Love in a World of Sorrow by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller

This book describes Holocaust reality as we have never encountered it before. From the unrelenting fear of death and gnawing pain of hunger, to the budding relationships of an adolescent girl growing into womanhood during the worst of all times, the author withholds nothing. Fanya Gottesfeld Heller's subtle depiction of her parents’ knowledge that it was a non-Jew's love for their daughter that had moved him to hide them, and their embarrassment and ultimate acceptance of the situation, lead us to wonder how we would have acted under the same circumstances as father, mother, or daughter. Love in a World of Sorrow features Fanya's gripping tale of survival and an updated foreword and epilogue by the author, reflecting more than a decade of experience bearing witness to the Holocaust before hundreds of audiences around the world. On the reading list at Princeton University, the University of Connecticut, and Ben Gurion University of the Negev, among others. Fanya Gottesfeld Heller's book is an indispensable educational tool for teaching future generations about the human potential for both good and evil.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Jacki – ☆☆☆☆☆
I cannot give enough praise to Mrs. Heller for sharing her story with the world. This book was phenomenally riveting and will leave a lasting impact in my memory. I have had an interest in the Holocaust for some time now and this book has stood out to me by far. It does not get much more real than this.

Most people are familiar with the horrors of the Holocaust, but this book brings the reader right into them. This first person account made me feel very much in the moment. It was an emotional roller coaster and a more personal education of the Nazi invasion.

Everything I expected was there, but there was so much more along with it. Fanya tells all of the personal details that I'm sure many just wanted to forget and couldn't force themselves to recall. Every moment, no matter how large or small, is shared to create a complete story. The happiness of the early times in her life through the horror and suffering and even on to post Holocaust are all included. I applaud her for including even the most humiliating and even shameful things that she suffered through or did to survive where others may have chosen to leave them out of their stories. Fanya's own personal journey throughout her life completely amazes me and I admire her as a person for everything she went through and for the person she strove to become in the aftermath.

This book is not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to read it, I highly recommend it and am glad that I took the time to read it.

Fanya Gottesfeld Heller was born in 1924 into a traditional Jewish family in the small Ukrainian village of Skala. Just over a decade later, Fanya was beset by hunger, marked for death, and faced with the constant threat of execution. Fanya, her parents and brother were hidden from the Nazi death squads through the kindness of two Christian rescuers, a Polish farmer and a Ukrainian militiaman. Despite the incomprehensible conditions, Fanya miraculously survived to live a full life and shares her message of hope.

Love in a World of Sorrow: A Teenage Girl’s Holocaust Memoirs documents her family’s wartime existence and her complex relationships with her rescuers.

Fanya’s original intent in writing her book, was to uncover the truth about the death of her father which to this day remains unexplained. But in writing her memoirs, she came to understand the importance of her story both as family history for her children and grandchildren and as a contribution to the Holocaust record. The publication of her book was greeted with warm praise for her bravery and described the difficult choices she had to make as she did everything possible to insure the survival of her family.

Her friend, fellow survivor and Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel has said, “Everyone who listens to a witness, becomes a witness himself.” In reading Fanya’s story, you too will become a witness.

Love in a World of Sorrow: A Teenage Girl’s Holocaust Memoirs is included in the curriculum of prestigious educational institutions including Princeton University, Yale, and The University of Connecticut. It served as the basis for her film, Teenage Witness: The Fanya Heller Story, released in 2010 when it was broadcast on PBS and its affiliate stations. Narrated by Richard Gere, the film tells Fanya’s story of survival through archival clips, photographs and live action testimonials and reflects her interaction with inner city teens.

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Jacki reviewed her personal copy of Love in a World of Sorrow: A Teenage Girl's Holocaust Memoirs by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller for this post.

Eventide of the Bear by Cherise Sinclair

She risked her life to save a human child. Pain was her reward.

All her life, Emma longed for someone to love. Instead, disaster sees the brand-new bard banished from her people for long lonely years. Injured saving a child, the werebear has to steal food from humans, breaking shifter Law. The territory’s Cosantir and his lethal grizzly warrior catch her in the act. To her surprise, she’s healed and welcomed. Obviously, they don’t know her past. But oh, she can’t resist being around other shifters—especially the captivatingly powerful warrior. Maybe she can stay…just a little while.

As a grizzly warrior, Ben is ordered to house the pretty werebear until she heals. His littermate abandoned him, his home is empty, and he’s been alone for a long time. Intelligent and sweet and lushly curved, Emma is a delight…even if she is oddly reticent about her past. Although having sworn off females, he’s sorely tempted by this one. Damned if he doesn’t want to keep her, secrets or not.

Females were trouble. Years past, one split Ryder from his littermate. Now the panther shifter is returning to Ben, bringing his cub with him, a four-year-old he stole from the abusive female. To Ryder’s annoyance, his brother is sheltering a wounded bear. A female. Even worse, she’s beautiful and gentle and loving—damned if he’s going to fall for that act again. But when the dark of the moon arrives and death reigns supreme, he’ll discover that not all females are alike.

In a world filled with hellhounds and pixies, can three lonely shifters and one silent cub create a new family together?

Book 3
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
I want to start by saying that it feels like it has been forever since I read books one and two in The Wild Hunt Legacy series and while I didn’t get a chance to reread them before reading Eventide of the Bear, I really don’t think it affected my reading experience one bit. Like most of my reading buddies, I discovered Sinclair’s writing during my BDSM romance phase. But because I enjoyed her writing style so much and had devoured all of her BDSM books that were available at the time, I decided to give Hour of the Lion a try. I loved it and immediately read its sequel. Not surprisingly, I was ecstatic when I learned that Eventide of the Bear was releasing this month and while I hadn’t planned on reading it for a few weeks, I found that when it popped up on my Kindle, I couldn’t wait to dive right in.

The beginning of the book is quite sad as we see a young Emma attending her first mating gathering and learning just how neglected she had been by her mother when she has to rely upon the kindness of a male friend to explain her first mating experience. At first glance, it’s a bit heartwarming to see the young girl accepted by the males, to see her gain a little bit of confidence from their attentions. But when the evening ends in tragedy, my heart broke for Emma. When we fast forward three years to the present, my sadness over Emma’s existence continued as we find her living a solitary life that, despite her shyness, leaves her lonely and longing for contact with others. Despite the events that led to her solitude, it soon becomes clear that Emma’s core personality remains unchanged when she puts herself in the path of certain death to save the lives of human children. Even though she survives the hellhound’s attack, she does not do so unscathed and the state of her injuries have her nearing death’s door far sooner than she ever expected. But her life starts to look up when the cosantir and a cahir from the local pack catch her red handed and take her back to Cold Creek to heal. The cahir, Ben, is more than willing to house Emma while she heals because not only is Ben a bear shifter like Emma, but he too is lonely. As all of this is going on, Ben’s estranged brother Ryder has learned that he has a cub and, in his journey to Cold Creek to reconcile with Ben, he stops in to meet his four-year-old daughter, Minette. When Ryder discovers the neglect Minette has been subjected to, he does the unheard of and takes the child with him. It is Minette’s presence that helps to soothe the reunion between brothers because the child’s needs help to send Ben’s (well-earned) hurt feelings packing in order to provide for the cub’s safety. And thus the stage is set for a whole lot of healing that must occur before this trio can become a family fit for a cubling…and brownies.

If you’re a fan of Sinclair’s BDSM romances, don’t dive into this book expecting the same kind of action. However, if you’re a fan of her injured characters who heal through love, then you might want to give Eventide of the Bear a chance. Because all three of the main characters have suffered emotional injuries of one sort or the other, there is a lot that each must overcome before they embark upon a sexual relationship. Compounding that, Emma has serious physical injuries from the hellhound attack that must heal first. This gives the characters more than half the book to get to know one another, work their way past each other’s defenses and prejudices, and build the foundation necessary for a loving family unit. Where this book is similar to Sinclair’s BDSM romances is that the relationship is fraught with obstacles they must overcome and these obstacles add to the excitement and frustration levels of the reader – at least they did me. As expected, when the sexual encounters finally occur, they are as steamy as you would expect them to be from this author, whether they were between Ben and Emma, Emma and Ryder, or all three of them. But it is the family that the trio builds that really made the book a treat to read for me because neither Emma, Ben, nor Ryder ever expected to find the happiness they found with each other. Now if you’ve read the previous books more recently, you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll get to catch up with those characters as well. I for one, cannot wait to go back and read all three books back-to-back and sincerely hope that the wait for the next book in this series is not as long – but then again, I feel that way about all of Sinclair’s series.

Having to wear glasses in elementary school can scar a person for life.

Dubbed a nerd at an early age, Cherise Sinclair has been trying to live up to the stereotype ever since. And what better way than being an author?

Known for writing deeply emotional stories, the USA Today Bestselling Author has penned sixteen erotic romance novels, most with a BDSM theme. (Please do not mention the phrase mommy porn in her presence.) Her awards range from a National Leather Award to a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice nomination to a Goodreads BDSM group award for best author of the year.

Cherise lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Their two fledglings have left the nest recently to try their wings and hopefully will fly high and strong. The “ascendant erotica queen” (Rolling Stone Magazine) now spends her days writing with occasional supervision from a sadistic calico cat.

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Angela reviewed her personal copy of Eventide of the Bear (The Wild Hunt Legacy #3) by Cherise Sinclair for this post.

The Baller by Vi Keeland

From New York Times & USA Today Bestseller, Vi Keeland, comes a sexy new standalone novel.

The first time I met Brody Easton was in the men's locker room.
It was my first interview as a professional sportscaster.
The famed quarterback decided to bare all.
And by all, I don't mean he told me any of his secrets.
No. The arrogant ass decided to drop his towel, just as I asked the first question. On camera.
The Super Bowl MVP quickly adopted a new hobby – screwing with me.
When I pushed back, he shifted from wanting to screw with me, to wanting to screw me.
But I don't date players.
And it's not because I'm one of the few women working in the world of professional football.
I'd date an athlete.
It's the other kind of player I don't date.
You know the type. Good looking, strong, cocky, always looking to get laid.

Brody Easton was the ultimate player.
Every woman wanted to be the one to change him.
But the truth was, all he needed was a girl worth changing for.
Turned out, I was that girl.
Simple right?
Let's face it. It never is.
There's a story between once upon a time and happily ever after...
And this one is ours.

Author's note – The Baller is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
A strong 4.5* for me

As a great fan of sports romance books, and of Ms. Keeland, I was delighted to be able to review this new release.

It is a really enjoyable and rewarding read – with all the elements that make a book great. The hero is flawed, but genuine – he has a soft side which cannot fail to appeal to the reader, and an arrogance which is inevitable given his status. The heroine is sassy, determined and capable, yet determined to avoid love given how much she was hurt once before. They are a great combination, and Ms. Keeland writes their story with humour and care. There are hiccups, but trust features large in the plot. These two undoubtedly have amazing chemistry – but it is not overplayed.

A delicious read, which I intend to add to my reread pile for when I need a real feel good hot romance. Thank you Ms. Keeland!

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

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Ruthie reviewed her personal copy of The Baller by Vi Keeland for this post.

Midnight Mass by Sierra Simone

We are told that God will punish the wicked. That sinful men will reap what they sow. We are told to scourge our souls with prayer and pain to become clean once again.

Well, here I am. Wicked and sinful. Desperate to become clean…even though it feels so good to be dirty.

But even I never expected what came next.

Even I never expected my punishment to come so soon.

***Midnight Mass is a novella and a sequel to Priest. It’s intended for mature audiences only.***

Book 1.5
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Midnight Mass wasn't at all what I expected. Where do you go after Priest? How can you possibly follow that erotic, taboo, sexy tale? You make the next one emotional.

Midnight Mass pulls at your heartstrings. Yes, it's sexy but somewhat angst filled. Tyler is working on his dissertation. It's a long time consuming process. He works late into the night, most nights, to get it finished. Poppy has her own work with her dance studio. Poppy and Tyler are still hot together, but now it's jealousy filled. They are finding their marriage can't stand on sex alone. Poppy needs more from Tyler. Is he capable to give her what she needs?

Midnight Mass takes you on an emotional roller coaster. There were definite tears by the end of this one. What got me almost has much as the book was the author’s note at the end. It's considerate and touching. She explains why she finished like she did and it makes for a perfect ending for this couple.

Also Available in the Priest Series

Book 1
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Sierra Simone is a former librarian who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk. She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

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Shannan reviewed her personal copy of Midnight Mass (Priest #1.5) by Sierra Simone for this post.

Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward

The legacy of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continues in a spin-off series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author…

Paradise, blooded daughter of the king’s First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself...be herself. It’s a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it’s very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O’Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life.

And that’s before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated--and left wondering whether she’s strong enough to claim her own power...on the field, and off.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆☆
Loved it!!

~WHEW~ Hotness abounds in this book. This book reminds me of the first few books of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, where romance and friendship are the stuff of legends.

I LOVE the BDB and most of the books therein, but at times the storylines with the lessors, the Omega, Scribe Virgin and the BOB seem to overwhelm the romance and legacy of the vampires as a whole. This book brings it all back in a blaze of glory!

Here we get a glimpse into the lives of Butch and Marissa. We see that the couple is struggling with how to live in the present while hiding from the past. It all comes to a head when Marissa is faced with a tragedy at Safe Place and has to face her past in the form of Havers.

Butch is also having trouble, and he struggles to keep it from Marissa because the last thing he wants is to visit his troubles upon her. He has placed her on a pedestal and until one or both of them realize that her place is beside him, they will continue to do so.

As all of this comes to a head, the training program ramps up. To separate the wheat from the chaff, the initial gathering brings the brotherhood out in force. When all is said and done, Paradise and Craeg are part of the seven who remain.

Paradise has been intrigued by Craeg since they first met at the King's audience house. Craeg is focused on his training and doesn't want to like Paradise, he wants to avenge his family who were killed in the raids. When Paradise feeds him, he knows that he will never be the same, even if he doesn't want to admit.

I love the way Ms. Ward writes and she has outdone herself with Blood Kiss.


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh, the Warden. How do I love you? Let me count the books. Blood Kiss is a Black Dagger Brotherhood spin off series called Black Dagger Legacy. This is awesome! It's still all the brothers we know & love and some new blood added to the mix when the Brothers open up the training center for new BDB recruits.

We start with Paradise, she's an aristocratic female from the now defunct glymera. Her dad is the first advisor to Wrath the King. When he asks her to help out with the King’s scheduling, she decides to take the job. In walks Craeg, a vampire of no aristocratic bloodline. He's applying for the training program. Turns out Paradise was also registered. Against what most females of her bloodline would ever consider a life choice, Paradise wants to learn to fight. Paradise is a bad ass female and I really dug her from the get go. Craeg is perfect BDB material and the two together certainly fit well with fantastic chemistry!

In the meantime, we have Marissa and Butch having a few issues of their own while Marissa is hoping to find the person responsible for killing a young female that came to Safe Place. We have enough of a mystery there to keep things interesting, great chemistry with Creag and Paradise, along with nice additions from all the other Brothers. I completely & totally enjoyed the read. Classic Wardisms abound and awesome world building like no other! Really excited for this new spin off series’ next installment.

J.R. Ward is a #1 New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author of erotic paranormal romance. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. After graduating from law school, she began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot.

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Mary Jo & Kris reviewed their personal copies of Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy #1) by J.R. Ward for this post.

Her Desire Awakened by James Grey

You’ve just moved back into the city. You’re done unpacking in your stunning new apartment. It’s Friday night. You’re not sure what to do, but you’re deliriously happy. The radio’s turned up and you’re making Prosecco disappear. Oh, and you’re finally single again.

You’re in the mood for letting go. Perhaps for doing something a little wild. Something you’ve never done before. Something you wouldn’t tell your mother. You feel empowered and sexy. You can do what you want.

No, really, you can! Because in this novel, James Grey’s second, you’ll make the decisions about which path your evening takes. Choosing may be agony, but ecstasy awaits. Delicious, unspeakable, salacious ecstasy.

Your night is in your own hands. Whatever choices you make, you’re not going to believe what you’re capable of…

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
Her Desire Awakened was a fun, make your own adventure!
I was excited to read this for the simple fact that it reminded me of an adult version of the stories I read in Middle School.
There are four different situations you find yourself in, each have their own strengths (and HOTNESS factors), but ultimately all end on a high note.

Imagine yourself as a recent divorcee, trying to find yourself – and feeling good about yourself... The whole world is your oyster and you are ready to discover all of the fun you've missed ;)
I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys Erotica or is looking for a break from super involved, highly emotional, romance novels.
I challenge you to take a chance and experience this adventure!!

I am a red-blooded male bent on writing honest erotica. I am the real deal. I lay my innermost lusts, hottest experiences and darkest disappointments on the line for all to see: passion, ecstasy, angst and unsugared failure. If you want to know what a man thinks, feels and desires, I am an open book. And if you'd like a hint of how I like my women to be, delve into my work. And read the biography at the end of my ebooks – I'm told it has quite an effect on people.

I also write female point of view stories, which focus on a woman's experience, adventure and pleasure. I would love you to tell me how I'm doing!

With me, what you see is what you get. My mind is yours to comb. I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

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Shelby reviewed her personal copy of Her Desire Awakened by James Grey for this post.

VIP by M. Robinson

Ysabelle

They say in order to find yourself you have to go home, but what if home is what you’re escaping from. I went to Miami to discover myself; never in my wildest dreams, did I think home would become a three-letter word.
VIP.
I was the dream.
I was the illusion.
I was the fantasy.
Until him…
Everything went to hell in hand basket the moment we laid eyes on each other.
I wanted him.
He wanted me.

Sebastian

I have always been a man who made decisions based on other people’s feelings, wants, and desires.
I was selfless.
I never wanted to hurt anyone.
Especially her.
The moment I met her…I wanted her.
I loved her.
For the woman she was.
For the woman she wanted to be.
But most of all…
For the woman she was, when she was with me.

This isn’t a love story, but a story about love.

Warning sex/drugs/language. Mature readers only.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
There is so much to say about this story but where to start. I loved how it was written in both Ysabelle and Sebastian's points of view and how it gave their past stories. The pain and loneliness that Ysabelle lived through to Sebastian having all he needed. After she leaves home at 16 and goes to Miami, she meets Devon and Madam and things begin to change for her. While Sebastian finishes college, moves back to Miami, marries Julia and things seem to get better for them. Lots of things happen before Ysabelle and Sebastian meet, but when they do, the sparks fly, they are drawn to each other and they connect on a deeper level. While Ysabelle has learned to keep her walls up, Sebastian wants to knock them down. What will happen when Madam has had enough? Can Ysabelle keep her feelings hidden from Sebastian? Will Sebastian give Ysabelle up to save his marriage? Will there ever be a happily ever after for Ysabelle and Sebastian? This isn’t a love story, but a story about love. Can't wait to read more about Madam in book 2.

**Warning sex/drugs/language. Mature readers only. This story is filled with lots of sex, so if you are not into that, skip this one please.

M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein.

She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa, FL. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in psychology, with two years left.

She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.

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Mary reviewed her personal copy of VIP (VIP #1) by M. Robinson for this post.