Calliope

Review &VIDEO: Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams

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I love reading books set in a familiar locale, so when I saw that Tiny Little Thing was set in the Boston area and Cape Cod, I knew I had to read it. I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts and spent many a summer day on the family beaches at the Cape. 

Tiny, a well-bred dancer who marries a well-bred politician, finds herself unfulfilled and held back. She wants to escape, but is conflicted about appearing callous or selfish to her in-laws who have ostensibly given her the keys to fame and fortune. 

A niggling thought just won’t let go, though. Her in-laws are hiding something. As Tiny uncovers family secrets, she also peels away her fear of the unknown. With the help of those who truly love her, Tiny takes a leap out of the family’s political circus and into her own big life. 

So I didn’t love that this was set in the ’60s – I can’t relate – I wasn’t even born yet! And I hated that Tiny was portrayed as such a “victim” who needed to be saved. But I appreciated the redeeming values of her husband, and the gentle respect of the Captain. 

My favorite thing about this family saga/romance is that Williams explored Tiny’s relationship with her sister Pepper. While restoring an old car, they restored their sisterhood. Williams even brought their mother in full-circle at the end. I like that she tied up loose ends. 

And even though Tiny wasn’t exactly the best example of a strong woman who knows her mind, she was a good woman, rescued over and over by a good man, and that’s my kind of happily ever after. 
-calliope

Buy TINY LITTLE THING 

Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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  Oh my. Let’s start at the end.  I go into every book anticipating a happily ever after. This book ends happy from some people’s perspectives, but it’s definitely not what I expected. 

You know what led me to believe it would be my kind of HEA? Love. That’s right, I’m a hopeless romantic when it comes to books, and I was enamored with Louisa’s love story. After a dozen years of holding back and reining in and SETTLING for the safe bet, Louisa led with her heart. 

Louisa got out there and lived and loved and made herself happy… by the side of a depressed, egotistical, narcissist who was just trying to get by with the appearance of dignity that he couldn’t feel. 

In some ways I think Me Before You comments on how some people come into our lives for only brief moments, but they touch us in such a way that our lives are forever changed. And some people – like Louisa’s longtime boyfriend – are with us for so long without affecting us at all. 

I loved the banter between Will and Louisa, the characterization of Will’s hopeless and hopeful mother, and Moyes’ skillful descriptions of time and place that made me believe I was there. 

I laughed out loud, certainly. I bawled my eyes out, as well. I hated the ending, but I’d read it again in a heartbeat. 

A little birdie told me a sequel is being released in September. 

                     *in the queue*
-calliope

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Review: Once Upon a Summertime by Melody Carlson

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Anna is a family girl who takes a job at a value hotel in order to be near her grandmother. Anna doesn’t expect to stay on her grandmother’s couch for two years, though. And she’s frustrated managing a hotel that isn’t in line with her hospitality philosophy. So she finally goes to New York on the referral of a friend and starts working at a chic boutique hotel… where her childhood crush is the manager. And he’s still handsome and charming and kind. And she kind of sort of can’t help falling back in love with him. 

Great plot, pretty good characters, and easy dialogue made Once Upon a Summertime a very nice read. The only thing I didn’t really like was the interaction between Anna and the other girls. The banter was contrived, and the snark was inconsistent. I couldn’t get a handle on Marley – and here Carlson missed an opportunity to let Anna show how strong she was by being an example to, or firmly standing up to, her friend. Besides that, the book is well-written and a joy to read. 

I always love the sweetness of Melody Carlson’s books. I like that she writes main characters who experience a transformation, or who grow due to a life-changing event. Anna goes from thinking about her ideas to acting on them – and in the process she becomes more true to herself. A person is always rewarded internally for living authentically, and in Once Upon a Summertime Anna is also rewarded by those she loves. 

 -calliope

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Review: Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

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Thinking about this novel makes the late afternoon sun wash over me like it does over Georgia’s family vineyard. Georgia goes home to the vineyard for comfort, but what she finds are more problems. It doesn’t matter though… she still relishes the love her family gives her in whatever way they can. 

Laura Dave sets a great scene and lays out emotion very well. I still can feel the brother and sister holding hands in forgiveness, the father picking grapes in the cool, dark, wee hours, and the fullness of music in Georgia’s mom. 

Georgia’s struggle with her fiancé’s past seemed very real to me. Here she is at her family’s vineyard, watching her family relationships change in big ways, and then she has to decide what kind of family she wants with her fiancé. Matters of the heart are not easily – or rationally – settled, but Georgia finds an inspired solution. 

My favorite character scene (because, truly, the descriptions of the land are so awesome that nothing compares) is at the end when Georgia makes a wise decision, filled with love for herself and her family. Eight Hundred Grapes wonderfully illustrates a happily ever after that isn’t too perfect or too sweet, but beautifully earned. 

 -calliope

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Review: The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank

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There’s something about the South Carolina Lowcountry that draws me in.  It’s maybe a twisted sort of genteel refinement, where the politeness is superficial, and repressed aggression seethes underneath. The underneath part intrigues me despite its repelling nature. 

And so it is with this novel. Ashley’s family dealing with love and commitment – that’s the surface plot. What Frank truly writes about is darker and more disturbing – a pervasive perversion of commitment that brainwashes the victims and destroys trust. 

Frank brilliantly depicts the gradual creeping in of abuse, and then slams her point home with the abruptness of an abuser’s sickest moment. Until I began writing this review, I didn’t even realize how perfectly Frank paralleled her writing with the lows – and lowest of lows – of abuse. Seriously. The abuse plot just sneaked in there. I didn’t know it was even important to the story until something big happened. And I didn’t know it WAS THE STORY until the end. 

Frank wrote The Hurricane Sisters with such cleverness that I took the whole thing for face value – a family, their love affairs, their careers, their mistakes – until rehashing it in my brain at the end. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of love and shopping and partying and painting and working and traveling and falling in love. But there’s stuff that abusers try to sweep under the rug, as well. 

As a fan of fairy tale romances and happily-ever-afters, I wouldn’t expect to love this book. But I did. And I do. You and you will, too. 
-calliope

Buy THE HURRICANE SISTERS

Review: Lake Como by Anita Hughes

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I loved this book so much! I just saw that NetGalley is offering another Anita Hughes novel, so be on the lookout in early August for a review of Rome in Love. ❤️

*original blog post November 2014*
Lake Como has been on my wish list for months. Yesterday I saw it was on sale for $1.40 so I scooped it up as any book lover would. It’s STILL ON SALE TODAY, and worth every penny & more!

Reading Lake Como was like sitting in the lap of luxury. You wouldn’t know Hallie was born with a silver spoon in her mouth unless you met her grandmother Constance, a well-connected part of San Francisco society. And you wouldn’t know Hallie was related to royalty unless you visited her half-siblings in Italy. She’s down-to-earth and still finding herself among families who have hidden the truth for years.

Anita Hughes introduces the reader to the worlds of cocktail dresses, gala balls, charity events and exclusive restaurants. We see that no matter what the wrappings are, people are still people underneath – with wants, needs, fears, and flaws. In Lake Como we meet Hallie’s potential love interests, her Italian family, and her loving American mother, Francesca. We see Hallie develop her professional life, connect with her half-sister Portia, and experience personal growth.

My heart broke for Hallie and Portia when they endured break-ups with men they thought they’d be with forever. And I almost cowered when the grandmothers barked their orders. But I smiled with contentment when Hughes brought me to the shores of Lake Como, with its dazzling reflections and dancing eddies.

Full of exotic romance, hyped up family dynamics, and luxurious settings, Lake Como is one of my favorite light reads of the year.

–Calliope

Buy it now Lake Como

Review: Huckleberry Harvest by Jennifer Beckstrand 

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This is book 5 in a series, but no need to read the books in order, nor start at the beginning. Grandparents Anna and Felty join forces yet again to make a love match between a beloved young relative and a Bonduel citizen. 

The story depicts young love at its sweetest, and mature love at its best. Beckstrand writes with humor, tenderness, and honesty. I love the characters and dialogue, and always, always the adventuresome comedy! 

I highly recommend the Huckleberry series for young and old alike, especially those enamored with Amish culture. 

-calliope

To read more detailed reviews of other books in the Huckleberry Hill series, CLICK HERE.

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Review: The Museum of Things Left Behind by Seni Glaister

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This book is clever and a little bit fascinating, but it also has some bits that produce eye-rolls. 

A newcomer arrives in Vallerosa, a tiny, self-sufficient, and overlooked European country. Through her eyes we see some Animal-Farm-esque bureaucracy and authoritarianism, as well as the hidden niches where things really get done. 

I thought the symbolism and use of characters was smart – in an obvious way. I loved the ending, where we see that the citizens are willing to sacrifice personal time for the good of their country – even without pay or recognition. I liked that the president was made to literally sweat in fear that he wasn’t living up to his constituents’ expectations. 

But I didn’t like the slams on America, nor the stereotyped American characters. And I didn’t like how so much of the story had to be contrived — and then the ending seemed to swing so far from the way the plot was heading. I almost feel like the author was trying to prove a point to a hostile audience. I don’t want to be lectured for several pages on the necessity of honeybees or the reasons why a wife might be too tired to spend time with her husband. I read for escapist pleasure, so a lecture in my fiction just ain’t my bag, baby. 

I think maybe more could have been done with the museum in the story – or the title should’ve been changed to something tea-related. And I definitely wished the tea had more magic. 

All in all, a bit long-winded and idealistic, but definitely an interesting commentary on society, government, roles of men and women, education, employment, and agriculture. The character development was terrific, as was the dialogue. And though I’m not sure it was important to the story, I was very, VERY happy to see all that pastry finally available for breakfast. 

-calliope

Buy THE MUSEUM OF THINGS LEFT BEHIND

Review: Life or Death by Michael Robotham

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This crime thriller had me on the edge of my seat — and even though I saw through the bad-guy-posing-as-a-a-good-guy right from the beginning, the raveling of the tangled web was full of surprises. 

Audie Palmer is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But the story isn’t about the crime.  It’s about the guys who committed the crime, and the crimes they’re committing STILL. Life or Death is about being trapped, running for love, keeping promises, and the desire for freedom. It’s about trust, and the violence that begets violence when trust is breached. 

If you can withstand the dirty cops, even dirtier politicians, and plentiful murders in cold blood, don’t miss this excellent read. 

-calliope

Buy LIFE OR DEATH

Review: The Case of the Sin City Sister by Lynne Hinton

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 This second-in-a-series mystery is ostensibly about the case of a miner’s letter written by an ancestor… But really it’s all about Eve finding her missing sister. And finding out more about her, too. 

Eve works with her former law enforcement officer dad, who is in failing health, to investigate an old letter… And some old bones. But Eve hasn’t heard from her irresponsible, trouble-laden sister in a while, and she’s getting worried. 

A friend of the family makes the trip with Eve to sin city. That’s where Eve puts herself in danger in order to save her sister from herself… And some very bad guys.

A subplot from book one continues, as Eve contemplates her future – will she remain a part of the convent, or shed her sisterhood for life as a private detective? 

I always love a good mystery, and Hinton’s flair for family connections makes this series stand out from others. Eve’s relationship with her dad is endearing. I also like how Hinton’s secondary characters stay in the background to let the Divine family shine. 

-calliope

Buy THE CASE OF THE SIN CITY SISTER