Since it is approaching the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, we thought it’d be interesting to get an idea of your favorite plays! Tomorrow will feature a commemorative post, where you will get a chance to win a beautifully illustrated book of Shakespeare plays by E.B Nesbit! For now though, please let us know what is your favorite play, and if it isn’t listed, leave a comment!
This book has a terrific premise – city slicker moves in next door to country girl – and the couple has excellent chemistry. I was totally caught up in the fun banter between Ian and Tessa, and I loved loved loved the cooking scenes! Overall, it’s good chick lit with a happily ever after. I enjoyed it.
However, some technical issues frequently stopped me in my tracks. Commas appeared between words that a computer might recognize as two adjectives, but really they’re not:
“He put two, double beds on the second floor.”
and
“She gave him the right-size, ice cream scoop.”
It drove this proofreading, copy-editing grammarian NUTS, as it happened on almost every page. 😳
I also had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit to get past the forced circumstances in which Tessa and Ian bump into each other or find themselves alone in each other’s company. Another contrivance I struggled to get past was the open relationship Ian’s fiancé wanted. Based on Ian’s character, I would’ve thought that to be a deal-breaker. Lastly, I thought it was unbelievable for a new male neighbor to just pop over to the female neighbor’s house every single day for dinner. They just met! I am a woman and there’s no way I’d welcome a strange guy into my house for dinner. Maybe it’s different for a Mill Pond rancher than for this born and bred Yankee.
Because I enjoyed the cooking, chemistry, and setting so much, I’m inclined to pick up book two in the Mill Pond series. I just hope an editor takes a heavier hand. 🙂
-calliope
“Do you believe in crazy at first sight?”
Lines creased his brown. “What?”
“I’m not down with the whole L-word and I don’t think this, whatever this is, is that. So don’t freak out and suddenly accuse me of being a stage-ten clinger or something, got it?”
“Okay.” He looked amused.
“But what if there was crazy at first sight? Because I think we have a credible basis for that.”
This book was most definitely Insta-crazy. I swear it takes place in the span of a couple weeks. CRAZY!! But it was a fast read and I did very much enjoy it.
I liked Vaughn instantly. Here was this girl, in his shower, in a wedding dress, and he doesn’t call the cops or freaks out., He listens to her and tries to help her out, all the while slowly falling for her. He has enough on his own plate, but there’s something about this girl that makes him want new things.
It was SUPER fun to see Mal, my favorite Stage Dive character pop in there!! Seriously. I read that entire part with a big cheesy grin on my face. I had no idea any of them were going to pop in.
Dirty was such a nice way to start this new series, Lighthearted and fun, with some sweet chemistry throughout it. I swear it’s been forever since I read a fun book that wasn’t over the top. If you enjoyed the Stage Dive series, you will definitely like this one.
~Melpomene
Grab Dirty today!
TITLE:
Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories
AUTHOR:
Stephanie Perkins, Leigh Bardugo, Jon Skovron, Jennifer E. Smith, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Veronica Roth
PAGES:
400 pages
PUBLISHER:
St. Martin’s Griffin
GENRE:
Romance
RELEASE DATE:
May 17, 2016
SYNOPSIS:
Maybe it’s the long, lazy days, or maybe it’s the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom.
Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.
Preorder HERE
I absolutely loved this book and I devoured it in less than 24 hours and really wish I could go back for more second helpings!
How refreshing it is to have an author that doesn’t feel the need to rush two people into a bed to keep the reader engaged and invested in the story. Of course we knew (or hoped!) what was going to happen, but it was a joy to read the pages until we got there. It was also refreshing to read a novel about a girl who didn’t rely on the world (or a man) to help her. She had her moments of self-pity, but instead of wallowing in it, she picked herself up and moved on. She didn’t let her disappointments and the downfalls that were happening in one part of her life prevent her from enjoying the other parts that life has to offer.
We could all learn from that.
Perhaps this isn’t my usual book that I absolutely love, but what’s not to love about a book that keeps you up late at night reading it, loving it, and wanting more like it? One mustn’t get stuck on the same old menu day after day…sometimes it really pays off to try the chef’s special and go outside your comfort zone…whether or not we’re discussing books or eating, it’s best to reserve final judgement until you’ve at least sampled the offerings…
Until next time…
Urania xx
Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review
buy it now The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E Reichert
Well, if you’re looking for a super sexy book, with no holds barred BDSM scenes, then THIS is the book for you.
After Cat’s husband dies, she is told he left her nothing. After living the horrible life she’s lead, it’s hard for her to trust anyone. She has made some very bad decisions, just to stay a float, but now that everything is gone, she’s not sure how she’s going to survive. What she experienced, I wouldn’t wish that on my enemies. Horrible.
Enter, Rand, the part time fantasy maker and The Silo. He decides to help Cat out, for no other reason than he’s just a nice guy. Once he finds out her full story, he is determined to help her realize that none of her past is her fault. When I read his POV, I was quite happy to see how big his heart is. He brought a lot of emotion without all the tears. It was very nice to see.
Since they’ve been together a time or two, at The Silo, they decide to play around and soon they realize that what they have is more than just a fun. This actually could be real.
I knew Rand was a great guy. He’s super sexy and knows how to make a girl feel loved. I love the fact that he went out of his way, MILES out of his way, just to find some key puzzle pieces that were missing in her life.
And of course this had a hefty dose of sauce. Very HOT sauce. The kind that makes you step away and find your significant other. Whew! I can’t wait until the next one!!
~Melpomene
Buy Wicked Need
Get caught up with the rest of the gang.
Grab Wicked Fall and Wicked Lust.
Lisa Scottoline is well-known for her “could happen to me” stories. She has a knack for writing about relevant topics that seem as if they were taken from the headlines of the local news. Her newest is no exception.
Christine and her husband are desperate for a baby. It’s the only thing she’s wanted for as long as she can remember. So when it doesn’t come easily, they try other methods. After exhausting almost every medical option available, they finally agree to use the help of a sperm donor. And it works. Christine finds herself happily pregnant and ready to settle in for the duration of her pregnancy. Until she sees something on the news that rocks her to the core.
Is it her imagination or does the recently apprehended serial killer bear a striking resemblance to the photo of their sperm donor that she carries with her? Surely it’s just a coincidence. It’s with this thought in mind that she and Marcus set out to clear things up. But every question they ask is left unanswered, leaving them with more questions. Even as her marriage to Marcus becomes dangerously fractured due to the stress of the situation, Christine sets out on her own to find out once and for all if she is in fact carrying the child of a serial killer. The question that’s always lurking in the background is, what will she do if it’s true?
This was a compelling story. There’s suspense along with family drama along with moral dilemmas. Another good one from this author!
~Thalia
Buy It Now: Most Wanted
Maggie’s a burned out neurosurgeon taking time off at her dad’s campground and shop. Cal is a grieving attorney trying to start a new life for himself. They meet in the worst of circumstances, but find they bring out the best in each other.
I have always enjoyed Carr’s ability to authentically and unobtrusively write siblings and parents into her novels. Though I read almost everything with a romance slant, I appreciate the relationship between Maggie and her dad. What a father-daughter love story there! Maggie’s mom offers an opportunity to laugh at those who take their children too seriously. Cal’s parents give us a glimpse of mental illness and its effects on family. I drank up every show of affection, each cookie baked, and all the times the children didn’t pass judgement.
This story is too substantial for me to call it “fluff,” but Carr writes with a straightforward, even keel that makes reading even the dramatic parts effortless on my part. I didn’t really like Cal’s character – dirty camper doesn’t do it for me – but he redeemed himself with his love for the Sullivans. I did like Sullivan’s Crossing and the occasional traipse to Denver. It’s a fun sounding area of the country I’ve never visited.
I love that this is a true “reader’s” book: each chapter is preceded by a quote just perfect for the scenes ahead. I ate it right up. That, and of course the ending: a happily ever after.
-calliope
(Random Book Muses receives a commission for purchases made via the following Buy link.)
A North So True combines the best of so many worlds: fast-paced corporate marketing in the city, getting back to nature in the Swedish countryside, family connections and family secrets, icy climate, warm fires, fika, and lots of love.
Every bit of it is done well. Zoe and Jakob (a quiet, well-mannered, but very alpha male) have the requisite chemistry for my liking, and I appreciate their relationship ebbing and flowing naturally. I love the party Zoe attended – so fun to see a character loosen up! I really got to know her as she shrugs off some inhibitions and socializes. Zoe’s host family is adorable and warm and stable. They provide a thread of constancy in Zoe’s crazy life – and in the novel.
But my absolute favorite part of A North So True is the juxtaposition of cold and hot. Serena Clarke crafts it so well. No gratuitous snowflakes on eyelashes and fireplace sparks on a bear rug; Every description has a purpose and moves the plot forward. From ice skating and snowmobiling to gut-warming shots and hot baths, my senses soaked up every description.
I’m not a re-reader in general, but I kinda want to re-read this book just to enjoy the magical Swedish feast again. ❤️❄️⛸🇸🇪
-calliope
(Random Book Muses receives a commission for purchases made via the following Buy link.)
Buy A NORTH SO TRUE
This is one of those books that I found very difficult to choose between a 5 star read and a 3 star read.
I don’t believe you’ll find many other books out there quite like this one, I will give that to Crace. It’s hard to find a really original book out there this day and age, and this is certainly that for me.
The forward in the start of the novel says it all really…
Don’t count on Heaven, or on Hell.
You’re dead. That’s it. Adieu. Farewell.
Eternity awaits? Oh, sure!
It’s Putrefaction and Manure And unrelenting Rot, Rot, Rot,
As you regress, from Zoo. to Bot.
I’ll Grieve, of course,
Departing wife,
Though Grieving’s never
Lengthened Life
Or coaxed a single extra Breath
Out of a Body touched by Death.‘The Biologist’s Valediction to his Wife’ from Offcuts by Sherwin Stephens
It only gets worse from there. This is a story not about murder, but about death. DEATH. Don’t go into this novel expecting a happy ending. The ending is there, even before the story begins. Hell, even the title gives it away.
Being. Dead.
It depressed me if I am to be honest. Perhaps that is why I can’t decide if I should rate it high or low. Please don’t think the talk of death is what depressed me. For it was not. I actually found that a bit fascinating. But once again, I felt it was forced. Page after page after page after many a page talking about the changes in the body and of nature’s attempts to wipe their image from the face of her good clean Earth…well, it just felt forced. I felt as if Crace was trying to pound it into my brain. I can certainly see where many people would be turned off by that writing (an example to follow at the end of the review). Me? It’s things I’ve often wondered over. I once dreamed of being a forensic scientist. Of course, that was before I realised how much schooling in biology was needed! At any rate, I could deal with that, I just wished that the natural felt…well…more natural…ha!
What depressed me was, what’s the meaning of all of this. Tragically we are led to believe of this great love. Here’s a quote and proof for you!
The plain and unforgiving facts were these. Celice and Joseph were soft fruit. They lived in tender bodies. They were vulnerable. They did not have the power not to die. They were, we are, all flesh, and then we are all meat.
Joseph’s grasp on Celice’s leg had weakened as he’d died. But still his hand was touching her, the grainy pastels of her skin, one fingertip among her baby ankle hairs. Their bodies had expired, but anyone could tell – just look at them – that Joseph and Celice were still devoted. For while his hand was touching her, curved round her shin, the couple seemed to have achieved that peace the world denies, a period of grace, defying even murder. Anyone who found them there, so wickedly disfigured, would nevertheless be bound to see that something of their love had survived the death of cells.
See, there is romance there, is there not?
It made me happy to go on…”devotion defying even murder.” Whoa, Dude! I want some of that….
However, the more I read, the more I got depressed. I have to admit, I’ve struggled with religion that last few years…no….wait….that’s a lie….I’ve struggled with NOT struggling about religion for the last few years…This book….no, it’s not religious…well, not really….I guess, it’s just that here we are, swooning over this image of these two murdered people…projecting our views unto them…romantic views…even death can not end their love….blah blah blah….they died in each other’s arms…blah blah blah….their last instinct was to comfort one another…again, blah Blah BLAH…
The reality is, they are dead. They are crab bait. Further more, as the reader goes deeper into the story, the more they realise that perhaps it wasn’t some great love story…there lives weren’t really even that interesting even to them…
What if it’s true…we only have a short lifetime to be alive…and what if we’re all wasting it on “only” existing and not really LIVING? What happens when we, like every other single person we know, settles in life? We settle on the quiet night at home. We settle on keeping quiet to keep the peace. We settle on no change because it’s just so easy?
What if the greatest story of our lives is that some stranger makes up for us at the end? Because they romanticised some dead hand that seemed to reach for another? What if that’s the last story? One that isn’t even true? What happens if that last false impression isn’t even close to who we really were? Who will correct the misconceptions? How soon will all we tried to do in this life be lost after we have died? Especially if we leave no one behind that really gives a shit? What’s the point?
See! Brilliance! 5 HUGE stars…..
But damnit….that’s what I’m feeling in my head after reading the novel! Whilst reading it, after the half way point I just wanted it to hurry up and END!!! 3 FAT stars.
Sigh….
Here’s but one sample of Crace’s writing style. I loved it….and yet, page after page after page after yet page, I hated it as well….
The dead don’t talk – but bodies belch for hours after death. A woman bends to kiss her husband for the final time. Despite the warnings of the morgue attendant – sweet-breathed or not – she puts a little weight upon his chest, and is rewarded with the stench of every meal she’s cooked for him in forty years. The morgue could sound, at times, as if a ghoulish choir was warming up, backed by a wind ensemble of tubas and bassoons. It could smell as scalpy, scorched and pungent as a hairdressing salon. The breath of these cold choristers was far worse than the onion breath of clerks. But no one said that bodies weren’t sincere. There’s nothing more sincere than death. The dead mean what they say.
Until next time…
Urania xx
Buy it now Being Dead by Jim Crace
Random Book Muses 