Book Review

Review: The Girl in the Yellow Vest by Loretta Hill

Posted by

0

20140103-110631.jpg Two great falling-in-love stories, a child custody case, and coal shipping on Australia’s eastern coast fill this novel with fun and adventure.

The characters of Will and Emily were well-developed, as were the secondary characters of Charlotte and Mark. Though their romances were the driving force of the plot, Loretta Hill impressed me with meaningful storylines about Charlotte’s sister Zara, Emily’s breakup with Trent, Mark’s grief, and the raucous nature of 200 men working on the coast away from their families.

Apart from the engineering and shipping explanations (they took up a lot of pages and I skipped over some), I was hooked on this novel and didn’t want to stop reading it. I finally put it down at 80% only because it was 1:30 a.m.! I was too tired to fully enjoy what I knew would be an excellent ending.

I finished the book just now with a full heart, as the characters came to heal their hearts with the love and support of friends and family — and a wild turkey. 🙂

–Calliope

Buy it now The Girl in the Yellow Vest

Review: Catch of the Day (Destiny Romance) by Carla Caruso

Posted by

0

20131229-230706.jpg Winnie was sent from Sydney aaaallllll across the country to a small Australian coastal town in the matter of a couple of days. Her chic flat, her sophisticated nightlife, and her fabulous job at a fashion magazine were replaced by temp housing in a fishing village and a startup beach magazine with 2 employees. Winnie was not a happy girl.

…Until she met Alex, buff fisherman and talented photographer. They kissed, then thought better of it. They hooked up, then thought better of it. Each time the relationship changed, it went up a little higher and down a little further. It didn’t help that Alex was hiding secrets from his past, and Winnie lacked self-esteem.

Once Winnie formed some solid friendships and work relationships, she was ready to have a real relationship with Alex– but only if he would be honest and reliable. Once Alex dealt with his family secrets and put them out in the open, he was ready to welcome Winnie into his arms.

Cute story, maybe a little drawn out in some places. Reading Alex and Winnie’s texts was fun. Winnie’s desperate neediness was annoying, but it didn’t last long. I loved the beach setting, the Australian idioms, and the magazine life! Worth the $2 for fun, “destination” chick lit.

–Calliope

Buy it now Catch of the Day

Review: Love a Little Sideways by Shannon Stacey

Posted by

0

20131227-135257.jpg Seems to be a theme of strong, anti-commitment female protagonists and marriage-minded heroes these days. It’s a nice break from the traditional, and it makes for fun girls’ nights and sweet men pining for their women.

Drew and Liz were family friends back in the day, mostly because Drew was best friends with Liz’s brother Mitch. And they hooked up at Mitch’s wedding 8 months ago, which is being held as Top Secret, lest Mitch beat the pulp out of Drew. Then Liz went back to her life in New Mexico.

When Liz returns to her childhood home in Maine, she and Drew have to face the music – and each other. They have plenty of chemistry but no common goals for the future. A family camping trip forces them to make decisions about their relationship.

I liked the family atmosphere in Love a Little Sideways. On the camping trip, there were ATV rides, swimming pool games of doom, family meals, campfires, wild children, and new babies with their mamas. It reminded me of the family reunions I’ve been to in the summer, where the mothers make sure the kids are safe and the fathers make sure the kids have fun… and are worn out for bedtime! I had a ball with the Kowalskis, and totally understood how grateful Liz was to be back with her family.

Liz and Drew had obvious chemistry, and they cared for each other. I enjoyed watching them navigate their relationship, trying to find a place that fit each of their goals. The journey of this romance was super fun. The ending was romantic, but a little bit silly in light of Liz’s stance on marriage and babies throughout the story. All in all, Love a Little Sideways is a cleverly-written, upbeat romance with a lot of family fun.

Just a little aside: I have a thing for cops, so it was fun to read Drew as a young-ish police chief hero. But please note, no police officer would lie down to watch fireworks while in uniform, much less with his gun belt on! That scene made me giggle, trying to picture my favorite cop doing the same. 🙂

–Calliope

Buy it now Love a Little Sideways

Review: Last Chance Knit & Stitch by Hope Ramsay

Posted by

0

20131218-221825.jpg Molly and Simon were acquainted as children, when Molly was a tomboy and Simon played football for Molly’s dad. Twenty-five years later, Molly is still a tomboy, fixing cars and avoiding domesticity. Simon is a famous artist, dropping back into town for his father’s funeral, besieged by bad memories and childhood trauma. Though they seem an unlikely couple in their own eyes and those all over Last Chance, fate steps in and shows Simon and Molly that sometimes love is enough to overcome the past.

This book is #6 in a series, but it’s the first I’ve read of the Last Chance books. I enjoyed the South Carolina setting, the descriptions of the southern heat, and Miriam the soothsayer. And because I totally dig accents, I was pretty happy hearing Simon talk with all his I-reckons and Yes-sirs, not to mention his fishing down at the river. I thought the Purly Girls widows knitting group was fun — and a little sad, too. Good writing made that juxtaposition possible.

From a yankee’s perspective, I thought the southern charm was believable and integrated well. There were no grits or biscuits mentioned, but there were camellias, bourbon, gardening, “well-shoot”s, and a guy named Bubba!

The subplots were a nice diversion from the usual — a Spanish guy from the west coast falls in love with this small Carolina town and breaks up with his boyfriend to move there; a newly widowed woman has had dementia for years and her son needs to help; businesses changing hands mean job insecurity for many in town; new puppies and new babies give new mommies a run for their money; two May-December romances work out to happily-ever-afters.

The best part of the Molly and Simon story was their ability to stay true to themselves while shedding their fears and insecurities. By loving each other, Molly and Simon became better, brighter, and happier. I was uplifted.

–Calliope

Buy it now Last Chance Knit & Stitch

Review: Crazy for You by Juliet Rosetti

Posted by

0

20131215-124140.jpgWhat a caper! I didn’t read number one in this series, but I didn’t have to in order to laugh out loud and appreciate Mazie Maguire’s ex-con predicaments. Mazie gets herself into lots of trouble by accidentally getting mixed up in a murder investigation. And not unlike Stephanie Plum, she has a handsome hero to help her out of the tough spots.

What makes this novel especially good is that Mazie doesn’t actually need a hero to rescue her, he just happens to make things a little more interesting. She appreciates Ben’s affections and his willingness to walk beside her as she weaves her way through new jobs, bad guys, and insecurities about her looks. She also appreciates Ben’s good looks!

Sometimes cozy mysteries or caper-ridden novels depend on the dumbness of the characters. Not here. I like that Mazie and Ben are smart. The trouble that meets them doesn’t result from any mistakes or idiocy on their part…. And they intelligently put their heads together to keep each other safe.

I laughed hilariously throughout this book, loved the romantic element, and will be on the lookout for book 3. Juliet Rosetti, you’re a find!

— Calliope

Buy it now Crazy for You

Review: The Perfect Match (Revisited) by Kristan Higgins

Posted by

0

aaOkay, as most people know, I’m not exactly a romance fan…I reckon I was years ago at some point, but I haven’t been for a very long time…I do remember that I grew up on historical romance! I used to love those books when I was a young teen. They took me to another life…far away from the one I had….I guess that’s it…I used to have a special place in my heart for historical romances, but contemporary romances have never “wowed” me…of course, there is always the hope that I’m going to find a great read from one and from time to time I’m sucked in by all the rave reviews I hear others making….

So this brings me to my first Kristan Higgins book. I’ve thought about reading her a few times…I’ve heard great things about her….and a few have a British love interest….and….well….since I am American and now have a British love, well….that was yet another reason I wanted to give her a try…So here I am….

I have to say, I didn’t have high hopes for the book…sadly enough, I just don’t anymore when it comes to contemporary romances….However, once I started this book, I found myself sincerely enjoying it. I found the characters engaging. I wanted to see what happened to them…of course!!! It’s a romance! We all KNOW how it’s going to end! I mean, it’s Kristan Higgins, right 🙂 But I still wanted to finish the journey and see the paths they traveled to get to the HEA…

About midway though the book, the old negative me came to the surface and I found myself becoming bored and distracted….alas, I was a bit irritated with myself…why must I be so difficult?

But this is Kristan Higgins! She knows how to deal with willy-nellies like me! She pulled me right back into the fold and I was actually wanting to cry at one point! I was sad…and I was happy…and I was sad again….once I finally went down the path to the HEA, I was sad and disappointed that the journey was over…thrilled that I was able to travel down it to be sure…but sad and darn it…I now want to read MORE of Kristan Higgins….Of course, she has no clue what a downer I am….but for anyone that knows me, I hope that you at least realise what a true compliment that is coming for me….

Reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now The Perfect Match

Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Posted by

0

20131129-123657.jpgReaders of post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian stories must suspend their disbelief for the duration of most of these stories. Plague-induced flesh-eating zombies, alien or cyborg invasion…these make great stories but are a little too far “out there” for the average reader to truly believe. Scarcity of clean drinking water, however, is something that is far too believable.

Not a Drop to Drink takes us into the lives of Lynn and her mother as they try to survive in a harsh, futuristic world where safe, clean drinking water is a commodity worth killing for. Their primary focus is to protect their pond at all costs. Cut off from the rest of the world, they rely on nobody but themselves. Lynn, in fact, cannot recall ever talking to anyone besides her mother. She’s a tough survivor who knows what has to be done when faced with danger. After all, her mother has raised her that way. But when tragedy strikes, Lynn is forced to let down her guard and allow others into her life. This comes in the form of their long-standing neighbor as well as strangers Eli and young Lucy. Of course Eli becomes the love interest. Isn’t that a requirement for a young adult novel? Still, the romance is more of a sideline and doesn’t distract from the inner toughness and maturity that Lynn exhibits throughout the story. It was also nice to see her transformation from a hard-as-nails, unemotional teenager into someone who truly cares for others and puts their well being before hers.

I enjoyed this book tremendously, and in large part because it felt more plausible to me than most of the other books of this genre that I’ve read. Clean water to drink is something that most of us take for granted. But how long would we be able to survive if our supply was limited? What measures would we take to protect what little we had? And what would we be willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others? While I won’t pretend that this was a particularly deep or thought-provoking story, it did make me think “what if” a bit more than others have recently. This book has great character development and the author provides a well-described environment that helps the reader understand why certain tough decisions had to be made. This one is a well-written, strong story!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Not a Drop to Drink

Review: Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

Posted by

0

20131211-235749.jpg Married for Christmas is Christmassy and sweet … The characters are young and quirky … I enjoyed it as a cute, unique novella. But the dialogue is uneven – natural in some places, out of place in others. And as sweet and charming as the story was, the whole time I was reading, I felt like I was watching an awkward, nerdy first date.

Jessica and Daniel marry out of convenience – or so they tell each other. They have quite a few misunderstandings and silent sulks because of their insecurities. Any feelings they have for each other are slowly and painfully revealed until they are finally honest with themselves and each other. A happily-ever-after on Christmas Day endeared me to the book, and yes I did sigh dreamily. 🙂

I enjoyed the Christmas aspect of the story, which was emotional and uplifting. I also thought the secret fears of a young couple were written very realistically. My favorite part of the book was the honesty Jessica persisted with, no matter the potential rejection or hurt. Her honesty was the catalyst for her marriage to move forward – what a gift!

This is a good read for someone in a new relationship.

-Calliope

Buy it now (99¢!!!) Married for Christmas

Review: Delicious by Adrianne Lee

Posted by

0

20131208-225450.jpg If I could live in a bakery and read books all day, I would. But since I can’t, I do enjoy reading books about food. And love. And loving food.

Delicious deserves 4 big, yummy, juicy stars for those reasons and more. Adrianne Lee gives her readers mesmerizing descriptions of baking pies, wonderful characters, and a fresh take on love.

Nick and Jane run into each other in their 30s… years after having met and hated each other as teenagers. They realize they have to work together — and help each other sort out some personal problems along the way. The details around their past (read for yourself, no spoilers here) were a first for me – and I’m a romance junkie!

The plot is fun: advertising agent falls in love with head pastry chef…. who works at the bakery he’s doing a huge campaign for. Their friends and family are positive influences, their problems are real but can be overcome, and there’s quite a bit of flirting going on. Delicious made me happy!

I loved that Delicious showed a career-oriented female protagonist and a ready-to-settle-down-but-still-macho hero. I lapped up the excellent dialogue: Nick and his friends talked just like the guys I know. I thought that every character was developed precisely. I got the right amount of backstory for the main characters and secondary characters, enough so I felt like I knew them, but without extraneous details. Most importantly, I loved that Nick and Jane’s heartbreak touched me without being angsty, and their love warmed my heart without being smarmy.

The à la mode was a happy-ever-after that was simply perfect for Nick and Jane… and for me.

–Calliope

Buy it now Delicious

Delicious is Book 2 in Adrianne Lee’s Big Sky Pie series, but can be read as a standalone. Book 1, Delectable, was enjoyable as well, as you can see from the review here.

Reviews: Necroscope (Necroscope, #1) & Necroscope II: Vamphyri! (Necroscope, #2) by Brian Lumley

Posted by

0

Okay….so I’m gonna do something a little different…I read the first of this series last year at this time….I recently picked up the second in the series to read and loved it so much that I wanted to review it for everyone….but I wanted to go back and also include my review from book one…so today is your lucky day (or not)…two reviews for the price of one!!! Hope you enjoy….

BL1

Necroscope (book #1) read in November 2012:

How to rate this book. I loved parts of it, but also found myself waiting for the *real* action to begin. Knowing that there are over 30 books to follow this one, I guess I will have to be satisfied knowing this was only the beginning and as such, maybe, it was designed to set up the story line and ensure I lusted for more….
I read Dracula last month. I won’t bore you with explaining why I was utterly bored with it, actually finding myself yawning at parts. I only bring it up to say that when I read that book, I was looking for the type of feel this book gave me. A sense of evil that is timeless. Evil that has existed though out all the generations and still exists today. This book excited me in the way that I had hoped Dracula would. I could hear the ancient rasping voice of pure evil when the old Vampir spoke from his earthly tomb. I could actually feel the air grow chill. *This* is what I was seeking from the Count….Stoker did not deliver that feeling (for ME), but Lumley certainly did.

Here you have Boris Dragosani and his ability to tear apart the dead and learn their secrets…and then you throw in little Harry Keogh, who speaks for the dead, who the dead admire and, in fact, seek him out and what is there not to love! This same ability, two vastly different types of humans who can both speak to the dead, but displayed at two total different angles fascinated me.

It was also very interesting to have the KGB and other world intelligence agencies use all of these physic powers against one another. James Bond has entered an entirely new realm here. It’s all so very believable. So how much does physic ability play in attaining intelligence from other counties? We all have heard of mediums being used behind closed doors to help track down killers, but what if these mediums were used AS THE killers? How true is the “evil eye”? What if one talked to the dead, not to reassure the living, but to learn of the dead’s secrets…secrets that up until that point had been taken with them to the grave?

Parts of this book I felt were rich in detail and left me wanting even more…yet other parts I felt needed more detail and they, too, left me wanting more…..

I won’t be going into any ancient forests in Romania anytime soon….that is one thing I know for sure…..

BL2Necroscope II: Vamphyri! (book #2) read November 2013:

As I read this, I wondered why I had waited so long to continue on with this series. I really liked the first book. I remembered just how much as I read this one. The second book picks up right where book one ended. As I read this one, I was already wondering how I would rate it. Very different from the first book. Lots of the history of the past Wamphyris. There are parts of this book that felt very gothic. Other parts felt very spy vs. spy with all of the espionage…I really wasn’t sure how I would rate it….I loved the history and the espionage both….I loved the combining of world powers to fight for a common goal….I loved the feeling of being suspect of everyone…was he a good guy…or would he turn traitor….this whole concept of fighting world powers not with physical force, BUT with mental force is terrifying to me! Don’t we all have that 6th sense that kicks in from time to time….haven’t we all heard of the evil eye? Every feel like something bad is about to happen? Déjà vie? What if there ARE people out there that have powers such as these that we can’t even begin to imagine? What if world powers not only hide these people, but they also use them for the *better* of their cause? What happens if you put a mind reader in with one of the most powerful men in he world? What would he learn? What if someone can talk to anyone from the dead? Think of all the great minds of the past! Now…Think of all the evil minds of the past…go back in time…Genghis Khan…Hitler …now imagine being able to converse with them! Do you see where this can go? Think of the secrets that the dead take to their graves….now imagine that you can bring those secrets forth….how mind blowing is that!

So I was on the fence on how to rate this….4 stars for sure….but was it really worthy of 5? Lumley is a true writer of horror….I mean, there’s no way you can read the descriptions of his vampires and not be a little freaked out….he paints a very vivid mind’s image….you can almost hear the sounds of limbs being tore apart….he also, in a gothic sick twisted way throws in things meant to be erotic and sick and twisted and exciting all at once….you long to turn away, but can’t bear to miss a moment….

Then I hit the last 10% of this book…..all I can say is oh holy hell….I gasped out loud! I actually stood up and paced…I was hopping up and down on one leg to the other….I read it with my mouth hanging open…I had goosebumps running up and down my skin….and that wasn’t enough…I then started to shake…physically shake from the stuff going through my mind….he did this NOT ONCE BUT THREE TIMES IN THE LAST PART OF THE BOOK!! Three huge shocks to my system….never, ever, can I ever hope or dream to experience something like that from a book ever again…he flipping blew my mind!!! Lumley, is a fucking master….there is a reason this series has a cult following….brilliant….just brilliant…..ah.maze.ing…..

No, this isn’t a book for everyone….Lumley is not for everyone….but this series has now answered the question….if I could only read one series for the rest of my life….well, it’s gonna be this one….with dozens of books, I am excited to be breathless again…lost in horrific wonder….bring it….I am wanting to start book 3!!!!!

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy Them Now Necroscope, Necroscope II: Vamphyri!