way that art is involved in this story, bad art by a man who hides his true identity from everyone. Perhaps even his self, as I imagine each time he is reinventing himself he is losing more of who he is. An intriguing thought. Perhaps one that will become more apparent in the sequel to this book. A sequel I am greatly anticipating.… (mere)

I found this book a thrilling read. I admit, I do love the "mob" stories. I grew up in Chicago, (Al Capone, Tony Lombardo, Bugs Moran, Sam Giancana among others). I grew up hearing of stories of the mob, reading of them in the local papers and seeing them on the local news. Lisa wrote a book that reminded me of those stories. Excellent characters, compelling story, well written. It's a win. Full review on my blog Alaskanbookcafe.

*An Ebook copy was given to me for review by the author. No compensation was offered or received. No promise of a good review was made. Opinions expressed are solely mine.*… (mere)

When I was asked to read FORGOTTEN TALES OF CHINA by author Lisa April Smith I was expecting a suspense book from her like the great read EXCEEDING EXPECTAITIONS. What I read turned out to be a historical fiction about pre-historic China. Not something I would have normally agreed to read. I was sure glad that I did. I fell in love with this book. The characters jumped off the pages and I fell in love with them. The story telling is superb. We learn of the peopke that lived in caves and had to learn to hunt for food and even fire. They had a "mother" that taught them the old ways. She passed on her knowledge to a young girl, Berry with low ranking who turned out to be a great help to the tribe. My favorite story was of the man that came onto the tribes land looking for a place for him and his small group to stay. The men agreed to let the man his women and children from his group to stay on for a year to prove his worth and re-evaluate the decision. He brought with him the knowledge of fishing. Normally a woman would fish, but the stranger had an extensive knowledge to catch many fish and feed many people. He showed his worth above and beyond what the people expected. If you have a fondness for China and/or historical fiction I highly recommend this book. I really feel if you are a fan of Lisa's you would enjoy this. Like I previously stated this book would not have been a first choice pick to review, but I would have been wrong not to read this wonderfully written read.
Rating 4.5
Heat Rating Sweet
Reviewed By Rae
Courtesy Of My Book Addiction And More… (mere)