Fiction

Musing and Review: The Spring at Moss Hill by Carla Neggers

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You know when you start a book and it’s just terrible? And you try to decide whether it’s a Did Not Finish, or whether you’ll stick it out? I’m experiencing that with this book right now. 

First, though we rarely write reviews where we don’t recommend a book, I really can’t recommend this book UNLESS you really want a nice, New England-y story and you don’t care about the writing so much. 

From the beginning Neggers pushes anxiety, worry and fear. I had no idea why everyone was running around scared, why a private investigator was hired, why certain characters showed such contrived reluctance to be transparent. Then when I finally sorted it all out, I was still confused why Neggers made such a big deal out of some very little issues. 

Anyway, this book needs a rewrite. It could use streamlining, some re-organization, and some changes in how it begins. Big edits. 

I’m sticking with it (currently at 60%) because I like to know how books end. And despite the disorder, I’m sort of invested in a couple of characters. 🙂

-calliope

buy THE SPRING AT MOSS HILL

Review: Good at Games by Jill Mansell

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I’m always up for a few hundred pages of fun when they’re written by Jill Mansell. If you’ve never read her British chick lit, pick up Millie’s Fling or Staying at Daisy’s – my two Mansell faves. And if you’re already a fan, try Good at Games. It’s not Mansell’s best, but it IS unique and enjoyable. 

Main character Suzy finds herself engaged to a man she doesn’t love – or even really like anymore. Meanwhile, Suzy has chemistry with his brother, she lives next door to her ex-husband, and takes in her long-lost half sister. Between the the love triangle, misunderstandings, and sneaking around, Good at Games is a comedy of errors that had my head spinning! 

Though a little convoluted for my “fluff” tastes, this book gets thumbs up for fresh, fun characters and a happily ever after. 

-calliope

Buy GOOD AT GAMES

Review (revisited) and Blog Tour: “The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend” by Katarina Bivald (translated by Alice Menzies)

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RBW-Blog-Tour-Graphic 9781492623441-300_RBGThis book was previous reviewed by our very own Calliope (see her review here) a little while ago. It was a cute book though, so why not review it again for our readers! Besides, it’s always interesting to see what different people think about books!

This was a cute and often funny book. It was also predictable. I don’t mind predictable. Sometimes we all need that in our lives. Heck at one point the author points out that very thing. However, my complaint with this novel is that at times the author really seemed to “force” quirkiness into this novel. For me it felt almost as if Bivald sought out some quirky traits that everyone would love and forced them into the characters of the novel, instead of making characters that we would all love and filling them with quirky traits….I realise that for many readers there might not be a difference, however for me there was. That is where the book let me down.

Regardless of that I loved the story. So many wonderful quotes as well. Some of the quotes were well worth the time it took for me to read this novel.

I don’t know if this was a debut novel for Katarina Bivald or not, but regardless, it read like one to me….in saying that I hope I don’t take away from someone wanting to check out the book, because it simply means that I look forward to reading more by this author. I can’t wait to see her grow more confident with her talent and going with that. Perhaps she forced nothing and it’s just the way the book turned out…however, it’s something I expect won’t be there in future novels….

Perhaps, my review left you uninspired to pick up this novel. I hope not. It really was a fun read. To prove it I’ll hopefully tantalize you with some quotes, just so you know that Bivald really does have some promising talent…

Sara had never believe that you had to meet friends—many of her most rewarding relationships had been with people who didn’t even exist—

It’s funny, the way we talk about terrorism nowadays as though only Muslims and Arabs threaten our society. I’m afraid my understanding of terrorism was shaped long before September 11. It was the fear, the arbitrariness, the violence that affected people indiscriminately—even those who said they didn’t want to get involved or had no intention of fighting against segregation. For me, terrorism is still the image of white men, people active in society, standing over the charcoal, lynched body of a black man and looking pleased with their work. John says I think about historic injustices too much. Maybe he’s right, but it’s just that it doesn’t feel historic to me. We never seem to be able to accept responsibility for these injustices. First, we say that’s just how things are, then we shrug our shoulders and say that’s just how things were, that things are different now. No thanks to us, I want to reply, but no one ever seems to want to hear that….That day I got him drunk, he said it was the first place he hadn’t felt afraid. Do you understand now? How can something like that be forgiven?

It was, in many ways, her dream bookshop. Not least because all the books had already been read. Books that had already been read were the best. She hadn’t always thought that.

Books or people you ask…I can’t for the life of me explain why I have the bad sense to prefer people. If you went purely by numbers, then books would win hands down. I’ve loved maybe a handful of people in my entire life, compared with tens or maybe even hundreds of books (and here I’m counting only those books I’ve really loved, the kind that make you happy just to look at them, that make you smile regardless of what else is happening in your life, that you always turn back to like an old friend and can remember exactly where you first “met” them—I’m sure you know just what I’m talking about). But that handful of people you love…they’re surely worth just as much as all of those books.

Finally, this gem…

There’s always a person for every book. And a book for every person.

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by NetGallery for an honest review

buy it here Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Review: The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

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25663807There surely are fewer things scarier to an aging person than the loss of themselves, the essence of who they are.  Whether that means physically or mentally, even the thought of such is devastating.  So who can imagine what it would be like to experience this scary yet fairly common milestone at an unnaturally early age?  Such is the premise of this intriguing book by Sally Hepworth.

Anna is a young 38 years old when her life as she knows it comes to an end.  Early stage Alzheimer’s has caused her world to change in ways she could never imagine.  Resigned to living out her days at an assisted living center, she retreats into a shell as she waits for the complete loss of her memory and, eventually, her life.

What she doesn’t count on, however, is falling in love.  You see, she’s not the only “youngster” at Rosalind House.  Luke’s experiences are much like Anna’s.  And fate would have it that they find each other.  But can someone fall in love without remembering it?  Is love in your mind or in your heart?

This is a beautiful, heartbreaking story.  The author does an outstanding job of taking us into Anna’s mind and allowing us to imagine what she might be thinking and feeling. And at the same time, she weaves into the story a mystery waiting to be unraveled.  I wanted to know what the secret was, what happened in Anna’s past that even she didn’t remember. Each chapter left me wanting more.An outstanding story!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  The Things We Keep

 

Review: What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross

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25111142This is a book that is hard to review, because it simply isn’t black and white. This novel is about a lady who finds a baby left unattended in an IKEA store and walks away with her. Twenty one years later she is caught. This book attempts to tell her story and show us the aftermath.

I’m so conflicted. Yes, what she did was 100% wrong. She never claims it wasn’t. However, the fact of the matter is, it was a “one-off” that would have never happened if the birth mother hadn’t answered a phone call, walked off, and left her baby unattended for several (never really told how long, but I am guessing it was well over 10 minutes, possibly more than 20) minutes.

Facts are, no one is perfect. Especially parents. Even though Lucy (the lady who abducted the child) seemed to want to be a parent above all else, it’s pretty evident to me that she wasn’t the best mother. Yes, she needed to support herself and her *daughter*, but it seemed pretty obvious to me that she was a very career oriented person. Much of the raising was left to the nanny. Having said that, she provided a good life and did, in fact, love the child. I do believe she didn’t attend to take the child and as the minutes ticked by one by one, she found herself unable (and unwilling) to correct the situation…

I would also like to point out that the birth mother….well, there’s no two ways about it. I didn’t like her character. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t find her believable. She was just too over the top and wholesome for me to deal with. Going on and on about placing soothing drops on pillows to help her reunited daughter sleep easier through the night, sessions of throwing rocks and yelling into the wind to cleanse out bad feelings, taking her (now adult) daughter to sessions to have her charted and palms read. Yes, I’m sure these people exist in life…but if I was that daughter, I would have been very weirded out by her.

Finally, why the book was full of so much grey matter for me was the daughter. She made the book worth reading. Once she started reflecting on her life and the guilt she felt for loving a woman who provided so much for her….when she started wondering how different her life would have been….well, you can imagine…having to feel guilty about loving someone…well it must be a terrible feeling to have. Then trying to come to terms with that love, with the guilt, and being glad she had the life she had and not the one she was taken from….well, again, her story and her hurt is what made the entire book a worthwhile read for me….

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross

Review: Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

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51xzbYMMWfL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

Stories like this are the reason I continue to love historical fiction.  Skilled authors are able to take an event or era from the past and weave an intricately compelling story around it.  Granted, there’s no shortage of stories set in Nazi Germany, but this one is definitely a must-read if you’re a fan of the genre.

It’s the early 1970’s, and Hannah must come to terms with her mother’s recent death.  Not particularly close to her in life, she now is faced with the task of clearing out her mom’s house and possessions.  A job to be completed as quickly as possible so that she can get back to her life. Until she comes across some mysterious letters, that is.

And so  her quest takes her all the way to Germany where she meets a grandfather she had no idea even existed.  And she’s a surprise to him as well.  Hannah is as determined to find out her family secrets as her grandfather is determined to keep them forever hidden.  As she digs deeper, she finds out so much more than she bargained for.  And she discovers the person her mother truly was.

Much of the appeal of this story, as is the case with most historical fiction, is that it’s told from two perspectives spanning several decades.  What Hannah is feeling is entirely justified, but hearing her mother’s story puts a whole new spin on things.  An excellent story with the reminder that things aren’t always what they seem!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:   Secrets She Kept

Review: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

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Sara flies from her home in Sweden to nowhereville, Iowa to visit a pen pal and fellow book lover, but when she arrives, nothing is as she expected. The people surprise her, the town isn’t much of a town at all, and her old standby — books — are hard to come by. So she makes a plan and makes some friends and puts the pieces of her life back together. 

In the course of telling the story, Bivald writes in some contrivances that just made certain aspects of the plot too obviously fake to me. I also noticed that as I read I kept asking myself, “is that supposed to mean something?” Maybe Bivald wanted to integrate symbolism in places? But those were just two bumps in the road. 

Most of the book went along quite smoothly, introducing the reader to some stereotypically exaggerated characters (the old maid, the gay guy, the town drunk) which, to me, made Sara seem all the more plain and subdued. But she surprises people and makes waves in her own way. 🙂 

I really loved that Sara shared her love for reading in the best, most apt way possible. She shared herself through those books, and I could feel the other characters’ gratefulness. 

The best part of the book was the happily ever after because it gave me that “sigh, everything is as it should be now” feeling. Settled. Which is something Sara only felt at the very end as well. 

-calliope

But THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND

Review: Wicked Lust by Sawyer Bennett

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01 cainHoly hotness, Batman!!! Dirty, sexy, HOT!! If you’re looking for a super saucy book with a bit of romance mixed in, then this would be right up your alley.

SYNOPSIS
Cain Bonham is as big and bad as they come. After serving in the Marines, he’s returned home to Wyoming and now works as head of security at the exclusive sex club, The Wicked Horse. His job is to protect not only the patrons, but to zealously guard the secret existence of the club itself.

Sloane Preston is all about discovering secrets. As an undercover reporter, she’s determined to reveal the truth behind the facade of The Wicked Horse and expose it for all the world to see. She just didn’t count on her pathway into the club coming at the hands of one gorgeously scarred and bad ass bouncer who manages to easily possess her body and soul.

While Cain’s not looking for anyone to catch his eye, Sloane did it all the same, and he’s not bemoaning the fact that she’s as wickedly kinky as he is. As both get caught up in the sinful fantasies that only The Wicked Horse can create, secrets and loyalties will be tested and hearts will risk being broken.

Sloan was on a mission. She must do her job at the risk of her own heart. But that silly heart of hers is pulling her in different directions. She had no idea that meeting Cain would make this job so difficult.

Cain is a dream maker at The Silo. He’s there for fun. Never giving more than one night to a girl. That is, until her meets Sloan, then he’s sunk. He’s wants more with her and pretty soon, she has him hooked into her. So when he finds out that he’s been played, the life he was working towards, just night be an illusion.

I thought Cain was just a player, but there was more behind the scenes that made me really fall for him. There’s a reason he does all that he does. But he also has a heart and would do anything for the girl who holds it.

Seriously, this book was super hot. If you don’t like dirty sex, or anything more than m/f, then steer clear. This book will dirty you up. And I seriously can’t wait for Rand’s book!!

~Melpomene

Buy Wicked Lust (The Wicked Horse Book 2)

You don’t NEED to read Wicked Fall (The Wicked Horse Series Book 1) to read this book, but I highly recommend it. You get more of Cain. And who wouldn’t want that?

Review: The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

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25513627My very first Chris Bohjalian novel….I’ve been told time and time again in the past that I should be reading this author….but like so many, I just have an abundance of really good books on my TBR list and not nearly enough time….In this case, a review copy dropped into my lap at just the right time and I dove right in. I am so glad I did! I can’t wait to read my by Mr Bohjalian!

There are lots of characters I feel that a reader can sympathize with….and because of that, I think this would be a really great book club read…and that is something I NEVER say! I don’t really do book club reads…hahahaha…but regardless of that, I still think this will be a brilliant book club read! It would be interesting to see whom people aligned their loyalties to…the husband, the wife, the young *strippers*, the daughter? All of them? None?

I for one love realist endings over HEA endings….so I wasn’t that bothered by this ending…but it will be interesting to see what others think….

This book makes it clear that life can change in an instant…..we all know it…..but we often forget it….we like to think that nothing like this could happen to us….we like to call this “escapism”….we tell ourselves that it makes for an interesting read and a distraction from real life….that we would never find ourselves in this type of situation….Bohjalian really makes me question that….this book starts out with just a few simple choices….not even choices…it’s more like being in the wrong place at the wrong time….when it comes down to it, the fact is, not many people who find themselves in a bad situation have actually meant to be in that position….yes, there are some things that you would change with hindsight…but that’s the pesky thing…hindsight only comes about AFTER the fact…..

There are lots of things and moral situations to ponder in this story….you’re sure to find yourself trying to put yourself into other’s shoes here and wonder what you might have done differently….

Highly recommend this one….no matter if you’re a long time fan of Chris Bohjalian or a new fan like myself…

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

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41ONc4Ga9+L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_Let me preface this review by saying that this book isn’t for everybody. But then, most books aren’t. Still, violence and gun violence in particular is so prevalent in our society. And when the subject is a school shooting, that one place that absolutely should be safe, it makes it that much harder. But if you do choose to read it, you won’t be sorry.

54 minutes. That’s all it takes for young lives to be forever changed. In that span of time, one teen’s inner turmoil turns into revenge. And his high school classmates are the targets. They never saw it coming as they filed into the auditorium to listen to their principal’s speech. They find themselves cowering and scrambling for safety, all the while wondering why.

As the story is told from several different perspectives, we get a glimpse into the killer’s past to find out just what pushed him to this point. We also view the tragedy through the eyes of other students. What did they know? Could they have done anything to prevent what’s unfolding? Theirs are stories of bravery and heroism, lives saved and lives lost. Each character is unique and reads true to life, and the story flows easily in spite of the varying points of view.

As much as I enjoyed this story, I long for the day when a book such as this truly is fiction instead of something that sounds very plausible. Sadly, occurrences such as this one are far too common.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: This Is Where It Ends