Month: January 2014

Review: Home to Seaview Key by Sherryl Woods

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20140122-142516.jpg Home to Seaview Key, second in a series, will be released January 28. It’s a charming tale of a small island with grassroots businesses, opinionated grandmothers, and a strong sense of community. Abby returns there to find herself. Seth moves there to mentally recuperate after fighting in Afghanistan. They share their broken hearts and decide to give friendship – or maybe more – a chance.

I enjoyed the characters and the plot, loved the whimsy of the oldest Seaview Key generation, and appreciated the realism of the ups and downs in a new relationship. However, the story was a little flat. There wasn’t enough intensity, and lots of things were glossed over with an explanation instead of showing what happened. It was a nice, enjoyable story but not one I was particularly excited reading. You’ll enjoy it if you’re looking for a low-key, easy read to relax with.

-Calliope

Buy it now Home to Seaview Key

Review: Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse

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aaaThis book was a fast suspenseful read. It takes place in England and has links to the East Coast in The States as well. After a short romance Hannah Reilly and Mark Reilly marry. Hannah has always had trust issues, but Mark sweeps her off her feet and soon she has left The States to live her happily ever after with Mark in London. Everything seems to be going well. Hannah believes she has found true happiness and is learning how to lean on someone else and trust them to provide for her. However, all of that changes when Mark misses a flight home from New York. Hannah means to surprise him at the airport but he never shows up. Once she hears from Mark, her unease starts to ease up….but left alone, Hannah starts to question what she has been told….after talking to others, things start to really have her questioning Mark and her entire relationship. Just how well does she know the man she loves and married? One question leads to another…and Hannah is forced to question her own feelings and psyche! Is she looking for things that don’t exist? Is she letting her past insecurities question her current relationship?

Whitehouse does a brilliant job not only making Hannah question herself, but also having the reader question themselves. As a reader, I felt I had it figured out…I knew who the bad guy was…but Whitehouse puts just enough of twisted characters in the story that you often find yourself changing your mind as to whom you should trust….At points, you wanted to scream at Hannah for being so trusting…and at other times you wanted to scream at her to let go of her trust issues from the past….I found myself standing up for Mark and trying to justify his actions, every bit as much as Hannah did in the story….I almost felt like Hannah and I were volleying back and forth…She would find a reason not to trust Mark and I would justify his actions in my mind….she would justify his actions and find a valid excuse and I would point out why he could not be trusted…

This is a quick easy read that is sure to have readers wanting to discuss it with others….

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now Before We Met

Review: The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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20140120-145038.jpg If you’re a fan of Amish fiction, then you’re probably already familiar with Suzanne Woods Fisher. She’s an excellent writer – her narratives are smooth, easy to read, organized, and precise with regards to vocabulary. Her characters are well-thought out, and I haven’t ever found an error on one of her books — they’re professionally done.

This particular title, The Calling, met all my expectations for a Woods Fisher novel. I loved Bethany, the strong heroine, and the people she held close to her. I enjoyed seeing her beau mature and his mother find common ground with Bethany.

I had difficulty with the number of characters – so many! Maybe I’m too accustomed to novels with fewer than a dozen, but my brain simply couldn’t keep track of all the families and in-laws and grandparents. There were quite a few mentions of people that had died in the past, and that complicated things further for me. Besides that, I appreciated the various subplots — the grass roots soup kitchen, the elderly sisters, mental illness’ effect on families, a few budding romances, securities fraud, and Geena, the non-Amish woman who finds the path she’s looking for among the Amish. So many well-developed themes and subplots in one story – the fine writing definitely supported them all. I was impressed.

Now that I know the characters a little better, I’ll more easily enjoy the next in the Eagle Hill series, I’m sure.

-Calliope

Buy it now The Calling

Review: Coreyography by Corey Feldman

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17286694 I would not have normally picked this book up in a million years. I’ve never been a screaming fan of Corey Feldman and the intense cover photo is kind of a turn off for me since it seems very exaggerated for one and for two because it seems kind of reminiscent of a famous Michael Jackson pose which struck me as odd. But my best friend read it and she convinced me that it was surprisingly well written and that it reminded her of MY favorite celebrity written memoir, Stories I Tell My Friends by Robe Lowe. So after that I had to read it.
And I’m very glad I did! While Rob Lowe’s memoir is still my favorite autobiography I’ve read to date, this one definitely did not disappoint. The novel was well written and throughout the book Corey comes off as very genuine and forthcoming. He reveals much about his personal life and his family life when he was starting out as a young child star. He was pretty clear about his parents bad choices and selfishness but he is also clear that he doesn’t care about holding a grudge about anymore.
One theme that ran throughout the book that was quite shocking to me was the sexual abuse that both he and Corey Haim endured from their childhood on. Corey Feldman makes claims that this is rampant in Hollywood and that he knew of many cases of this happening. He does name his abuser but he says that one of his biggest regrets is that he wasn’t able to help Corey Haim do the same before he died.
This was a fascinating book and glimpse into Hollywood life of a star when he was at the top of his game and when he was definitely struggling and at the bottom.

3.5 Stars

~Clio

Buy it Now Coreyography: A Memoir

Review: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

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20140120-071025.jpgLaurie Halse Anderson is a master at speaking the language of teenage angst and turmoil. She gave us Speak, a story about a teenage girl traumatized to the point of becoming mute. In Wintergirls, she addresses the self-destructive behaviors of eating disorders and cutting. And then there’s her latest endeavor…

Seventeen-year-old Hayley and her dad, Andy, have relied on just each other for years. A veteran of wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Andy suffers from debilitating PTSD while Hayley does her best to hold their fragile lives together. As is the case in many of these situations, she becomes the parent while her dad struggles to simply survive each day. She can’t separate the happy memories from the bad ones, so she represses them all. They’ve traveled across the country as he attempted to escape his demons. When that doesn’t work, they settle back in their hometown where Hayley enrolls in school for the first time after being homeschooled for so many years. Enter Finn, a quirky, lovable soul who takes her as she is, secrets and all. There’s also Gracie, Hayley’s one remaining friend from her childhood. Hayley’s reluctant to allow anyone access to her private world even as it crumbles around her. Andy sinks deeper and deeper into his own private hell as each day passes. He drowns himself in alcohol and drugs in an attempt to silence the battle going on in his head. The rare moments of lucidity and normalcy are just enough to keep Hayley from reaching out for help. She, meanwhile, is facing her own struggles outside of home. A bright student who loves to get lost in her books, she’s also extremely unmotivated and spends much of her school days in either the counselor’s office or detention. The story follows Hayley as she tries to save her dad and, as a result, herself as well. Along the way, she realizes that her friends’ picture perfect lives aren’t as happy as they seem; every family has its secrets. Hers are just a little more dangerous.

Laurie Halse Anderson has once again written a story that plunges you deep into the hearts and souls of her characters. Hayley is a flawed teenager who could be any of us. She has a dry, witty sense of humor and a strong sense of survival for both she and her dad. She is wise beyond her years and is loyal to a fault. Hayley isn’t one of the pretty, popular girls but she’s the one I’d most like to be friends with. I enjoyed this book tremendously and finished it in a day. It’s another great young adult book from an amazing author.

~ Thalia

Buy it Now: The Impossible Knife of Memory

Review: Once Upon a Valentine by Allison Leigh

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20140117-182121.jpg I look forward to straight up, straightforward, no surprises, happily-ever-after romances. Know why? Because they’re relaxing. Yep, I’ll read literary fiction and mysteries and intensely dramatic romances, but when I’ve had a long week or a tough day, I want something reliable.

Last night I read Once Upon a Valentine, and all my troubles disappeared. I read a philanthropic, boat-building millionaire for the alpha hero. (Pax has been in love with Shea for years, but she pays him no mind.) I got a sweet, hard-working, on-her-way-up journalist who stands on her own two feet as a matter of principle. And they were supported by (separately) quirky and charming and gruff and loving characters.

I knew Shea and Pax would make it, and that I’d get a Happily Ever After at the end. I enjoyed how Leigh got me there: with terrific writing, a believable fairy tale plot, and characters I rooted for from beginning to end. Leigh’s timing is perfect and the dialogue natural.

After reading Once Upon a Valentine, I rested easy with very sweet dreams.

-Calliope

Buy it now Once Upon A Valentine

Review: The Edge of Always by J. A. Redmerski

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20140116-214300.jpg I’m not generally a New Adult fan because it’s hard for me to relate to characters 20 years younger than me. But I LOVED The Edge of Never. I thought it was clever, fast-paced, gritty, emotional, and real. Of course I wanted to see what Camryn and Andrew did next, so that brings me to this sequel: The Edge of Always.

Most of The Edge of Always is just as fast-paced and sexy and gritty as its predecessor. Camryn and Andrew have new obstacles to hurdle, new emotions to manage, new people in their lives to consider. I appreciate how Redmerski maintains the characters authentic selves yet allows them to grow within the story. I did wish that Camryn grew more, emotionally, but that’s just me.
The author keeps the plot fresh with new adventures, new fears, and new achievements. The Edge of Never is graphic. Language, sex, drugs, and medical issues are all described so as to evoke emotion and make the reader part of the story. Redmerski has talent!

The biggest disappointment to an otherwise 4+ star book was the ending. Redmerski wrapped up all the loose ends very neatly in 3 final chapters… so neatly that they didn’t even seem to fit in with the rest of the book. It was like sitting down for quiet tea after going on a loud, messy, crazy, fast, roller coaster ride. The ending provided perfect closure, but the approach was so much different from the rest of the book.

All in all, I had a great time reading The Edge of Always. The writing is excellent, the characters are compelling, the plot draws you in emotionally… but the ending ruined it for me a little.

–Calliope

Buy it now The Edge of Always

Review: The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

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16171291 Jodi and Todd are a co-habitating couple of 20 years that seem to be in love and to have a lot going for them on the surface. They have a beautiful home, a dog they love and careers they both enjoy. However, Todd is a cheater and Jodi is aware of it but neither acknowledge this. Both choose to let the affairs be below the surface and continue on with their beautiful life. Until one of his affairs has long reaching consequences for all of them.

This book has been compared to Gone Girl in articles that I’ve read so I was intrigued and wanted to read it as I really love suspenseful novels like that. However this seemed much less like a chilling psychological thriller and more of an exploration of a relationship and what it devolves into after 20 years together.

This book has alternating points of view in each chapter – one from “his” and one from “hers”. The POV’s didn’t bother me at all and I enjoyed parts of it but there was very little dialogue which made some of the chapters seem very boring and dry to read. The story lacked emotion to me – while emotions should be running high in parts of the book, I just wan’t feeling it. I didn’t love or hate any of the characters, they just seemed a little too flat for me to care that much about.

3 stars

~Clio

Buy it Now The Silent Wife: A Novel

Review: Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

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20140113-070640.jpg In Amish country in Wisconsin, Lia goes to stay with an elderly couple to help them out for the summer. Their grandson Moses visits once a week to help too. Whether he likes it or not, his grandparents have schemed to make this the summer of love for Lia and Moses. Lia appreciates Moses’ friendship and his support of her journey to become a midwife. Moses is grateful for a friend who tells it like it is. Lia’s sister Rachel is jealous and tries to edge her way in, but Moses’ heart sees right through Rachel’s shrewdness.

Huckleberry Hill is a sweet, fresh story of friendship and love. The grandparents’ matchmaking efforts are hilarious. Moses’ and Lia’s banter is clever and sharp. Rachel’s character development as the bratty, spoiled, black-hearted sister is very well done. I appreciated the excellently written dialogue and easy flow to the story.

Huckleberry Hill is the first book in a series of three. I recommend it for the peaceful Amish setting, great writing and breath of fresh air perspective on love.

–Calliope

Buy it now Huckleberry Hill

Review: 600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster

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600 Hours of EdwardHave you ever heard of author named Craig Lancaster? What? Did you just say no? Well, here’s your tip for the year…write the name down. Remember it. Go get this book to start with….you won’t be disappointed….And if you haven’t heard of him before, remember, you heard it from a muse first, he’s going to be really famous one day….

What can I say about this book? It was just simply charming. Edward is someone I would love to have in my life. He is a 39-year-old man who some would say suffers with OCD and a mild case of Asperger’s Syndrome. I would vehemently disagree. He does not suffer at all. We could all learn a lot from Edward. Oh man, how much I loved this guy…. What could we possible learn from a 39-year-old man who suffers from these “mental illnesses”? Let me just name a few….we could all learn that not everything can be judged by face value. We could all learn that it isn’t just about you! Other people matter and they have their very own version of what is happening…one that might not coexist with how you are viewing the situation. We might also learn that sometimes, even if we can’t say it out loud, we are often frustrated, hurt and angered by others…that even if we don’t say these things out loud, that we should at least acknowledge these feelings in some way….Sometimes when we are frustrated or angry with someone, confronting them is not always the wisest thing to do. Sometimes, just acknowledging the feelings to ourselves really is enough! There are many many other life lessons in this story….but I leave you with this final thought and then some quotes….

Sometimes being a friend means that you have to make the effort to step outside of your comfort zone…you have to be there for someone else, even if it means you must be brave enough to cross a dangerous street all by yourself….damn, did I mention how much I love Edward?

“That’s the problem with belief: If you rely on it too heavily, you have a lot of picking up to do after you find out you were wrong.”

“I hope you do exist. Even though hope is as intangible as belief, I am not hostile to it.”

“The complaint lies with me, not with you. I never could find a way to make you proud of me, and at some point, I think I stopped trying. When you were here, I blamed you for that. I think now, the failure is mine… It occurs to me that death is a funny thing – not funny in a laughter sort of way, but in a twisty sort of way. It’s the people who are left behind who have to grapple with the regret. The one who is gone is just gone.”

Please read this book….please….c’mon, when have I ever asked you guys to read a book? Go on then! What are you waiting for??????

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now 600 Hours of Edward