Myvrooms - Online hotel accommodation booking portal - [Website Review]

I have written my earlier post on the problems that we, as travelers face while booking a hotel accommodation online. From a long time, my search for a genuine hotel accommodation site continued.

Here is a new one on the block - Myvrooms, which is getting launched today (Oct 14th, 2016). I thought it would be great to share my opinion on the website to my blog readers and travel enthusiasts.

Before I go into the website review, let me jot down the important features that I would love to see in a hotel accommodation portal for travel.

·    Genuine Ratings and Transparency

I got tired of reading fake reviews and sponsored reviews in so called famous travel accommodation sites and I want to find a website which is transparent about the features that a hotel room can provide.

·    Easy navigation of the site

This is the most important factor for a regular user like me. I definitely don't want to spend more time struggling with not so user-friendly features. I also want the complete process from booking till receiving the receipt, help from support (if required) and the option to provide feedback to be simple and not time-consuming.

·    Extra information

I definitely love the websites which provide extra information about the stay, the location, the places of interest around and transport options available.

Now, let's get into the website which claims to be the most innovative travel portal.

The Pune-based hotel booking portal Myvrooms is the world's first online portal with complete transparency in booking by providing a 360 degree view of hotels and rooms. Zoom into this website to know more on how it is making the booking process simple and easy.

Easy navigation and access:

My first impression is that the colors are easy on eyes (not too bright and glossy). Main features are easy to find like basic search for hotel, places of interest around and contact info etc.,

Search filters:

There are filters to narrow the search results by the price of the stay and the distance from the point of interest. Search field for point of interest / city is enabled with Google search which is very good. Distance is also calculated with Google controls, which make it more accurate. The website is integrated with 'HotelsCombined' to provide the best deal for the customers by searching other travel sites.

Hotel Images:

I have seen some websites in US which show videos and 360 degree view of hotel rooms, which is a great option. This is the first time I saw this feature in an Indian website. 360 degree view is always a better and quick way to determine if the hotel room is comfortable for stay and if it has all amenities required. 

Extra useful information:

I liked that the website showed the places of interests near by the hotel and also other hotels around. These places of interest are again categorized to historic/ cultural places, temples, restaurants, museums etc., The terms and conditions, guest policies and the facilities of the hotel are mentioned clearly for each hotel. Each hotel can be located easily by verifying the google map link for the exact address.

So, that's about the new travel site! If you are looking for a good travel site with 360 degree images, genuine ratings, and more transparency in hotel amenities, go for it and try it for sure :-) 

Until next time,

Bloodwalker by Lexa Cain - [Book Review]

Book Details:

Title: Bloodwalker (Dark Thriller/Mystery)

Author name: L.X. Cain

Publisher: Freedom Fox Press (Dancing Lemur Press L.L.C.)

Release date: Oct 4, 2016

Pages: 284 (84,000 words)

Source :Advanced e-review copy from the author

Blurb:

When Zorka Circus performs, its big top roars with laughter and cheers, but when it moves on, there are fewer children in the European towns it leaves behind.

Circus Security Chief Rurik suspects a killer is hiding among the international performers, but they close ranks—they’ve always viewed lightning-scarred Rurik as the monster. Nevertheless, he's determined to find the culprit and stop them before anyone else dies and the only place he can call home is ripped apart by the murders.

Into Zorka Circus comes the Skomori clan, despised as gravediggers and ghoulish bloodwalkers. A one-day truce allows bloodwalker Sylvie to marry. Instead, she finds a body. Alerting others will defy her clan’s strict rules, break the truce, and leave her an outcast.

When more bodies turn up, the killer's trail becomes impossible to ignore. Rurik and Sylvie must follow the clues—even if they lead to something unimaginable.

My Review:

The story runs in parallel covering the lives of Rurik and Sylvie. Rurik is a security manager of a circus which performs at different places in Europe. When he finds out that there is a killer or kidnaper of children in their circus group, he decides not to rest until he finds that person. Sylvie belongs to Skomori clan who clean and care for the dead. They are also known as bloodwalkers. When Sylvie's arranged marriage ceremony is performed at the circus, she sees something which is very supicious at circus. After her terrible marriage ends, she has to take Rurik's help to save another girl's life and also herselves from a murderer.

The mystery unfolds slowly keeping the suspense till the end. This is the positive point of this dark suspense thriller. The characterization of Rurik being a selfless person who is ready to risk his life and job for a missing girl moves us. I loved the quotes before each chapter about bloodwalkers but expected to learn more about why they care for dead. It would have been great if the author has given an epilogue on bloodwalkers. 

The concept of the book is amazing and the treatment is perfect. It went dragging for sometime just before the climax with chases and all, otherwise climax is very sweet. You will know after reading the book why I said the climax is sweet ☺

I am very glad that I received ARC from the author. I would recommend this to all mystery and dark suspense lovers. This is fast paced so you won't get bored for sure ☺.

My Rating:
4.5/5

Ps:  I have received a free review copy from the author in exchange of an honest review and this is my unbiased opinion on the book.

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1939844258/

Amazon (Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/Bloodwalker-L-X-Cain-ebook/dp/B01IAGHS5K

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloodwalker-L-X-Cain/dp/1939844258

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodwalker-lx-cain/1123844780?ean=2940153034508

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/bloodwalker

iTunes: https://fnd.io/#/us/book/1116824924-bloodwalker-by-lx-cain

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Bloodwalker/L-X-Cain/9781939844255?id=6649549825050

Powell’s Books: http://www.powells.com/book/bloodwalker-9781939844255/62-0

Dancing Lemur Press: http://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com/mysteryparanormalhorror

Connect with the Author:

L.X. Cain:

FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/lx.cain

FB Author Page: https://web.facebook.com/LX-Cain-Author-504432766289367/

GR-Author: https://www.goodreads.com/LX_Cain

LX on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LXCain

Lexa Cain:

Lexa's Blog:http://lexacain.blogspot.com/
Lexa on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/lexa.cain.1

GR-Author:http://www.goodreads.com/Lexa_Cain
GR-Book:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18753339-soul-cutter

BUY:

SOUL CUTTER (Will be re-released soon with new cover!)

The Inter-Galactic Gourmet, The Mission, and Biggun on Smashwords: 

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lxcain

Until next time,

My Worst Nightmares of Online Hotel Booking

Travelling has been my favorite so long. Actually, the interest started from my childhood itself. In those days, the planning part was a bit difficult without internet. We used to call our relatives or friends living in that area, enquire about the weather, tourist places, transportation, and then, book accommodation. Getting train tickets was a bigger task if more people were involved and if that was a busy season.  

But, things are changed for better now. We plan everything online - be it booking a resort in Goa, Mahabaleshwar or a hotel on business trips to Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, tickets or reserving a tourist package. We just browse great deals, read reviews, compare the price in multiple sites, view pictures of the hotel and book.

Things look pretty simple. right? 

Source:www.pixabay.com

But, wait. There are also some problems doing everything online. They might become your worst nightmare and spoil the great time you have planned with your loved ones.

Here are my top 5 reasons why online hotel booking sucks..

·       Fake/Misleading Photos – Many times, I personally saw the difference between the amazing pictures they put on the sites taken by a great photographer and the reality with average cleanliness and interiors of the hotels. Yes, there are many things on websites which are misleading and they hide some important information. 

·        Fake ratings and review – Can you trust the ratings and reviews? Who knows? The good ratings might be from the staff of the hotel. Some hotels may even ask their guests to write a 5 star review for some freebies. I have seen pictures of guests which appear so professional.

·        Hidden Charges – How do we know the hidden charges behind the discounts mentioned on the site? Sometimes, a hotel stay cost seems very less than other sites, but we realize at the time of payment that the total amount including taxes is equal to the cost cited by other sites. Many times, the rates they show on comparison sites and the ones before final booking have a huge difference.

·        Complex sites and security – The navigation of the site and the data security are also important. A website with more access time and difficult to understand features is a big put off. A secured data connection while paying for a hotel is very important too. We cannot provide our credit card details to any website that we don't trust.

·        Incomplete information – Some websites don't show different options available like a pool in the hotel or laundry facilities or extra bedding for guests or hot water facility.  These are just a few of many options that impact the value for our money.

So where does it leave us all?We cannot completely rely on the information and we cannot stop using the convenient online services either. 

Wish there was a site which provided us all the information we need with complete transparency. Is it so difficult? A good website that we can trust is the first step. Until someone solves this problem, we all will have to live with this surprise element that we experience when we actually land at the hotel. Wish and hope that those surprises are not unpleasant ones.

Many start-ups out there started with solving some problem or the other but over a period of time ended up as just another hotel booking site. They all think that by providing great discounts they will be able to make a customer happy.

We can learn about good sites through friends/ relatives recommendations who had experience of using the service earlier. Also, many travel blogs write information about the good travel and accommodation sites. I am yet to come across one which can truly claim to be 100% transparent. Have you faced one or more of these issues in during your travel? Let me know in comments….

Until next time,

Image courtesy: All images taken from Google images marked 'Labeled for non-commercial reuse'.

Raven’s peak by Lincoln Cole - [Book Review]

Book Details:

Title: Raven’s Peak
Author: Lincoln Cole
Genre: Super natural thriller, paranormal, fiction
Number of pages: 262
Publisher: Lincoln Cole publishing

Blurb:

A quiet little mountain town is hiding a big problem. When the townsfolk of Raven’s Peak start acting crazy, Abigail Dressler is called upon to find out what is happening. She uncovers a demonic threat unlike any she’s ever faced and finds herself in a fight just to stay alive.

She rescues Haatim Arison from a terrifying fate and discovers that he has a family legacy in the supernatural that he knows nothing about. Now she’s forced to protect him, which is easy, and also trust him if she wants to save the townsfolk of Raven’s Peak. Trust, however, is considerably more difficult for someone who grew up living on the knife’s edge of danger.

Can they discover the cause of the town’s insanity and put a stop to it before it is too late?

My Review:

This is my first supernatural thriller. Somehow, I don't like this genre as everything written is unbelievable. But, this book caught my attention due to gripping narration and suspense.

The story is about Abigail, a hunter of supernatural elements in the world, who is appointed by a secret society. While she goes to a small town 'Raven’s peak' to enquire about supernatural activity in the camp grounds she remembers her past and she has to attack a dangerous demon not only to save the people inRaven's peak from becoming crazy but also to know an important truth about her foster father and mentor. Will she be able to kill that demon with her skills? How a stranger 'Haatim', whom she rescued from a danger is helpful? What other secrets she will find in this quest? This forms, the remaining story.

This book is part1 of the series 'World on Fire'. The plot and narration are interesting. The book cover is fantastic. Actually, I loved the book in bits and pieces. I loved the episode of Abi remembering her past, Abi giving the information on Ninth circle to Haatim, the boy possessed by a demon, Haatim and Abi exploring the caves etc., Since this is part 1, I will get better continuity after reading the second part when available. Overall, it is a good book, But, It didn't meet my expectations of a fast paced thriller. But, plot and character-wise, it's dealt perfectly well.

MyRating: 3.5/5

Ps: I have received the book from the author in exchange of an honest review and this is my unbiased opinion on the book.

Purchase link:

Amazon

About the Author:

Lincoln Cole was born and lives in Columbus, Ohio. He is twenty-nine years old and has been writing novels his entire life. He works in the IT industry developing web applications and writing software.

He is married, has a pugamonster named Luther, and enjoys writing in his spare time. Writing and telling stories keeps him sane.

He was inspired to start writing by the works of George R.R. Martin, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King. He is currently working on several titles, including the follow up to Graveyard of Empires as well as three new series.

Growing up, he worked in the horse racing industry with his grandparents for many years and won an award writing a short story for Hoof Beats magazine while in High School. He had since won the Visionary/Inspirational YA award from Literary Classics in 2015.

Until next time,

03:02 by Mainak Dhar - [Book Review]

Book Details:

Title: 03:02
Author: Mainak Dhar
Publishers: Westland
No of pages:340
Genre: thriller, fiction
Source: A free review copy from the author through www.writersmelon.com


Book Blurb:

At 03:02 on a Sunday morning, the world as we knew it came to an end.
Mumbai suddenly went black — no electricity, no phones, no internet and no working cars. It was as if someone had turned off the master switch of our civilization, turning us back hundreds of years overnight. We learned that it was not just Mumbai, but much of the world that had been impacted.

We also learned that it was no accident. A deadly enemy was behind it. An enemy that was now in our midst, seeking to conquer us and destroy our way of life. This is how our war for freedom began. A war that was to be waged not on the borders or by the Army, but in our homes and streets, with us as the soldiers.
This is our story.

My Review:
This is my second book of Mainak Dhar and I expected this to be a thriller too like first one
The chronicles of the undead. I loved the chronicles, you can read my review here.

The plot of 03:02 is good. This is the story of a common man who defend and attack terrorists with a strategy when he works with many people who beleive in fighting back together than waiting for someone else to rescue them. But, the narration and pace made it boring for me. I actually skipped some pages as there is too much detailed information on plan and strategy of attack with terrorists.

The way the author has narrated the story, it might have made a great movie with some emotional drama. It is good to read about different people and their thoughts when they are presented with a tough situation which they haven't faced earlier in their lives. But, the emotional connect was missing in the book. Usually in novels, we connect to the characters by reading the different layers of their characters and their emotions. Here, other than Adi and Megha, we cannot connect with other characters as book readers. The book seemed too much focused on Adi most of the time, which I didn't like. 

The title and cover are apt. I loved the message re-iterated at many places of the book about fighting back together than losing hope. 

My favourite lines of the book:

If your whole world is painted black, you can start to light it up again. All it needs is for each of us to realize that we should stop waiting for someone else to provide the spark; that the spark lies within each of us.

I recommend this book to someone who love strategies and war attacks. There is a good message too. But, if you love fast paced thrillers, you can give it a skip.

My Rating: 3.5/5

PS: I have received a free review copy in exchange of an honest review and this is my unbiased opinion on the book.


Purchase links:


Flipkart


About the Author:

After finishing his schooling at Modern School, Barakhamba Road and his under-graduation at Hindu College, Delhi, Mainak Dhar graduated from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He has spent two decades in the corporate sector — starting with Procter & Gamble in India. He spent eighteen years with P&G, fifteen of them outside India across the Asia Pacific region. In 2014, he moved back to India as the CEO of the India operations of a major consumer products multinational. 

A self-described cubicle dweller by day and writer by night, Mainak is also the author of over a dozen books, some of which have been bestsellers in India and abroad. These books have been translated into Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, German and Portuguese. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, Puja, and their son, Aaditya. When not at work or with his family, he can usually be found working on, or thinking about his next book. Learn more about him and contact him atwww.facebook.com/AuthorMainakDhar.

Until next time,

Lady of the bridge by Laura Kitchell - Book Spot light

Historical Romance

Date Published:  September 2016

Forbidden love between a warrior princess and an elite samurai makes for an adventure set during the early days of the Tokugawa shogunate. Join this couple in a race across 17th century Japan where political unrest has created dangerous ronin, civil uprisings, and war-ravaged castles. Caught in the middle of the struggle between Shogun's rise to rule and the old regime, this warrior princess is forced to battle for her life.

In the end, she must choose between family honor and her heart's desire.

Other Books by Laura Kitchell:

Lady of the Imperial City

Published: May 2015

Historical Romance

Love isn’t forbidden to Lady Kirei as long as it’s with a proper gentleman of Kyō and she doesn’t mind sharing him with his wife. Her provincial upbringing makes her socially unacceptable as a true wife, yet as a lady by birth and a court favorite, her position makes it impossible for her to seek a match below her station. She’s trapped.

When a nobleman of similar provincial upbringing arrives in town and becomes an instant favorite of the emperor, he is sent to Lady Kirei for tutoring on city ways. Lord Yūkan is smitten, but she’s not a conquest to be won. She’s a woman of substance and worth, and she’s off limits.

Despite his unrefined manners, Lord Yūkan’s aristocratic bloodline shows through his fine taste and quick mind. It doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome, too. As he begins to touch her heart, Lady Kirei is ever mindful that they can’t commit, especially when her uncle schemes to make her a consort to a prince.

Will her family’s honor relegate her to the shadow-life of a consort, or can love find a way?

About the Author

Laura Kitchell lives in Virginia. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chesapeake Romance Writers. She lived in Japan as a child and has a love and respect for Japanese history and culture.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Book Buzz

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

All Romance

Until next time,

Hostile Workplace by A M Madden - Book Promo

Contemporary Romance

Date Published:  September 6, 2016

Sam Stanton knows these simple facts:

~ He is a great catch―successful, smart, gorgeous…but the wrong woman caught him.

~ He has the perfect girl who is madly in love with him.

~ He wasted six years of his life by playing it safe.

~ He is damn good at his job and intends to keep climbing the ladder.

~ He can’t get her off his mind or out of his heart―no matter how hard he tries.

But, what he doesn’t know is just as important:

~ Will he ever really move on and forget how badly she broke his heart?

~ Should he settle for a sure thing, even knowing it’s the wrong thing?

~ Can he give up his career for a chance at happiness?

~ Does he correct one mistake with another?

~ What would he do if she were to return?

Confused yet? Welcome to Sam Stanton’s life.

Excerpt

  

“Where are we going?” she asked breathily as I literally dragged her toward the back of the bar.

“I don’t know yet.”

“We can go to my place.”

“Later.”

She clutched my hand as we passed the billiard room, the bathrooms, and an office. The narrow hallway had a few more doors before it ended with an exit door, which I assumed led to the back alley. We turned each doorknob we passed along the way, and the last one before the exit finally opened. I cut my eyes to the right to be sure no one saw us and pushed her inside, firmly shutting the door. As I fumbled on the wall for a light switch, my hand landed on the plastic toggle and I flipped it on.

We were standing in a storage closet lined with shelving. It was so small there was barely enough room for the two of us. Her pale eyes landed on mine, adjusting to the dim light.

What was I doing?

Doubt began to fester until I witnessed a stunning smile slowly spread across her face. My eyes watched her hands skim my chest to land on the waistband of my jeans. Our foreheads touched when both of our eyes focused on the motion her hands made, first unbuttoning and then unzipping.

Before my zipper hit the last tooth, my doubt took a hike.

It was hard to wrap my drunken brain around the fact that I had her with me for the taking in a supply closet. Just as her hand slipped inside the waistband of my briefs, the switch that controlled me for so fucking long flipped in my head, causing all hell to break loose.

I grabbed her hands and pushed her back against the door. The sudden shift in our bodies forced a gasp just before I crashed my lips to hers. Every moan she made I swallowed with my mouth. Our tongues frantically danced with the many years’ worth of pent-up sexual tension between us.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author A.M. Madden achieved Amazon Best Selling status with her debut in contemporary romance, The Back-Up Series. A.M. Madden is a wife, a mother, an avid reader of romance novels and now an author. In Back-up she aspired to create a fun, sexy, realistic romantic story. She wanted to create characters that the reader could relate to and feel as if they knew personally. A self proclaimed hopeless romantic, she loves getting lost in a good book. Using every free moment of her time while raising teen-age boys, A.M. Madden plans to continue writing, as it now become a second career.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Promo Page

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Smashwords

Until next time,

Metro Diaries 2 by Namrata - [Book Review]

About the Book:

Give life another chance. Laugh a little longer. let go of your past. Hold onto what you love. In short LIVE rather than just exist!

Some told, some untold, some heard and some unheard - this collection of stories will make you look at life in a different light and make you ponder over its definition of it till now.

Goodreads I Amazon








My Review:

I love short stories and I enjoyed reading the first book of Namrata earlier. So, I have my expectations set already before reading the book and this book has met all my expectations without fail.

Namrata's stories look very real and reflect our daily lives. Reviewing a short story book is difficult. But, since I loved most of the stories I could easily rate it to 4.5/5.

I cannot review each and every story in a single post, so sharing my opinion on first few stories of the book. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves short stories.

1. The charlaran

This is the story of a compassionate woman who is honest and selfless in her life. When she found out the cunning nature of her husband to their maid's family, what she does is unimaginable. 

Honest people who are selfless and care for others like Ambali are rare to find these days. It might be a difficult decision for her with such a long wait to punish someone, but doing something than watching the wrong doings is appreciated.

2. The labour of love

I wouldn't say this is a story but an amalgamation of thoughts that are wandering around some memories. I couldn't relate it to the title, but loved these lines and my head nods in agreement reading these lines.

Not all journeys of life take you somewhere, some are meant to mislead so that you know what the right path is!

3. Magpie of memories

A heart touching story of a transgender. I am glad that it ended happily. The author explains Cara's feelings very clearly as if we are listening to Cara directly.

I think, the USP of the author is to take us deep dive into the characters effortlessly.

4. Stain in the saree

Ah.. such a lovely story! I know, some relationships are different and while reading the story, i wished I had a sister like Boudi di. 

5. The flich

Wow! An interesting story with love, betrayal and twists. 

Loved these lines in the story

When you love someone you want to control everything that person does and hence, sometimes, knowingly or unknowingly you squash them like melons. While on the other hand in the case of hate, there is no need to specify the reason for walking over someone like that.  Hate is a strong reason in itself

6. The curse of existence 

Very touching story about girls and restrictions imposed on them. 

7. A veil thy love

Ha ha.. fantastic story which has a surprising element in it. Enjoyed it.

8. The Keepsake is about empathy and compassion. Sometimes, even with well paid off salaries we think a lot when it comes to finances. But, what Saru does is great and it shows a real example of humanity and selflessness.

Ps: I have received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review and this is my unbiased opinion on the book.

About the Author:

Namrata is A Lost Wanderer who loves travelling the length and breadth of the world. A published author in various anthologies and magazines she enjoys capturing the magic of life in her words. She is forever in pursuit of a new country and a new story.

Contact the Author:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Until next time,

Bossy Flossy by Paulette Bogan - [Book Review]

Book Description:

Flossy is the bossiest girl around. She's bossy at home and she's bossy in school. She's bossy to her friends and she's bossy to her cat. Sometimes she's even bossy to her teacher! Flossy doesn't understand why no one will listen to her. One day, Flossy meets Edward, a boy who may be just as bossy as she is. Has Flossy finally met her match?

Buy the Book:

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository, Chapters Indigo

My Review:

This the story of a girl Flossy, who enjoys bossying around. She always thinks her way is the best way and others always have to obey her. She even bossies her mother and teacher and get punishments. Still, she never realizes her mistake. She meets her new friend Edward in school who is as bossy as she is and this friendship makes her learn one important lesson in her life. You have to read this book to your kids to know more.

I have read this to my 2 year and 5 year old and they both enjoyed the story a lot. The illustrations are very good. Even I loved the illustrations and enjoyed reading to them showing pictures. There are no difficult words and the story is easy to understand for a kid. The cover of the book, quality of paper and bind of the book are worthy a mention. I felt, it's safe to give this book to my 2 year old as he cannot tear it while flipping pages ☺

Overall, this is a perfect children's book.

My Rating: 5/5

Author's Bio:

Paulette Bogan admits she was bossy as a child. She is the author and illustrator ofVirgil & Owen, which was chosen as one of Bank Street Best Children's books of the Year 2016, Virgil & Owen Stick Together, which won a Mom's Choice Award Gold Medal for Picture Books, and Lulu The Big Little Chick, which won a Children's Choice Book Award. She lives in New York City with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs. They ALL think she is STILL bossy. But they've never told her to go to her room!

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Until next time,