I'm Keeping You by Jane Lark

Rachel faces an inner battle every day, actually make that two battles. Being bipolar is like riding an emotional roller-coaster. Ups and downs, from manic episodes to deep dark pits of depression.

The other daily fight is choosing between being medicated and feeling like a walking zombie, and not taking the meds and feeling like her normal self.

Her euphoric self nearly kills her son, which triggers concerns about her capabilities as a mother. Her ex raises his ugly egotistical head and threatens the happy family life Rachel has with Jason.

As is often the case Declan the ex is more interested in revenge rather than the welfare of the child.

Jason is an interesting character, he has this strange kind of co-dependant relationship with Rachel. He likes the zany, the crazy and the impetuous side of Rachel, aka her manic episodes. On one hand he wants her on the medication, and on the other he really misses the other non-medicated Rachel. This has got to send out mixed signals to the poor woman.

I'm Keeping You is the fourth in the Starting Out series. It is a mixture of romance, steamy bedroom antics and mental health issues.

Buy I'm Keeping You at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

You can't fault Sandro for her creativity and enthusiasm.

Unfortunately instead of it being fast paced I found it hectic and unclear at times.

Sandro needs to control her enthusiasm and be clearer, because at the moment it is to the detriment of the story.

Dark Paradise is New Adult, which is essentially a YA with quite a bit of the horizontal tango thrown in for free. I thought it was on the younger end of YA, despite the occasional fondle.

The characters are very teeny, flighty and immature. The plot has a lot of potential, but is weighed down by the hectic and often slightly chaotic writing.

However Sandro does have a lot of good ideas, and as a reader I can see the potential, because she has an abundance of creativity.

Mala comes from a long line of voodoo, hoodoo witches, but she is unaware of her hidden talents. Those talents start to manifest in the form of visitations by ghosts, when she finds the body of a young girl in the middle of the bayou.

She finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Accused by the town, while the ghost of the girl demands answers from Mala at the same time.

As if that wasn't difficult enough her romantic interests are drawn in two separate directions at the same time. There is cute police officer and the temperamental brother of the victim.

Overall this is an ambitious urban fantasy with plenty of potential for development and improvement.