Fiction

Review: The Little Village Bakery by Tilly Tennant

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This was a cute rom com, short on the rom and com, though, in my opinion. I read it more like a slice of life in a small town. I loved the characters, except for the villainess who seemed a little overly wacky and cruel for a light book. Millie was quirky and emotional, Jas and Rich were a fun couple, Dylan and Spencer were good male characters who made tremendous growth and development by the end of the book. Millie’s potions should have been edited a little to make them either more important or not in the story at all. I felt like her “magic” was an afterthought.

As usual, I was glad for the romance that eventually developed, and for the happily ever after, even as neatly tied up as it was.  
I did enjoy reading The Little Village Bakery, but wished there were more pastries, fewer psych problems, and a smidge more focus on the magic.  

-calliope

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Review: The Last Days of Summer by Sophie Pembroke

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Wow. I thought this was just going to be a bit of fluff based on the publishing imprint (Carina) and the title. But no. It’s almost a saga. There are juicy family secrets, tensions between siblings, eccentric writers, hidden woodland hideouts, varied buildings on the family estate, and the sudden appearance of an assistant, an envelope, and a diary. 

The Last Days of Summer explores deeper issues, too. I especially loved the discussion of the blurred line between truth and fiction — and the ways it can help or hurt a relationship. Pembroke also broaches the topics of forgiveness, honesty, and loyalty. 

My favorite character had to be carefree Caroline, though she was followed closely by her older sister, main character Saskia. I was enamored by their dad and grandfather… their warmth came right through the pages. 

Pembroke really showed her talent for weaving a complicated tale that reads easily. From the arguments to the embraces, the clothes-horse auntie to the raggedy writer, this story had threads of consistency throughout. Pairs of characters on benches, the office, the woods… Every repeated instance kept the storyline tight and moving forward. Brava! 

I sort of want to keep talking and writing about this book, but I don’t want to end up giving away spoilers… so I’ll end here! Don’t miss this excellent read. 

-calliope 

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Review: A Hard and Heavy Thing by Matthew J Hefti

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26542105This is a story about those left behind by war. It just so happens to be that instead of the family left behind it is about the man who was at war who one day finds himself left behind. How he attempts to pick up the pieces after his combat days are over. A story where the young man finds out that although he might have left the war, he now finds himself in a different type of combat…now with enemy soldiers, but with his own personal demons and his feelings about himself. Novels like this do much to show how the image some see of people are never the images that they see of themselves. It also makes it clear that although War Heroes do exist, it is rarely the hero himself that views it as heroism.

Was this the best book I’ve read this year? No, sorry to say it’s not even close. However, it is an important book and I’m glad I invested the time to read it. Does it change my views on war and the destruction it causes? Not on the enemy, lands, or even countries. or on the men and women themselves. But it does reinforce my belief that not everyone can be judged by the outside image they display. Nor can they be defined by the labels that have been placed upon them. We should all give just a moments more time to really try to see and to help the people before us. Lest the masks they wear for us truly hide them until they are suddenly gone as is the person that wore them…

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now A Hard and Heavy Thing by Matthew J Hefti

Review: Cure by Brenda Zalegowski

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Warning:   If you are expecting an in-depth review of this book with complete character analysis and a detailed plot summary, you’ve come to the wrong place.  If, however, you’re looking for a simple directive to read an outstanding book, then carry on.

Let me also preface this very short, brief review by saying that you really must read Brenda’s debut novel, Behind the Falls.  Yes, it’s the precursor to this outstanding story.  And no, it’s not imperative to understanding and loving Cure.  But it will help you fall in love with the characters even more.

This is a story of love and loss, things that we are all familiar with.  Love never comes easy, but then most things worth having never do.  And young love, teen love especially, is that much more difficult.  There are tears and there are smiles.  There are lives lost and lives saved.  And there’s closure, of some sort at least.  Yes, you’ll recognize many of the characters from the first story.  And you’ll meet some new ones.

And that’s all you’re going to get.  I’ve never been one to write a synopsis of a story and call it a review, but I do usually give a bit more than you’re getting with this one.  But I just can’t with this one.  You’ll just have to trust me.  Read Behind the Falls.  And then read this one.

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  Cure

Review: The Tulip Factory by Kacie Davis Idol

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I loved waitress-turned-receptionist-turned-successful-you’ll-find-out Corinne. And I loved James, student of the school of hard knocks, climbing his way up and out and free. 

Though I liked the characters and the trajectories Kacie Davis Idol wrote for them, I struggled with some technical aspects of this book:

  • I don’t like chapters that alternate narrators, but I can get over it… unless the author also uses flashbacks and flash-forwards. One or the other may have worked. As it stands it’s confusing for the reader. 
  • The author took up pages and pages describing things that didn’t move the plot forward: Corinne’s outfits, her sister’s wedding, that night at the bar… If it doesn’t add to character or plot development, it’s not needed. Once I realized the chapters were 80% extraneous, I started to skim over the pages of irrelevant details. 
  • The tone for James was inconsistent. Sometimes his chapters made him sound like a sensitive, artistic, loving guy. Other chapters made him seem callous and cold. I’m not sure a man crassly talks about his “kid” one minute and then says he’s in love with the baby a few moments later. 

I think this book has promise. With some paring down of details, reformatting of the order of the chapters, and an editor helping with consistency, The Tulip Factory would have been an enjoyable cute coming-into-her-own story. 

Review: The Wedding Sisters by Jamie Brenner

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This is a reader’s book for sure. English professor Hugh and wife Meryl have three daughters: Meg, Amy, and Jo. Sound familiar? 🙂 

When the three young ladies accept marriage proposals from their respective – and wealthy and socially prominent – boyfriends, a triple wedding is planned. 

I very much enjoyed the characters and the plot outline in this book. The writing was technically excellent, and the dialogue was on point. But there was something imperfect about it. Part of my struggle was that I thought this book was going to be quirky and fun, but it didn’t quite make it there. Brenner maybe needed to write with a little more jaunt and insouciance. Or if whimsical wasn’t the goal, more dramatic and saga-type scenes would have helped me identify the mood. 

Brenner did impress me by keeping the characters true to themselves, right up until the very end. I appreciate an author who will take a risk with every single character, making them face their own truths in order to be authentic to the people around them. ❤

-calliope

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Review (revisited): Life or Death by Michael Robotham

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25674405Okay, I’m a bit perplexed. All of my friends loved this book. Even one whom I never would have imagined to! For me however it was just okay. I did enjoy it. But I found it too much of a dramatized Hollywood made for telly movie of the week.

For me, a novel has to be believable. Even a fantasy books have to be believable. That’s why I get so excited when I read one that makes me forget that the characters aren’t real! This novel, well, I just didn’t find it believable. Trust me, I have no issues in finding certain people in society that we perceive as good turning out to be the bad guys. I also have no problem with parts of the criminal justice system being corrupt. Nor do I have issues with people who have amazing good luck and bad luck….

But this novel just had too much of all of the before mentioned all wrapped together in a nicely decorated package for it to work well for me.

Yes, this novel was entertaining. Yes, I say again, I did enjoy the majority of it, but towards the end it had just went on for too long with endless improbabilities for me to continue to enjoy it.

Until next time…

Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now Life or Death by Michael Robotham

Revisit: Behind the Falls by Brenda Zalegowski

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No doubt you’ve heard of this book, especially if you’ve been following our little blog for awhile.  And while I don’t often do reruns of past reviews, in this case I feel it’s something I must do for our dear readers.  You see, the highly anticipated follow-up to this brilliant story is soon to hit the world.  And if you haven’t read this amazing story, now is the time to do so.  Therefore, I give you my original review of Behind the Falls…

Disclaimer #1: This book was reviewed several weeks earlier by our very own Urania. This is my perspective on it.

Disclaimer #2: The author is a friend of mine, and I’m sure she’s a friend to many of you as well. That’s both good and bad. Good because it’s an honor to share someone’s creative work. And bad because, well, if it’s really no good how do you address that? It’s like seeing someone’s really ugly baby. What do you say? But there are no such book-related worries in this case because the book truly is exceptional on so many levels.

Noah is barely sixteen but yet has faced so many issues in his young life. Burdened with panic and anxiety disorders from a very young age, he struggles with how exactly to be normal. And then his somewhat predictable world is shaken up as his family decides move to a new town. Not only that, but Noah will be going to public school for the first time. Enough to send even the most well-adjusted (if there is such a thing) teen over the edge.

Thankfully there’s a friendly face in the crowd. A hand reaches out to him on his very first day, and Noah doesn’t feel so lost anymore. When Max welcomes Noah into his world, it’s more than he could have ever hoped for. He begins to feel “normal” for the very first time in his life, whatever that word truly means.

Noah’s inner demons aren’t so easily silenced, though. His struggles continue as does his battle to hide it from his new friends. If he could only find the strength to be honest with them as well as with himself, and about so many different things.

And this is where my summary ends. Because to give anything else away would spoil it. And this is a book that you just have to read and feel for the very first time without any preconceived notions or ideas about what you’re supposed to think. I’m glad I didn’t when I read it, and I’m doing the same for you.

So the obvious…
This is a very long book, clocking in at just under 700 pages. And I admit, as have several other reviewers, that the length was a bit daunting at first. I found myself getting bogged down in the beginning, wondering if the lengthy narrative and internal dialogue were really necessary. But I felt a pull, something compelling me to keep going. And yes, part of the reason was because, well, friends.

Still, at about the halfway point I realized that it worked for this book. Noah’s story really couldn’t be told in a lesser manner. The sometimes rambling dialogue is surely reminiscent of what must be going on inside the head of somebody with a panic/anxiety disorder. And more importantly, such detailed descriptions of the characters as well as background info made me feel for them, connect with them on a level not achieved by all authors. In fact, I’m so invested with Noah and Max, even Tabitha, that several days later I still can’t get them out of my head. I want more!

And another caveat. It’s a very heavy book. Heavy on the emotions, heavy on the subject matter. But so is life. Not a reason to avoid it. Still, it’s probably a book that’s best suited for older teens and adults. Now crossing my fingers and hoping there’s a sequel in the works…

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  Behind the Falls

Review: All Summer Long by Melody Carlson 

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Tia gets invited to San Francisco to work as head chef on a yacht. Little does she know that a blast from the past – former crush Leo – will be the captain.  

This is an innocent, sweet, young romance with all the silliness and heart-wrenching you’d expect from a twenty-something with a mad crush. Carlson makes no bones about providing a few life lessons throughout the story, but for the most part it’s a fun look at boating and cooking. Carlson writes in wonderful friendships and fellowship, and includes solid family relationships as well. This romance is squeaky clean – just a couple of appropriate kisses – and perfect for young adults. 

-calliope

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Review: Better Get to Livin’ by Sally Kilpatrick

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Miss Presley Cline returns home for a break from her Hollywood “career.”  Declan Anderson stayed in town his whole life, carrying on the family funeral home business he wasn’t sure he wanted. When a tornado throws them together, they have to decide where home really is — and with whom. 

I’m such a fan of Kilpatrick that I expected this to be as magical as The Happy Hour Choir (SEE MY 5 STAR REVIEW HERE). Better Get to Livin’ wasn’t quite amazing, but I enjoyed the quirky characters, southern charm, and the happily ever after. 

As far as the writing – superb as usual. I’m not even a paranormal fan, but I absolutely admire Kilpatrick’s skill in writing Presley’s ability to talk to dead people. The ghosts were fun and funny and helped explain some of the characters’ backstories. Just goes to show that a good writer can write fabulous characters, whether they’re alive or dead. Hah! 

On a side note, Sally Kilpatrick totally amuses me on Twitter. On your next reading break, take a peek. 

-calliope

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