Scar of the Bamboo Leaf by Sieni A.M.

"Her heart wept when she realized that the hardest part about loving him was the idea that his love was never meant for her."

Walking with a pronounced limp all her life has never stopped fifteen-year-old Kiva Mau from doing what she loves. While most girls her age are playing sports and perfecting their traditional Samoan dance, Kiva finds serenity in her sketchbook and volunteering at the run-down art center her extended family owns.

When seventeen-year-old Ryler Cade steps into the art center for the first time, Kiva is drawn to the angry and misguided student sent from abroad to reform his violent ways. Scarred and tattooed, an unlikely friendship is formed when the gentle Kiva shows him kindness and beauty through art.

But after a tragic accident leaves Kiva severely disfigured, she struggles to see the beauty she has been brought up to believe. Just when she thinks she’s found her place, Ryler begins to pull away, leaving her heartbroken and confused. The patriarch of the family then takes a turn for the worse and Kiva is forced to give up her dreams to help with familial obligations, until an old family secret surfaces that makes her question everything.

Immersed in the world of traditional art and culture, this is the story of self-sacrifice and discovery, of acceptance and forbearance, of overcoming adversity and finding one’s purpose. Spanning years, it is a story about an intuitive girl and a misunderstood boy and love that becomes real when tested.

Sieni A.M. is a coffee addict, Instagram enthusiast, world traveler, and avid reader turned writer. She graduated as an English and History high school teacher from the University of Canterbury and is currently living in Israel with her husband and two daughters.

First Encounter by Candy O'Donnell

Welcome to our stop on the blog tour!

            Book Blurb:

She didn't only touch his heart... she touched his soul.

Twenty-two year old Eric Holtzer didn't know what hit him when he first encountered Vivian DuCrane in the hotel lobby. Being a Prince from another country did have its benefits--awesome benefits, such as booze, fast cars, and women, but Vivian was something special--and she was about to turn his world upside down!

       Christina's Review: I wasn't immediately drawn into this story. I felt like it started out slow. I also felt like the plot had holes and the story moved quickly, like the plot was rushed. It didn't flow well for me. To me it wasn't G rated but more PG. There was a lot of references to sex and alcohol but the main character is a playboy type. It bothered me that he was "cut off" but then his mom immediately went to his aid and he was given everything back. It was good but not one that I felt like I couldn't put down because I was so captivated by the story. It isn't one that I will go back and read again and again like some other books that I have read.  

About the Author: 

Candy O’Donnell was born in Carmichael, California.

At the age of twelve, she wrote her first mini book. Filled mostly with what took place with her mother and her long tedious bout with leukemia. It was a short story told as extra credit when she suffered a sprained ankle and had to be out of school for over two months. School officials refused to believe a word of what she had written until her grandmother, her guardian back then, entered the school with the truth. Everything she had written down was exactly what took place. Unfortunately her mother succumbed to the disease.

             She earned a Bachelor’s degree in History and Culture. After living with her aunt and uncle for over five years she wished to explore her uncle’s Native heritage and did so with vigor. She also has 6 Grad units in Criminal Justice. Someday she might go back and finish her Master’s.

First Encounter by Candy O'Donnell

She didn't only touch his heart... she touched his soul.

Twenty-two year old Eric Holtzer didn't know what hit him when he first encountered Vivian DuCrane in the hotel lobby. Being a Prince from another country did have its benefits--awesome benefits, such as booze, fast cars, and women, but Vivian was something special--and she was about to turn his world upside down!

Misty's Review:

Self-destructive. That's what Eric is (Prince Eric? Kind of kept throwing me off). He's spoiled and bored and lost. Vivian knows what she wants and how to get it, and Eric is not on her list. A match made in heaven. Ha!


First Encounter is told from the male perspective, and I'm still thinking about whether that works for me or not. It's nice to know what Eric's thinking, but sometimes it is more intriguing to see the progressive change in male protagonists through someone else's eyes (just my perspective as a woman). Men are more mysterious when we are not inside their heads. Maybe it's what we don't know about the character that is intriguing. I overthink this stuff, I really do. But Eric is flawed, and we women just love us some flawed heroes!

Vivian is curt. That's the only way to describe it, and the only thing Eric sees in her, especially at their first encounter, is how pretty she is. He doesn't even know how to look for other things in a woman. Vivian is nice to him, but she doesn't fall all over him. I think he likes that because he has already shown that he wants something different, more meaningful in his life--he just doesn't know how to stop the way he is and be something else, and I think that's something a lot of us can relate to.

Please note: First Encounter does have some references to sex and adult themes, though it is not overtly descriptive.

Also, if you are someone who is bothered by minor grammatical and word choice issues, this may not be the right read for you. I try not to let errors in the text color my reviews because every story is unique and thought provoking and every author's voice has value. This story was definitely thought provoking for me. However, like it or not, a book is a whole package, and I guess it's worth a mention.

First Encounter is a cute, quick read that will keep you turning the pages because for some reason, you care about Prince Eric, that big screw-up! Overall, a good chick read that most readers of romance would like. 


Candy O'Donnell was born in Carmichael, California. At the age of twelve, she wrote her first mini book.
She earned a Bachelor's degree in History and Culture. After living with her aunt and uncle for over five years she wished to explore her uncle's Native heritage and did so with vigor. She also has 6 Grad units in Criminal Justice.

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