Showing posts with label 4.5 stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4.5 stars. Show all posts

Monday, January 16, 2017

Julia Reviews Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen

Title/Author:  Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen
Publisher/Year Published: January 31, 2017 by Forever
How I got this book: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: The first two books I liked, and now I wanted to know what Lavoie had in store for his Happily Ever After. 
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:
Their love was always in the cards.He should have thrown her out. But when club owner Alexander Lavoie catches a mysterious blonde counting cards at his vingt-et-un table, he's more intrigued than angry. He has to see more of this beauty—in his club, in his office, in his bed. But first he'll have to devise a proposition she can't turn down. 
Gossip said he was an assassin.Common sense told her to stay away. But Angelique Archer was desperate, and Lavoie's club offered a surefire way to make quick money—until she got caught. Instead of throwing her out though, the devil offers her a deal: come work for him. Refusing him means facing starvation, but with a man so sinfully handsome and fiercely protective, keeping things professional might prove impossible.
Review:
 We have come to book three, my friends. As soon as I received the request to review this book, I was excited and eagerly awaiting a moment to sit and devour it. Enter the holidays, and I was golden.

We have come to book three of the Season for Scandal series. Alex owns a high end gaming establishment that has featured in previous stories. Angelique is a down on her luck Lady of the ton who desperately needs money for her family, and luckily for her she is super good at counting - and counting cards. I don't want to give too much away because the plot progresses forward fairly quickly. The summary above is actually pretty decent with what you get without giving too much away.

The thing that I love about Bowen's novels is that she brings such a breath of originality into the sometimes tedious stale nature of historical romance. While we still have a titled lady, we have a mysterious gaming hell owner. And that titled lady? Well there is more to her than meets the eye and a very driving motivation behind all of her un-Lady like behavior. It drives the plot forward at a breakneck speed, which meant lots of late night reading for me.

Alex and Angelique were great characters. Both were strong and well developed. They stood on their own solidly, but also worked off each other in a way that made their chemistry all the more enticing. And their chemistry was quite satisfactory.

I've enjoyed all three books in this series so far, but this one was probably my favorite. The only thing I don't get is the title. It sort of set my expectations for a conflict between some of the characters that never came. I wonder if they just needed to use the word Duke...

Anyway, the best part for you guys, dear readers, is that this book can totally be read standalone and you lose nothing. It doesn't really spoil any of the other books, and you don't really need to know the past two at all the enjoy the third. There are some subtle call-backs you'll miss, but nothing major.

I like how Bowen is developing as a historical romance author and I am definitely going to keep an eye out for more books in the future.

Thanks for the early review copy, Forever! If you are interested in reading my last two reviews for the series you can find them here: Duke of my Heart and A Duke to Remember

Friday, March 11, 2016

Jamie Reviews The Crown's Game + A Fabulous Giveaway


http://www.bookrambles.com/p/the-crowns-game-arc-tour.html

 I'm so happy to be sharing my thoughts on The Crown's Game on a tour stop for this book! I highly, highly recommend you check out some of the super creative posts on this tour!



Whew boy. You guys...I would be lying if I said that I LITERALLY read this all in one gulp but I *FEEL* like I did. This book is so addictive for many reasons and I feel like I'm still a little verklempt upon finishing. And by a little I mean A LOT.  I will try to get my bearings in 3....2....1...
 


Okay, so what it's about in a sentence?

 

Set in an alternate Imperial Russia, it follows Vika and Nikolai, two teens who have to compete against each other using their magic to impress the Tsar to become the The Royal Enchanter who will advise the Tsar and help keep Russia safe from an impending uprising/war -- but there can only be one and the one not victorious will die.


A short list of things you need to know about The Crown's Game

 

- historical fantasy set in alternate Imperial Russia
- a "last man standing" competition in two teens are forced to duel it out with their magical skills
- Their magic can legit do some of the coolest things I've ever seen in YA fantasy -- and like sometimes frivolous and beautiful rather than fierce and mighty (even though they CAN totally do that kind of stuff) and it's great?
- OMG THE FOOD DESCRIPTIONS -- be sure to have food handy or you might perish.
- a sort of cat and mouse game ensues between the two in the competition that is the most delightful dance to watch as they try to outdo one another but also maybe kill the other in the process to ensure their own victory? BUT ALSO MAYBE KINDA GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER WHICH COMPLICATES THINGS. AND MAKES YOU WANT TO CRAWL IN A HOLE AS THE READER.


What stood out to me?

1. The setting -- an alternate Imperial Russia: I looove historical fantasy and I love alternate history so adding a setting like Imperial Russia into the mix? I almost launched my panties in the air like the true history geek I am. And, boy, did Evelyn Skye deliver on the setting. It was richly and vividly written so I felt like I was dropped in the middle of St. Petersburg or Ovchinin Island or the ballroom of the Royal Palace or anywhere the Dream Benches took you. It was in the little details that Skye just wove together to make every change of setting in this book to feel like it was before your eyes. It was utterly impressive and I have to say I really enjoyed the way she played with the history of this time and the things she added or subtracted from history to make it this great alternate world.

2.  The magic: I loved that it was set in a world where magic was rare and that Vika and Nikolai were the only two enchanters in the same generation which doesn't happen a lot. I don't want to reveal a whole lot about the kinds of things that Vika and Nikolai can do but their magic was very different from one another yet both ridiculously powerful and awe-inspiring. I also enjoyed that it was set in a world where the majority of the people don't believe that magic actually exists. Plus the magic is ancient and rooted in Russia itself but there's only so much magic to go around hence only ONE Royal Enchanter. I just really had a lot of fun seeing all the things they could do. I felt like their magic was refreshing from all that I've read.

3. The way the Crown's Game works: The way they compete is that they each have 5 turns to outdo the other and impress the tsar with their magical skill. So one would perform an enchantment and then the next would have to answer to it...it could be hours or days in between. The stakes are death, in the end, but also if they don't perform fast enough they can die. The setup was so fun for how it worked and it became this beautiful sort of dance they did as they each performed their enhancement to outdo the other but also it becomes more personal conversation between the two of them each time they do yet another. I just loved watching them duel back and forth in the way that they did.

4. The relationship between Vika and Nikolai: Oh, you guys. It reminded me so much of The Hunger Games in a way and not in that it was a copycat, not at all, but that FEELING you get between two people who are up against each other and knowing they care about one another but will be responsible for the others demise. I felt their reluctance to even know who the other was because it would be easier to kill the other or basically sentence them to death when they were crowned victor. But the allure you could feel between these two people who are the only of their kind. It was so bittersweet for them to even get to know each other through their conversations but also between their back and forth enchantments for each other for The Crown's Game -- because you KNOW one of them is going to die. The whole time you are reading you are just HOPING there is a way around this clause.

My Last Thought: 


Reading this book felt very much like a dance in it of itself -- you start out with this slow and deliberate waltz around as they find their bearings in the Crown's Game, then the tempo picks up as the stakes get higher and by the end of the book I found myself whirling and twirling around as the tempo is almost impossible to keep up with until the final dizzying pages that just had me falling to the ground in a frenzy of exhaustion and emotions. It was so exhilarating and I thoroughly enjoyed it. To be honest, it kind of exceeded my expectations for it.  I NEED BOOK 2 THANK YOU VERY MUCH.


My Rating:

4.5 stars!! I really loved this one






Official Synopsis If My Bare Bones One Wasn't Enough: 

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.


Book Details:

Hardcover, 416 pages
Expected publication: May 17th 2016 by Balzer + Bray



About The Author & Where To Find Her On The Interwebs:

Evelyn Skye was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on "So You Think You Can Dance," and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When she isn't writing, Evelyn can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies. THE CROWN'S GAME is her first novel. Evelyn can be found online at www.evelynskye.com and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA.


Pre-order links and info: http://www.evelynskye.com/pre-order/

Check out the rest of the tour:

Monday, February 29: Bookish Lifestyle - Review + Pinterest Boards
Tuesday, March 1: One Less Lonely Blog - Review
Wednesday, March 2: It Starts at Midnight - Review
Thursday, March 3: Stories & Sweeties - Review + Russian Tea Cake Recipe
Friday, March 4: The YA Book Traveler - Review + Dreamcast & Book Trailer
Saturday, March 5: Pandora's Books - Review
Sunday, March 6: Seeing Double in Neverland - Review
Monday, March 7: Out Of Time - Review + Song
Tuesday, March 8: Book Nerd Addict - Review + Favorite Quotes
Wednesday, March 9: Paper Fury - Review + Reasons to Read This Book!
Thursday, March 10: A Reader Under The Sea - Review
Friday, March 11: The Broke and the Bookish - Review

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

One lucky winner will get an arc of The Crown's Game to devour for themselves plus the most gorgeous tote bag.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, February 22, 2016

Julia Reviews The Groom Wore Plaid by Gayle Callen + a GIVEAWAY


Title/Author: The Groom Wore Plaid by Gayle Callen
Publisher/Year Published: Feb 23, 2016 by Avon
How I got this book: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: I love historical romances and I haven't read one in Scotland in a while!
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: 
Maggie McCallum’s dreams about her new fiancé aren’t the romantic sort. It’s not just that she was bartered to Owen Duff like a piece of property to end a clan feud. She’s also haunted by premonitions of his death on their upcoming wedding day. Yet the exasperating Highlander won’t let her call it off, even though his life and his clan are both in jeopardy. Owen has wanted Maggie in his bed since he first glimpsed her years ago. If their union restores peace between their clans, so much the better. But while lusting after another chief’s sister had its risks, growing to trust Maggie is far more dangerous. Owen is falling deeply in love with the one woman he cannot hope to claim…and survive.
Review:
It's been quite some time since I have had the chance to read a romance set in Scotland. Going into this book, I had no idea that it was the second in a series, but that didn't effect my enjoyment. We meet Maggie as she is arriving at her future husband's home for the first time. We follow Owen and Maggie through flashbacks of how they first met and their past together before this new development. And the new development is an old contract that is forcing their hand into marriage. Neither of them really mind, until Maggie has a dream that she is convinced is an omen and spends the rest of the book trying to break off the marriage lest what she dreams comes to pass.

My favorite part of this book are the characters, and it is primarily a character driven book. Maggie is trying to fit in a new family (who has hated her clan for years) and Owen is trying to step out of the shadow of his dead father, who was a horrible leader. Their romance is so cute and was my favorite thing to read. The sexytimes were also pretty nice to read, too. On a scale of bland to ghost pepper, the heat of the scenes was sort of in the middle.

I do think that the plot was the weakest part of this book. It focused too much on Maggie's dream to further the plot. I thought there could have been enough to focus on with the moving to a new place with a sort of Romeo and Juliet sort of family feud without adding the dreams into a mix. But even so I still enjoyed the book enough to glomp through it in one plane ride.

Giveaway!!
If you are interested in reading some historical romance set in Scotland I would definitely recommend you check this out and excitingly, Avon has given us a review copy as part of their book tour! Not only that but the first book in the series The Wrong Bride is included for the three lucky winners! The book officially comes out tomorrow but here is your chance to win your own copy!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks again to HarperCollins and Avon for the chance to read this one early and for the giveaway!! 



Monday, February 15, 2016

Tahleen reviews audibook: "Career of Evil" by Robert Galbraith

Title: Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3)
Author: Robert Galbraith
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2015
Narrator: Robert Glenister

Rating: 4.5 stars

This is the third book in Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) Cormoran Strike series, and here, we have an extremely personal case for Strike and Robin.

The book starts off with the very disturbing delivery of a most unwanted package to Robin Ellacott, Strike's resourceful and determined secretary-turned-partner: the severed leg of a woman. What follows is a race against time to find this killer before he finds them, and Strike has not one, but three men in mind who have a grudge against him might have done this.

This book is just as complex and riveting as the first two in the series, but the notable thing about Career of Evil is how much more disturbing it is than the first two, which is saying something. Here, we are taken into the mind of a serial killer, and witness his sadistic and sociopathic need to kill and mutilate, all while Glenister dispassionately relates it all in his expert narration. Glenister is truly the perfect narrator; the amount of dialects and accents he uses in this book alone is worth listening to the whole thing, even if the book wasn't so darn good in the first place.

One other thing I loved about this book was how we learn more about Robin and her past. In addition, the relationship/friendship between Robin and Strike develops further, and I really enjoyed watching it progress.

I will warn you, this is not for the faint of heart; if you get squeamish easily you might want to skip this series. If not, you are definitely missing out on some top-notch mysteries and fabulous narration. If you're an audiobook listener, put these on your list.

Disclaimer: I got this audiobook from my local library, wahoo!

Monday, December 28, 2015

Tahleen reviews: "Winter" by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners, 2015 (print available from Feiwel & Friends)
Narrator: Rebecca Soler

Rating: 4.5 stars

**Possible spoilers for Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress!!**

At long last, we have the final installment in Marissa Meyer's excellent Lunar Chronicles quartet. This tome delves deeper into the story of Princess Winter, the stepdaughter of the terrifying Queen Levana of Luna. Winter refuses to use her Lunar gift, and as a result she struggles with Lunar Sickness, a mental illness that causes vivid hallucinations and confusion in those who suffer from it. Winter also has the misfortune of being extremely beautiful and very well loved by the people of Luna, earning her the jealousy and hatred of Levana. And so, this Snow White tale follows the bones of the original: the queen orders her beautiful stepdaughter killed, only to have the one ordered to do the killing unable to go through with it and create a ruse to save her.

Of course, Winter is also the conclusion to the other three stories that began in the previous entries in the series. Cinder is still at large, accompanied by Cress, Thorne, Kai, Iko, and Wolf. Scarlet is still imprisoned in the royal menagerie as Winter's pet. And Levana is after total control.

This was an intensely satisfying ending to what I think is a fantastic series. Meyer expertly retells the original folktales, cleverly bringing them into the sci-fi world she has created. All of the characters are extremely well rounded, including the villains, and the action and battles get super intense. I also loved how the relationships keep maturing and growing throughout. My favorite has to be Thorne and Cress, though Scarlet and Wolf are just lovely too. And I still love Iko.

The narration by Rebecca Soler is great. She has distinct voices for every character, and I could easily pick out who was talking. She has great pacing and an attractive voice. I went after the audio editions of each of the books in this series because I enjoyed listening to her interpretations so much. The only thing I thought was kind of weird was her decision to give Kinney, a guard on Luna, an Irish accent. Why? Aren't they all from Luna? Why would he have an accent from Ireland in that case? Minor quibble, especially since I can't complain really about listening to a well-done Irish accent, but it threw me off a bit.

I was very pleased with how things turned out in the end. I am very much looking forward to the collection of short stories that will be released in February, titled Stars Above.

Disclaimer: I got this CD audiobook from my local library.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Julia Reviews Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook

Title/Author: Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
Publisher/Year Published: 2011 by Penguin
How I got this book: I bought it from Powells in Portland!
Why I read this book: Second book in the Iron Seas series
Rating: 4.5 stars

When I picked up this book, I was a bit hesitant to start reading it since I had read (and enjoyed) the first years ago. Would I enjoy the second as much as the first? Would I have forgotten too much to be able to get sucked into the world? Well, I should not have worried. Heart of Iron sucked me right back into the world and explained away all the things I had forgotten.

Heart of Steel is the second book in Meljean Brooks really popular Iron Seas series. It's a steampunk romance which is utterly ridiculous to try and explain out loud. Trust me I tried. I got a lot of, "Wait you are reading a book with a half naked warrior on the cover who is trying to go reclaim lost items from a war ravaged Europe for his bounty?" "Well Europe wasn't really ravaged by war as much decimated by it. It's now infested by zombies" It is truly the best. 

The plot is sort of amazing all spelled out. We have our hero, Archimedes Fox, who is on the run from some hit-men trying to earn enough adventuring and artifact reclaiming to pay off the price on his head. This had taken him in the last book across the path of Yasmeen, the pirate captain of the airship Lady Corsair, and well it didn't end well. Circumstances being what they are Yasmeen is off to find Archimedes' sister to tell him of his death when things start to get weird. And then who pops back up but Archimedes, alive and well, and looking for something of his that she has. Well things lead to other things (that I don't really want to get too much into) and they end up having to work together to achieve their goals and get their lives back on track. 

Oh man is this book fun. I love the leads! They play off each other so well! And neither of them loses the essence of what makes them good characters once they fall in love. That is so. rare. in a romance. Neither of them are apologetic for who they are and they just sort of learn to fit together. It's just a wonderful romance and a really fun adventure story involving zombies, mechanical steampunk fun, assassins, and all that jazz. 

The plot clips right along and I enjoyed every minute of it! This book is only loosely tied to the first so you can start here if you feel so inclined. You will miss one scene they reference but it's not too big of a thing. Honestly though this world is so fun, I would start with Iron Duke just because you get more time there. 

If you are new to steampunk and want something adventurous with a little bit of steamy romance, this is a great series to read, and book two did not disappoint! 


Monday, October 5, 2015

Jamie Talks About The Last 3 Books She Read

Hey all! September was an awful reading month for me as I've mentioned on here earlier in the month (great month otherwise!). I only read 2 books and, while that's great compared to probably the rest of the world, it's so bizarre to have read so few books for me. But October is here and I've already read one book so hopefully I'll get back into the swing of reading!

Let's talk about the last 3 books I did read though!



Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman


This was such an adventurous romp through the Wild West! Definitely digging the Western setting -- gold mining, shootouts, lots of horse riding, gangs, etc. I enjoyed this book but it didn't quite make me LOVE it because I just didn't feel much for the characters. The main character is someone I felt badly for -- she lost her mother early on in life and now her dad just got murdered by a notoriously awful gang and she is driven by revenge to go find them and settle the score. But the problem was I didn't feel like she ever became more to me than a girl who was hellbent on exacting revenge. You see hints of other aspects of her character but I never felt anything except this revenge. There were some surprises in this book and I thought as far as the action and adventure went it was compelling but it was lacking in the character department for me.
I received this book for review consideration and this did not affect my opinion in any way.

Rating -- 3/5 stars


 

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: 


 This book was soooo hyped so I added myself to the library request list and waited until like literally 500 other people read it before me. FINALLY I received it! And guess what? It was JUST AS GOOD AS EVERYONE SAID. I loved it so much! I'm always a sucker for a WWII setting (probably one of my favorite settings for historical fiction) and I loved both POVs so much. I love the way it flipped timeframes and how that allowed their stories to unravel as we awaited how their path's would cross. COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Worthy of the praise!

Rating -- 4.5/5 stars

 

 

 

The Status of All Things by Liz Fenton & Liz Steinke: 

This was a quick and enjoyable read! It's about a woman whose marriage-to-be has fallen apart and she gets the chance to go back and change things. It had a supernatural sort of method like Landline by Rainbow Rowell for how she gets to go back and change things to make it better between she and her fiance though I found Landline to be more impactful and thoughtful for me. I also really enjoyed the conversation about social media and how it can be good but also how it can be deceiving. 

Rating -- 3/5 stars

 

 

Have you read any of these books? Thoughts? Tell me the last 3 books YOU read!!

 

 

Monday, July 20, 2015

Daisy Reviews Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson


Title/Author: Rebel Mechanics (Rebel Mechanics #1) by Shanna Swendson
Publisher/Date published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, July 14th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family — but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister — but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause — but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret."

So I haven't really gotten into the steampunk genre all that much, mostly just because the ones I did read didn't really work for me all that much. BUT I'd read the Enchanted Inc. series by Shanna Swendson and really enjoyed her writing, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give steampunk another try.

And guys, it was a good life decision! I love the combination of this alternate history US and the steampunk! I mean, what if the US never became independant because the magical British overlords remained in power? That is a question I had NEVER asked myself before, but it's really interesting to think and read about and I love that Shanna Swendson did come up with this question.

I really liked Verity, she's intelligent and while she isn't all that enthusiastic about getting involved with the Rebel Mechanics at first (it's a scary thing when you could lose your job and all the security you have through that), she does believe in the cause and I liked seeing how she slowly works out how she feels about all of it, complicated by the feelings she has for the people involved in it.
So I'm just gonna come out and say that there's a bit of a love triangle in Rebel Mechanics, and it didn't bother me in the slightest. I already knew that I enjoy Shanna Swendson's way of writing a romance and she really does it very well in Rebel Mechanics as well. Mostly I felt that while Verity develops feelings for two men, it never felt like the love triangles in paranormal romance that have irked me so in the past. There's a natural flow of things and no insta-love, but there is attraction that feels real. Also, I have a big preference for one of the guys, but that's just because I love gentleman pirates/Robin Hood type of characters and he's AWESOME.

As a bonus to this gentleman pirate, there are also the children that Verity is a governess to, and I just adore the little girl and the boy was great too in all his boyness. The eldest girl was a bit ditzy and elitist and I do appreciate her as a character, but she's not much my type of person.

Mostly, I just really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the characters and it's a high stakes kinda plot that I liked. I could definitely sympathize with Verity in the things she does and the restrictions society puts on her and how she is an awesome lady spy. So yeah, I'm very much recommending Rebel Mechanics and looking forward to the sequel!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Julia Reviews Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title/Author: Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt
Publisher/Year Published: May 2015 by Grand Central Publishing
How I got this book: This book was provided free for review by the publisher
Why I read this book: I seriously love this series. I must keep reading!
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:
Lady Phoebe Batten is pretty, vivacious, and yearning for a social life befitting the sister of a powerful duke. But because she is almost completely blind, her overprotective brother insists that she have an armed bodyguard by her side at all times-the very irritating Captain Trevillion.

Captain James Trevillion is proud, brooding, and cursed with a leg injury from his service in the King's dragoons. Yet he can still shoot and ride like the devil, so watching over the distracting Lady Phoebe should be no problem at all-until she's targeted by kidnappers.

Caught in a deadly web of deceit, James must risk life and limb to save his charge from the lowest of cads-one who would force Lady Phoebe into a loveless marriage. But while they're confined to close quarters for her safekeeping, Phoebe begins to see the tender man beneath the soldier's hard exterior . . . and the possibility of a life-and love-she never imagined possible.

Review:
I’ve been reading the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt since we started this blog almost five years ago, so what better way to commemorate our almost five years than to review book eight in the same series that I started my reviews with, Dearest Rogue.

I have had my ups and downs with this series, especially some of the middle books where things seemed a bit repetitive. But this book is truly a historical I’ve never had the chance of reading, It’s something new and unique in a field of sameness, and I highly enjoyed it. Let’s back up and actually take a look at why.

Phoebe Batten is the youngest sister of one of the Dukes from the previous story and unfortunately she has slowly become completely blind. Captain James Trevillion was injured in the line of duty as a mounted horseman and now is employed by her brother to be her full time body guard, which comes in handy as someone is trying to kidnap her.  The story is a balance between Phoebe trying to grow into her own despite the hand she has been dealt, James coming to terms with his past, their blossoming friendship turning into something more, and this kidnapping plot.

Phoebe and her blindness and coming to terms with it really touched me. I thought it was handled well and like a caricature. The reactions of her family and loved ones and compared to James I thought were great. James treated her as a normal person and not someone to be pitied. It was so casual the way he would just say “Spoon at 3, bread at 9” and just continue on with the conversation. I loved her trying out her limits and figuring out how she can take the world as she must and just experience life.

James’ story is a little strange. Anti-climactic maybe? He gets on my nerves a bit with his “She is so young. I am so old” mantra. I feel like that trope is a little overplay, but even so I felt for him, especially in his “I can’t do everything I used to because I am wounded” scenes.

The kidnapping storyline luckily takes a backseat to a lot of the other plots, which is good because even though it’s not bad, it was the story I was least interested in. I've read the duke's sister is in danger store before. Nothing new there.

This book shines when James and Phoebe are interacting with each other. I just adore their alone time and not just the sexy times (which were wonderful too). They are just so perfect for each other, and the chemistry drips off the page.

This was one of my favorites in the series. Definitely top three. And the good news is, I would consider this a viable stand alone. There isn’t really too many spoilers for other books, nor is there any real backstory that would make it better having read the others first. So if reading a heartwarming historical about a blind woman coming into her own and into love sounds good to you, check this one out. I think it’s totally worth it.



This ARC was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Jamie Reviews A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court Of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Yes, book 1.
Published: May 2015
Rating: 4.5 stars
I received this book from the publisher for review consideration.


Oh man, I LOVE Sarah's Throne of Glass series and I made this the first book I read in 2015 because I had faith she would give me the kind of good reading omen for the rest of the year. And ACOTAR proved to do that. 

I've never been super into fae in my reading but I trusted Sarah and HALLELUJAH for once in my life I was into a fae storyline. I loved how Sarah was inspired by fairytales like Beauty & the Beast and others but it was SO it's own story that I would forget it was a retelling of sorts.

I loved Feyre, she was strong but not like in that typical badass way. More so in that "life has knocked me down but I keep going way." She was resourceful and observant and smart and I liked that. I've seen some people fault her for staying with her awful family but I actually understood it -- making a promise to someone has since passed away carries a lot of weight on you plus FAMILY. I speak from experience. 

I loved the characters so much -- especially all the guys -- Tamlin, Lucian and Rhys. Leave it to Sarah to create a harem of hot guys. But, hotness aside, Sarah just is so talented in bringing characters to life and I felt like a lot of these characters had so much depth to them. There are some great secondary characters and characters I can't wait to get more of.

It was definitely steamier than most of what you find in YA and to be honest I'm not sure I'd even classify it as YA (particularly because they are quite older if I remember correctly)? I loved how sexy it was personally. STEAAAAMY.

I loved learning more about the fae world and all the history and getting to know the characters and then I was unprepared for how action-packed it would get and how I'd be a woman obsessed trying to race through the book. The THINGS happening in the kingdom were so interesting and I just wanted to find out more and then OH MAN...by the end my heart was just RACING and thinking up ways to get my hands on book 2. It was a page-turner, that's for sure. TWISTS AND TURNS AND SO MUCH GOODNESS.

To sum it up: I LOVED this start of a new series. I didn't think I would be into the fae (wasn't ever much of a paranormal person) but this was totally gripping with interesting characters, a world I'm so intrigued by, romance and a lot of OMG moments.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Julia reviews The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Title/Author: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Publisher/Year Published:  June 2014 by Mulholland
How I got this book: My coworker let me borrow it
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:
When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

Well the second book did not disappoint, that's for sure! I don't read a lot of mystery or crime but I really enjoy this series. I only mention that I dont read a lot of it because I have heard that this series doesnt hold up for people who are like diehard crime fans. But I enjoy it.

The funny thing about this series is Galbraith manages to give me all the clues to figure out who did it and then manages to convince me that I am wrong and it cannot be that person at all! I bounce back and forth between people more than a pinball.

As much praise as I have for this book and the series, I have to say that some of the characterization is a little flat on people who are not Strike (the lead). Strike is a great hero. I love how his mind works and following him as he figures it all out for himself. But Robin, the second lead, has only a minuscule amount of development. Hopefully the next book (which I am assuming with happen) gives us more development for her than relationship problems.

The other thing that is sort of problematic is the repetition of some of the facts to the point where it is like, "I get it. He has no leg" or something. It had me skimming a bit.

But I honestly enjoy the hell out of this series. I get sucked in so quickly and just enjoy the ride the book takes me on.

It's nice to know that Rowling is still having a big impact on the books that I enjoy.



Cross-posted somewhat to my Booklikes blog. And for those of you who do not know, Robert Galbraith is another pseudonym for JK Rowling.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Lori Reviews WILD by Cheryl Strayed

Title:  Wild:  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Author:  Cheryl Strayed

Publication Information:  2012 by Knopf

How I Got This Book:  I purchased a copy online.


Goodreads Synopsis:  At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.

My Thoughts:  I loved this book.  Go read it.  :)

Oh, you want more than that?  OK, fine...

A lot has been said about the risks Strayed took in hiking the trail alone, without any sort of training ahead of time, and without much of a clue as to what to expect.  OK, yes.  Probably not the best idea in the world.  But I looked past all of that towards the personal journey she was on.

The first part of the book details Strayed's past and how she got to the point of hiking the trail.  She had an unusual childhood in a very primitive house.  Her mom got sick and it destroyed her and her family.  She went down a negative path, filled with drugs and lots of promiscuous sex, which led to the breakup of her marriage.

She decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail as a way to finding a path to redemption.

She learns a lot about herself along the way.

I've had a year filled with a lot of change and a lot of grief--quitting a job, moving, caring for my grandfather while he was in the hospital, and then losing him.  There were tons of moments along the way where I wanted to just run away and do something so physically taxing that I could leave behind all of the emotions.  Like Strayed, I wanted to be so consumed with the very act of making it through the day that I couldn't focus on what was going on in my regular life.  Reading about Strayed's own journey helped me process a lot of things.

I loved how open and honest and raw her writing was.  She let it all out there, warts and all.  She spoke in a voice I was able to relate to, though I have not had the same struggles or experiences she has had.

Aside from the personal, inner journey, I loved reading about the outer journey of hiking that kind of distance.  I really enjoyed reading Bill Bryson's journey through the Appalachian Trail in A Walk in the Woods.  It appealed to my inner travel bug.  So much so that I told my mom that I want to go on a major hiking trip at some point.  And so much so that I am hitting a local trail this afternoon.

Bottom line--for my this book was appealing on more than one level and I would highly recommend it to people interested in the physical adventure and to people interested in the inner journey.  Not a "fun" read (in the sense of light), but definitely a good read that will make you think.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Julia Reviews Soulbound by Kristen Callihan

Title/Author: Soulbound by Kristen Callihan
Publisher/Year Published: February 2015 by Forever/Grand Central Publishing
How I got this book: I was provided an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Why I read this book: I absolutely adore The Darkest London series!
Rating: 4.5 stars
(warning, very minor spoilers for the earlier books in the series)

Summary:
When Adam's soul mate rejected him, there was more at stake than his heart. After seven hundred years of searching, his true match would have ended the curse that keeps his spirit in chains. But beautiful, stubborn Eliza May fled-and now Adam is doomed to an eternity of anguish, his only hope for salvation gone . . . 

No matter how devilishly irresistible Adam was, Eliza couldn't stand the thought of relinquishing her freedom forever. So she escaped. But she soon discovers she is being hunted-by someone far more dangerous. The only man who can help is the one man she vowed never to see again. Now Adam's kindness is an unexpected refuge, and Eliza finds that some vows are made to be broken . . .

If I had to choose one romance series out there now to declare my favorite this series would be it. Soulbound is the sixth book in The Darkest London series and it lives up to the expectations I have formed for this series. 

The thing with this series, unlike a lot of other paranormal romance series, is that each book is completely unique. I have yet to read in the six books the same storyline at all. Each character isn't just a slightly different writing of the same trope. It's wonderful and refreshing. 

Soulbound is the story of Adam and Eliza. We met them in the fifth book (I think... it actually may have even been the fourth), where Eliza is killed but her soul not ready to leave this world. Adam is summoned to turn her into a Ghost in the Machine (GIM), in which the just killed person declares themselves to serve Adam and in return he gives them a clockwork heart and life again, unaging and with some cool powers (like being able to leave their body and like flit around like ghosts).

Well, when Adam sees Eliza, he does not make her a GIM but chains him to her and disappears. In the fifth book she is freed but this is the book where their story takes off. Eliza is living with the Fae queen and struggling to figure out life in London. She is faced with some horrid prospects and what she was running from in Boston has followed and found her in London.

She stumbles on a captured Adam and comes up with an idea to run involving him. But how do they break him free without any of the powerful Fae knowing? Seriously the story is the secondary part in my opinion; the romance between the two takes the lead.

Adam has a lot to atone for from the previous books, but he needs to if he is ever going to have his curse lifted and find true love. Eliza has to learn to forgive for past transgressions and see Adam for who he really is. I loved how much the story focused on the two of them. And the ending is seriously not what I expected! 

I love these books. They are some of the best, most unique paranormal romances out there. I will say if you haven't read the other five, that book six isn't the best place to start. Can you read it as a stand alone? I guess... but I wouldn't recommend it. You would miss a lot of the background of the secondary storylines as well as the beginnings of the relationship between Adam and Eliza. But I would recommend this entire series. Callihan continually surprising me with engaging stories and character and is truly one of the best out there in paranormal romance today.

If you are looking for a great paranormal romance set in lovely Victorian London, this series is the best. Other reviews of the first five books in the series can be found at these links -  Firelight, Moonglow, Winterblaze, Shadowdance, and Evernight.

I thoroughly enjoyed Soulbound and can't wait to see what is next in The Darkest London. 

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Julia Reviews It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain

Title/Author: It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain
Publisher/Year Published: January 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
How I got this book: Library ebook
Why I read this book: The third book in the series sounded interesting and I very, very rarely read books out of order. This is book one!
Rating: 4.5 stars


After my lackluster start of romance reading this year, I decided to continue on with romance as a genre and pick a different book to read on my upcoming trip. I decided to try an author who I have read before and liked, but only had tried once, Theresa Romain. That is how I ended up with a long flight and It Takes Two to Tangle. 

The summary for this book does not do a good job of explaining it, so let me take a swing. Henry Middlebrook is a man recently returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, crashing at his older brothers house. He is having problems returning back to a society that has not changed whereas he has, mentally and physically. His sister-in-law decides that what he really needs is a wife and has the perfect woman for him. He agrees to meet her.

Enter Lady Caroline, widow and toast of the town. They would make a perfect match right? Well they would but she has a cousin, Frances her companion, who takes a liking to Henry. They hit it off and she decides to help him in his quest for her cousin's hand at his request. Well things sort of morph from there into a shared companionship, some misunderstandings having to do with some letters and a lot of them growing and changing as people deserving of one another.

This was SUCH a refreshing Regency read! So many times Regency romance falls into the same old patterns. Titled guy, innocent girl, maybe one or both is damaged but their lurve magically heals all wounds and they live happily ever after. There is no such short cut taken in this book. A lot of it focuses on how each of them are trying to work their way back into a semblance of life. 

There is one misunderstanding sort of hidden thing, but it is not dragged out and I liked how it was handled. His war wound is a genuine thing he has to learn to live with and I thought was handled really, really well. My other downside (which may not be for some) is one of the sexy-times scenes fades into 1990s euphemisms that had me going, "Wait what just happened?"

It may have dragged a little bit toward the end when some crazy stuff goes down that I don't really think was needed but I still really enjoyed this novel. It's not your cookie cutter Regency. Frances has some hurdles of her own that she has to figure out, and so does Henry. They complement each other so well as a couple! 

Overall I highly recommend this to someone who likes Regencys and the world of the ton but want's something a bit different. It's not too far off the beaten path, but enough that it's like reading a breath of fresh air (or some other metaphor that makes sense...)



Monday, December 8, 2014

Julia Reviews Notes to Boys by Pamela Ribon

Title/Author: Notes to Boys by Pamela Ribon
Publisher/Year Published: Decmeber 2013 by Rare Bird Books
How I got this book: My coworker loaned it to me
Why I read this book: My coworker told me too :)
Rating: 4.5 stars

Pamela Ribon has been showing up a lot in my recent life. First of all, she shows up with that horrible barbie book nonsensebringing it all to life in her blog post. Then I see her name mentioned in a Smart Bitches post and think, "Oh! I recognize her! She is the one who wrote the hilarious thing on the sad barbie book". And finally, it came to a point when I looked at the book my friend from work had loaned me and realized it was her again. At that point I knew I was going to like this book. 

My friend had told me that this was their bookclub pick this month and most of the ladies had liked it though it took a bit to get into. I liked it from the beginning though did skim through some of the more cringe-worthy notes. 

Let me back up. This book is written on the concept that Pam saved all of the notes she wrote to boys as a teenager. They are just brimming with 15 year old angst and feeling. I would read them and cringe to myself on her behalf and then cringe again remembering some of the things I did as a teen. Thank God I didn't save any AIM conversations... All this cringing would culminate in the grateful realization that I was no longer 15 and did not have to worry about overwhelming feels anymore. Teenage angst is real, yo. It get's better. But then you get adult worries like bills... anyway...  

My favorite parts of this book were not the notes themselves but the context and stories around them. Pam is a fantastic writer who drew me into her past quite easily. I want to read more of her books and blog posts now that do no center around these notes. The notes were my least favorite part actually. I enjoyed them more toward the beginning, but as the book went on I had enough flashbacks thanks. 

Anyway, I enjoyed this book. Give it a shot if you are interested in a memoir centering around some of the more embarrassing aspects of teenage girlhood doused with a good dose of humor. 


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