My Reading Blog

Iron Daughter (Iron Fae book 3)

2012-02-20T08:44:00.001-08:00

by Julie Kagawa.

I really loved this one in the series. Lots of questions were resolved. While the beginning was kind of slow and I didn't see where it was all going it soon picked up and adventure ensued.

It starts with Meghan at the winter court dealing with her feelings for prince Ash who won't acknowledge her (you are beating your head against the wall because he warned her that he couldn't acknowledge his feelings for her but of course she starts doubting them etc. - teenage angst).

Then an event occurs that throws the Unseelie Court against the Seelie Court (they are always looking for a reason) and Meghan must intervene with the help of her friends again to save the Fae world as they know it from the Iron Fae (again). She learns some new tricks and becomes a bit braver I thought which made this book very interesting.

We also meet a bunch of new characters (although some don't last long) including the self proclaimed queen of the mis-fits who was exhiled by Queen Titania. I personally love the historical fairy references myself :)

I really loved how this one wrapped up and was quite content but I know the story continues and the battle with the Iron Fae is not over yet.

Winter Crossing (Iron Fae book 2 - short)

2012-02-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

by Julie Kagawa.

This book follows immediately from book 1, Meghan's adventure is over and she must keep a promise she made (a deal) from the first book. A short adventure awaits on her journey to the Unseelie Queen's court (Queen Mab) with Queen Mab's youngest son Prince Ash.

Short but satisfying, it definitely set up the 'second' book in the trilogy well.

Iron King (Iron Fae book 1)

2012-02-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

by Julie Kagawa

Hmm... not sure how I skipped writing about this one back when I read it. This is a young adult series, mostly a trilogy but it has 2 shorts and then an epilogue/follow on from another character's point of view.

I think I may have gotten the first book free or something and really loved it right away. Meghan Chase is turning 16 and finds out that she's 1/2 faerie and that her biological father is King Oberon of the Seelie Court and her best friend Robbie is actually Robin Goodfellow or Puck from Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night's Dream. Her little brother (1/2 brother) is kidnapped by the fairies and Meghan goes in the Nevernever to get him back.

What she finds is a world we expect with a new twist. First we have the Seelie (Summer) Court and the Unseelie (Winter) Court that share power but don't really get along. However due to human's lack of belief in the 'other' these courts aren't as strong as they once were and a new Fae has cropped up called the Iron Fae, born out of progress. Since regular Fae can't be around Iron this is a neat twist. Since Meghan is a half breed she doesn't have an Iron weakness.

The book is full of adventure, a little youthful romance and some very gruesome scenes (Fae are vicious). I loved it, I loved all the characters that Meghan runs into and the world in general that the author depicts. Very well done, it really captured my attention!

Maid of Fairborne Hall

2012-02-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

by Julie Klassen.

A MUST READ. I love Julie Klassen books and this one did not disappoint!!! With a wonderful perspective from a servant's life it was filled with people and relationships and a little mystery. I loved the characters and I loved how the story moved along. I loved seeing the main character evolve as a person into a wonderful woman.

I can't recommend this one enough - seriously!

Death Comes to Pemberly

2012-02-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

by P.D. James.

Another Christmas gift via Kindle. I actually didn't love this one. While parts of it were interesting and the mystery was great (as was the basic story). I felt the author tried too hard to make it jive with Pride & Prejudice. Some references were fine, others were too 'explained' for someone who has read P&P even once I'd think (although I've read it many times). I also felt that the author tried to have the characters do and say things that resembled what they did in P&P and it felt forced to me.

I am glad I read it and would recommend it if you love P&P and want to see a little mystery with a lot of Mr. Darcy but it wasn't a favorite.

Sing You Home

2012-02-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

by Jodi Piccoult.

What a horrible book to read when you're pregnant, at least the beginning. I don't want to give much away but the beginning is HARD to read. The basic premise of the book deals with infertility, and then later religion and alternative lifestyles (lesbian).

Honestly, parts of the book were hard to listen to, I think the author did an amazing job being as objective as she could but it's hard for me to listen to someone's point of view that is so closed minded. The religious parts were not bad, it's the hatred that underlies it that were hard for me to stomach.

In general though the book was great as usual and while I think the ending was kind of 'convenient', it was heart warming. While not a surprise, the characters acted more quickly than i would have thought based on the rest of the book so it didn't seem too realistic to me.

All in all I'm very glad I read it, even with the beginning being hard to get through. I really liked the song tracks at the start of each chapter and the very first song is SO touching as it's sung to her unborn child and brings tears to my eyes whenever I listen to it now!

A Weekend with Mr. Darcy

2012-02-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

by Victoria Connelly.

Another Christmas gift in kindle book form, this one was touching. Taking place in england, with a weekend away for some Janeites (Jane Austen fans). The main story revolves around 2 women and their relationships. The main romance is tough to stomach sometimes due to the deceit of the hero who is keeping a large secret.

The other story line was a little more fun, even though the woman had a long standing relationship that she had intended to end, so it wasn't without it's complications. All in all I really enjoyed the book and it went quickly.

Love, Come to Me

2012-01-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

I got this one for Christmas from my mom and as soon as I needed a kindle break i pulled this one out.

This is a civil war era romance that Lisa Kleypas wrote when she was young (her first novel maybe?) and she is finally releasing it. It takes place just after the civil war up in Concord, MA and definitely brings up the politics of the time which I found very interesting.

All in all I really liked the book, it wasn't as predictable as usual which kept me reading till the very end quickly. There was one part in the middle that I really didn't like (an act of dominance/force) which really didn't seem necessary and quite frankly almost out of character considering the rest of the book. There was definitely an interesting side relationship going on with another character that I'm curious to see if she does a book about later.

Now back to the kindle to read some of the Jane Austen inspired books I got for xmas!

My (not so) Storybook Life

2012-01-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

by Elizabeth Owen.

I got this as a Christmas gift off my wishlist on Kindle and it's a book of friendship. It's an interesting take on life and friendship as you navigate through something like cancer (her best friend gets cancer).

It was a quick read and enjoyable. It's focused a lot of faith and God but not so much that it turned me off (and I'm not Christian). I liked it for the interpersonal relationships and it moved along nicely. It also gave some funny stories about being a homeowner/newly wed/dog owner. I liked the little shorts that took from common stories and made the characters go through more realistic life problems.
I would recommend this as a quick read if you have the time, makes you think about life a bit and if you are religious in any way this is probably inspirational.

Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice For Your Baby's First Year

2012-01-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

by Denise Fields and Dr. Ari Brown.

I got this one as a christmas gift from my sister on Kindle and started it up early (which is good because the beginning is about decisions you need to make before you have the baby). I really love the format and the information given and have highlighted multiple sections and notes. Very practical advice based more on science than some theory.

I definitely recommend this book - I loved the section on infections as well as breastfeeding (very informative). I made multiple highlights and bookmarks and can see going back to this book or checking their website for quick reference information.

Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day

2012-01-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

I got this one as a Christmas gift and while most of it is recipes, I did read through the rest of it (even some of the recipes). I loved it. I don't know if I have the energy to try this just yet but I'm hoping to soon. What a great idea, no kneading involved, just make up a large batch of dough, store it in the fridge and then pick off a chunk and let it rise then bake that day. Awesome.

There were even recipes on how to use the basic dough for pizza dough and desserts. I was definitely impressed and would love to try this out. Lot's of great information on ingredients to use and how they change the breads etc.

Death Angel

2012-01-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

by Linda Howard.

Parts of this one actually made Prey sound enjoyable. Again - the female character was annoying and constantly repeated herself. The story again was very interesting but parts were drawn out and at the end I wanted to just stop listening.

This one follows an assassin and a woman who rips off his employer (she was his girlfriend). She changes her identity and goes into hiding and the assassin is hired to find and kill her. She actually dies at one point (very strange) and as I said, the story itself is actually quite interesting but could have been done better with less chatter from the main female character.

Unfortunately can't really recommend this one either :(

Prey

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

by Linda Howard.

What a strange book - not one of my favorites of Linda Howard's. Parts of it were from a Bear's point of view which was very strange but the bad part was that so much of the dialog inside Angie's head was annoying and repeated constantly. It was very slow moving and while the overall story was interesting it was dragged out in many places. Even as an audiobook I was bored most of the time. I finally sped up the reader (love that feature on android) and that made it easier to get through the end.

Not sure I could really recommend this one although parts of it I was really glad to have read.

Lady Sophia's Lover (Bowstreet Runners book 2)

2012-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

A very good book for many reasons, the characters are great, the setup for book 3 is great (Nick Gentry) and Sophia is wonderful. I definitely enjoyed this one although I did find it annoying that she had so much trouble trusting Ross even after he had proven himself to her so many times. Even though i knew where most of it was going (since I read book 3 first) I still really enjoyed it.

Someone To Watch Over Me (Bowstreet runners book 1)

2012-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

The first in the trilogy, this one follows Morgan (a runner) who saves Vivien after she nearly drowns and has completely lost her memory. His plan is revenge on her (she is a courtesan that he has a history with) but of course ends up falling in love with her. But someone tried to kill her so there's a mystery to solve.

While predictable as to who the villain would be it was still very enjoyable and introduced us to Ross Canon who is the hero of the second book.

Worth Any Price (Bowstreet runners book 3)

2012-01-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

I got this trilogy on Kindle (Bowstreet runners) but wasn't sure of the order. Of course I accidentally read the 3rd book first - all well :) The bad thing is that this one did actually give away quite a bit about the second book since the hero in this one is actually a 'bad guy' in book 1 and 2 kind of. Luckily I don't mind knowing the end of a book so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This one follows Nick Gentry, a runner with a dark past and Charlotte, a runaway bride that Nick is paid to find. Lord Westcliffe is introduced (he makes an appearance in a later book called "Again the Magic" and then has his own story told in the Wallflower series "It Happened One Autumn").

Ashes of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 6)

2011-11-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

by Lara Adrian.

The 6th in the series follows Adreas Richen who the order thought dead in the last book but now we find out what really happened to him and his amazing pyrokinetic power. His long lost love Claire is blood bonded with his enemy Vilhem Roth and it's a twisty turvy story line that brings them together. Then we find out Roth is embroiled in the larger plot with Dragos and the order gets involved as well.

About halfway through I decided I was still loving the series so went ahead and bought the next 2 (7 and 8) which are about Kade and Brock, newer vampires to the order that we don't know much about. Looking forward to more detail on their histories.

Now that I'm working from home twice a week I'm definitely noticing that it takes longer to get through an audiobook than before! Might have to listen a bit at home to read all the books I have piled :)

Tears of Pearl (Lady Emily book 4)

2011-11-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

by Tasha Alexander.

So once I realized I had missed this one and the end was ruined I still decided to go back and read it. Emily and Collin are on their honeymoon in Constantinople when of course, murder occurs and they are there to help investigate. The mystery in this one was hard to follow, there were lots of people involved and no one could tell a straight answer making it very hard to figure out what really happened.

I'm glad I read it and it definitely sets up the next book well (I had missed a lot of important things that happened in this one).

Dangerous to Know (Lady Emily book 5)

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

by Tasha Alexander.

These ones are expensive and that's why I put off buying them but finally I had to find out what is going on with Lady Emily since there is ANOTHER one out already and I had missed this one. Then as I started reading this one I realized that I was DEFINITELY missing something so I looked it up and I had never bought or read book 4 of the series! Yikes. So I'm actually a few books behind since her 6th just came out. Suffice it to say the 'mystery' of the 4th was already ruined for me so I continued reading this one and then bought the 4th one (which was much cheaper!)

Lady Emily is recovering in France at her mother-in-laws estate when she happens upon a corpse of a woman who seems to have been killed in a similar manner as Jack-The-Ripper uses (but in France - so they call him the Normandy Ripper). Of course her husband Colin is involved in finding the murderer and so she becomes as well. This one deals a lot with her relationship with her husband and his wanting to protect her. They foreshadowed this in book 4 (which I'm now reading) but this is the first time he's limiting her in some way and it's very hard for her to deal with. I think it's great that she doesn't outright rebel (as another character in another book *ahem Lady Julia Grey* would have), instead she is smart and understands his concern but has a hard time accepting it and it affects their relationship emotionally which makes for some good reading.

All in all a great book and it definitely made me want to jump back to number 4 (which I did) to find out all I had missed. Not sure if I'll jump to book 6 just yet, maybe wait for the price to hopefully come down first.

Inheritance (book 4)

2011-11-14T09:26:00.001-08:00

by Christopher Paolini.

The 4th and final book - finally out! I did not re-read the previous books although it would have been helpful to re-read Brisingr at the very least. Instead I jumped in and the book was great. It was bloody, since it was filled almost completely by war/fighting but it was very well done. Questions were answered, things were made right and everything concluded in a satisfactory way. The author admits that this is the final book but that he may some day return to Alagaesia (although not to Eragon) since he spent so much time creating the world.

I can't wait for my kids to be old enough to read these books, I will definitely enjoy going through them again!

No Man's Mistress (mistress book 2 of 2)

2011-11-14T09:15:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

The second in this tiny little series follows the brother of the protagonist from book 1. Ferdinand meets Viola when he comes to claim his new home and finds she is living there and thinks that she owns it. They have a tempestuous relationship and eventually her past comes forward. The characters are very likable and the story moved along quickly. It again was hard to put down and I read both of these books in 4 days while traveling.

More than a Mistress (mistress book 1 of 2)

2011-11-14T09:12:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This mini-series (2 books) I started for travel in October and I breezed right through both books. I love Mary Balogh books, and it was just what I needed. The first follows Duke Tresham and Jane, she interrupts a duel and he gets shot due to her interruption. She's in 'hiding' but for some reason never confesses that to him even after they become friends while she is working for him. Eventually he asks her to become his mistress and they become very close, so that when he does learn the truth he is quite hurt she has hidden her past from him.

It's a good story and leads well into the next book which follows the brother of the Duke and I started that one right away.

Devil to Pay

2011-11-14T09:06:00.001-08:00

by Jeaniene Frost.

Another short on Kindle. This one is also earlier in the series, shortly after Mencheres' wife has died I think, before he pairs up and before Cat becomes a vampire. This one concerns Blake who has been possessed by a very old demon and Elise a vampire who again I don't remember meeting previously. Mencheres' is more a part of the story than Bones and Cat and the story line is quite interesting as well as the resolution.

Happily Never After

2011-11-14T09:04:00.001-08:00

by Jeaniene Frost.

A short I bought on kindle that isn't exactly a Bones/Cat story but they do cross over. It's a mini romance between Chance (who I don't remember meeting but is a friend of Bones') and a human Isabella who is caught up with the mob due to her brother's troubles. This takes place before Cat is a vampire so it's earlier in the series and I think it came out in an anthology before but is now on it's own. It was quite enjoyable but confusing now that I have so many Vampire books 'going', I forget the 'rules' of the vampire worlds from one to the next sometimes.

Veil of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 5)

2011-11-14T09:01:00.001-08:00

by Lara Adrian.

The 5th in the series and still a great series, this one follows Nikoli on a mission up to Montreal where he meets Renada who so far is the strongest/deadliest breedmate we've bet. But she's in a tight spot and neither of them are up for trusting others so working together is difficult. A few hitches here and there but otherwise they are a strong couple and the book was enjoyable, really moved the plot forward and made it clear where future books could go to finally resolve this overarching storyline.

Looking forward to the next one and I have a few new Linda Howards to read as well!

Spirit Dances (Walker Paper book 6)

2011-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

by C.E. Murphy.

Ahhh.. a new urban shaman book finally! And this one is much better than recent ones. Finally some 'interactions' between Joanne and Morrison! And she's got a much better grasp of magic, although that doesn't stop things from happening that throw her for a loop so she's out of control again. She's learning about shape shifting (that seems to be the main theme of this book) and she's learning to ask for help occasionally. Really growing as a person and it was enjoyable to follow along!

The Dark Enquire (Lady Julia Brisbane book 5)

2011-10-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

by Deanna Raybourne.

So much better than book 4! Lady Julia and Brisbane have settled back in England and into more of a routine where Julia is attempting to help with Brisbane's private enquiry business. This does not mean she stays out of trouble and follows the rules but they are more open with each other than in book 4 and it's a delight to see. They still have their fights and misunderstandings but they think about each other more and it shows.

We got to see more into the Roma world that Brisbane comes from as well and that was a delight. This remains a favorite series of mine but books 1-3 will always be my very favorite, I will probably not re-read the rest of them (not 4 and 5 anyway) as I will the first 3. They're almost stand alone but I look forward to the next even though I know it will be a while.
Deanna is working on another standalone novel that I am really looking forward to (loved her first - the dead travel fast) and hopefully after that she'll write the next Lady Julia!

Shades of Twilight

2011-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

by Linda Howard.

After enjoying her first book I decided to find some more, this one is also a southern romance with some mystery mixed in. We follow the characters from youth through adulthood (jumping through years pretty quickly). We get a great understanding about what drives the characters and their relationship to each other.

Roanna and Webb are cousins (second cousins which is okay i guess) and when Roanna loses her parents at age 7, Webb is the one constant in her life when she goes to live with her grandmother (where Webb also lives). Webb is destined to be the heir (it's a very rich and influential family) and destined to marry Roanna's first cousin Jesse who is older than Roanna.
Jump a number of years and Jesse and Webb are married but unhappily so. Jesse tortures Roanna when she can and Roanna is a tortured soul in general at 17. Finally after circumstances leave the family torn apart we jump ahead another 10 years I think.

Now there's some mysteries to solve and a relationship between Webb and Roanna that has deteriorated and needs to be built back up. A very twisty but interesting plot that kept me sucked in. I really enjoyed this one too!

Midnight Rising (Midnight Breed book 4)

2011-10-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

by Lara Adrian.

I couldn't stay away too long! Back to the Midnight Breed series and we're following Rio (whom had a tragic loss in book 1 and has had a rough time recovering) and Dylan, a reporter who stumbles upon Rio. This one was good, not as good as the other three, maybe because Dylan had to be abducted and wasn't trusted with the information up front because she was a reporter. It made for a sketchy start to the book. However it did get better and the overarching plotline that we've been trying to figure out really became much clearer in this book. We know what's going on finally but no idea how they'll 'stop' it.

After the Night

2011-10-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

by Linda Howard.

A new author to try, she writes southern romances with mysteries mixed in. Her style seems to be that she follows the characters from a young age, highlighting important points in their lives and moving forward pretty quickly to the 'current' time but giving us a glimpse of what is really behind these characters.

I found this book very intriguing and had trouble putting it down a few times. Gray is from an uppercrust family and his father is promiscuous to say the least. One of the women tied to Gray's father is Faith's mother. Meanwhile Faith has a serious crush on Gray, idolizing him. But she's a Devlin and Devlin's are 'garbage' from everyone's point of view. No one cares that Faith isn't like the rest.
Jump forward a few years, all of a sudden Gray's father and Faith's mother disappear the same night and their worlds get turned up side down. The Devlin's get kicked out of town by Gray and Faith will never forget how he looked at her and what he said to her (she's trash).
Jump forward many years and Faith has built a life for herself and has decided she wants to solve the mystery so she goes back to town. Gray tries to drive her away but she's stronger now and won't back down. There's a lot of mystery in this one and it really moves along quickly with a few twists and turns. Again a page turner and had me looking for more by Linda Howard for sure!

Midnight Awakening (Midnight Breed book 3)

2011-10-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

by Lara Adrian.

Book 3 follows Tegan, and that's great because you're really wondering about him at this point. He's a tough guy to like from the outside but we get to see inside in this book and a new dimension is added. Elise also has a past and the story is intriguing that brings them together. The overall plot line/mystery really makes a lot of progress in this one as we get closer to the unknown evil and make a few resolutions in this one.

Kiss of Crimson (Midnight Breed book 2)

2011-10-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

by Lara Adrian.

The second in the series, started out kind of rocky relationship wise but came together well in the end. I love that it continues with a new warrior of the Breed but you still get to follow the previous characters since they're interconnected. Dante and Tess' story has a lot of action and also moves along the overall plot quite a bit. I really enjoy this series!

One Grave At A Time (Nighthuntress book 6)

2011-10-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

by Jeanine Frost.

Another Cat and Bones and one of the better ones lately (if you don't count the first few which were the very best). This one focuses on ghosts a bit more, partly because her Uncle Don is now a ghost and partly because the mystery that Cat and Bones are out to 'solve' revolves around a ghost. Action packed and filled with characters we love - it's a great one!

Kiss of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 1)

2011-09-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

by Lara Adrian.

A new author and vampire series to try out. I got 3 for 2 credits and thought I'd give them a try. The first in the series follows Lucan, a GenOne (generation one) vampire who founded a group of warriors who hunt the Rogue vampires that have given in to blood lust. He himself is fighting blood lust constantly and trying to hide that from his brothers.

Then he meets Gabrielle who is marked as a Breed Mate (if he drinks her blood he binds her to him forever). She gets tangled into his world unknowingly and eventually he brings her under his protection with the truth.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. A few new twists on Vampire lore and some new 'history', like vampires are born from human mothers with vampire fathers. The group of warriors includes a few that are already blood bonded and a few others that will have their own stories that I'm looking forward to in the next few books. I will definitely continue with this series for a while!

Ten Things I Love About You

2011-09-06T09:46:00.001-07:00

by Julia Quinn.

This is a victorian romance from a new author I thought I'd try out. It was a good book in general, not a Lisa Kleypas grab ya type but still good and enjoyable.

Annabel is planning to marry an Earl to save her 8 brothers and sisters financially however she's fallen for Sebastian, the Earl's hated nephew. A little love triangle and some funny scenes make for an interesting story set in Victorian England. Sebastian is also secretly a writer (writes under a female pseudonym).

Enjoyable, not sure I'm going to go looking for more but maybe, especially if there are familiar characters in them.

In Too Deep (Glass light series book 2)

2011-08-21T18:47:00.001-07:00

by Jayne Ann Krentz.

FINALLY is the first thought I had. We finally get Fallon's story and it's a great one. Full of mystery and investigation and danger of course. Isabella has quite a history and being a Finder makes her a great addition to J & J.

A small tie back to Eclipse Bay and Arizona Snow is fun too, and Zach Jones and Raine make appearances too.

Quicksilver (glass light trilogy book 1)

2011-08-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

by Amanda Quick.

I LOVE amanda quick books! I've read them all (most of them I've read twice). And her new ones are just as good. They are definitely formulaic and there are a few 'scenes' that are basically required in an Amanda Quick book but I love them for that too.

This is in the Arcane Society series so it's a paranormal victorian romance. Virginia can read images stored in mirrors and Owen is a Sweetwater (finally we get to meet some more of that family!) Neither is actually a member of Arcane but they are tightly coupled with them. There's a secondary romance going on as well which is always fun.

I highly recommend this one and it was just a lead up to the second in the series which is FINALLY Fallon Jone's story!

What I'm reading

2011-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've had a dry spell from the reading department and I know I've read a few books a couple months ago that I forgot to write about.

Currently I'm reading the two latest Sookie books, I have really lost interest in them but decided while at my sister's recently that I did want to read them so I started Dead in the Family. For now I put it down but hope to pick it up again.

The reason i put down the Sookie book is that I got the Glasslight trilogy books from my sister (well the first two). I'm reading the Amanda Quick book QuickSilver now and of course loving it, always do!

Since finishing The Help I started listening to a new author Julia Quinn with Ten Things I Love About You, another victorian romance and so far so good.

I'm finally back to reading and looking forward to my vacation next week and a bit more time to read then!

The Help

2011-08-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

by Kathryn Stockett.

I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to see the movie. It takes place in the 60's in Alabama and deals with the 'separate but equal' issue from an interesting viewpoint. I laughed, I cried and just loved this book and all of the characters telling their stories. Very well done!

I would recommend this to anyone - and will!

Book Catchup (Audible)

2011-08-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

I've been very bad at blog entries, so here's a quick recap of what I can remember listening to this summer so far...

Somewhere I'll Find You - by Lisa Kleypas
Damon and Julia, 'married' when they were young and have not seen each other since. Meet up unexpectedly and she tries to conceal who she is. This is the first of the theatre series (Logan Scott) and it was quite good.

Then Came You - by Lisa Kleypas
Alex and Lily. Lily has a secret past (and daughter) and Alex is set to marry her sister. Lily decides to save her sister and concocts a scheme which of course ends with a romance between herself and Alex. This is the first in the Derek Craven series.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor - by Lisa Kleypas
This is a shorter book that tells the story of Zachary who adopts his niece after his sister dies. He then falls for the perfect woman, but he's got a girlfriend and she's got a history with marriage. A nice short love story with a bit more drama than necessary but entertaining.

Fly Away Home - by Jennifer Weiner
This author was recommended to me so I thought I'd try one of her books out. I may not have chosen the best first book to read. It follows the story of 3 women, a mother and her two daughters. The mother's husband is a politician and gets caught in a scandal and she has to decide what to do while her daughters are dealing with their own problems (one is having an affair herself and the other is a recovering drug addict). It was a good book and the characters are touching. Not the lightest or easiest emotionally but worth the read.

I just finished the Help too, but that gets it's own post!

Because You're Mine (Theater series book 2)

2011-05-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

Another book 2 that I'm reading first. I was driving when my last book finished so I just started listening to the first one in the list. It happens that it's actually another second book but again, not a big deal.

This one takes place in the theater world. Logan Scott is a self-made farmer to famous actor and Maddy is a young woman engaged to a titled old man who she does not want to marry. She decides to ruin herself by having an affair with Mr. Scott but he won't have her.

Again I really enjoyed this one and the appearances of the Duke and Duchess who were the characters of book 1 made me interested in their story of course so I look forward to reading about them next!

Dreaming of You (Stews to Gentlemen book 2)

2011-05-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

I didn't know this was a second part to a first book when I started it and it really doesn't matter but the characters from the first book make quite a few appearances.

Anyhow, this one was about a self-made man who runs a gambling club and a spinster writer who does research in the 'stews' and comes upon him being attached and 'saves his life'. Quite an active beginning and the story continues with the action. It's a very good one and I really enjoyed it. It inspired me to hunt around a bit for her other books and now I have a few on audible ready to enjoy!

A Matter of Class

2011-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

by Mary Balogh.

I recently purchased some new kindle books and this was one of them. I like Mary Balogh books and this one was quite interesting. I give credit to the author for sure in this unique story and while I did figure out the "twist" quite early it was still fun, not following the typical romance story line. I do recommend this one pretty highly if you like romances.

Demon Hunts (Walker Papers book 5)

2011-05-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

by C.E. Murphy

And we visit Joanne Walker again - Urban Shaman. This one seemed to be the slowest of the series so far and I think I'm losing interest in general in this series. There wasn't a lot of action, but there was a lot of spiritual stuff which got boring. Plus the "joanne/morrison" in love but can't admit it thing is getting old, especially since she now also loves someone else. I may keep reading these because it's easy to listen to them but we'll see.

The Host

2011-04-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

by Stephenie Meyer.

This is a long one! I finally got around to it though, listening to it instead of trying to read it. What a great story though, it helped that i had a long drive to/from NYC to get into the book because it does start pretty slowly. The second 2 thirds however, while not filled with action are at least very interesting and keep your attention. It's not a page turner, I could definitely stop it easily but I liked the transition each character went through as they learned to live with/among/outside of this new species that took over earth. And I wasn't sure if she would or could make a happy ending but I was pleased with the ending which made the whole experience completely worth it.

The Girl in the Gatehouse

2011-04-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

by Julie Klassen.

I really enjoy Klassen's work. The books are romances but they're more involved than that. There's either more to the main character (a coming of age) or just more characters and stories to learn within the main character's life (this one fall in that genre). Lots of neat characters with their own stories to tell which kept this very interesting. There was a naval story/theme feeling to most of it which I enjoyed.

Suddenly You

2011-04-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

I really really enjoyed this one. It was funny (the main character hires a male prostitute for her 30th birthday!). Of course it turns out he's not a prostitute but a publisher (and she's an author), he wanted to meet her. It went on from there, she's a strong character which made her easy to relate to. All in all it made me want to read more of Kleypas' work again. Although I've been waiting for the new Julie Klassen so I jumped right to that next. I will probably get a new Kleypas or two when I finish my current book.

Book Catch Up

2011-04-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot since the last time I posted, I don't even remember it all but this is what I remember...

Jeanine Frost:
- Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World)
This book covers the love story of Mencheres who we finally get to learn about, and Kira, a new character. I really enjoyed this one, this whole series really and it's great that I read them in order because both of these offshoot books came before the new Bones/Cat book.
- Halfway to the Grave (book 1)
Re-read - probably my favorite of the series!
- One Foot in the Grave (book 2)
Re-read, not my favorite but probably my second favorite.
- At Grave's End (book 3)
Re-read
- Destined for an Early Grave (book 4)
Re-read - probably my least favorite of the books, and i had read it but forgotten pretty much everything about it. Since it's referenced by the off-shoot books this threw me off a bit.
- This Side of the Grave (book 5, or night huntress world book 7)
A new book, not the best in the series but good. It ties a lot of stuff up which is nice and we get to see some of the new characters we got to know in the off-shoot books (Kira again for example).

After reading that series again (which included some audiobooks, then picking it up in paperback to read faster). I started the new Walker Papers book by C.E. Murphy but paused halfway through to start The Host by Stephenie Meyer and I'm still listening to that.

Then on the Kindle I read:
The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
This was a serious favorite. I really like Klassen's books, they have so much to them. No disappointments in this one at all, although it was a bit more predictable than her first couple of books. I'm looking forward to starting her new one soon.

And finally I'm reading Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas on the Kindle now. I think that's it. I'll follow up once I finish some of the current ones I have going.

Soft Focus

2011-02-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

by Jayne Ann Krentz.

A strange concept, kind of sci-fi-ish but a quick easy read which is always enjoyable.

Not my favorite but doing it as an audiobook is the way to go when they aren't 'can't put down books' :)

Slightly Dangerous (slight series book 6)

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

Finally it's Wulf's story and it starts at a house party (he never goes to house parties but is feeling lonely after all his siblings have recently or not so recently become happily married). He meets Christine, a widow. Neither of them want to like each other but of course in the end things work out. I really enjoyed this one and it tied up some loose ends of some side characters which was nice.

Death Du Jour (temperance book 2)

2011-02-08T12:15:00.001-08:00

by Kathy Reichs.

The second book started out much more slowly than the first but the ending was pretty fast paced and interesting. They are good mysteries and I kind of like that these are abridged although I do wonder what I'm missing out on.

One more to go in the set that I got from a friend!

Slightly Sinful (slightly series book 5)

2011-02-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

Book 5 follows Alleyne Bedwyn who was presumed dead in the previous book. He winds up in a brothel in Brussels with no memory of who he is. Rachel York, the woman who saved him ends up entering a fake marriage with Alleyne (this series is full of fake engagements so why not a fake marriage) :). Of course in the end he does remember who he is (or is helped to remember), and it completes the scene from Morgan's story where she sees a man standing at the house just before her wedding breakfast (it's Alleyne). It was a nice book to round out the family, leaving only the Duke of Bewcastle left to go!

Simply Perfect (Simply series book 4)

2011-01-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

Finally Claudia Martin's story and Lord Attleboro is the hero. They meet due to a mutual friend and grudgingly she kind of likes him a little. He is almost engaged to the same woman from book 1 of the series that got dumped - Miss Hunt. Hardships continue between Lord Attleboro and Claudia as we find out more about his secret in London and his engagement to Miss Hunt. We also find out the history of Claudia and someone from her past pops back in to her life. Of course all works out for everyone in the end and at long last all 4 friends are happily married.

This was a good series and I enjoyed seeing the same characters over and over. I've also enjoyed reading the Bedwyn series in conjunction since they do intertwine quite a bit.

Deja Dead (Temperance Brennan book 1)

2011-01-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

by Kathy Reichs.

I am finally reading this series! I tried to start it a while ago and it wasn't grabbing me - not close enough to Bones the show which I love. However a co-worker got the first 3 books on CD and is passing them along to me as she finishes them. The timing was perfect because my itrip for my ipod stopped working last week and I was in withdrawal!

Part of the reason I may have liked this was that I think it was Abridged so they cut out some of the boring stuff I was getting hung up and lost on. I also had trouble with the French names when I tried reading it which is not a problem when someone reads it aloud to you. This way I could focus on the mystery itself.

So I started up this book and I really enjoyed it, a great murder mystery. I haven't finished Simply Perfect (which is on my ipod) but will get back to that when my new itrip arrives hopefully. Then I'll continue with this series!

Slightly Tempted (Slightly series book 4)

2011-01-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This book follows Morgan, the youngest. Morgan is interested in the war that is going on and follows some friends to Brussels to be closer to the action. Her brother Aidan goes missing and she stays behind in Brussels while her companions return to England. A "friend" stays with her for protection and of course more develops. The snafoo in their relationship is that he started out befriending her because he holds a grudge against her brother. We find out a bit of the Bedwyn history in this one (relating to Wulf) and of course all works out in the end.

There are only 2 more in the series, Aidan is next, the Bedwyns think he is dead so I think the next book actually coincides time wise with this one, just a parallel story.

Slightly Scandalous (Slightly series book 3)

2011-01-04T18:48:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This book follows Freyja Bedwin as she leaves her brother's wedding to travel to Bath to avoid going home where she would be around when Kit Butler and his new wife (from A Summer to Remember) are expecting their first child). She runs into Josh when he breaks into her room at an inn.

They meet a few more times, not under flattering circumstances all the time and end up in a fake engagement which drags on and on and eventually of course at the end becomes real :)

Freyja is an interesting character, you don't have to really like her too much to understand her a bit and understand why some people like her. She never really softens up to the outside world but you find out that really she has soft spots she just keeps them hidden.

Good timing as I'm interested to find out if Claudia Martin from the Simply series will end up befriending Freyja or not.

A Summer to Remember (pre-Bedywin's book 2)

2010-12-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This is actually a second book, the first being One Night to Love but I couldnt' get it on the Kindle so I have not yet read it. This book however follows Kit Butler who I know only as having broken Frey Bedwyn's heart and I wanted to read this one before her story.
He gets into a fake engagement with Lauren from book 1 of the series (which I have not yet read) to get out of an engagement with Freyja. They of course fall in love and end up really getting married. This one was a good one to read, I got to know a lot of characters that were referenced in the later books I read. It was also good that I read this before the Freyja book which I started up next.

Simply Magic (Simply series book 3)

2010-12-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

Book three is the story of Peter and Susanna. They meet when Susanna is staying with Francis from book one and have 2 weeks of friendship which buds into a small romance with no foreseeable future. They meet again later in Bath and eventually Peter is able to convince Susanna to marry him.

I'm interested to see what the 4th will bring, Claudia's story should be very interesting.

Slightly Wicked (Slightly series book 2)

2010-12-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This is the story of Rannulf and Judith. They meet on the road and have a whirlwind romance of 2 nights, both pretending to be someone else. Later when they meet up under more normal circumstances it is to find out that they are to be neighbors for a while and he is to be courting her cousin.

Quite a compelling story with lots of troubles and twists but we get to meet the Bedwyn's a bit more at the end, finally seeing more of the sisters, particularly Freyja who's story starts right up at the end of this one. Again i couldn't put this book down at all!

Slightly Married (Slightly book 1)

2010-12-15T10:00:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This is the first in a series that follows the Bedwyn family. This book covers the story of Aidan and Eve. Aidan marries Eve to save her with the idea that it would be a marriage of convenience and they'd never see each other again. Of course this doesn't work out as planned :) We are introduced to most of the Bedwyn family in this book and it ends with one brother Rannulf coming and then leaving again after meeting Eve. That leads directly into Rannulf's story - the second book.

I am devouring these, I really can't put them down at all!

Simply Love (Simply series book 2)

2010-12-15T09:57:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This is the second in the simply series, it follows Anne's story, an unwed mother as she meets Sydnam who was wounded during the war and holds scars inside and outside that make it hard for him to see himself capable of having a real relationship.

This story is different than the first in that instead of multiple chance encounters, they get to meet, and spend a month together becoming good friends. They are then thrown together of their own volition and have to figure out how to become whole again (both have wounds from the past to deal with). It's a touching book and characters from previous books are brought back.

This one is the one that made me realize there was a whole series of books that followed the Bedwyn's that I missed so before continuing I need to go read those! Also Sydnam's brother Kit has his own story as well that came before this one.

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World book 1)

2010-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

by Jeanine Frost.

This is a spin off of her Night Huntress series. Instead of following Cat and Bones (although that series will continue and they are in these books a bit), they follow side characters we have met along the way.

One thing to note and I was QUITE disappointed about this ... do NOT read this until after reading book 5 of Night Huntress (which is not out yet!) - This Side of the Grave. It appears that this book takes place after that one and a major plot development is given away (boo!).

Anyhow, as a book on it's own this one was great! It follows Spade who is friends with Bones/Crispin and you also get to know their other mutual friend Ian a bit better. I assume Ian will be a future book.

Spade gets involved helping Cat's friend Denise with some Demon issues. She has PTSD issues when around vampires from her time spent with the vampires in an earlier book when her husband was killed - this at least was in a book I had read. Spade has relationship with human issues so there are some barriers to them being together, none the less it is intriguing and the author is quite good at keeping the story moving forward.

I'm not as excited about the next but that might be because I dont' know the characters too well that star in that one.

Belly Laughs

2010-12-15T09:49:00.001-08:00

by Jenny McCarthy.

While I am not pregnant, I have friends that are and this book was recommended as being pretty light hearted but informative and funny. It was a quick 2 night read and I really was laughing quite a bit. It's easy to laugh when it's not you going through it that's for sure. I do recommend this to those that are pregnant or are trying, she doesn't really give advice but she does give you a warning about what's to come and a feeling that you are not alone for the tough stuff. Plus it's a quick read which is always welcome when you're busy!

Simply Unforgettable (Simply book 1)

2010-11-29T11:09:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

I didn't realize that there was a series (Slightly) that came before this one. Although this first book doesn't really tie in closely with that series, the second one really did.
This first one follows a couple as they meet unexpectedly during a snow storm, then again later on at a social event. Neither of them really wanted a relationship for different reasons but in the end all works out of course.

This book also sets up the series where 4 women who work/live at Miss Martin's school will each find love in their own time.

A Secret Affair (Huxtables book 5)

2010-11-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

The final Huxtable book follows Constantine so we finally get to find out his secrets. He starts an affair with the recently widowed Duchess of Dunbarton. We get to see all the other Huxtables in this one and Constantine and his cousin finally work things out and are friends again. It was a good ending to a series with good characters.

Sinful in Satin (Rarest Blooms book 3)

2010-11-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

by Madeline Hunter.

I didn't think this one had as much political information and history of the time as the others but followed a character we met briefly in book one (Jonathan) as he investigates Celia's mother's prior clientèle after her death. Celia is trying hard not to follow in her mothers footsteps and still has a relationship with the women from the first 2 books.

The fourth book will follow Daphne and should be interested. It's hard to picture her as anything except a motherly figure even though she is supposedly only 27 or so.

Dark Angel (Dark book 1)

2010-11-29T10:55:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

I read this book in one night. It was published along with Lord Carew's Bride in the same book because they follow 2 women who are cousins and have a come out season together. In book one, they are both hurt by one man but the older ends up marrying to save herself from scandal and of course falling in love.

I'm looking forward to the second book quite a bit now.

A Precious Jewel (ideal book 2)

2010-11-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

This book follows the love story of Gerald and his Mistress, we met Gerald and knew about his relationship in book one but this book goes back to when he first met her and then set her up to be his mistress. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

The Ideal Wife (ideal book 1)

2010-11-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

The Ideal Wife follows Miles as he decides he must marry a very discrete, plain woman and Abigail shows up on his steps. They marry quickly and then slowly fall in love, during which time Abigail slowly reveals secrets, each one worrying her. This book had a couple of extra characters that you knew would follow up with more stories (hence the second book).

The Secret Pearl

2010-11-29T10:49:00.001-08:00

by Mary Balogh.

A standalone book, this one follows a love story that twists and turns and doesn't quite seem like it will end happily. It doesn't start out promising, with the Duke meeting Fleur as a common street walker and then finding out she was actually an innocent. Feeling guilty, he arranges for her to become governess to his daughter and live with his wife in the country (a little Jane Eyre there for you anyone?). The characters are pretty deep though and the story intriguing so it kept me interested and I just held out hope that all would end well. All in all it was enjoyable!

204 Rosewood Lane (Cedar Cove book 2)

2010-11-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

by Debbie Macomber.

The second book follows more from Grace's point of view, solving the mystery of her husband Dan's disappearance and some new budding romances. It still deals with a lot of divorce though and I'm not enjoying this series because of that. I think this will be my last, the characters are interesting but I need a bit more happy endings in my books :)

16 Lighthouse Road (Cedar Cove book 1)

2010-10-20T07:46:00.001-07:00

by Debbie Macomber.

A new author and I guess series. I found this on Audible a while back and finally read it. I did like it a good bit. It was sad at times and lots of divorce, unhappy family stuff going on that was hard to swallow as a light read but otherwise it was interesting. It follows the story of a number of people who live in Cedar Cove. Mostly romantic stories but not all.
I didn't realize it was a series and I'll have to check out the next in the series and see if it's characters I now know or not. All in all I would recommend this, not as the lightest of reads but nothing like a Jodi Piccoult either.

Scandal in Spring (Wallflower book 4)

2010-10-20T07:44:00.001-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

The fourth and final in the series, this one follows Daisy Bowman as her father tries to arrange a marriage for her. It was much more slow going for me, not quite as interesting as the others but still good. A little action at the end kept it interesting and it rounded out the series nicely.

Next up is Midnight Crystal to finish that trilogy and then maybe some Mary Balogh's I have piled up by my bed!

The Devil in Winter (wallflower book 3)

2010-10-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

This one picked off right where the second ended and followed Evie as she proposes marriage to St. Vincent to escape her family. It was quite interesting because it explains the history of Rohan more clearly and I read those Kleypas books much earlier (Hathaway?). I may have to reread the first in that series now.

I liked the danger in this one and Evie who was so shy really stood her ground. It was a good book.

It Happened One Autumn (wallflowers book 2)

2010-10-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

The second book covered the story of Lillian Bowman and Lord Westcliff. I found it very intriguing and while predictable, it was fun. A great followup as the 4 friends stay strong through the series and we get to see Annabelle even though she's married now.

This may have been my favorite of the series, not quite sure but it was a treat to read. Of course it ended with a cliffhanger so I had to start the third right away!

Burning Lamp (Dreamlight Trilogy book 2)

2010-10-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

by Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz).

And 10 months later I finally purchase the second book (in audio format because i don't like hardcovers and the kindle never dropped below 10dollars) but this book technically comes before the first one.

Well it wasn't my favorite - which is a bummer because I love Amanda Quick books generally. I thought the first half lacked character development, too much of it was giving this history of the Jones family and the Winters family so you didn't get to know the characters well. The romance just sort of happened with no build up. The second half of the book was much better, containing some mystery and danger and some characters from previous books which was nice.

Part of my problem may have been the reader of the audiobook, she was breathless/throaty and it was hard to feel like the characters were normal people because of it. So hard to relate in general and definitely not my favorite. Arcane started out as my favorite of JAK's books but I think i like her standalone AQ books best now because she doesn't have to waste time explaining the history of the Arcane Society.

I am really looking forward to the midnight crystal however (the third in this series) which is a jayne castle!

Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflower book 1)

2010-10-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

This series is about 4 wallflowers who are looking for marriage and become friends and help each other pursue future husbands. The first deals with Anabelle who is attracting to a man Simon of lower birth but wants to marry a peer. Surprise - she ends up marrying Simon :) It was an enjoyable read and the friendship between the girls is great.

I'm now torn between reading the next and reading the new book that just came out by my favorite author... ahh decisions!

The Sins of Lord Easterbrook (easterbrook book 4)

2010-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

by Madeline Hunter.

And the fourth and final book in the series. Finally it's Easterbrook's turn and we learn something of his travels and a woman he fell in love with on those travels who reappears in his life. There is a lot of political stuff going on in this one, dealing with the opium trade which was very interesting. This one was interesting because until the last few pages she was set against staying and was planning on leaving and that this was nothing but an affair... interesting. It was nice to follow the characters from the previous books and how they are all still doing. I love series' because of that.

House Rules

2010-09-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

by Jodi Piccoult.

This book is about a family, a single Mother Ella who has two sons Jacob and Theo. Jacob has Aspergers and is obsessed with crime scene investigation. When his social skills tutor ends up dead and missing and eventually found he gets tried for her murder.

Like all of her books this one is difficult to read, it's hard to read the truth when you don't want it to be that way. You also know a twist might be coming so you can't settle and relax, there are not always happy endings in real life. I can't read a lot of her books in order but once in a while I give them a try and then go back to my lighter reading.

This one didn't meet expectation, I learned a lot about Autism, specifically Aspergers but the mystery was disappointing and the ending even more so (and not for the reason I was thinking). I won't give more than that away because I'm glad I read it but don't think you'll feel totally contented in the end.

Secrets of Surrender (Easterbrook book 3)

2010-09-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

by Madeline Hunter.

This book follows Rose who was the cousin to Alexia from book 1. She knows the truth about her brother finally but still can't take handouts from Hayden whom she's insulted. She gets herself in trouble and Kyle helps out - one of the people that her brother hurt financially. He proposes marriage to help her out of scandal and they try to build a life together even though he was not highly born. A lot of hurdles for that relationship.

Lessons of Desire (Easterbrook book 2)

2010-09-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

by Madeline Hunter.

This book follows Easterbrook's younger brother Elliot as he tries to help the family escape from scandal. He ends up falling for Phaedra while touring with her through the continent (they even marry to escape trouble thinking it won't last). Phaedra is against marriage on principal and it looks troublesome for the two for a while.

It was nice to see some of the continent instead of just England and Phaedra's views are very odd for Victorian times but very comforting for current times.

Rules of Seduction (Easterbrook book 1)

2010-09-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

by Madeline Hunter.

This book follows one of the brothers of Easterbrook - Hayden as he strives to help the family of a friend of his, then he falls for the cousin of that family. Unfortunately the family thinks he destroyed them when in reality he was helping to keep the brother from being brought up on charges. Eventually the truth comes out a little bit and he's happy in a new marriage.

Back to the Victorian age - what a great past time.

Medieval Series by Madeline Hunter

2010-09-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

I read this whole series this summer - unfortunately i read them in published order instead of chronologically but I still was able to make the connections between the characters and politics of the time.

The books in chronological order are:
By Possession (year 1326 - Addis is main character)
By Design (year 1328 - Rys is main character)
Stealing Heaven (year 1341 - Marcus is main character)
By Arrangement (year 1346 - David is main character)
The Protector (year 1348-49 - Morvan is main character and covers plague a bit)
Lord of a Thousand Nights (year 1350 - Ian is main character)

This series was very interesting from a political/historical point of view, I learned a lot about this time period. Unfortunately during this time period woman had very few rights and it made the relationships hard to relate to. I still enjoyed them quite a bit however and I loved how they all intertwined.

Spoiler Alert!!!!
***************************8
Addis marries his serf Moira but before they marry she befriends Rys. Rys then marries a noble woman Joan who's young brother Marcus is friends with David. Addis takes Marcus under his wing to teach him how to be the lord he was born to be. Marcus then falls for Nesta who has no other ties in the series.
David is favored by the king with a noble wife Christiana who's brother Morvan then falls for Anna in Breton. Anna in England has a tiny trist with Ian who is a knight working for Morvan in the last book and finally falls for Lady Reyna.

Very interleaved!

Anne's House of Dreams (Anne book 5)

2010-09-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

This book follows Anne as she and Gilbert move so he can set up a practice. Her life as a wife and eventually starting on the life of a mother. More new friends, and a darker side of life are exposed to Anne.

I missed Windy Poplars which covers the 3 years when Anne is just engaged - they didn't have it in Audiobook form so I'll have to read it on my kindle some time.

Anne of the Island (Anne book 3)

2010-09-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

This book follows Anne's life through college, making new friends, falling in love and eventually really falling in love. It was one of my favorite of these books.

Love in the Afternoon (Hathaways book 5)

2010-09-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

This may have been my favorite of the books. I loved the characters all around. It was a while ago since I read it though so I don't have details.

Married by Morning (Hathaways book 4)

2010-07-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas.

And another Lisa Kleypas. Mom bought book 4 and 5 in the Hathaways series and I was just between books when I got them so I jumped right in. The 4th book follows the brother and typical Victorian, he must marry quickly to keep his land/house. He's always had a tempestuous relationship with his sister's companion but obviously for a reason. She holds out for quite a long time (not marrying him) but they do fall in love. She has quite a history too which interferes a little and keeps it interesting. I can't wait for the next book because it follows Beatrix who is very much loved.

Smooth Talking Stranger (Travis family book 3)

2010-07-26T05:13:00.001-07:00

by Lisa Kleypas

When i started reading this I didn't realize it was a trilogy but as I was meeting other "couples" in the book I started to wonder and sure enough it's the third book :) Funny - I even had the first book on my ipod. So I'll finish this and then read the first and second.

This book is quite enjoyable. The main character gets saddled with her sister's illegitimate child that she knew nothing about while her sister disappears. She meets a man she thinks is the father, turns out he's not but he ends up helping her out and they become friends and then more. I really enjoyed the dynamic with her raising her sister's child, knowing she has to give him back soon but falling in love with him (the baby).

I look forward to reading the first two now :)

Provocative in Pearls (Rarest blooms book 2)

2010-07-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

by Madeline Hunter.

The second follows the story of a runaway bride (another of the rarest blooms). Her husband accidentally comes upon her (he's good friends with Sebastian from the first book). She agrees to go with him but wants an annulment and he wants no such thing so he needs to convince her otherwise. It's not as good as the first but again, more history and details about the time period which caught my interest for sure.

The book is enjoyable but I still liked the first better. I'm really looking forward to the third that comes out in the fall!

Sea Glass (Glass Series book 2)

2010-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

by Maria V. Snyder.

This is the second in the Opal Glass Series which i can say for sure is definitely not as good as the Study series. Yes the characters from the Study series still appear here and there but ugg!

It does improve and I have to say I really liked the end of the book but the first half I was really reconsidering liking this new series :) There are some new characters in this book which are very similar to some old characters but she knows what works.

All in all i'd say a 3.5 stars out of 5, wouldn't read again but looking forward to a third if there is one.

Ravishing in Red (Rarest Blooms book 1)

2010-07-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

by Madeline Hunter.

A new author (for me)! And some more victorian romances. This series is about a group of women who come together with secrets in their past that they keep secret. Each will find their true love through out the 4 books. First we follow Audrianna who wants to clear her father's name as her story intertwines with Sebastian who is still trying to find all involved in the crime her father was accused of.

I found Madeline Hunter's writing to be unique for a victorian romance, she does her research and you learn a lot about the political situation that was going on at the time. Quite interesting. I jumped right into the second after reading this one in a day.

Seducing an Angel (Huxtables book 4)

2010-07-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

by Mary Balogh.

This one follows the brother Stephen while he is seduced by a widow whose reputation for murdering her husband precedes her. It was good, not the best in the series but still good. I'm actually really looking forward to the next which follows their cousin Con.

And Last Come Love (Huxtables book 3)

2010-07-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

by Mary Balogh.
Well not really last :) This is the third in the huxtables series. It follows the eldest sister who is now 30 and heartbroken. She bumps into a complete stranger who asks her to marry him. Turns out he has a very scandalous past. I liked this one a lot, the main character was so likeable.

Then Comes Seduction (Huxtables book 2)

2010-06-24T18:41:00.001-07:00

by Mary Balogh.

The second in the series of 5, this one follows the youngest sister who is almost ruined at the age of 18 by a complete rake. He can't go through with it however and 3 years later finds himself wagering her that he can make her fall in love with him and vice versa. I did enjoy this one and I like the strong family connections between the books so you get to see where the previous characters are in life. Quite a bit of time passes between books too which makes things more realistic.

Anne of Avonlea (Anne book 2)

2010-06-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

by L.M. Montgomery.

I finally got started on the second book which picks up right where the first left off. These books are easy to listen to in the car because even if I drift off and think of other things I don't miss much (she rambles quite a bit) but they are lovely books and I love the characters.

This book brought in some new characters and a little love story for them. I really enjoyed it. It also prepares for the next book when Anne returns to her own schooling, I can't wait!

First Comes Marriage (Huxtable book 1)

2010-06-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

by Mary Balogh.

Aimee loaned me a new series that takes place in victorian times! This series revolves around the Huxtables (3 sisters and one brother) who come into an inheritance (the brother comes into a title) and start moving in new circles.

This first book is the story of the middle sister who is widowed and asks an Earl to marry her because she thinks he's about to ask her sister and she knows her sister will say yes but be unhappy in the marriage. It's always neat how many plots can be thought up to place 2 people in a marriage before they know each other and then they fall in love.

The story is a good one though and it led me right into the second which is about the youngest sister who is falling for a complete rake.

A Compromised Lady

2010-06-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

by Elizabeth Rolls.

I've been sick the last two days, the only good that came of it was some reading time, although Monday I mostly just slept, yesterday I was able to at least read. And the kindle doesn't bother my headache like the computer!

So I finished up A Compromised Lady and I have to say, it's probably my favorite of the 3 (it's technically the second book but I read them out of order). I loved both characters, both such good people that this has to be my favorite. Although I already like Richard from the first book where his twin Max fell in love.

It's another Victorian romance. I'll have to try some more Elizabeth Rolls soon but for now my sister just dropped of a stack of new books (new authors) that are all Victorian age so I must give them a try!

Blue Smoke

2010-06-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

by Nora Roberts.

Another change after Anne of Green Gables. I hadn't yet purchased Anne of Avonlea so decided to try out Blue Smoke which has been sitting on my ipod for a while. It was a long one but i liked it. It had a lot of mystery/danger, reminded me of her JD Robb books in that sense (but not a futuristic book) :)

It also followed the main character through her whole life, from a child, through college, mid twenties to early thirties where the main mystery takes place. I enjoyed it very much.

Not sure what's next - just got Anne of Avonlea so I may go back to that.

Lord Braybrook's Penniless Bride

2010-06-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

by Elizabeth Rolls.

Turns out this is kind of a third in a series. Luckily I had read the first in the series so I recognized the characters when they were referenced and it was just in passing so it didn't affect anything.

After the first book (His Lady Mistress) I decided I liked the style and purchased a few more of her books on Kindle and I'm glad I did. This one was hard to put down and I read it within a 24 hour period. Makes me think twice about starting the other one I bought before bed tonight :)

This one revolved around a Lord who finds a woman in need of a job and hires her as a governess for his siblings and companion for his step-mother. Eventually (obviously) falling in love with her. There were lots of characters and complex relationships which made for a good read. It dealt a lot with bastard children (unclaimed) which was an interesting viewpoint and theme throughout.

All in all I definitely liked it and look forward to reading the "second" in the trilogy especially now that i know it's tightly linked to the first book (the main character's brother is the main character in the second).

The Apothecary's Daughter

2010-06-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

by Julie Klassen.

Well that was another good book. It was hard to tell where it was going to end up which can be frustrating but it was a good ride. These books are not romances, they are just straight fiction novels set in the Victorian age.

My one complaint would be that while it is overall a type of love story, you never really know what's inside the main character's head as far as who she may be falling in love with. She doesn't really know but she doesn't agonize over it "out loud" so you really don't know what her feelings are. That's the reason you don't really know how it will end up.

Overall a good book though and I really enjoyed it throughout. I finished up last night after watching "Northanger Abby" and "Persuasion" (Jane Austen movies). I will say there was more than one line in Julie Klassen's second book that was pretty much straight from an Austen book. So she was definitely inspired a bit by Austen.