Calliope

Review and Blog Tour: Midsummer Sweetheart by Katy Regnery

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My review: Aah the romance of Montana summers. This was such a satisfying read. Katrin and Erik complemented each other perfectly: he being exaggerated in size and power, but gentle in spirit; and she being small in stature but powerful in her convictions.

My favorite parts of the novel were Katrin and Erik’s dates. Full of banter and flirtation, lots of conversation, and swoony hand-holding, the picnics and walks and drives felt so real to me.

I’ll be honest, the beginning of the book was awkward. The dialogue was forced, the writing was repetitive, and I felt like I was reading a soap opera.

Then at about chapter 5, the writing tightened up and Regnery found a groove. I was pulled in emotionally and intellectually. I was IN Montana. The suspense was awesome, and the love story had me sighing dreamily.

Though Regnery might have had difficulty with the beginning of Midsummer Sweetheart, she sure has a wonderful way with endings. This happily ever after was sweet, and perfect.

As a language lover, I REALLY had fun reading (ok and trying to pronounce!) the Swedish and Norwegian endearments. Thank you, Miss Katy!

This review was posted on Amazon and goodreads on 22 February.

-Calliope

Buy Midsummer Sweetheart



BLURB:

During the annual Montana festival of Midsommardagen, a law enforcement official must protect a beautiful nurse from her past, thereby breaking his own vow to never risk his heart.
SYNOPSIS:
Erik Lindstrom never had much faith in love. He saw his parents’ marriage collapse and vowed to avoid the same anguish himself. His fiercely protective nature drew him to a career in law enforcement, where he’s managed to keep himself and his heart safe…until now.
Katrin Svenson is in danger. After leaving her home in secret, her only hope for safety seems to lie in the hands of a man who has steeled himself against her deep blue eyes and sunny smile. But sparks fly between the nurse and her handsome protector, and those sparks become fire as Katrin melts the ice surrounding Erik’s heart. That fire will ward off the dark force determined to keep their sweet midsummer nights from being an impossibly perfect forever.


Author Bio:
Katy is a 2013 NECRWA First Kiss and 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations contest finalist who
has always loved telling a good story and credits her mother with making funny, heartwarming tales come alive throughout her childhood. A lifelong devotee of all Romance writing, from Edwardian to present-day, it was just a matter of time before Katy tried her hand at writing a love story of her own. Katy lives in the relative-wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories of all can often be the messy or unexpected ones. Katy has a Paranormal alter-ego: KP Kelley – https://twitter.com/KPKelleyAuthor
Her
Paranormal It’s You is
scheduled for a Winter 2014 release. 
Goodreads:

Katy Regnery – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7211470.Katy_Regnery
By Proxy – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18299829-by-proxy?ac=1
Midsummer Sweetheart – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20613919-midsummer-sweetheart?ac=1

Purchasing Links ==> will be provided when they become available.




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Review: R is for Rebel by Megan Mulry

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20140206-215420.jpg Wow! Sexy, royal fun is the name of the game for Abigail and Eliot. The romance goes beyond boy meets girl… The man is so in love he will stop at nothing to be with his woman. It’s a little unrealistic, a little over the top, but I like that in a romance novel. Mulry writes expensive lingerie, fancy parties, executive level jobs, and private jets. The families are intense, the relationships are passionate, and the celebrations are fantastical whirlwinds. It all makes for a riveting read.

–Calliope

Buy R Is for Rebel: …and Royalty, Relatives, Reality, and Running from love… (Unruly Royals)

Review: Minding Molly by Leslie Gould

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20140203-073458.jpg Molly Zook deals with life challenges like a bull in a china shop. Her mother and sister appreciate Molly’s hard work and organization, but not so much her bossiness and exasperation. Mervin, the neighbor whom Mrs. Zook hopes will marry Molly, is too yielding to be Molly’s perfect mate. But Leon, the horse trainer from Montana, has possibilities.

I identified with Molly’s need to control petty things when the big deals in life spiral out of control. I know I’ve made a big deal about dirty dishes when the real issue was grief. Or yelled about spilled milk when the real issue was anxiety about something else entirely. Well, when the people around Molly have had quite enough, Leon sticks by Molly with gentle words and firm nudges, helping Molly see herself how others see her.

Because I’m so similar to Molly, it was easy for me to get engrossed in the book. The cast of characters were varied in personality and depth, they were likeable, they were more “real” than the usual, predictable Amish characters. There was a good balance in the plot development: Molly’s emotional growth, her search for love, her mother’s illness, her relationship with her best friend.

The two unique things that stood out for me in Minding Molly were (1) the adolescents were in Rumspringhe and had a lot of time amongst themselves, being adventuresome and forming their own identities; and (2) even though this is third in a series, Leslie Gould used the characters in such a way that I wasn’t confused about who was who and who was related to whom! Brava!

Minding Molly is an excellent example of Amish “new adult” romantic fiction. Gould did a spectacular job exploring the theme of self-identity and self-esteem while moving the plot forward toward a nice, neat, happy ending.

-Calliope

New Release February 4!

Preorder/Buy Minding Molly

Review: Feel the Heat by Kate Meader

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20140131-073947.jpg I felt the heat, alright! This book was full of passion – people passionate for love, food, family, sex, cooking, loyalty, and reputation. Jack was hot for Lili, Laurent was hot for anything with a skirt, the DeLucas got excited over their restaurant, and — after much encouragement from family and friends — Lili reclaimed her passion for life.

Kate Meader did such a wonderful job making these characters come to life. I felt like I was in the Deluca kitchen listening to the yelling and watching the hugging. The dialogue rang true, the sex scenes were fun but realistic (yep, sometimes people talk during sex, and sometimes they don’t have on a lacy thong), and the combination of an Italian-American, a Brit, and a Frenchman all in the same kitchen was dynamite.

The book had a chick lit feel instead of a traditional romance. The supporting cast was necessary, the hero and heroine were part of a group more often than alone together, and the book was funny. I laughed … and I cried … and there was a happily-ever-after … sure signs of a winner.

The characters in Feel the Heat live large, and it makes for a fun, upbeat, exciting read. There will be a sequel featuring more cooking and cocky-as-all-get-out Shane the Irishman. Can’t wait.

-Calliope

Feel the Heat

Review: At the River’s Edge by Mariah Stewart

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20140128-102744.jpg I’ve got to stop reading new books in a series when I haven’t read the previous books in that series. I’m just so confused by the number of characters and I can’t keep the relationships straight! At the River’s Edge is the seventh book in the Chesapeake Diaries series. It’s a fun read, but I would’ve enjoyed the subplots more had I been familiar with all the secondary characters.

The main plot is terrific! Sophie leaves her old life in Ohio, moves south, joins the family law firm, and buys an old restaurant. In the process she meets handsome Jason, a new local landscaper who has become close friends with Sophie’s grandfather.

I had fun reading about the challenges of Sophie’s and Jason’s respective businesses, the small-town friendships they forged, and the community spirit they made themselves part of. Their romance seemed secondary to their positions in the community, but that was okay. I love a good, sweet, hometown story, and the Sophie-Jason romance was icing on the cake.

Because I like an easy read, I enjoyed the positive, predictable plot direction. Sophie and Jason practicing forgiveness and humility (after their selfishness got in the way) brought a tear to my eye. The happy ending… Well… *sigh* … I love a happy ending.

-Calliope

Buy At the River’s Edge

Review: Cider Brook by Carla Neggers

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20140124-152113.jpg It’s kind of funny – when I love a book and it’s perfect for me, the review is easy and fun to write. But when I am ambivalent, a review is much more difficult to write. My sentences don’t flow as well, my organization is off. So, the writing of this review reflects some of the disjointedness I perceived in Cider Brook.

Cider Brook got me curious about pirates and the Quabbin and all kinds of New England history that I’ve never been interested in before. I wished for more facts and some closure regarding the pirate part of the story. I loved the reserved personalities of Samantha and Justin. I got a kick out of the vocabulary – words like “parse” make me happy. As a fellow New Englander, I recognized many of the places mentioned in the book, and enjoyed the local flavor.

The love story was just okay. There was chemistry, there was banter, there was flirtation, but there wasn’t a whole lot of substance. There’s a happy ending, but for two people who kept their feelings hidden, they certainly surprised the reader getting from point A to point C, bypassing point B. It just wasn’t believable.

There were also too many characters, in my estimation, but that could be because I didn’t read the series from the beginning. The only other flaw was that I felt like the story set me up for a romantic suspense… But it wasn’t really a suspense novel at all. Again, maybe I’d have been better off reading from the beginning of the series. 🙂

All in all, I did enjoy the writing, plot, and characters, but the story development just didn’t flow for me.

–Calliope

Review: Home to Seaview Key by Sherryl Woods

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20140122-142516.jpg Home to Seaview Key, second in a series, will be released January 28. It’s a charming tale of a small island with grassroots businesses, opinionated grandmothers, and a strong sense of community. Abby returns there to find herself. Seth moves there to mentally recuperate after fighting in Afghanistan. They share their broken hearts and decide to give friendship – or maybe more – a chance.

I enjoyed the characters and the plot, loved the whimsy of the oldest Seaview Key generation, and appreciated the realism of the ups and downs in a new relationship. However, the story was a little flat. There wasn’t enough intensity, and lots of things were glossed over with an explanation instead of showing what happened. It was a nice, enjoyable story but not one I was particularly excited reading. You’ll enjoy it if you’re looking for a low-key, easy read to relax with.

-Calliope

Buy it now Home to Seaview Key

Review: The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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20140120-145038.jpg If you’re a fan of Amish fiction, then you’re probably already familiar with Suzanne Woods Fisher. She’s an excellent writer – her narratives are smooth, easy to read, organized, and precise with regards to vocabulary. Her characters are well-thought out, and I haven’t ever found an error on one of her books — they’re professionally done.

This particular title, The Calling, met all my expectations for a Woods Fisher novel. I loved Bethany, the strong heroine, and the people she held close to her. I enjoyed seeing her beau mature and his mother find common ground with Bethany.

I had difficulty with the number of characters – so many! Maybe I’m too accustomed to novels with fewer than a dozen, but my brain simply couldn’t keep track of all the families and in-laws and grandparents. There were quite a few mentions of people that had died in the past, and that complicated things further for me. Besides that, I appreciated the various subplots — the grass roots soup kitchen, the elderly sisters, mental illness’ effect on families, a few budding romances, securities fraud, and Geena, the non-Amish woman who finds the path she’s looking for among the Amish. So many well-developed themes and subplots in one story – the fine writing definitely supported them all. I was impressed.

Now that I know the characters a little better, I’ll more easily enjoy the next in the Eagle Hill series, I’m sure.

-Calliope

Buy it now The Calling

Review: The Edge of Always by J. A. Redmerski

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20140116-214300.jpg I’m not generally a New Adult fan because it’s hard for me to relate to characters 20 years younger than me. But I LOVED The Edge of Never. I thought it was clever, fast-paced, gritty, emotional, and real. Of course I wanted to see what Camryn and Andrew did next, so that brings me to this sequel: The Edge of Always.

Most of The Edge of Always is just as fast-paced and sexy and gritty as its predecessor. Camryn and Andrew have new obstacles to hurdle, new emotions to manage, new people in their lives to consider. I appreciate how Redmerski maintains the characters authentic selves yet allows them to grow within the story. I did wish that Camryn grew more, emotionally, but that’s just me.
The author keeps the plot fresh with new adventures, new fears, and new achievements. The Edge of Never is graphic. Language, sex, drugs, and medical issues are all described so as to evoke emotion and make the reader part of the story. Redmerski has talent!

The biggest disappointment to an otherwise 4+ star book was the ending. Redmerski wrapped up all the loose ends very neatly in 3 final chapters… so neatly that they didn’t even seem to fit in with the rest of the book. It was like sitting down for quiet tea after going on a loud, messy, crazy, fast, roller coaster ride. The ending provided perfect closure, but the approach was so much different from the rest of the book.

All in all, I had a great time reading The Edge of Always. The writing is excellent, the characters are compelling, the plot draws you in emotionally… but the ending ruined it for me a little.

–Calliope

Buy it now The Edge of Always

Review: Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

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20140113-070640.jpg In Amish country in Wisconsin, Lia goes to stay with an elderly couple to help them out for the summer. Their grandson Moses visits once a week to help too. Whether he likes it or not, his grandparents have schemed to make this the summer of love for Lia and Moses. Lia appreciates Moses’ friendship and his support of her journey to become a midwife. Moses is grateful for a friend who tells it like it is. Lia’s sister Rachel is jealous and tries to edge her way in, but Moses’ heart sees right through Rachel’s shrewdness.

Huckleberry Hill is a sweet, fresh story of friendship and love. The grandparents’ matchmaking efforts are hilarious. Moses’ and Lia’s banter is clever and sharp. Rachel’s character development as the bratty, spoiled, black-hearted sister is very well done. I appreciated the excellently written dialogue and easy flow to the story.

Huckleberry Hill is the first book in a series of three. I recommend it for the peaceful Amish setting, great writing and breath of fresh air perspective on love.

–Calliope

Buy it now Huckleberry Hill