Welcome!


Welcome!! My name is Paul Lappen. I am in my early 60s, single, and live in Connecticut USA. This blog will consist of book reviews, written by me, on a wide variety of subjects. I specialize, as much as possible, in small press and self-published books, to give them whatever tiny bit of publicity help that I can. Other than that, I am willing to review nearly any genre, except poetry, romance, elementary-school children's books and (really bloody) horror.

I have another 800 reviews at my archive blog: http://www.deadtreesreviewarchive.blogspot.com (please visit).

I post my reviews to:

booklore.co.uk
midwestbookreview.com
Amazon and B&N (of course)
Librarything.com
Goodreads.com
Books-a-million.com
Reviewcentre.com
Pinterest.com
and on Twitter

I am always looking for more places to post my reviews.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Set You Free

Set You Free: Love, Lies and The Secrets That Bind, Elmer Seward, 2015, Bay Rivers Publishing

It's a rainy night in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland. Blake is driving along, and he nearly hits Deena, and her young daughter, Kat, who are walking on the side of the road. It takes some convincing, but Blake drives them to Mama Jo, an older woman who is happy to put them up for the night.

Deena reluctantly agrees to stick around for a while, instead of heading to the bus station in Baltimore. Blake volunteers to help fix up the old cottage that Deena has rented. Deena reveals nothing about herself. A person would need a jackhammer to break through the emotional wall that Deena has built between herself and the rest of the world.

A man named Fry, and a couple of his "goons" are in the area, looking for Deena. He is the sort of person who does not take "no" for an answer. He also has no problem in killing anyone who gets in his way. Blake does not tell Deena, but sleeps in his car for a couple of days, outside Deena's cottage, watching for Fry.

Does Fry find Deena? Is he a vindictive ex-husband? Is Deena able to loosen up around Blake, even a little bit?

This is a really good story of emotional chains (not just on Deena's part), which can be just as strong as physical chains. There is also a bit of romance included. Read it; you'll be glad you did.