Calliope

Review: Special Interests by Emma Barry

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20140506-000210.jpg Special Interests is smart and sassy. Millie the idealist meets Parker the jaded, and they form an uneven friendship on Capitol Hill.

Parker is practical, working 24/7 to pass a budget. Millie is principled, standing up for the underdog. They grow to depend on each other, and something more than a friendship develops.

I love the quick-witted conversations, the last-minute phone calls, the impetuous touches. Millie doesn’t take any crap from Parker, and he respects her for that. I also appreciate that even though they don’t agree 100% on the best budget package, they manage to plow through their differences and maintain a personal relationship.

My very favorite scene is when Parker takes Millie home for Sunday dinner. What a fiasco. An eye-opening, fireworks-filled, falling-in-love turning point. It reminded me of real life, when those you love defend a position you disagree with, but their commitment to their values is so attractive it makes you love them even more.

–Calliope

Last time I checked, this was only $3.03 for Kindle!
buy Special Interests

Musing: Keeping Up with NetGalley Approvals

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20140504-141055.jpg Do you use NetGalley? It’s a repository full of advance copies of books that haven’t been published yet. You fill out a profile page, peruse the available books, and request the ones you want. Publishers approve or decline the requests, and if they approve one, you can download an electronic copy for free. Yes, free! FREE BOOKS! Then you read, write a review, post it, and boom, you’re done.

Well, actually, if you’re like me, you end up selling your soul for these “free” books. The books have publish dates and archive dates associated with them, both of which create pressure to read fast, review fast, and move on to the next one.

I’m actually a little bit proud of my NetGalley achievements. I’ve been approved for 117 books since last July, and I’ve read 101 of them. I have a handful to read in May and June.

Then I have THE EIGHT. The eight NetGalley books that were published in 2013 that I just haven’t gotten to. That’s what the picture is up there. The eight unread, need-to-be-read NetGalley books.

They’ve been on my kindle for so long that I’ve lost all excitement for them. But there are only eight. I should get going and get them over with.

Any ideas which one I should start with?

–calliope

Review: Always on My Mind by Bella Andre

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20140424-153424.jpg Always on My Mind is such a fun read! Totally unrealistic, a bit far-fetched, and full of too-convenient resolutions… but so, so fun.

Lori is a dancer who was betrayed by her dancer boyfriend. Grayson is a widower avoiding his grief. The meet-cute is on Grayson’s farm with Lori in her sequined dance costume.

Their relationship starts off as lusty hate, moves through predictable mishaps, misunderstandings and forgiveness, and ends up a happily ever after. Reeeeealllllly straightforward, but the sparks between Lori and Grayson are so hot that you’re really not so concerned with the depth of the plot. Chemistry and sexual tension abound. Lori and Grayson love it and I did too. 😉

Although the story is devoid of subplots, Andre gives Lori’s Sullivan siblings plenty of appearance time. It’s always fun to remember which Sullivan just got married or had a baby or bought a home. Most of the story is really about Lori and Grayson, but the love of family is ever-present, and the Sullivans all come together at the end.

–Calliope

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Review: When We Met by Susan Mallery

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20140419-100232.jpg What a tug of war! Taryn and Angel are both tough cookies… Taryn in the boardroom and Angel in the gym. And they’re each nursing heartbreaks, though of different natures. When they meet, they use each other for a challenge, a thrill, and a distraction from reality.

The novelty of a new romance is so exciting, and Mallery conveyed the roller coaster of emotions just perfectly. From the witty banter to the teasing looks to the mysterious notes, Mallery created a romance that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the one-liners, the fashion-designer name drops, and the description of the men Taryn works and plays with. (Go read for yourself; I can’t do it justice!)

Yes, this is another Fool’s Gold romance, but WHAT A ROMANCE! The uncertainty, the tension, the climax… Well, you get the idea. 🙂

–Calliope

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Review: A Fool’s Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

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20140419-094524.jpg I’m late reviewing a bunch of Christmas-themed romances, and I have to say I’m enjoying myself.

The Christmas spirit manifests in many ways. For Evie and Dante, newcomers to Fool’s Gold, they just want to get through the holiday emotionally unscathed. They lean on each other through Dante’s bad memories and Evie’s Christmas dance recital responsibilities. And then they lean on each other for love.

This is a typical Fool’s Gold romance in that it’s focused on the hero and heroine, there’s a wonderful sense of community, and love seems to thrive at the seasonal festivals.

But Evie and Dante’s story is original and emotional. I keep reading Susan Mallery because she knows how to make each relationship unique and compelling.

As soon as I was done with this novel, I moved on to When We Met, to be released April 29. Thank you, Ms. Mallery for providing such an authentic glimpse of fictional romances. ❤

–Calliope

Buy A FOOL’S GOLD CHRISTMAS

Review: Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

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20140417-215356.jpg The edition I read was comprised of two separate stories: Call Me Mrs. Miracle, and The Christmas Basket.

What I love about Debbie Macomber’s books (similar to Deborah Smith and Melody Carleson novels) is the magic. I don’t mean wizardry or sorcery. I mean a spiritual, magical change of heart that the characters undergo. It fills my own heart and reminds me of the beauty of my fellow man.

These stories are Christmassy, and I enjoyed reading them as much now as I would have in December. In Call Me Mrs. Miracle, Holly meets Jake Finley, heir to the successful Finley’s department store. With a little help from Mrs. Miracle, Holly and Jake develop a friendship, Holly’s nephew gets a Christmas surprise, and old Mr. Finley gets the best Christmas present anyone could wish for: peace.

The Christmas Basket illustrates how a petty grudge between two families turns into an embarrassing feud, one that undermines the romance of two beautiful people. One loving person arranges for two disputing women to work on a project together: filling a Christmas basket for charity. Aggression, blame, and making a scene at the discount store ensue. I cried and laughed with these poor women, knowing that at times I too have been too proud to change my tune.

These are feel-good family stories with distinct romantic subplots. I liked them for their sweetness, their love, their faith in humanity. And for their magic.

-Calliope

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Review: The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

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20140414-233216.jpg I loved the writing in this book, and I liked how three stories started out separately and then collided. I’m not sure about the characters… They were unlikeable and annoying. But maybe that’s how we humans are in real life sometimes?!

In any case, Liane Moriarty did a phenomenal job capturing character flaws and insecurities and putting them out on a table for us to inspect.

And my very favorite part was so meta. Moriarty has Cecelia brainstorming as to what her husband John-Paul’s secret could be. And every single idea was in line with my own guesses. If you found a secret letter from your spouse, what do you think it would say? Cecelia thinks those VERY THINGS. I think Moriarty is clever to speak to the reader through Cecelia… in a way saying, “I know what you’re thinking, but nope. Guess again.”

I never did guess. But it was pretty juicy when I found out.

There’s more than one husband in this story, by the way. There are three, plus one wannabe. There are also mothers-in-law, cousins, and children. And by the end, they all become part of the same story. I wouldn’t call it a happy ending, either. But it’s probably a pretty realistic one.

–Calliope

Buy THE HUSBAND’S SECRET

Musing: The Three-Star Review

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20140413-114758.jpg
The whole book-rating thing isn’t so helpful, I’m afraid. I don’t blame Urania for avoiding a star rating whenever she can help it. It’s not accurate in so many cases, and frankly, there are so many reasons to give a book three stars instead of four, that who even knows if you’d like the book unless you actually read a review?!

So, why do I give a book three stars? Because it’s a nice, enjoyable, straightforward way to pass the time. Usually a three star book is somewhat predictable, evenly written, maybe a little bit superficial. I always like a three star read. (If I didn’t, I’d give it two stars.) I just don’t love a three star book.

Three stars means it didn’t pull me in and make me live in the story. It means I probably didn’t cry or laugh out loud. Likely, I didn’t need to go off and tell people about it when I was done.

But the three star reads still have a place in my weekly reading. Most notably, they are relaxing. I don’t have to put a lot of intellectual or emotional effort into a three star book. I can just veg out and read, and let the story wash over me.

So if you’re about to pass by a book that I gave three stars, reconsider. Read the review before you decide. Maybe you need an easy-on-the-heart-and-easy-on-the-mind book. I know I often do.

Check out recent reviews by Pegasus and the Muses.

Happy reading!
–Calliope

Review: A Simple Christmas Wish by Melody Carlson

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20140408-222046.jpg A Simple Christmas Wish is about a family broken apart by tragedy, an Amish family who tries to fix it, and Aunt Rachel, whose love for niece Holly is like a mother’s love.

I enjoy Amish fiction, and this story had an excellent balance between the Amish and English worlds. I loved the glimpses of Amish fun and farmwork, as well as the challenges of managing a household without electricity!

Though it begins with a tragedy, this is a feel-good story with a heavy dose of family love. Because I’m a romance junkie, I can’t help but denote my favorite part when Aunt Rachel decides to explore a romantic possibility… a happily ever after in its own way. 🙂

-Calliope

Buy A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS WISH