Fiction

Review: Meet Me at Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt

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A Cotswold Christmas introduced this series, but you can certainly read Willoughby Close as a standalone. Willoughby Close is a little collection of charming cottages on a large estate of a lovely royal-ish elderly lady. I have a feeling a collection of charming people will inhabit them all by the time the series is finished! 

For now, we meet Ellie and her daughter Abby. Ellie has a new job at the University, and Abby is looking forward to making a fresh start where friends are concerned. 

I so love how Hewitt wrote professor Oliver — the guy  Ellie works for. He’s nerdy and introverted and stays true to himself. Hewitt did a phenomenal job developing Ellie, as well. Ellie is a little nervous and quirky, and she’s quite unsure of herself most of the time. That could be annoying, but not here. Hewitt made her real and relatable. I like Ellie’s mom side and her romantic side – she appears to the reader as a whole fleshed out character with different facets – just like a pal in real life!  

I also really like how the new neighbors moved in and they’ll be the focus of the next book in the series. And how the Close’s superintendent is a flirt! This is a fun read that touches on some harrowing issues in just the right way. 

-calliope 

Buy MEET ME AT WILLOUGHBY CLOSE

Review: A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell, #2) by Deanna Raybourn

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30008834I didn’t just fall in love with this novel like I did the first in the series. However, after finishing it, I think I do appreciate this one much more.

In Veronica we now see someone that has grown a bit since we last saw her. She isn’t nearly as annoying as she was in the first book. She seems to no longer feel the need to let everyone else she knows everything…yes, she still believes she’s more clever than most, but she isn’t determined to prove it in this novel.

Stoker…damn, he was so attractive to me in the first novel…he was no less in this one.

This mystery wasn’t as engaging as the last one was (for me). There also is much less *tension* between Veronica and Stoker. However, what Raybourn has managed to do is simply amazing.

What do I mean by this? Veronica and Stoker are both very independent people. Often authors present us with what they believe independent people, but at the same time, they are actually very dependent. They go out of their way to prove to their independence when all they really want to do is be dependent. It’s what I find most annoying about romantic novels. Women or men that are suppose to be so strong and then overnight become weak and hopeless waiting on someone to rescue them. I’m not trying to be mean here…I’m just giving my viewpoint…

But this? Veronica and Stoker are fast friends and best mates, but they are still independent thinkers. I don’t see that changing. Somehow Raybourn has managed to keep the characters true to themselves. Veronica and Stoker are a united front against the world. We all know that eventually they will be together (YES YES YES) however, I don’t believe they will ever fit in with society’s norm to do so. I don’t believe they will ever find it necessary to become dependent on each other…yes, of course they will depend on each other…they do that now…but you’ll never find one sniveling and hiding in the corner and acting the fool to win the other’s love…they won’t need to…they truly are secure in their own identity…

I know this is probably my worst review EVER!!! But I place all the blame on just how much I love what Raybourn has created in these two characters. Two people that have very checkered pasts, two people that aren’t holding themselves pure and chaste for the perfect love, two people that are self confident enough to not try to manipulate (although they both have no problem doing so to get to the truth of the matter in their investigations) each other…and yet they trust each other 100% and don’t feel a need to give one iota of a care to what anyone else thinks about their relationship. This novel might not be the best…this mystery might not be the best…but this relationship is so refreshing to me that I am just at a loss of words…

Until next time…
Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

Review: The Cottage at Firefly Lake by Jen Gilroy

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Sometimes you just want some easy reading. Maybe you just finished something heavy, or maybe your life is a little crazy and an effortless read is just what the doctor ordered. The Cottage at Firefly Lake is your medicine, baby. 

After her mother’s death, Charlotte returns to her family’s summer cottage to get it ready for the real estate market. She runs into teenage sweetheart Sean, whose family business is in town – has always been and will forever be. Their past love is now colored by adult responsibilities and expectations… and emotional baggage. 

Though the plot and writing were very simple, I enjoyed the way Gilroy seamlessly wove in the lakeside setting and that vacation-y feeling.  She also did a great job including Charlotte and Sean’s families. Even though the main plot line was about a possible romance between the couple, Gilroy gave the supporting characters meaningful and fun roles. 

I think Gilroy went a little heavy on trite romance novel phrases, but I can forgive that for a first-in-a-series. With a little more originality, Gilroy could have a series that sits up with Robyn Carr’s Virgin River books. I sure hope so! 

-calliope

Buy THE COTTAGE AT FIREFLY LAKE

Review: The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson

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I can’t remember the last time I read a book with such a fitting title.  I mean, when you’re talking about navigating the world of high school as a confused and misguided teenager,  it truly does become the most dangerous place on earth.

The story really begins a few years before.  Something very tragic happened in middle school.  And while certain people were definitely to blame, very few will admit it.  Fast forward to high school.  Same kids, different problems. Switching back and forth between several characters, we hear it all.  Bullying, both face to face and online.  Drug and alcohol use.  Hooking up.  Hooking up with teachers.  Being ignored by parents.  Just because your parents are loaded doesn’t make these problems, and a myriad of others, any less damaging. Some people are resilient and able to move on.  Some people pretend they’re okay but they aren’t really.  Who you are in high school and what you choose to do can determine the rest of your life.

This story is dark. It’s depressing.  And it leaves little hope for the state of the American teenager in today’s world. But it’s also very realistic as much as parents and other adults might want to think otherwise.  The issues presented are happening.  Maybe not all at the same time and in the same school but still.

I must also caution that, although this is described as a young adult book, I would leave it for older and more mature teens only.

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  The Most Dangerous Place on Earth

Review: On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins

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Kate and Ainsley are half sisters, but they feel worlds apart most of the time. Kate is reserved, classical, and practical. Ainsley is fashionable, whimsical and fun. But when they each find themselves alone after their respective romantic situations fall apart, their sisterly love shines through righteously. 

Some of this story just broke my heart, and I wasn’t sure I could get through the despair. Then I noticed I was only a quarter of the way through the book, leaving PLENTY of time for redemption, hugs, and gluing hearts back together. 

My most favorite part of this whole book, even more awesome than the sister love (which is pretty awesome, and a big part of the story), even snazzier than the Tiffany ring (big!), and even more heartwarming than the boss finding a soft spot in his heart for an employee (unexpected!), was Daniel the Hot Firefighter. Higgins masterfully wove him in as comic relief and a reliable pal, but he was so much more. Aside from his witty banter and alpha male-ism, Daniel the Hot Firefighter symbolized Hope… hope for a future when the present is bleak, hope for women looking for a good man, hope for children needing a father figure.

I kind of guessed where Daniel the Hot Firefighter would end up at the close of the story, and I was so glad that my guess only scratched the surface. Look for your Hot Firefighter, people. You never know when you’ll need to be rescued, and he will be there with a generous heart… and a smile. 

-calliope

•The first six chapters… FREE!
•Buy the book (preorders until Jan.31)

Review: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

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69136Wow. John Connolly sure knows how to rewrite fairy-tales! Imagine having dozens of fairy-tales rewritten and woven together to create one magical saga for one lonely young boy. We have 12-year-old David, living in London during the war, who mourning the death of his mum, dives into a new world when he hears his mother calling his name. He soon runs into the “crooked man” and with the help of many others in this imagined land, he manages to survive, werewolves, trolls, witches and much more to help save the kingdom that they reside in. David, soon finds out that the promises that the crooked man makes might not be sincere and the little man has his own motives for trying to help David along the way.

There must be a dozen or more fairy-tales wrapped into this wonderful tale. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Connolly, but hear me now…this really blew me away and I have a newfound respect for this writer! Wow….what an imagination. One might say not, as some of the original fairy-tales have been around for centuries, however, how he changed just enough to make it new, and outrageous, yet still a bit scary and then managed to weave them all together into one story….brilliance! I absolutely loved this one! Well done, Connolly!

Until next time…
Urania xx

Buy it now The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Review ~ Complicit, by Nicci French. 

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After the end of the YearThatShallNotBeMentioned, I wanted to start 2017 with a bang, and how better to do that than settling down with comfort, with suspense and with good writing. This criteria has always been satisfied by Nicci French, the husband and wife author duo who take on the first name of the wife, and last name of the husband (professionally speaking). 

Complicit opens as it means to go on; we’re immediately thrown into action and suspense. Bonnie finds herself in her friend’s apartment, standing over a rather dead body. What happened to this person? Does Bonnie bear any responsibility? Who else could be the murderer? 

Therein we explore the events leading up to the discovery, and indeed after the discovery. Each chapter is a before and after. I know some people hate alternate timelines, but it really works here, and it immediately creates suspense and page turning. 

I won’t explain too much more regarding the plot as it’ll spoil the suspense filled back and forth, but I will say that tempers are flared, heat rises and relationships are brought to the brink! 

Until next time, 

Pegasus. 

Complicit

Review: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

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A couple of years ago, I discovered the magical world of ARCs.  Oh the joy in receiving a book before the “rest of the world”, being able to dive into it before anyone else can get their hands on it.  But the best part of reading advanced copies for me is finding new authors with outstanding debut novels.  Such is the case with this one.

Hawthorn has never been one to follow along with  everyone’s idea of normal. She doesn’t fit into any group at school, has one good friend, a hippie for a mom, and an active imagination.  So when Lizzie Lovett mysteriously disappears, Hawthorn takes it upon herself to find out just what happened to the town’s golden girl.

But she takes things a bit too far, as with most things she does.  Working in the diner where Lizzie was employed, visiting the woods where she was last seen, getting friendly with Lizzie’s boyfriend…all in the name of solving a missing person’s case.   And of course, she gets more than she bargained for.

This is an interesting book to review.  I’m not quite sure what it is.  A mystery, sure, but not in the truest sense.  A story of teen angst and drama, possibly.  But aren’t all teens full of angst and drama?  A romance…maybe a tad.  In any case, it’s good.  Hawthorn is funny, and she’s admirable as a leading teen character.  And the ending is satisfying with every question being answered.  A good story!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

 

Review: Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

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When Kate unexpectedly gets a job in the admissions department of a Manhattan private school, she finally pulls out of a year-long slump caused by an emotional break-up. 

I loved the premise of a lost girl landing a high visibility position at a fancy prep school. The interaction between Kate and her superiors sort of reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada. For chick lit, the mood was a little gloomy for me, though. I like my rom coms light and fluffy… and this tended toward slightly dark and quite eccentric.  I liked Kate’s relationships with her besties, but not the constant worrying and correcting by her domineering older sister. I liked the idea of Kate’s academic, hippy-ish parents, but not their devil-may-care attitude toward their daughter’s welfare. 

I was totally annoyed with the italicized chapters written from Chloe’s point of view. They jarred me from the flow of the story- and I kept having to consciously tell myself whose point of view I was reading at the moment. 

I most enjoyed the interviews with prospective students and parents. Who wouldn’t like to be a fly on the wall in an admissions office?! I would have loved more of those entertaining, slice-of-adolescent-life clips that made me nod knowingly … or, astonished, bug my eyes out. 

-calliope

Buy SMALL ADMISSIONS

Review: Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice

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2924362First, I can’t believe this book was written almost 40 years ago!

Second, I can’t believe I haven’t bothered to read it up until now.

Third, it is worth all the hype.

Finally, a message to my dear Louis –

Louis, Louis, Louis…you are not a tortured soul…you’re just a big fat whiner…..get over yourself man…..

Bwhahahahahahahahaha

Brilliant book. Amazing really….

Until next time…
Urania xx

Buy it now Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice