• Home
  • ABOUT ME
  • CURRENT READINGS
  • SEND EMAIL
  • Reviews
  • Poet At Play
  • The Classics Club
  • FRIDAY FICTIONEERS
  • HAIKU
  • HAIBUN
  • HAIKU MY HEART
  • TAN RENGA/TANKA
  • SHADORMA
  • SHORT STORIES
  • AFRIKU
  • CARPE DIEM
  • APED PROMPT
  • TROIKU
  • CHOKA
  • MY BOOKS
  • CHERITA
  • QUADRILLE

Reading Pleasure

~ A Blog of Books and Literature

Reading Pleasure

Category Archives: Reviews

Book Release: Path To Passion By Nana Prah

02 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Events, Fiction, Ghana Association of Writers, Publication, Reviews, Romance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Ghana, Harlequin, Nana Prah, New release, Path To Passion, romance

My friend and fellow Ghanaian, Nana Prah, a multi cultural romance writer who also blogs at http://nanaprah.blogspot.com/ has just released her eighth book. Did you read that? Eighth book. Yeah, Nana is really making Ghana proud. And guess what I had the privilege of having lunch with her and another romance writer friend Empi right opposite my workplace. A possible Romance Writers of Ghana (RWOG) in the making? 🙂 Just make sure you get yourself a copy of this fabulous Path To Passion I will be reviewing soon. 🙂

Title: Path To Passion

Author: Nana Prah

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Print Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Romance; Original edition (August 1, 2018)

Publication Date: August 1, 2018

 BLURB

The man who broke her heart . . .Is the man she now needs more than ever!

Heir to his family’s global empire, branding genius Miguel Astacio turns everything into marketing gold. Only his best friend’s sister seems immune to his magic touch. Until Tanya Carrington comes to him to save her floundering nightclub. Miguel is ready to rectify past mistakes. But will his supreme sacrifice win the heart of the woman he loves?

Add to Goodreads: https://goo.gl/hbCASz

BUY LINKS

Amazon US: https://goo.gl/nbTvYU

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/jkwRjj

Barnes and Noble: https://goo.gl/5gx7Mx

iBooks: https://goo.gl/cLpN6p

Kobo: https://goo.gl/YwVpWN

EXCERPT

Miguel’s blood heated as she gave him a wavering smile. She was just too beautiful, with clear skin marked only by a dark mole at the corner of her nose, angled dark eyes and full lickable lips.

“I mean,” Tanya continued, “I won’t even be able to recognize the place when it’s completed. Everything sounds incredible, but I may have to draw the line at the cages for dancers.”

He thought she might. “Trust me, if we charge people to dance in them, they will pay. The one rule is that they have to keep their clothes on.”

 “We’ll see.” She stared at the screen again with her eyes unblinking “Um…” She rubbed the back of her neck and a light sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. “How much will this cost?”

Now for the heavy convincing. He got up and stood beside her to point at the CCTV screen showing the dance area, which had filled up a little more in the hour they’d been going over his ideas. “I can see this place packed, people waiting all the way up the street trying to get in. VIP area filled with actors, musicians and pro athletes flying in to experience it.”

Unable to resist, he leaned close so they were almost cheek to cheek. Her heat and honeysuckle perfume floated into him, and he turned his head so his starving lips could caress her one more time. He kissed along her jaw until he met the sensitive area of her neck, where he teased her with gentle nips until she moaned. She sprang as far away from him as the room would allow.

What had he been thinking? Why did she affect him this way? She took away his willpower like no other woman had ever done. Thinking became almost impossible when she was around. The desire to smooth his hands over her incredibly silky soft skin drove him to get closer, but he stayed rooted to the spot, watching her rub the goose pimples from her arms.

“Answer the question, Miguel.” He was pleased to hear her voice quiver. “How much will it cost?”

He’d rather discuss the turbulent heat swirling between them, but if she wanted to ignore it then he should, too. “You’ve heard the saying that you have to spend money to make money, right?”

Her slow nod brought her hair forward. He watched as she brushed back the strand she wanted to filter his fingers through, bringing her close so they could fall into the attraction drawing them together.

CONNECT WITH NANA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NanaPrah.Author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NanaPrah

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanaprahauthor/

Website: https://www.nanaprah.com/

 

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Review: Seduced Hearts by Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku

24 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Fiction, Publication, Reviews, Romance, Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Africa, Forgiveness, Ghana, love, marriage, Nigeria, Relationships, romance, Seduced Hearts, Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku

Title: Seduced Hearts
Author: Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku
Format: Kindle
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku
Pages: 202
Publication Date: November 2015

Reason for reading: Verified Purchase. (love a good romance)

Blurb

Is a lovely marriage enough?

Ghanaian designer, Efua Flonta has a marriage and a life many women dream of. Her Seduced Hearts: A Body ~Tingling Romance by [Eromonsere-Ajanaku, Stella]heart lies with her racy husband, Xavier and two young children. Her marriage vows are sacred until she meets a man who threaten everything she holds dear.

Sexy formula one racing champion, Xavier Flonta wants nothing more than to please his beautiful wife and children. When an old friend stops over, he does not bargain for one weekend of trouble. Will Efua and Xavier pull together to save their marriage in time for Christmas or will the hurt be too painful?

My Thoughts

Marriage can be a beautiful experience or journey if all the cards are played right and the partners involved love each other genuinely. For Efua and Xavier Flonta, everything is perfect, or so it seems. They both have damaging secrets that even their steamy nights and days cannot overshadow.

I read this book overnight. Fast paced just like the formula one driving Xavier, full speed and when I finished I knew I had really landed with a whoosh. 🙂

Stella has written a romance that makes one question the validity of one’s marriage vows especially in the face of such agonising and explosive revelations by the parties. But in the end, forgiveness becomes vital to keep the marriage together.

What is striking about Seduced Hearts is the strong extended family links. In Ghana, we say when you marry a person, you marry the whole family; Xavier and Efua have strong links to their extended families and the two entities are pivotal in the reconciliation, though in the end, Xavier and Efua have to fight their own demons, come to terms with their flaws and ultimately decide to let love prevail. Yes, as I mention flaw, let me add that both characters are nicely flawed and that make them human. Did I love the characters?  Hmm, Xavier is my man, and when you read the book you will know why. 🙂

I give Seduced Hearts five ‘heart-shaped’ stars and highly recommend it to all lovers of romance and those who are interested in knowing about Ghana

AUTHOR BIO

Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku is a fun-loving mother of two teenagers, married to her gorgeous husband and best friend who indulges her romantic habits. Writing contemporary and historical romance novels is an exciting adventure for her. Out of curiosity and belief that love conquers all, she has written several Interracial & Multicultural Romance Novels.

In 2010, Stella created Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels, a collection of toe-curling, intriguing, and skin-tingling romance with compelling characters who have heart and soul and jump off the pages of the book. All her stories are dotted with twists and turns and are set in fascinating Africa, enticing Europe & enchanting America.

To experience and enjoy an intense emotional ride, pick up a copy of any of her novels: Loitering Shadows, Beyond the Lady, The Gardener’s Ice Maiden, Sparkling Dawn, Husband to Rent, Stolen Valentine Kiss (Holiday Series #1), Kiss My Lips (Holiday Series #2), Forbidden Dance, Stolen Valentine Kiss & Kiss My Lips (Holiday Series 2~ Books ~ in ~ 1), Tempting Desire, Seduced Hearts, Red Velvet Rose and Wild Whispers. Stella’s first historical/suspense/mystery romance, Royal Cowries (Cowries Series #1) will give you an insight into a different Africa.

A luxury home by the seaside is on Stella’s wish list. In her spare time, she loves to swim on her back like a starfish, watch TV, go to the movies with her family and read romance novels.

 

 

 

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Whispers of Dawn Now Available in Kindle

11 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Cherita, Dawn, Ghana Association of Writers, Micropoetry, Poetry, Publication, Reviews, Romance

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Amazon, Celestine Nudanu, Cherita, Ghana, Kindle, Whispers of Dawn

Good News to all my friends out there! Whispers of Dawn, (A book of Cherita) is now live and available for purchase in Kindle Format on Amazon. Yay. 🙂 Please download your copies and kindly leave a review on Amazon for me after reading. Thank you all so very much for your lovely support over the years. 🙂 God richly bless you. 🙂

Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes & Noble

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Whispers of Dawn Gets Another Top Review

09 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Cherita, Dawn, Ghana Association of Writers, Micropoetry, Poetry, Publication, Reviews

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Cherita, Ghana, Gillena Cox, Publication, review, Whispers of Dawn

Here is a wonderful review of my book Whispers of Dawn from my blogging friend in Trinidad & Tobago, Gillena Cox.

Yes she has done it again! Celestine Nudanu has dipped into her conscious yin and yang pulling out some trinkets for us; some sparkly as fine-cut diamonds, some dark as somber onyx. She has spilled across pages more than 50 poems called cherita. Telling her personal stories and sharing her cultural essence.

Choosing this concise genre to detail issues such as love, longing, despair, gratitude, death and self-realization, is no easy task, yet this is the holy grail that this poet embarks on, and succeeds in her attainment, as ‘Whispers of Dawn’

The cherita is a 6 line poem which tells a story, in fact it is a Malay word meaning story and is a form created by Ai Li.

Ai Li, in her foreword of this collection remarks, “The cherita genre could almost have been created just for Celestine, for her to gift to us her stories”

Best wishes with your outreach pursuits for a fine collection of poems, dear Celestine. Certainly, this is not a book you can read only once.

THANKS FOR AGREEING TO BOOK SWAP Celestine [ i have sent her a copy of my ‘Pink Crush’.
much love
gillena

Purchasing Links for Whispers of Dawn (A Book of Cherita)

Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes & Noble

Purchasing Links for Haiku Rhapsodies:

Exquisite haiku and senryu from Ghana

Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Review: Seasons Defined: Poems of Love and Seasons by Khaya Ronkainen

04 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Guests, Poetry, Publication, Reviews, Romance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Finland, Khaya Ronkainen, love, nautre, ode, romance, Seasons Defined

Title:      Seasons Defined:Poems of Love and Seasons
Author:  Khaya Ronkainen
Binding: Kindle
Genre:    Poetry
Pages:    26
Publication Date: May 30, 2018

Publishers: QuillInInk Press

Reasons for Reading: Verified purchase

Blurb

Seasons Defined is a short poetic memoir, where seasons are placed in a position to define love, home and the journey to self as made by an immigrant. Each poem shows a different aspect of that love, its time, its infancy-to-maturity, its human foibles and desperate fears, its temper and its passionate love. This is a love cycle from spring to winter.

My Thoughts

I hardly review poetry and as a poet that is real funny. I have quite a number of Seasons Defined: poems of love and seasons by [Ronkainen, Khaya]poetry books I’ve read and enjoyed but hardly a review. But this is different. Maybe I am biased but this is Khaya’s poetry, 🙂 and a beautiful one at that.

Seasons Defined by Khaya Ronkainen is a wonderful   collection of sixteen nature poems, truly a beautiful ode to nature and love. Khaya’s words are a lovely blend of seasonal aromas and elegant whiff of romance. I liked every bit of poetry in this book. I particularly like that in almost all the poems the poet links nature to love, she sees love at play in the seasons. Love defines her seasons and the seasons define the love she has found. The reader can see into her soul through her words, and this is exquisite!

Through the poet’s choice of words one can almost hear her laughter and feel her joy in the various seasons of winter, autumn, summer and spring. Khaya also celebrates her country, Finland in her poems. She celebrates the landscapes and the people and the joys and sorrows. The poems reflect feelings of gratitude at the peace and solitude she finds in her adopted country.

Khaya Ronkainen is an amazing poet and I urge all to get copies of her Seasons Defined to feed your souls through the changing seasons.

Copies are available at Amazon

 

 

 

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Review: Forest Girl by Empi Baryeh

28 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Fiction, Ghana Association of Writers, Publication, Reviews, Romance

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Africa, customs, Empi Baryeh, Forest Girl, Ghana, romance, tradition

Title:      Forest Girl
Author:  Empi Baryeh
Binding: Paperback
Genre:    Contemporary Romance
Pages:    242
Publication Date: May 6,2018

Publishers: Independent Publishing with Createspace

Reasons for Reading: Advanced Review Copy for a candid review

Blurb

Esi Afriyie has been in love with Michael Yaw Badu since childhood. When he receives a scholarship to study in America, all hope seems lost … until he returns to Ghana ten years later. An arranged marriage contracted by their families makes her dreams come true, but does the reality of being Mrs. Michael Badu live up to the fantasy? Michael may have married Esi, but he is in love with someone else—Forest Girl, a mystery woman he encountered just once in the forest. His heart belongs to her, and he doesn’t need his beautiful wife awakening his carnal desires. He is even willing to sacrifice his marriage for another encounter with Forest Girl. Reality is not what either Esi or Michael imagined. Esi is disillusioned; Michael feels trapped. Will Michael give in and allow his heart to discover a love that was always meant to be, before it’s too late?

My Thoughts

Forest Girl is Empi Baryeh’s third romance book to be set in Ghana, and it can only get better and better. Empi knows her characters well, perhaps because she is from Ghana herself and she knows our lore and tradition, which are generously woven into the beautiful story that is Michael and Esi’s arranged marriage. I mean which man would agree to an arranged marriage even in a traditional setting? And a modern, US educated man at that. And yet Michael yields to pressure from the ghost of his father whose dying wish was for his son to marry a suitable girl chosen by him. Never mind that he has a ‘modern liberated’ girl friend, never mind that he hates the whole arrangement. Never mind that he had fallen for a mysterious Forest Girl, despite the very loud existence of his girlfriend. And never mind that Esi has been in love with him for a long time.

The beauty of this book is that the author managed to maneuver the ups and downs, surprises, twists and turns of this unusual relationship, keeping the reader in suspense till the end.

To be honest, both characters got on my nerves; Michael, for not willing or being able to make up his mind as to whom he wanted; Esi for being too sweet and trusting. But as the story developed, Esi, an educated girl from the village, proved that she could stand her own ground, especially when it became clear that she might be sharing her husband with Lena, Michael’s girlfriend. She refused to be treated like a doormat.

One significant feature about Forest Girl, among many, is that the reader is made aware that marriage is never a bed perfect, more so an arranged one. The author does a very good job here; dealing with infidelity in marriage and the presence of an imaginary woman, ingredients that no new wife should contend with in her marriage. Both characters grow to confront their limitations and Michael especially grows into the man he is supposed to be.

Forest Girl is well researched, the diction and editing, flawless. The flavour of Ghana and for that matter, Africa, permeates it. Rich customs and traditions, local foods, snippets of local dialect, well imbibed local drinks, lush and harsh scenery of village life are a fine blend that set the tone in this novel, Forest Girl.

The only problem I have with Forest Girl is that I would have loved to know the outcome of the job interview Esi attended. This however did not detract from the story or the development of the plot in any way.

Forest Girl  is a truly lovely romance journey into Ghana that I urge all lovers of romance to take. 🙂

About the Author

Empi Baryeh is the award-winning author of Most Eligible Bachelor (winner: Book of the year in the 2017 Ufere Awards). She writes sweet and sensual African, multicultural and interracial romance, which happens to be her favourite genres of romance to read. Her interest in writing started around the age of thirteen after she stumbled upon a YA story her sister had started and abandoned. The story fascinated her so much that, when she discovered it was unfinished, she knew she had to complete it. Somehow the rest of the story began to take shape in her mind and she’s been writing ever since. She lives in Accra, Ghana, with her husband and their two lovely kids.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Smashwords

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Haiku Rhapsodies – Yet Another Review

19 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by readinpleasure in African Women Writers, Afriku, Ghana Association of Writers, Haiku, Haiku My Heart, Micropoetry, Nature, Poetry, Publication, Reviews

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Afriku, Celestine Nudanu, Ghana, Haiku, Haiku Rhapsodies, Reviews

Hello my friends. It’s been awhile I know. 🙂  I’m so busy lately and this gives me little or no time for blogging. Just to let you know that I’m still around, I bring you a short but lovely review of my book Haiku Rhapsodies, by a satisfied customer on Amazon, Ama Wale. Thanks, Ama. 🙂 I am taking this opportunity to urge all of my friends who have purchased my book and yet to write a review on Amazon or elsewhere to please kindly do so. 🙂 You know how we authors lap up reviews. Those who haven’t bought copies should please do so also through Amazon. You won’t ever regret your decision.  🙂 Thanks you. 🙂

Image may contain: text

REVIEW

This is a refreshing read for any poetry lover! The author’s choice of words are at once spot on, and engaging- leaving the reader wanting more. This ought to be a must-read for literature students.

Links for Haiku Rhapsodies:

Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Goodreads

 

 

Rate this:

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Join 1,824 other followers
August 2022
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Mar    

Archives

Whispers of Dawn ( A Book of Cherita)

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Haiku My Heart: Midnight Rendezvous
  • Haiku My Heart: Resolution
  • Haiku My Heart: Night Tremour
  • Haiku My Heart: Origami
  • Felicitations!

Recent Comments

readinpleasure on Celebrating Bessie Head…
readinpleasure on Haiku My Heart: Midnight …
readinpleasure on Haiku My Heart: Midnight …
Sharmishtha Basu on Haiku My Heart: Resolutio…
Sharmishtha Basu on Haiku My Heart: Midnight …

Blogroll

  • Accra Books and Things
  • bareyournakedtruth
  • BN Poetry Award
  • Commonwealth Writers
  • Dagda Publishing
  • Empi Baryeh's Blog
  • Geosi Reads
  • Ghana Book Trust
  • Golden Baobab
  • ImageNations
  • Kente Publishing
  • Kinna Reads
  • logo-ligi
  • Medium
  • Nana Awere Damoah
  • Poetry FoundationGhana
  • Sarah Reads Too Much
  • The Brunel University African Poetry Prize
  • The Daily Commute: From Bridge to Ridge
  • The Kalahari
  • World Haiku Review

TAGS

Africa Afriku Angels Autumn Basho Beauty betrayal Birthday Celestine Nudanu Cherita Christianity Christmas colours culture Dawn Death desire Dew dreams Drizzle Easter Family Fire Freedom Ghana God Gratitude Haiku Haiku My Heart Haiku Rhapsodies Harmattan heat Heaven Hunger Inspiration Jane Reichhold Life light love marriage Melody Moon Muse Music Nana Prah Nature nautre Passion Peace Pentatonix Poetry Poverty Publication rain Rainbow Rains relationship Relationships Religion romance Shadorma sound of silence South Africa spiritual Spirituality Spring stars summer Sun tradition Valentine Waltz war weather Whispers of Dawn

Blog Stats

  • 320,432 hits

Ce’s Randomiser

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Follow me on Twitter

  • Haiku My Heart: Midnight Rendezvous readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2021/03/26/hai… 1 year ago
  • Haiku My Heart: readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2021/03/19/hai… 1 year ago
  • Haiku My Heart: Night Tremour readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2021/03/12/hai… 1 year ago
  • Haiku My Heart: Jingle Bells readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2021/02/05/hai… 1 year ago
  • Felicitations! readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/fel… 1 year ago
Follow @cestone40

  • Follow Following
    • Reading Pleasure
    • Join 1,824 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Reading Pleasure
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: