tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44785695595826329282024-03-14T05:01:58.491+00:00Thoughts from a Compulsive ReaderTo put it simply, I'm a Bookworm. I love to read books, critique books, compare books and in general, write about books.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-31656832053287116382013-03-06T13:10:00.001+00:002013-03-06T13:11:15.282+00:00Review: Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Apologies for the lack of review on Monday; I had an essay due at noon and updating my blog was unfortunately neglected. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Love is a choice you make every day.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Content in her comfortable marriage of twenty-two years, Jane Lindsay had never expected to watch her husband, rad, pack his belongings and walk out the door of their Manhattan home. But when it happens, she feels powerless to stop him and the course of events that follow Brad’s departure.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Jane finds an old ring in a box of relics from a British jumble sale and discovers a Latin inscription in the band along with just one recognizable word: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Jane<i>. </i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Feeling an instant connection to the mysterious ring bearing her namesake, Jane begins a journey to learn more about the ring—and perhaps about herself.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">In the sixteenth-century, Lucy Day becomes the dressmaker to Lady Jane Grey, an innocent young woman whose fate seems to be controlled by a dangerous political and religious climate, one threatening to deny her true love and pursuit of her own interests.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">As the stories of both Janes dovetail through the journey of one ring, it becomes clear that each woman has far more infl uence over her life than she once imagined. It all comes down to the choices each makes despite the realities they face. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">(Waterbrook Press, September 2010)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">RATING: 3.5 out of 5 (Good)</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I chose to listen to this novel on audiobook based on my love of dual-time narratives and how much I'd enjoyed </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2752607.The_Shape_of_Mercy" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner"><i>The Shape of Mercy</i></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i> </i>by the same author. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more, had I not read </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2752607.The_Shape_of_Mercy" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner"><i>The Shape of Mercy</i></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, but I'm afraid I couldn't help but compare the two novels. My biggest issue is simply that the modern-day narrative in<i> Lady in Waiting</i> is never directly related to the historical narrative. While the modern protagonist in Meissner's other novel actually connected with the historical protagonist through reading her diaries, Jane doesn't find out who owned the ring until about three-quarters of the way through the book in <i>Lady in Waiting</i>. I think this is what bugged me most about this book. While the reader knows so much about Lucy and Lady Jane Grey, modern-day Jane knows very little about the owner of the ring, even towards the end of the story.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I found myself preferring the historical side of the narrative in this book, if only for the fact that it progressed a lot faster than the modern story. At times it really felt like modern Jane wasn't achieving anything in the early sections of the story, just sitting around and brooding about her situation. Thus, the story of Lucy and Jane was much more appealing initially. It wasn't really until towards the end of the story when Jane decides to take control of her life and make an effort in her marriage that I really felt connected to the growth she had made as a character. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It's hard to say whether this book was as compelling as other dual-time narratives or </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2752607.The_Shape_of_Mercy" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner"><i>The Shape of Mercy</i></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i> </i>since I listened to it on audiobook while cooking and cleaning, so it wasn't the sort of situation where I felt I could put it down and read another book if I wasn't enjoying it. I tend to follow through with an audiobook, and ultimately, I'm glad I did so with <i>Lady in Waiting</i>. It might have taken a while for the contemporary story to get interesting, and it was hard to care about both Janes equally, since their individual stories were told in such large chunks that I was liable to forget about the other character for a while. I do wish that their stories were more connected, and that Jane had discovered more about the ring earlier in the story and had more growth of character at an earlier stage. But despite this, <i>Lady in Waiting</i> was still an interesting story, and I liked the lessons the reader could learn from both of the protagonists' lives. Perhaps I was just getting stressed out with the cartons of chopped tomatoes that refused to open this morning while I finished this audiobook, but I felt that the letters at the end of the story were a bit superfluous. I know they were intended to show how the ring had been forgotten for so long, but I'm not sure if they were entirely necessary. Despite this, I'd still give the book 3.5* and will be looking out for more Meissner novels. </span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-36874874613372400002013-03-01T13:00:00.000+00:002013-03-01T13:00:02.060+00:00Review: Back to the Good Fortune Diner by Vicki Essex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq0UgElCmAg/USyGjYnnwmI/AAAAAAAABLA/x23N1CuCpU8/s1600/Back+to+the+Good+Fortune+Diner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq0UgElCmAg/USyGjYnnwmI/AAAAAAAABLA/x23N1CuCpU8/s320/Back+to+the+Good+Fortune+Diner.jpg" width="202" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Harlequin, January 2013</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">RATING: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tiffany
Cheung hightailed it out of the small town of Everville, New York as soon as
she had the opportunity. For years, she’s been trying to make a name for herself
in publishing, attempting to put her English degree to good use in Manhattan.
But when she loses her job and can’t pay the rent on her apartment, her only
option is to move back in with her parents. Her family is embarrassed by the
way Tiffany’s career has worked out, but they’re delighted that she’s available
to help out at the family diner. Tiffany is not so pleased at this prospect,
and when the opportunity arises to tutor her high school crush’s son in English,
she immediately accepts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tiffany
hadn’t realised that Chris Jamieson had returned to Everville, let alone that
he’d dropped out of college when his girlfriend got pregnant. Now Chris is a
divorced, single-parent attempting to make his dad’s farm into a profitable
business venture. Chris doesn’t want to project his lost dreams on to his son,
but he can’t help but wish Simon would make of his life than he did. Tiffany
tutored Chris in high school, and he hopes that she’ll help Simon make his way
through summer school unscathed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What neither
of them expects is for the spark Tiffany and Chris had in high school to be
reappear, especially considering that Tiffany has no plans to stay in Everville
permanently. Given that Chris is tied to his farm, is there any hope for their
romance to last beyond this summer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Back to the Good Fortune Diner</i> immediately grabbed my attention
when I was flipping through the publisher’s catalogue, even though I’ve only
dabbled in the Superromance line once before. It might not be obvious from my
profile picture, but I’m Anglo-Indian, and I’m always pleased to come across a
mixed-race heroine in the romance genre. The fact that Tiffany was
Asian-American was enough to inspire me to read this book, and it helped that
I’m a big fan of small-town stories and reunion romances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tiffany is
actually the second Asian-American heroine I’ve encountered this year, since I
read Camy Tang’s <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/174543481"><i>Sushi
for One?</i></a> back in
January. Both novels featured single women nearing the age of thirty and
struggling with their families’ projections for their futures. I have to say
that I related to Tiffany more so than Lex, the protagonist of <i>Sushi for One?</i> Admittedly, I didn’t
think I’d have a lot in common with either woman, given that I got married at
the age of twenty and that my Indian family has managed to avoid pigeon-holing
me into the traditional career route of doctor/lawyer/minister. But as <i>Back to the Good Fortune Diner</i>
progressed, I realised that I had more in common with Tiffany than I initially
thought, and I’m sure I won’t be the only reader who is pleasantly surprised by
the message in this novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Several reviewers
have commented on the fact that Tiffany isn’t always the most likeable heroine,
and I commend Vicki Essex for taking this risk. Even if I disagreed with some of
Tiffany’s actions, I didn’t want to shake her for making such silly decisions
because I could understand her reasoning. Tiffany is scared of taking risks,
and constantly has her defences up, a throwback to the bullying she experienced
as a child. Although the bullying I experienced at school wasn’t linked to my
ethnicity (given that my skin is more akin to that of a vampire than my Indian
grandfather) I, too, would be shocked if someone who had looked down on me at
school suddenly wanted to go on a coffee date. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile
our past memories of a person or a place with the present-day reality, so I
didn’t blame Tiffany for the way she acted at certain points throughout the
novel. I’m sure that anyone who has had trouble fitting in—whether for issues
of race or not—will be able to relate to Tiffany’s problems in Everville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite
their different racial backgrounds, Tiffany and Chris’s families have a lot in
common, mainly their constant projecting of ideas about their children’s
futures. This is something I’m so, so thankful that I never experienced, but I
didn’t stop me from sympathising with Tiffany and her brother, Daniel, or Chris
and his son, Simon. I appreciated that Vicki showed that parents having visions
of their children’s futures isn’t limited to any specific ethnic group, and
your race doesn’t determine how you deal with parental pressure. Tiffany and
Daniel had very different responses, with Tiffany running away to Manhattan and
Daniel attempting to align his life to his parents’ vision. On the other hand,
both Chris and Simon get defensive about their respective parents pushing them
towards a certain future, which causes a lot of tension in their family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hadn’t
realised that the Superromance novels contained sub-plots, so Daniel’s story
was a pleasant surprise. It did take me a while to warm up to Daniel and his
dilemma over introducing his non-Asian girlfriend to his family, and admitting to
them that he might not want to run the family business when his father retired.
Initially I didn’t care much about Daniel and just wanted to get back to
Tiffany’s story, but he grew on me as the novel developed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I realise
that I’ve not actually discussed much about the romance yet, which might seem
odd given that this is a romance novel. The theme of fitting-in and Tiffany and
Chris’s character growth is tied tightly to their romance, with all of the
elements depending on each other in order for their relationship to survive. I
suppose you could say that their romance is typical of small-town stories where
one character returns and discovers that the sparks are still there despite not
having seen each other in years. Personally, I like those sorts of romances,
and I appreciated that what was keeping Chris and Tiffany from admitting that they
wanted their relationship to last was actually their own fears and
misconceptions about the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was
wrapped up in what I felt was the major theme of the novel—Do you really know
what you want? Sometimes we think something is the best path for us in life
because it makes the most money, or because it fulfils our parents’ dreams for
us, or because it validates our university or career choices. Or sometimes it’s
simply because it’s the safest route. I know I’ve been guilty of this lately,
and it’s taken me a while to admit to friends and family that I want to devote
the next few years of my life working on my writing, rather than getting
further qualifications or taking a safe job. Tiffany and Chris’s fears really
spoke to me, and I have a feeling that they’ll hit a chord with other readers
as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There isn’t
a lot that I disliked about this novel, but if I had to pin-point anything, I
had a couple of issues with the secondary characters. As I mentioned before, it
took me a while to warm up to Daniel, but it was quite the opposite with
Chris’s father, William. Regardless of how completely un-politically correct he
might be, he seemed pretty realistic at the start of the novel. However, he had
a complete turn-around later in the book when someone confronted him about his
treatment of Tiffany, and I didn’t find it terribly believable, given how adamant
he had been about his earlier beliefs. Perhaps if his change of character had
been more drawn-out I would have bought it. I also wish that Simon’s conflict
had been resolved more. He seemed a little forgotten in the rush to conclude
Tiffany and Chris’s romance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My small
issues with the secondary characters are honestly all I can criticise about
this novel, which has been a wonderful introduction to the Harlequin
Superromance line. If you like romances that feature dynamic characters,
believable conflicts and appealing settings, this is definitely a line to check
out, and I highly recommend starting with <i>Back
to the Good Fortune Diner</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Disclaimer: This is a mass-market
romance and contains three, brief sexual scenes, as well as a few instances of
foul language.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Review
title provided by Harlequin.</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-16794696904294520452013-02-27T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-27T13:00:01.001+00:00Review: Sushi for One? by Camy Tang<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmNyiPoDOK8/USyFF-1ohII/AAAAAAAABK0/tYnI0uciZD0/s1600/Sushi+for+One.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmNyiPoDOK8/USyFF-1ohII/AAAAAAAABK0/tYnI0uciZD0/s320/Sushi+for+One.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Lex Sakai's family is big, nosy, and marriage-minded. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the oldest single cousin in the clan. Lex has used her Bible study class on Ephesians to compile a huge list of traits for the perfect man. But the one man she keeps running into doesn't seem to have a single quality on her list. It's only when the always-in-control Lex starts to let God take over that all the pieces of this hilarious romance finally fall into place.</i> (Zondervan, August 2007)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>RATING: 3 out of 5 (Good)</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I've been wanting to read one of Camy Tang's novels for a while now, simply because there aren't a lot of non-Caucasian protagonists in Christian novels. This might sound like an odd complaint coming from the whitest girl on the planet, but I'm actually 1/8th Indian and have always thought of myself as Anglo-Indian. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">That said, I did struggle to relate to Lex at the start of this novel. I might have a big Indian family, but we don't have the same stereotypical pressures that you'd imagine--instead of a doctor, lawyer and a minister, my grandparents ended up with a nurse, a graphic designer and a musician. And I don't think they mind! As for Lex herself, she and I have very little in common. I am the least athletic person in the world, and had horrible flashbacks of primary school volleyball games while reading this book. I might be clumsy, but I'm nowhere near as bad as Lex, and I couldn't relate to her complaints about being too skinny because my struggle is that my figure is far more curvaceous than that of the average white British woman. And of course, I'm not a thirty-year-old single woman living at home. I'm a twenty-one-year-old married woman renting a house with my husband. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">But I can definitely see how this book would resonate with women in Lex's position. At times it seemed like she had a lot going on in her life, but the issues she faced were typical of single women of her age in today's society, particularly when it came to struggling to buy her own home when her salary at work was cut, and navigating the dating pool. I never really saw much of the dating scene, having married the first guy I dated in college, but it did not sound fun from this book. Even if I couldn't relate to her situation, I could definitely sympathise.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I initially thought this was going to be a fun chick-lit novel about a woman hunting for her ideal man in an attempt to appease her grandmother, but it ended up being a lot more deep than that. The spiritual side of the novel seemed light, but towards the end I began to realise that Lex's desperate search for what she thought was her perfect man had a lesson to teach anybody, single or married. Taking matters into your own hands can be dangerous, and sometimes we do this simply because we don't want to ask God for help and receive an answer we don't like. Whether you're waiting for a boyfriend or a job or a miracle, it's difficult, and sometimes that forces us to make rash decisions and rush into situations we know very little about. This was a definitely a message I needed to hear, since my husband and I are currently looking for a new house, while waiting to hear back from an editor about my manuscript. It's tempting to leap into something, but sometimes it really is best to wait.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Despite my initial worry that I wouldn't find anything to relate to in this book, I was pleasantly surprise by the universal message that came out of Lex's man-hunt. Although I find Lex's big, crazy Asian family a little intimidating, I would rather like to read more about them sometime, even if just for the descriptions of the food. My husband and I probably cook Asian food more often than we eat traditional British meals, so that was definitely one of the appeals with this book. I might not be rushing out to buy the next book in the series, but it will certainly be going on my wishlist. Camy Tang definitely brings something new to the chick-lit market, even if some aspects of this book felt a little over-the-top at times.</span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-80722700999106030902013-02-25T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-25T13:00:10.879+00:00Book Review: Threads of Grace by Kelly Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUJH6TmxOsc/UStfL9UXcfI/AAAAAAAABKM/dFA5F1_fPRk/s1600/Threads+of+Grace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUJH6TmxOsc/UStfL9UXcfI/AAAAAAAABKM/dFA5F1_fPRk/s320/Threads+of+Grace.jpg" width="208" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Thomas Nelson, February 2013.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>RATING: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seth Wyse
has longed to court widow Grace Beiler ever since she arrived in their
Pennsylvania community, but his imaginings of their life together are nothing
like the reality. When Seth discovers that a clause in Grace’s husband’s will
means that she may have to relinquish custody of her autistic son to her harsh
brother-in-law, Seth knows he has to help her in any way he can. Grace isn’t so
keen on marrying the young, charismatic Seth, but she’ll do anything to keep
her son safe. But each of them brings secrets into their marriage of
convenience; for Grace, this means the truth about her first marriage and her
husband’s brutality, and for Seth, it is his forbidden love of painting. Grace
is scared to let herself fall in love with Seth, and Seth knows he needs extra
care when it comes approaching his new wife. Together, they must figure out how
to forge a life together, and protect Grace’s son, Abel, from his uncle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having read
the second <i>Patch of Heaven</i> novel back
in March 2011, it was a long wait for <i>Threads
of Grace</i>. I will start out by saying that I didn’t enjoy the third
instalment in the series quite as much as the previous two. I’m not sure if
this is just because I didn’t connect with Grace quite as well as Sarah and
Lilly—the heroines of the previous two novels—or simply because my reading
tastes have changed a little. Either way, Threads of Grace was still a very
enjoyable read. It felt a bit shorter than Kelly’s previous novels, but in all
honesty, this could just be because I gobbled it up in less than twenty-four
hours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the
things I so admired about Kelly’s second novel, Lilly’s Wedding Quilt, was that
it was one of the first Amish novels I’d come across that explored some rather
edgy or taboo topics. Two years later, I’m pleased to see that more authors are
delving into previous unexplored issues (teenage pregnancy in Beth Wiseman’s <i>His Love Endures Forever</i> and infidelity
in Kathleen Fuller’s <i>Faithful to Laura</i>
are two recent examples). But as with Lilly’s Wedding Quilt, I was pleased to
see that Threads of Grace addressed some contemporary issues that are just as
relevant to the Amish as they are to us Englishers, and without sounding
preachy. Grace’s abusive marriage was dealt with incredibly sensitively, and I
found her hesitance in her relationship with Seth rather realistic considering
her past experience of marriage. Those who have autistic friends or relatives
will be pleased with how Grace’s son, Abel, is depicted, and I know that the
descriptions are realistic because Kelly has openly talked about being the
mother to autistic children. One thing that I know I can rely on with Kelly’s
writing is that she doesn’t sugar-coat the Amish lifestyle, and she depicts her
Amish characters as men and women who struggle with very similar issues to
those of other faiths and lifestyles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
surprised me most about this novel was that it featured yet another marriage of
convenience. As Kelly has shown in <i>Lilly’s
Wedding Quilt </i>and her novella in the <i>An
Amish Love</i> collection, she’s great at rendering realistic contemporary
marriages of convenience, but I didn’t expect to come across two plots a
similar vein in the same series. Despite this, I enjoyed reading about Grace
and Seth’s gently blossoming love for each other. Although I didn’t connect
with Grace as well as I did with Lilly, I appreciated being able to witness her
slowly coming to trust Seth. The scenes in which Seth and Abel interacted were
particularly heart-warming, but I did wish we’d had more insight into Seth’s
struggles and flaws. Although the details about his love of painting and
Grace’s dilemma over whether she should allow her husband to teach her son to
paint were interesting, his love of painting seemed to be his only major flaw. He
seemed just a bit too perfect, especially considering what we knew about his
wild past. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My biggest
gripe with this novel probably has to be the subplot about Grace’s younger
sister, Violet. Violet follows Grace out to Pennsylvania when her parents die
in an accident, and Seth’s family invites her to live with them. Initially
Violet seemed to have a lot of potential, but something about her storyline
just fell flat and didn’t resonate with me or grab my interest. At Seth and
Grace’s wedding, Violet spots an attractive young Amish man and makes it her
mission to make him fall in love with her. She spends the rest of the novel
pursuing this young man and convincing him to court her. The storyline never
really concludes, so I have to assume that it’ll be picked up again in the next
novel, but all in all, it really felt like it was just filler for in between
the sections about Seth and Grace. I wish I could say better things about this
part of the novel, but I just never found it terribly interesting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although I
felt that certain aspects of this novel could have been improved on to make <i>Threads of Grace</i> a more compelling read,
it was still worth the two-year wait. Fans of realistic Amish fiction will be
pleased at the way the novel explores the issues of spousal abuse and autism,
and Grace and Seth’s sweet romance is sure to warm every romantic’s heart. I
hope this is a series that Kelly plans to continue, and will be keeping my eye
out for her next offering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Review
title provided by Thomas Nelson.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-5825821961174769302013-02-22T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-22T13:00:07.917+00:00Book Review: Family Blessings by Anna Schmidt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B4lSFGHcmHo/USEyUup-g6I/AAAAAAAABJA/ysg6dIFSZ3g/s1600/Family+Blessings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B4lSFGHcmHo/USEyUup-g6I/AAAAAAAABJA/ysg6dIFSZ3g/s320/Family+Blessings.jpg" width="202" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Her four stepchildren are thrilled when they learn an ice cream shop will be opening in their small Amish community. But widow Pleasant Obermeier isn't so pleased. Spending time with handsome shop owner Jeremiah Troyer is too much for a woman who's only ever been wounded by love. And now he wants to use her baking skills in his shop? Out of the question A harsh childhood left Jeremiah convinced that family life wasn't for him. Yet something about the Obermeiers moves his heart. If he can win Pleasant's trust and learn to trust himself, then he may gain the ultimate blessing--a lifetime of love. </i>(Love Inspired, October 2011)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">RATING: 3 out of 5 (Above Average)</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">This was a nice, easy read, but I didn't find it quite as compelling as <a href="http://the-compulsive-reader.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/hannahs-journey-anna-schmidt.html">the first book</a> in the series. Part of my problem might just have been that I finished </span><i>Love Comes to Paradise</i> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">by </span>Mary Ellis--<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">which I absolutely adored--right before I started this book, and nothing really would have lived up to <i>Love Comes to Paradise</i>. I liked the unique details in the story, such as Jeremiah's ice-cream shop and the historical context of the depression and how it affected the Amish community. It was also interesting to find a book that acknowledged that abusive relationships can exist among Amish communities, even if it was sad that the community knew how Merle was treating his family and never had intervened. But ultimately, the romance itself wasn't as engaging as others I've come across in the Love Inspired Historical line, and I felt that the final conflict just stretched the story out rather than adding to it. I have enjoyed reading the <i>Amish Brides of Celery Fields</i> series and would quite like to find out what happens to Greta and Lydia, even if Pleasant's story wasn't as interesting as Hannah's. Ultimately, this wasn't the sort of book that gripped me, making it very easy to put down, but it was still a relaxing read and a solid addition to the LIH line.</span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-33683910406980603592013-02-20T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-20T13:00:03.163+00:00Review: Love Comes to Paradise by Mary Ellis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rut51X51pgI/USEv3KRVazI/AAAAAAAABI4/hTOff_e55Vg/s1600/Love+Comes+to+Paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rut51X51pgI/USEv3KRVazI/AAAAAAAABI4/hTOff_e55Vg/s320/Love+Comes+to+Paradise.jpg" width="207" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Harvest House, February 2013.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>RATING: 5 out of 5 (Near Perfect)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Nora King has made a lot of mistakes in life, but she’s determined to start over again. Her move to Paradise, Missouri is partly influenced by this decision, but also motivated by the hope to meet the handsome and charismatic Elam Detweiler again. Nora fell for Elam back in her sister’s Amish community in Maine, but Nora has changed since then, and Elam’s wild antics don’t seem to have the same appeal that they did back in Maine. Now that she’s immersed in helping her friend, Emily, run her bakery, Nora feels like she’s been given a second chance at life—especially when Lewis Miller arrives in Paradise with the intent of courting Nora. Lewis held a candle for Nora back in Maine, but Nora hadn’t been interested in life in his tiny, conservative community. But Lewis in Missouri sounds like a recipe that could work out for both of them, if only Elam would stop interfering. But can Nora be honest with Lewis about the events that caused her to leave her home community in Pennsylvania? Or will a series of drastic occurrences in Paradise cause her to worry that God is finally sending his wrath to punish Nora for her transgressions? As the Paradise community attempts to make sense of their current difficulties, Nora also has to figure out whether she can truly forge a future with Lewis, or if her past has spoiled her chance of happiness.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Mary Ellis is fast becoming one of my favourite Amish authors, not just because of her skill at creating believable characters and rendering realistic Amish communities, but also because of how challenged and uplifted I feel when I read one of her novels. Although the cover of <i>Love Comes to Paradise</i> might sell itself as a predictable romance novel, I was encouraged to find that Mary had decided to tackle several unconventional topics within her latest volume. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Although <i>Love Comes to Paradise </i>is the second novel in the <i>New Beginnings series</i>, it is set in an entirely different community from its predecessor, and enough is summarised about Nora’s past to allow new readers to delve straight into this novel. That said, I would recommend the first book, <i>Living in Harmony</i>, if only for the fact that I found the novel equally compelling and challenging. One of the aspects of this series that I think will be of particular appeal to avid Amish fans is that each novel is set in a new location, starting in Maine, then heading to Missouri, and moving on to Kentucky in the third book. Considering how many Amish novels are already on the market, it’s difficult to come up with unique concepts, but the idea of sisters settling in different states following the death of their parents is definitely one that will appeal to fans of the genre.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Nora’s story is one that I’m sure will strike a chord with many women, and I applaud Mary for being willing to discuss a slightly taboo topic and admit that even Amish women struggle to remain pure before marriage. Nora fell in love with a boy in her home community and let their relationship go too far, and now feels tainted by her past. Some Christians—even Amish ones—can be quite unforgiving of past mistakes of a sexual nature, and I truly felt for Nora as she was torn between her desire to fall in love and marry an honest man, and her feelings of not being good enough for a man like Lewis. Mary handles this topic sensitively and realistically, concluding Nora’s character arc in an altogether satisfying manner. It’s often a cliché in the Christian market for a girl who allows her relationship to go too far to either end up pregnant, or to reform her pushy boyfriend into a good Christian and marry him. But this isn’t the way it always works out in real life, and I appreciated that Nora’s story showed that there is always redemption and grace available for those who make mistakes.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">One of the “Pros” I listed for this novel over at <a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/love-comes-to-paradise">The Christian Manifesto</a> was that it acknowledged that even the Amish are flawed human beings. This aspect of the book isn’t limited to Nora’s chequered past, but extends to a minister in the Paradise community. To begin with, I thought that the portrayal of this character was rather typical of Amish fiction, given that bishops, deacons and ministers are often shown to be strict and unyielding when it comes to change or errors made by members of their congregation. Instead, I was treated to a challenging lesson about God’s wrath and mercy, and how we can often read situations the way we want to, rather than seeking God’s advice and interpretation. Both Solomon, an Amish minister, and Emily, the friend whom Nora is staying with in Paradise, interpret a series of natural disasters in their community to be a sign of God’s disapproval of their sins. In particular, Solomon fears that the damage to their crops and their community suggests that God does not want them to interact with Englishers on a regular basis. Emily comes to agree with this belief, having researched the history of their Amish ancestors in Missouri and found it worrying. But Emily takes this belief in God’s wrath further, fearing that her struggle to conceive is God’s punishment for mistakes she made in her past. We often have a tendency to see the worst in every situation, and sometimes this can extend to believing God causes bad situations to occur as a reaction to our mistakes. Considering that some authors can paint the Amish as being perfect in their faith, it was a nice change to see Amish characters—including a minister!—struggling and stumbling in their attempts to understand God and the world around them. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">I can’t wrap this review up without commenting on how endearing the secondary characters in this novel were, particularly Nora’s friends Emily and Violet. Even though Emily is technically Nora’s hostess, she doesn’t shy away from speaking the truth, and her twisted and snarky sense of humour made for a great rapport between the two women. Violet immediately grabbed my attention in the first chapter of the book, not only because she reminded me of another hilarious character who is determined to succeed despite her ailments (Sarah in the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/42446-casson-family">Casson Family</a> series, a must-read for all preteens!). Violet had such a vibrant personality, and although she never pushed Nora out of the limelight, I do wish she’d get a whole novel of her own, or at least a novella or short story so we know how she’s getting on in life. It was encouraging to read about how a disabled woman managed in an Amish community, and I loved the friendship between Nora and Violet.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">If you like your Amish fiction to be a bit more edgy and to address situations that can affect anyone, Amish and English alike, then you won’t be disappointed by <i>Love Comes to Paradise</i>. Traditional readers of Amish fiction will also be pleased by the plentiful descriptions of baking and Amish scenery, along with Nora’s love story. <i>Love Comes to Paradise</i> marks the third of Mary Ellis’s novels that I’ve had the pleasure to read, and I’m only sorry that I didn’t discover her earlier. Providing a unique voice and a deft skill in crafting realistic characters and engaging stories, I hope that it won’t be long before Mary Ellis receives the recognition she deserves. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This novel has been nominated for <a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/love-comes-to-paradise">The Christian Manifesto</a>'s 2013 Lime Award for Excellence in Fiction!<br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><i><b>Review title provided by Harvest House.</b></i></span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-216280095790558422013-02-18T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-18T13:00:12.987+00:00Review: The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uGB32v6vxoA/USEuLcHmUkI/AAAAAAAABIw/e7lI4POyAic/s1600/The+Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uGB32v6vxoA/USEuLcHmUkI/AAAAAAAABIw/e7lI4POyAic/s320/The+Bridge.jpg" width="208" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but her heart is back in Franklin, Tennessee, where five years ago she walked away from a man she cannot forget, a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Ryan Kelly lives in Franklin and spends plenty of time at The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin—remembering the long hours he and Kelly once spent there.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Now, Ryan and Molly’s favorite bookstore is in trouble. For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales and the rise of eBooks. Then in May a flood tore through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store. By Christmastime, the bank threatens to pull the lease on The Bridge and is about to take the Bartons’ house as well. Despondent, Charlie considers ending his life. And in the face</i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> of tragedy, miracles begin to unfold. </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">(Howard, October 2012)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>RATING: 2.5 out of 5 (Average)</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I apologise in advance, because this review ended up turning into an article about my experience with reading Karen Kingsbury novels. It prompted an interesting discussion about conversion experiences over on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/510696155">GoodReads</a>, if anyone is interested.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Although I'm a reader, writer, reviewer and historian of Christian Fiction, I've barely read any novels written by Karen Kingsbury, who is apparently "America's #1 Inspirational Novelist". Part of this, I believe, is because I discovered Christian Fiction through the Amish and Historical genres, and have only just started to branch out into contemporary novels. Although, technically, Karen was one of the first Christian authors that I read, long before I was truly aware of the scope of the Christian Fiction genre. I read another of her Christmas novellas, </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/289659.Sarah_s_Song" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Sarah's Song by Karen Kingsbury"><i>Sarah's Song</i></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, back in 2009. It was what I would describe as an easy read, a sweet story for Christmas, but not one that particularly stuck with me after I'd finished it. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">But I was prompted by many of my online friends who were big fans of KK to try one of her full-length novels, and checked </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/376641.Like_Dandelion_Dust" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury"><i>Like Dandelion Dust</i></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> out of the library early in 2012. Unfortunately, I wasn't terribly bowled over by this book either, although it is one of the books that her fans typically cite as being among her best works. Like, <i>Sarah's Song</i>, this novel was an easy read, but as much as I liked the concept of the story, I found it very preachy. I love reading novels about how Christians struggle with realistic, contemporary issues and how this challenges their faith and how their faith strengthens them. But I'm not a big fan of conversion stories, partly because I don't get the same kind of encouragement from reading about previously unbelieving people coming to Christ as I do from reading about people who are already Christians (like myself), but partly because I feel like some of these books present an unrealistic idea of what conversion is really like. A lot of emphasis is placed on the moment of conversion, both in Christian Fiction and in many Christian denominations, and this is something I've never had as I grew up in a Christian home and probably made a personal commitment to Christ when I was about seven. But my husband didn't grow up in a Christian family and didn't become a Christian until he was at university. Neither of us can pinpoint the specific time or date when he became a Christian, because the growth of his faith was a gradual experience, that came about through attending church, praying and becoming friends with other Christians. He has a very strong faith, but there was no dramatic conversion moment in his life. I'm sure that some people do have a "conversion moment", and I know that some of these people won't believe my husband's faith is genuine because he came to believe in Jesus gradually, rather than having one giant moment of repentance. I don't doubt that he repented of his sins as he came to believe in Jesus, but I feel like a lot of Christian novels put pressure on people to have a great conversion story, which isn't always the case. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">But despite my struggles with <i>Like Dandelion Dust</i>, I endeavoured to give KK another try, especially since my local library system stocked several of her books, which is unusual in the UK. One of my friends from my hometown mentioned that her local library had stocked <i>The Bridge</i>, so on the off-chance that my library had done the same, I looked the title up and was surprised to find that they'd ordered three copies for our region! Since I'm a firm believer in giving an author at least three tries - especially when she's been as influential to the Christian Fiction genre as KK has - and since my library actually owned her latest release, I decided to reserve a copy and give her another shot.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">My first surprise when this book arrived was at how large the font was. I don't have brilliant eyesight, and unless I'm reading from my Kindle, I normally have to wear my glasses when I read. This wasn't the case with <i>The Bridge</i>, and I actually felt self-conscious reading this book on the bus as I was sure the people across the aisle from me could read my book because the font was truly that large! My husband commented that the book looked like a children's book because of the font, and I know what he means. So although this book technically has 232 pages, I think it would probably be more like 150 if the font was a more typical size. Factor in the Acknowledgements, and the blank pages between each chapter, this book isn't that long, even for a novella. Even so, the story felt a little padded-out.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The first 100 pages focus on the backstory of the four characters - Molly, Ryan, and Donna and Charlie, who own the bookshop. Ultimately, I actually found Donna and Charlie's story the most interesting, mainly because I found their pain of losing their bookshop more compelling than Molly and Ryan each reminiscing about their time at college seven years ago. I struggle with stories that focus on characters who have been kept apart for years due to miscommunication and the dreaded Big Misunderstanding, which is honestly my ultimate least favourite plot device. I know that some people will rationalise Molly and Ryan's separation by saying that they were young and immature and only at college, and people their age make mistakes. If that helps more mature readers to enjoy this book, I'm glad for them. But as a college student who got married, wrote a book, became the Fiction Editor of a Christian e-zine and managed a household while finishing up her degree, I can safely say that we're not all like that. Because of our differences, I struggled to relate to Molly and Ryan simply because I would have handled their situation so incredibly differently. But because miscommunication and misunderstandings are such commonly used catalysts in romance novels, I have to assume that I lot of people make mistakes like Molly and Ryan, and therefore a lot of readers probably can relate to them a lot better than I did. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">After the first 100 pages passed and the entire backstory for the novella had been summarised, the story actually got started. Before this point, I was so tempted to give this book 2*, and I actually had to push myself to keep reading. It really just didn't grab my attention. But once the story got started, I actually rather enjoyed it. It's predictable and everything gets tied up neatly in a little bow at the end, but it was a sweet, heartwarming Christmas novella, and I can see the appeal of that. There's not a lot to say about the actual plot, as you know everything has to work out well in the end - it's a Karen Kingsbury Christmas novella, after all! But I do wonder how many people would struggle to get past the first 100 pages of backstory and actually get into the plot itself. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This story was cute, but very forgettable. And from the reviews I've read, it seems like this isn't actually a typical KK novel. So where do I go from here? I've read a couple of Christmas novellas and one of her standalone books (which are apparently her best works) and I'm still not overly impressed with KK. I feel like I want to give her yet another chance, to see if something does speak to me. She's obviously touched the lives of a lot of readers with her "Life Changing Fiction" (I'm sorry, but who trademarks that kind of phrase? It seems a little odd!) but I've yet to find any of her books much more than sweet, easy reads. I'd like to be able to just catch a glimpse of what makes her such a popular writer with Christian women. As it stands, this book didn't really do that. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Any recommendations?</span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-28348938760851455902013-02-15T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-15T13:00:03.856+00:00Review: The Three Day Rule by Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>No phone. No electricity. Snowed in with your family. Welcome to one hell of a Christmas.</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>When the Thorne family gather for the annual Christmas festivities - the arguments, jealousies and long-held enmities that make every family Christmas so special - they think they've only got to endure each other for three days, and then they can return to normality.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>But then the snows come, along with the ninety-mile-an-hour winds and the plunging temperatures, and the Thornes get cut of with only each other for support, or to blame. It promises to be a Christmas like no other...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Get to know the family you're never going to forget.</i> </b>(Arrow, November 2006)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>RATING: 3 out of 5 stars (Above Average)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I debated between a 3 and a 3.5 for this book because I did really like the way some characters developed (Kellie and Michael), but others just seemed two-dimensional and over-the-top (mainly Taylor and Elliot). In all honesty, it's a rather forgettable storyline, and not quite as interesting as the synopsis made it out to be. In places it was truly quite depressing - particularly Stephanie's storyline - but I was pleased with the way that certain situations worked out in the end. Sometimes chick-lit novels glorify extra-marital affairs, and I was worried that would happen here, so I was pleased with how human Kellie seemed and how she came to realise the truth of her situation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From the books I've read previously by these authors, it seems like they like inserting rebellious, angsty, sexually-active teenagers into their novels, and the same can be said for this book. I did appreciate how Michael grew over the course of the book, even if I wasn't so keen on him at the start, and his sub-plot was a bit of a typical "coming of age" storyline. Taylor, however, just seemed a bit barmy! I really could not figure her out, and at the end of the novel she just seemed completely insane, far beyond the spoilt, rich teenager she was meant to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All in all, it was an easy, quick read with some heartfelt moments, but there were a lot of characters to keep track of and, inevitably, a couple that I just couldn't relate to. I did like the setting and the growth that some of the characters made, but I won't be rushing out to read another book by these authors. I think I appreciated them a lot more when I was a teenager!</span><br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-84282237318913199662013-02-13T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-13T13:00:01.055+00:00Review: The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow by Olivia Newport<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osNOF-wbZFI/URI1AKFsdiI/AAAAAAAABHQ/k8MiQfXUx1Y/s1600/TheDilemmaofCharlotteFarrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osNOF-wbZFI/URI1AKFsdiI/AAAAAAAABHQ/k8MiQfXUx1Y/s320/TheDilemmaofCharlotteFarrow.jpg" width="207" /></span></a></div>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Revell, January 2013.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Housemaid
Charlotte Farrow has managed to hide the existence of her child from the
Banning household and their staff, mainly due to the help of Lucy, the Banning’s
daughter. But now Lucy has left home to travel with her husband and a family
emergency has forced Charlotte’s childminder to return her son to her at no
advance notice. With no idea how to hide Henry from the other staff in the
Prairie Avenue house, Charlotte allows them to come to the conclusion that the
child was abandoned in the garden because the mother knew of Lucy’s charitable
work. Charlotte struggles to keep up this facade as the Banning family decides
what to do with the child in Lucy’s absence. But soon her infant son’s presence
in the house isn’t Charlotte’s only problem, and the reappearance of Henry’s
father forces Charlotte to reassess her present situation and make some hard
decisions about her son’s future. Will Archie, a fellow servant, and his
political connections be a help or a hindrance to Charlotte’s situation? Can
she allow herself the opportunity to fall in love while she faces so many
pressing dilemmas?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’d like to
start my review with an amusing story about my reading experience of <i>The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow.</i> It
appears that my Kindle edition of this book is glitched, as I left the book at the
50% mark last night, under the impression that the book still had a way to go
even if the chapter I was reading at the time seemed to be wrapping up quite a
few things. I was honestly intrigued about where the novel was going to go from
there, as so much had already taken place. Today I picked my Kindle up again,
read a couple of pages and found myself at the Acknowledgements and Author’s
Note! Evidently, something went wrong in the conversion of this book and 47% of
it is blank. I basically read an entire novel in one afternoon! I believe
that’s a credit to Olivia Newport, as this book was obviously so engaging that
I didn't realise quite how much of it I read in one sitting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve been
eagerly anticipating this book since I read the first book in the <i>Avenue of Dreams</i> series, <i>The Pursuit of Lucy Banning</i>, back in
April 2012. The only change in my reading experience between these two books is
that I discovered <i>Downton Abbey</i> a
couple of months ago. My husband and I devoured the first two seasons in a
couple of weeks while studying for our end of semester exams, and I can tell
you, these books are a <i>Downton Abbey</i>
addict’s dream. Although this series is set in Chicago towards the end of the
nineteenth century, there’s a similar exploration of relationships between
servants and masters, and the two separate worlds that they live in. Having
studied a fair amount about the position of servants in Victorian Britain while
at university and watched <i>Downton Abbey</i>,
I find the topic fascinating, and particularly liked Olivia’s portrayal of the
relationships between the below-stairs staff, especially the cook, butler and
Sarah, the latter of whom I’m hoping will reappear in another book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the
romance between Charlotte and Archie isn’t as central as those in other
historical novels from this period, I appreciated the insights into Archie’s
interest in the changing face of politics and the treatment of workers. It was
interesting to hear about new opportunities opening up for working class
people, jobs that would take them outside the service lifestyle and give them
more independence, such as factory and clerical work. Although I’m not a
scholar of this particular time period in United States history, it appears
that Olivia has researched this topic quite thoroughly, as her depictions of
political events and the staff’s treatment of Archie’s views seemed realistic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As for
Charlotte and Henry, I really felt for her struggle to care for her son without
bringing her true relationship with him to light. Regardless of whether her son
was born inside or out of wedlock, it was impossible for a woman with a child
to hold down a steady job in this period, particularly one in service. Charlotte
truly does have a dilemma: if she reveals her relationship to Henry, she’ll
lose her job and have no way to provide for him, but if she lets another
servant care for him, she can continue to earn money and hopefully eventually
be able to find another childminder for her son. Charlotte has to temporarily
let go of her son in order to build a life for him. I actually got a little
emotional reading about her struggle, and how she forced herself not to go to
her son even when she desperately wanted to, for fear of giving herself away.
When she eventually makes an incredibly difficult decision that she believes is
in Henry’s best interests, I may have shed a tear or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
storyline about Henry’s father, which propels Charlotte into acting to protect
Henry more than ever, wasn’t quite what I’d expected. But when I thought about
it, I really can’t remember what we discovered about Charlotte in the previous
book. She was a bit of a mystery in the first novel in the series, and the
revelations in <i>The Dilemma of Charlotte
Farrow</i> make her all the more an intriguing character. I don’t want to give
too much away, but there are several scenes towards the end of the novel that
made it very hard to put the book down. I was only a little disappointed with
the outcome of the situation, finding it a little bit too convenient. I don’t
want to give too much away, but I will say that I do wish that some Christian
historical novels would delve into the topic of divorce, rather than
conveniently getting rid of a husband through another method. There are times,
particularly when it comes to abusive relationships, where divorce is the only
possible outcome, but I’ve rarely seem it explored in Christian fiction. I know
that it’s not an ideal solution to a problem, but if more books explored the
topic, perhaps it would be easier for modern women to openly discuss their
marital problems. Furthermore, discussing divorce within different historical
contexts would make for a rather interesting novel. I did appreciate that
Olivia touched on it a little in this novel, and allowed her characters to
discuss it as an option. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My only
other complaint about this book would be that the ending felt a little rushed.
Initially, I thought this was because when I originally finished the book, I
didn’t realise how close I was to the end of the book due to my glitched Kindle
conversion. But I did go back and reread the last chapter and it seemed like an
awful lot was wrapped up and concluded. I did wish we’d been allowed to see a
bit more of Charlotte and Henry’s new life, but hopefully that’ll be touched on
in the next book in the series. While I have a feeling that the third book will
explore the life of Sarah, another servant in the Banning household, I would
also like to see more of Emmaline, Lucy’s aunt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although <i>The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow</i> didn’t
capture me quite as much as the previous book in the <i>Avenue of Dreams</i> series, it still had a thoroughly compelling
storyline. Fans of the series will be
pleased to encounter a similar mixture of romance, suspense and
upstairs-downstairs relationships, all within a well-researched historical
context. The 1893 Chicago Exposition makes a fascinating backdrop for this
series and I can’t wait to see what Olivia Newport comes up with next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Review
title provided by Revell.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-7098102634054536802013-02-11T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-11T13:00:07.854+00:00Book Review: Virgin River by Robyn Carr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_Eh0uXbrUA/URdrPehiP0I/AAAAAAAABII/CPRmm03mwKU/s1600/Virgin+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_Eh0uXbrUA/URdrPehiP0I/AAAAAAAABII/CPRmm03mwKU/s1600/Virgin+River.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">WANTED: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to re-energize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans...and a former marine cements them into place. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for escape, but instead she finds her home. </i>(Harlequin Mira, March 2007)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>RATING: 4.5 out of 5 (Excellent)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Whether you're a devoted romance reader or simply someone who trawls book websites for recommendations, it's hard not to have come across Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. This book has over 6,700 ratings on GoodReads, and they vary drastically. I was unsure as to whether I'd enjoy this book or not, given that some people were addicted to the small town of Virgin River while others claimed that Mel was too much of a Mary Sue and that they grew tired of the midwifery tales. Me? I'm pretty squeamish when it comes to blood or sick, but not babies, so I wasn't worried about that element. I can see why women who aren't determined to settle down and have a family would struggle to relate to some of the characters in this book, but this book suited me perfectly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Mel's story captured me right from the start of the novel. I like to say I grew up in the country, but the little Scottish village I grew up in is a far cry from Virgin River. Stick me somewhere with no public transport and a falling apart cabin and I'd struggle just as much as Mel. Given how many people find escapism in Amish fiction, I'm sure a lot of women dream of finding peace in a small town and come across the same issues Mel did. But there's more to Mel than just her mistaken belief that life in the country is easier. Maybe I was just PMS-ing, but I got a bit emotional when she thought about her late husband and the horrible event that took him away from her. The loss of her husband and her struggle to conceive felt incredibly real, making it impossible not to sympathise with her.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">If anyone was a bit too Mary Sue-ish in this book, it's probably Jack, Mel's love interest. Jack runs the town's bar and ends up being Mel's first real friend in Virgin River. Jack has his own baggage from his time in the Marines, but the way that he was always there for Mel and always had the right thing to say occasionally felt a bit too perfect. That said, I did love the way that their romance blossomed out of their friendship. Even though I didn't fall in love with my best friend (although we became best friends after dating for a while) this is probably one of my favourite ways for relationships to develop in romance novels. Mel and Jack have seen each other at their worst and still fall in love.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Even if you're not a big fan of romance, the small-town setting and the inhabitants of Virgin River might well convince you to stick with this series for the long haul. There's the grumpy old doctor who is convinced he doesn't need any help from Mel, the two women who run the corner shop, the teenage boy who helps out in the bar and the numerous women who come to Mel for help with their babies. The one sub-plot that stuck with me long after I finished reading this book was the one featuring Ricky, the teenager who Jack employs to help serve food in the bar. He lives with his grandmother and Jack sort of becomes a father figure to him, but isn't completely prepared to deal with a teenage boy with hormones running rampant over a local girl. Although I'm not a massive fan of teenage romance sub-plots in my romance novels, I thought Ricky's relationship was a very realistic portrayal of how hard it is for teenagers to hold back from taking relationships too far, and how hormones and emotions sometimes push sensible logic out of the way. I have a feeling Ricky will appear in later books, so I'm intrigued to see where his story goes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The one thing that I don't love about Robyn Carr's novels is her sex scenes. Although I prefer to read novels completely devoid of sex scenes, I don't mind them if they're brief and dwell more on the emotional connection between the characters (such as Barbara Delinsky's more recent novels) than the physical descriptions of body parts, simply for the fact that I find a lot of sex scenes awkward and laughable. Plus, romance novels have a habit of romanticising sex and making every sexual encounter between the hero and heroine perfect, which isn't how it is in real life. I think this book had a total of three sex scenes, which can easily be skipped over. And for those who prefer to avoid profanity, there were a few instances of swearing in this book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Despite the perfect sex scenes and Jack's occasional Mary Sue behaviour, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love small-town settings and happy endings, so Virgin River was the perfect fit for me. I know that some of the events in this novel might have worked out better than they would have in real life, but sometimes we need a bit of escapism, and that's what Virgin River is for me. I'm now working my way through the audiobook of the second novel, Shelter Mountain, and I imagine I'll be hunting down the rest of the series in the near future. I highly recommend this series for fans of small-town stories and contemporary romance readers. </span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-13336803913692602132013-02-08T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-09T11:39:11.640+00:00Review: Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far) by Ann M. Martin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Pearl Littlefield’s first assignment in fifth grade is complicated: She has to write an essay about her summer. Where does she begin? Her dad lost his job, she had to go to a different camp—one where her older sister Lexie was a counselor-in-training (ugh!)—</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">and</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;"> she and her good friend James Brubaker III had a huge fight, which made them both wonder if the other kids were right that girls and boys can’t be good friends </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">and</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;"> which landed one of them in the hospital. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>And there’s much, much more on the list of good and bad things, as Ann Martin takes this appealing character into new adventures through which young readers will see that good or bad, life is what happens when you’re making other plans. </i>(Feiwel & Friends, October 2012)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">My only major complaint about this book would have to be that the title really doesn't relate to the book. Although Pearl does discuss good and bad things about her life, the book focuses on a single summer - not her entire life - and the phrase in the title never comes up in the novel, as the title of the first book did. Other than that, this book was a wonderful sequel to </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9975306.Ten_Rules_for_Living_with_My_Sister" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin">Ten Rules for Living with My Sister</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, with a slightly more mature Pearl who has a better understanding of the world and the dynamics in her own family. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I think a lot of preteens will be able to relate to Pearl's struggles with being old enough to see the problems her family is facing, but not being old enough to help out, as her teenage sister can. I could see how Pearl had matured from the last book, but she still had some little quirks and mannerisms that made me realise how young Pearl still is. I think Ann M. Martin accurately captured the way that ten year olds speak and think, and there were many phrases that made me want to laugh out loud. Others weren't so funny, but were still touching, like when Pearl's father loses his job and the first thing Pearl wonders is whether this means he'll have more time to play Boggle with her. She understands what losing his job will mean for the family and their finances, but as a child she's still happy that her dad will be around more to play games. This section of the book, and many others, felt so honest and realistic. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">As in the first book, I loved the dynamics between Pearl and Lexie, and although they weren't quite as amusing as in the prequel, it was touching to see Pearl comforting Lexie when her boyfriend broke up with her and Lexie protecting Pearl from bullies at camp. I don't have a sister, but the presentation of their relationship seemed fairly realistic. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I loved the way that Pearl's love of art was continued from the first book, but developed out of making posters for her door into designing her own notecards and stationary. I often wonder how many kids can really relate to all the sewing and knitting in Ann M. Martin's <i>Main Street</i> series, but general art is something that I imagine more kids enjoy doing. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I finished </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9975306.Ten_Rules_for_Living_with_My_Sister" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin">Ten Rules for Living with My Sister</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> I had immediately wished that Ann would write a sequel, but I didn't imagine it would happen. I stumbled across this book on Amazon purely by accident about a week before the novel was due to release and it was a lovely surprise to learn that I could read more about Pearl and Lexie. Obviously these books have been a big success. <i>Publishers Weekly</i> described Pearl and Lexie as a modern-day version of Ramona and Beezus, and perhaps that is part of the reason why I like these books so much. I'm so glad that Ann M. Martin is continuing to write children's books. Having grown up with the <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> books, I hope that Pearl and Lexie and the <i>Main Street </i>books will appeal to my daughters, if I have any. But who knows, maybe Ann will have another series by the time my kids are old enough to read chapter books? Highly recommended to girls aged 8 - 10. And I'm sure plenty of adults will enjoy Pearl's antics as much as I did. </span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-66251205279183854732013-02-06T13:00:00.000+00:002013-02-06T13:09:21.807+00:00Review: The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Emma Smallwood has grown up in her father’s academy for boys, and has witnessed the school’s gradual descent into failure following her mother’s death. Determined to help her father get back on his feet, Emma takes matters into her own hands and writes to the parents of one of her favourite former pupils, hoping that they’ll offer to send their two youngest sons to her father’s school. She’s surprised when the recipient of the letter, Sir Giles Weston, responds with an offer for her and her father to move to Ebbington Manor in Cornwall to tutor his youngest sons. Emma doesn’t expect her father to accept the offer, but he decides that a change of scenery might be good for them. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Emma is secretly hoping for the chance to meet Philip Weston again, having long held on to fond memories of their time together at the academy. She’s not so keen to run into his older brother, Henry, given the pranks he used to play on her as a child. But Henry has matured far beyond Emma’s wildest dreams, and she’s surprised to find herself far more interested in the older Weston brother, especially given her prior feelings towards Philip. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Life at Ebbington Manor definitely isn’t as straight-forward as Emma anticipated. The younger Weston brothers talk of a ghost, and Emma would normally dismiss such talk, if it weren’t for the mysterious noises she hears at night and the distinct feeling that someone visits her room while she’s sleeping. The presence of Lady Weston’s ward, Lizzie, is unexplained and the girl appears to be hiding something. Even more mysterious are Henry’s attempts to build a warning tower to bring aid to the ships that are often wrecked during storms along the Cornwall coast, and the reaction this brings from local wreckers, some of whom seem too involved in the Weston family’s affairs. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Can all of these circumstances create a suitable environment for Emma and her father to recover from her mother’s death, and possibly form new relationships? Or is their visit to Cornwall far less simple than they anticipated?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Not being quite as obsessed with Jane Austen as some women, I never felt the desire to pick up a Regency romance until my book group chose to read Julie Klassen’s <i>The Maid of Fairbourne Hall</i> back in March. After devouring the novel in a matter of days, I immediately realised my mistake in avoiding her novels for so long, and have been eagerly awaiting the publication of The Tutor’s Daughter ever since. Although I didn’t love this novel quite as much as Julie’s previous book, I still immensely enjoyed it, and may have stayed up long past midnight to finish reading it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">What I appreciated most about <i>The Tutor’s Daughter </i>was Julie’s ability to make all of the characters come alive, regardless of how small a part they played in the novel. I noticed this when I read <i>The Maid of Fairbourne Hall</i>, and was pleased to discover that she continued her manner of developing characters in the lives of the Weston family and their friends. Although a few characters may initially seem a little villainous, their motivations were revealed as the novel developed. I particularly appreciated the way that Henry’s feelings about his stepmother were put across and this made me sympathise with him all the more. Even the younger Weston brothers are given distinct personalities, which makes the revelation towards the end of the novel all the more surprising. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I don’t want to go too far into the details of the plot, but I will say that the plot twists weren’t easily anticipated. Sometimes the suspense in a romance novel isn’t as dramatic as it could be, because you know the hero and heroine are going to get out of their perilous situation and be married by the end of the novel, so you don’t have to worry too much about them. This wasn’t so much the case with <i>The Tutor’s Daughter</i>, and even though I knew that the hero and heroine would somehow find a way to be together, there were still several points in the novel where my heart was pounding and I was worried that they wouldn’t live to see the next morning. It makes me sound rather silly, as if I’d forgotten how romance novels work, but I’ll defer responsibility to Julie’s wonderful writing. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I’d also like to credit Julie for making Cornwall come alive and inspiring me to put it on my “Must Visit” list. Since I’m one of the few readers of this novel who actually lives within driving distance of Cornwall, I probably should visit it someday. Interesting unintentionally, this is the second novel I’ve read in the last few weeks that was set in Cornwall, and both books made the location seem far more fascinating than any school history lesson or friend’s holiday stories have in the past. As always, Julie includes her snippets from history books or local newspapers at the start of the chapter, detailing Cornwall’s history and facts about shipwrecks and tutoring in the period. These details are also scattered throughout the novel as Emma investigates Cornwall’s history. The history might not be as detailed as other historical novels, but there’s enough to get a feel of being in the fictional Ebbington Manor in Cornwall in the early nineteenth century.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The one factor that holds me back from giving this novel a higher rating is actually Emma herself. As fascinating at the details about Cornwall and shipwrecks were, along with the development of the minor characters in the novel and their motivations, I didn’t actually feel like I got to know Emma all that well. She wasn’t a terribly distinct character, compared to some romantic heroines, so it was very easy to imagine yourself in her place and feel as if you were visiting Ebbington Manor and trying to figure out the family’s secrets. I think this is good, to a certain extent. But it wasn’t until close to the end of the novel when Emma began to make some changes in her life that I realised that this was the first real sign of character development that I’d witnessed. Emma does have some flaws, but I felt like they were abandoned a little in the development of the main plot. It was very easy to place myself in Emma’s shoes and see Ebbington Manor through her eyes, but I didn’t relate to many of her conflicts or flaws. At times, I actually felt like it was easier to relate to and sympathise with Henry, given his many relational and moral conflicts.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Likewise, as well as I felt that Emma’s spiritual conflict was handled, it wasn’t the most inspiring conflict. I seem to have come across a spate of novels recently where the main character’s spiritual journey simply focuses on them reclaiming their lost faith. I did feel that Emma’s journey was the most realistic presentation out of those I’ve come across lately, so I’ll credit Julie with that, but I do wish that authors would be a little bit more creative when it comes to the spiritual side of their novels.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Although I wasn’t quite as enthralled with <i>The Tutor’s Daughter</i> as I was with <i>The Maid of Fairbourne Hall,</i> I will freely admit that my issues with the novel are fairly minor. Julie’s long-standing fans are sure to be pleased with this latest offering, and any Christian historical romance fans who have not yet picked up a Julie Klassen novel are definitely missing out. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><b>Review title provided by Bethany House</b></i></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-68605757659854256622013-02-04T14:00:00.000+00:002013-02-06T10:58:59.571+00:00Book Review: Accidentally Amish by Olivia Newport<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Escape the helter-skelter of the modern culture and join software creator Annie Friesen, hiding at the home of an Amishman. With her high-tech career in jeopardy, Annie runs from fast-paced Colorado Springs—and straight into the hospitality of San Luis Valley’s Amish community. There she meets cabinetmaker Rufus Beiler, and the more time she spends with him, the more attracted she becomes. When Annie finds she shares a common ancestor with Rufus, she feels both cultures colliding within her. But is her love for Rufus strong enough for her to give up the only life she’s ever known? </i>(Barbour, October 2012)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>This was Fans of Amish Fiction's January book group choice, over on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/34003-fans-of-amish-fiction">GoodReads</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I think that if it weren't for the historical storyline, I probably would only give this book 3.5*. While the contemporary storyline was a good mixture of Amish, romance and suspense, the writing and characters weren't as strong as in Olivia's first novel, </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12933801.The_Pursuit_of_Lucy_Banning" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport">The Pursuit of Lucy Banning</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">. It does seem as if historical fiction is where she's stronger, at least for now. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">That said, there were plenty of elements that I appreciated about this story. This is the second series I've read that's set among the newer Amish settlements in Colorado, and it's definitely interesting to read about how different Amish groups live depending on their regions and farming opportunities. Olivia lives in Colorado, and she was able to evoke the feeling of the small towns and Amish communities in her area. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The city that Annie worked in never felt quite as real, and neither did her job. Mainly, I believe this is because my husband is a computer programmer and the descriptions of Annie's jobs seemed incredibly vague given my knowledge of the subject. But for those who don't deal with software engineering on a regular basis, the descriptions of her work might not be so vague. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">As for the romance, it was slow moving, but that's because this is the first book in a series. Given that there are so many Amish romances where an English character's conversion to the faith feels rushed, I appreciated that the book didn't end with everything neatly tidied up. As confident as Annie was about making changes to her life, I think she still has a long way to go and I'm interested in reading more about her. As strange as it might seem for a computer programmer to become interested in the Amish lifestyle, I got the impression that Annie got far more involved in the business world than she intended and no longer enjoyed her job, so the changes she made at the end of the novel made sense.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I also liked the sub-plot about Rufus's sister, Ruth, and I hope that the next novel delves more into the family dynamics and Ruth's attempts to reconcile with her family while still becoming a nurse. I felt like her story was a realistic portrayal of someone who left the faith before baptism for educational reasons, and I appreciated this change from the usual stories about people who leave to "explore the world". Ruth kept much of her faith while studying nursing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The storyline about the construction company wasn't really resolved, which was a bit disappointing, but I'd be interested to see how that panned out, even if I preferred the other storylines. I had mixed feelings about this sub-plot as I wasn't sure what kind of message it was giving about justice, retaliation and turning the other cheek. I'm intrigued to see where it goes.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Ultimately, I liked the contemporary storyline, but at times the historical plot caught my attention more. I haven't read many stories about Amish settlers in the eighteenth century, so the story of Annie and Rufus's ancestors was fascinating. It really captured just how difficult life was for new settlers, if they made it through the long journey. Jakob's struggle between sticking to his faith and wanting to remarry was very heartfelt, and although the novel focused far more on the contemporary storyline, I still became attached to the historical characters. I hope that Olivia continues their storyline, or at least focuses on some other ancestors, in the next book.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I ended up writing a lot more about this book than planned, so obviously it touched me more than I realised. Ultimately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12933801.The_Pursuit_of_Lucy_Banning" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" title="The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport">The Pursuit of Lucy Banning</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> but it was a compelling and original story. For those who like dual-time narratives of a lighter fare, this would definitely suit. I might not have connected with Annie as much as some Amish heroines, but this novel definitely brings something a little different to the genre. I'll be looking out for the second book in the series later this year.</span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-2071931252188690782013-01-30T12:55:00.000+00:002013-01-30T12:55:02.869+00:00New Blogging Schedule<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After an unexpected six month hiatus, I'm planning to return to blogging and reviewing on a regular basis in 2013. Yay! Starting next week, I will be posting reviews every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If I don't have enough reviews to fill all these days, I plan to write a little about my own writing or the challenges of being a student/writer/editor/reviewer/housewife (yes, I know, I'm wearing too many hats right now!) At the moment it looks like I'll be reviewing ARCs from publishers every Wednesday, and highlighting books I've read for pleasure on the other days. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for bearing with me during my break from blogging, and I hope I'll have some interesting reviews in the forthcoming weeks!</span></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-86227099063924930382012-12-12T17:23:00.001+00:002012-12-12T17:36:02.918+00:00Still reviewing, but not here!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Apologies for the unannounced hiatus that has occurred over the last few months. I'm afraid that the busyness of getting married, submitting a novel to a publisher, getting a promotion and starting my final year of university has meant that I don't have enough time to update my blog right now. I hope to rectify this once I've graduated in June, but until then I'm afraid you'll have to pop over to <a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/">The Christian Manifesto</a> if you'd like to be kept up to date with my reviews. I became the Fiction Editor at TCM back in August, and this has taken up a lot of my time. As much as I love reading and reviewing books, I have to admit that I'm now spending a lot of my time answering emails about books!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But never fear, I have written a few reviews recently. Here are some links to pique your interest:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/an-amish-holiday">An Amish Holiday</a> by Cynthia Keller</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/a-simple-autumn">A Simple Autumn</a> by Rosalind Lauer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/a-wreath-of-snow">A Wreath of Snow</a> by Liz Curtis Higgs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/the-ranchers-secret-wife">The Rancher's Secret Wife</a> by Brenda Minton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/a-change-of-fortune">A Change of Fortune</a> by Jen Turano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can also follow my reviews on <a href="https://twitter.com/the_authoress">Twitter</a>, and read about my latest endeavours in writing, reading, cooking and studying on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rachelbrandauthor">Facebook</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I truly hope to get my blog back up and running again in 2013, but amidst the mess of my very busy life, a few things have to be pushed to the side in order to deal with immediate needs -- mainly, graduating from university -- and my blog appears to have been one of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you'd like to contact me, you can email me at rbrand(at)thechristianmanifesto(dot)com. I am still writing reviews, but I'm limiting myself to three per month for 2013. But I am always happy to forward any unfulfilled solicitations on to the other reviewers at TCM if I'm unable to review a specific title.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for your patience, and hopefully my blog will re-emerge at some point during the summer of 2013!</span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-35930837288157815072012-06-21T08:51:00.001+01:002012-06-21T08:51:27.761+01:00A Season of Love - Amy Clipston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsAzmNy2QnA/T-LSOCfGzUI/AAAAAAAAA0g/Tn6VXwQScCo/s1600/ASeasonOfLoveCoverArt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsAzmNy2QnA/T-LSOCfGzUI/AAAAAAAAA0g/Tn6VXwQScCo/s320/ASeasonOfLoveCoverArt.JPG" width="207" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENRE: AMISH ROMANCE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLISHER: ZONDERVAN<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 15, 2012 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 – EXCELLENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>PROS: </b>Good conclusion to the series;
ties up loose ends from previous books; relatable characters make you invest
emotionally in the story<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONS: </b>Katie’s father is over-bearing
and can be difficult to read about<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Newly
baptised into the Amish church, Katie Kauffman longs for the love that her two
best friends have found. When everyone around her seems to be growing up and
getting married, Katie is staying the same. As much as she enjoys working for
the family bakery alongside her grandmother and her cousins, she’s the fifth
wheel to Lindsay and Lizzie Anne and their boyfriends whenever they attend youth
gatherings, and she’s known for a long time that none of the boys in their
district are going to interest her. But her loneliness starts to dissipate when
she meets Jake Miller, a Mennonite carpenter who is helping her grandfather
build new cabinets for the bakery. Jake’s mother was once Amish and left the community
to marry someone outside their fold, but Jake has always felt a kinship to his
grandparents’ faith. As innocent as their friendship is, Katie’s father forbids
her to spend time with Jake and warns her of the consequences of forming a
relationship with someone outside their faith. Katie doesn’t want to be
shunned, but she can’t help but feel a connection to Jake, and a series of
situations conspire to bring them together. Misunderstandings about the
circumstances of her relationship with Jake cause Katie’s relationships with
her parents to disintegrate, and Katie isn’t sure if she can ever find
happiness. She knows that she cannot be with Jake, but she can’t help but care
for him. Can she learn to let go and love someone of the same faith, or will
something drastic have to occur in order for her and Jake to finally be
together?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
conclusion to a popular series is always tricky. Do you choose to go out with a
bang, or to quietly wrap up all of the storylines with a happy ending? I often
find that while I enjoy the final book in a series, I don’t love it as much as
the others, often just because tying up all of the loose ends doesn’t always
make for a terribly compelling story. When it comes to the conclusion of the <i>Kauffuman Amish Bakery</i> series, Katie’s
story wasn’t quite as complex as some of the other Kauffman books, but I was
impressed with the way that <i>A Season of
Love</i> managed to conclude several ongoing plot-threads without detracting
from Katie’s story. I appreciated being able to learn more about Rebecca’s
pregnancy, Lindsay’s blossoming relationship with Matthew, and Jessica’s
non-relationship with Jake, as well as the details about Lizzie Anne and
Samuel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While
Katie’s story occasionally takes the backseat so that we can catch up Lindsay
and Matthew or other members of the Kauffman family, I never lost interest in
her storyline. Like Lindsay, the protagonist of <i>A Life of Joy</i>, Katie is one of Amy’s younger heroines and is barely
out of her teen years. To some of the more mature Amish readers, reading about
such a young protagonist might not be so appealing. Even I was surprised to
read about an eighteen-year-old contemplating marriage and planning her
future...until I remembered that I got engaged at nineteen and will be married
before my twenty-first birthday, so I have no right to complain about Katie. Although
my upbringing and life experiences are very different to Katie’s, I could
relate to the position she was at in her life and her desire to get married and
start a family and be done with her dating years. I could even slightly relate
to her father’s disapproval of her boyfriend, Jake. While my dad never forbade
me to see Simon, he didn’t pay him a lot of attention when we first began
dating. No boy is going to be good enough for daddy’s little girl, although
Katie’s father definitely took a more extreme approach to this idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For me,
Katie’s father was the biggest stumbling block in <i>A Season of Love</i>. On the one hand, his treatment of Katie made me
really angry and I rooted for her to stand up to her father and call him out on
how unfair he was being. A fictional character that can get me this riled up is
definitely a sign of a talented author. But I can also see why a character like
Robert Kauffman can be discouraging to read about. Stubborn father-figures are
pretty prevalent in Amish fiction, and Robert is at least the second I’ve come
across in Amy’s books alone. In fact, when I try to recall books containing
supportive, caring Amish fathers, the only one I can think of is Laura Hilton’s
<i>Patchwork Dreams</i>. Considering how
many Amish books I’ve read in my lifetime, this is evidence that fathers like
Robert Kauffman are unfortunately more common than they are not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Considering
how unrelenting and stubborn Robert was throughout the whole of <i>A Season of Love</i>, his turn-around
towards the end didn’t seem entirely convincing, and he didn’t apologise for
everything he’d said and done to Katie. I was glad that Katie reconciled with
her father, but I did struggle to read about a girl, almost the same age as myself,
who was under her parents’ rule and unable to speak up and defend herself even
though she was a legal adult. I know that this is the way that the Amish
community works, but I did wish that Katie had had more of a backbone and stuck
up for herself rather than running off to cry in her room whenever her father
shouted at her. To put it simply, I have mixed feelings about the conflict
between Katie and her father. I loved that it got me so emotionally invested in
the story, but I also felt uncomfortable reading about such an overbearing and
narrow-minded father figure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The end of a
series has to have a happy ending, but thankfully <i>A Season of Love</i> didn’t overdo the happiness. I loved the way that
Amy managed to get all of the principal characters from previous books into the
final scene together without it seeming too contrived. The final chapter of <i>A Season of Love</i> was a brilliant
conclusion to the <i>Kauffman Amish Bakery</i>
series, and as much as I’m looking forward to whatever Amy’s writes about next,
it’s a little sad to say goodbye to these characters who were one of my first
introductions to Amish fiction. Even if you only pick up <i>A Season of Love</i> to find out how the cliff-hangers at the end of<i> A Life of Joy </i>are concluded, you can’t
help but care about Katie Kauffman and sympathise with her desire to find the
love and her frustrations over her family situation. Despite my struggles with Katie’s
father I did really enjoy reading this book, and I will be anxiously awaiting
the arrival of Amy’s next Amish novel in winter 2013. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Review
title provided by Zondervan. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-75257750600744718192012-06-14T13:32:00.000+01:002012-06-14T13:32:31.381+01:00Skip Rock Shallows - Jan Watson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_S94U0WYKSY/T9nZXH0oU5I/AAAAAAAAA0U/w9ainFs1fGo/s1600/Skip+Rock+Shallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_S94U0WYKSY/T9nZXH0oU5I/AAAAAAAAA0U/w9ainFs1fGo/s320/Skip+Rock+Shallows.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLISHER: TYNDALE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 01, 2012 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 – GOOD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>PROS: </b>Heroine is a doctor in a period
when this was uncommon; easy and relaxing read; engaging secondary characters
and setting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONS: </b>Took a while to get interested in
the story due to slow pace; story often skips large periods of time; romance
wasn’t convincing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite her
fiancé’s disapproval, Doctor Lilly Corbett decides to spend the first six
months after graduating from medical school in Boston interning at a rural coal
camp in Skip Rock, Kentucky. While her beau, Paul Hamilton, can’t understand
why anyone would want to leave the city where he spent most of his life, the
part of Kentucky that Lilly grew up in wasn’t all that different from Skip
Rock. But no matter how similar an upbringing she had, nothing can prepare her
for the reception that awaits her in Skip Rock. The miners believe that a woman
in the mines is bad luck, and even the women are reticent to accept her as a
trained medical professional. The doctor she was meant to be training with has
died just days before she arrived, and to begin with, Lilly can’t wait for her
internship to be over. But as she spends more time caring for the people of
Skip Rock – setting broken limbs, birthing babies, trekking across rivers for
house calls and even stitching up a cow – Lilly becomes accepted as a member of
the community, especially when it is revealed that she has relatives there. As
she develops a fledging relationship with the mysterious Joe Repp, who bears a
striking resemblance to a boy Lilly grew up with, and makes friends with many
of the inhabitants of Skip Rock, Lilly can’t help but want to stay in this town
and help these people. When she’s offered the chance to remain in Skip Rock
after her internship finishes, Lilly has a difficult choice to make – does she
do the sensible thing and return to Boston to marry the reliable Paul, or take
her chances on Skip Rock and a man with a fake name who is in the town under
false pretences? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Considering
how many historical romances are released by the CBA every year, you’d think
that I’d get bored of this genre, or that authors would run out of original
ideas. I’ll admit, every now and then I read a book that seems just a little
bit too similar to something I’ve already read, but novels like <i>Skip Rock Shallows</i> prove that authors
are not running out of steam when it comes to making their characters unique. Yes,
a female doctor has been done before by <a href="http://thechristianmanifesto.com/archives/book-review/doctor-in-petticoats">Mary Connealy</a>, but <i>Doctor in Petticoats</i> and <i>Skip
Rock Shallows</i> couldn’t be more different. If <i>Skip Rock Shallows</i> reminded me of anything in particular, it was
the writing of Janette Oke. The plot was very slow moving, and not as
structured as more recent historical novels, often moving from one episode to
another rather than having a particular arc or direction it was heading in. While
this isn’t a style of writing that I’m particularly fond of – I prefer more
structure to my novels – it did make for an easy, relaxing read. If Oke’s
continued popularity has anything to suggest, a lot of readers will be pleased
that <i>Skip Rock Shallows </i>contains some
of the elements of the older novels in this genre. While I wasn’t aware that <i>Skip Rock Shallows</i> was part of a series
until I started reading, I didn’t have any trouble getting to know the
characters, and necessary details from other books are summarised without
detracting from the current story. I don’t think that you have to read the
other <i>Copper Brown</i> novels before
starting <i>Skip Rock Shallows</i>, but I’m
definitely intrigued to see whether they have the same relaxed pace as this
book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The pacing
of the <i>Skip Rock Shallows</i> did make it
hard to for me to really become involved in the story to start with. This was
an incredibly easy novel to read, but it wasn’t the sort that grabbed my
attention within the first few chapters. Initially, it was very easy to put
down, and the story didn’t really becoming gripping towards the end of the
novel when a mining accident occurred. That said, I did enjoy reading about
Lilly’s house calls and the people she met in Skip Rock. All of the secondary
characters were engaging and none of them felt like cardboard cut-outs, as can
often happen when an author introduces a lot of background characters. I also
enjoyed reading about the setting of Skip Rock, and while I found it difficult
to imagine the mines, Lilly’s explorations of the wildlife were much more
visual. Skip Rock definitely felt real to me by the time I finished this book<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes I
found it hard to grasp how Lilly’s character was developing, mainly because the
story would skip several weeks or months at a time. While the reader was always
told how long had passed since the last chapter, I wasn’t particularly fond of
this style of storytelling. It often meant that we were told how friendships
had progressed during that time and I sometimes felt that I was missing out on
witnessing certain developments. Lucy’s relationship with Joe was similarly
treated. They engaged in a couple of conversations – even Lucy and Paul spoke
more over the course of the novel, and he spent the majority of it in Boston –
and then a few chapters later were declaring their love for each other. (This
is a romance novel, so I’m not spoiling the plot. If you don’t know that Lucy
and Joe are going to fall for each other from reading the synopsis, you’re
probably not too familiar with this genre). I liked Lucy and I liked Joe, but I
just wasn’t convinced by the progression of their relationship. There were
hints that they’d known each other as children and that meeting again made them
fall in love, but I just didn’t buy it. It was far too much “love at first
sight” for my liking. I’m afraid the way the romantic aspect of this book was
approached was its biggest downfall for me. I wished that Lilly and Joe had
spent more time together and really convinced me of their love, but ultimately,
I didn’t find their professions of love genuine and this stopped me from really
caring about whether they’d get together by the end of the book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you’re
looking for a book that will grab you from the first page and keep you gripped
with suspense and anticipation, <i>Skip Rock
Shallows</i> definitely isn’t the one for you. Rather, I’d say this is a good
book to read if you know you can’t commit to reading more than a few chapters
at the time. It’s easy to put down and later reimmerse yourself in Lilly’s
doctoring and explorations of Skip Rock. Lilly’s profession, as well as some of
the more unusual characters in the town, were what made this novel really stand
out for me, and why I’d recommend it in spite of my personal opinions on the
writing style. While I was disappointed in how rushed
Lilly and Joe’s relationship was<em>, Skip Rock Shallows</em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is still worth reading for the mining
and doctoring details and the secondary characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Review
title provided by Tyndale.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-6638529164651057342012-06-08T15:44:00.000+01:002012-06-09T13:11:16.631+01:00A Long Way from You - Gwendolyn Heasley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8zKO-AhEe8/T9IPb-aosLI/AAAAAAAAAzU/Ohg3J30gsJA/s1600/ALong+WayFromYou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8zKO-AhEe8/T9IPb-aosLI/AAAAAAAAAzU/Ohg3J30gsJA/s320/ALong+WayFromYou.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENRE: YOUNG ADULT</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLISHER: HARPERTEEN<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 05, 2012 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RATING: 8 OUT OF 10 – VERY GOOD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>PROS: </b>Good
character development; “fish out of water” coming of age story; total escapism<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONS: </b>Open
ending might disappoint some readers; not quite as compelling as her first
novel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kitsy Kidd has never been on a plane
and doesn’t own a passport, but she’s spending this summer in New York City,
attending a program at a prestigious art school. She’s always dreamed of
becoming an artist, but the closest she’s got in the little town of Broken
Spoke, Texas is doing her friends’ make-up before prom. This summer offers her
the chance of a lifetime, but New York has plenty of temptations that often
seem far more appealing than remaining safely within the walls of her art
school and working on her pottery and drawings. Before she knows it, Kitsy’s
wearing her friend Corinne’s outfits, attending parties with an aspiring
actress and hanging out at the band practice of a boy who seems to appreciate
art the way she does. At times, it’s easy to forget Broken Spoke, the stresses
of her unconventional family and the stability of her boyfriend, Hands, even
when she’s not immersed in her artwork. When she returns home after four weeks,
will she still be the same Kitsy? Will she be able to look at Broken Spoke
through the eyes of an enlightened New Yorker and still see the beauty in the
small town she’s been running away from?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kitsy Kidd was the enthusiastic, peppy
cheerleader who befriended stuck-up Corinne in Gwendolyn’s debut novel, <i>Where I Belong</i>. I was a little sceptical
of reading a book about Kitsy as, while she was nice, she didn’t seem to have a
lot of depth in <i>Where I Belong</i>. But
after the first few chapters of Kitsy’s story, I had to admit that I’d
misjudged her and that there was far more to her than the pom-poms suggested.
The hints that had been dropped about Kitsy’s family life in <i>Where I Belong</i> were expanded on, and it
was heart-wrenching at times to see how Kitsy stretched herself between school,
art, cheerleading, her boyfriend, holding down a part-time job and looking
after her younger brother, all because her mother wasn’t terribly reliable. I
was rooting for Kitsy to enjoying being a teenager during her time in New York,
and although I enjoyed her character development, I didn’t want her to grow too
much; it seemed like she’d already had to do too much growing up in Broken
Spoke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like Corinne in <i>Where I Belong</i>, Kitsy is a total “fish out of water” in her
situation. She’s come from a small town where she knows everyone to New York
City. The complete reversal of Corinne’s situation was a lot of fun to read,
and I could relate to Kitsy better that Corinne as I have a similar upbringing.
I grew up in a village which has exactly two shops, and our school is so small
that once you reach the age of eight, you have to get a bus to the next town.
Moving to St Andrews was a culture shock to me, and it “only” has a population
of 16,000, so I’m pretty sure I’d be just as bewildered as Kitsy was in
Manhattan. And since I’ve never visited New York (or been outside Europe, for
that matter) I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of all the places Kitsy visited.
Gwendolyn really made Kitsy’s explorations of the city come to life, especially
her trips to MOMA. Even if you’re not an artist or an art historian, I’m sure
you’ll find it fun being inside Kitsy’s head and seeing how she interprets art.
I can’t say I’m such a fan of modern art as Kitsy is, but both her visits to
MOMA and her art classes piqued my interest. Perhaps those who grew up in New
York might not be so interested in the descriptions of Central Park or Kitsy’s
adventures on the subway, but I have a feeling that seeing the city through
Kitsy’s eyes, rather than those of someone who grew up in a city, would make
for an interesting read, even for a native New Yorker. Since I used to fantasise
about visiting New York as a child – because that’s where my favourite author
(and Gwendolyn’s!), Ann M. Martin, lived – <i>A
Long Way from You</i> was blissful escapism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While I thoroughly enjoyed <i>A Long Way from You</i> and will definitely
be adding Gwendolyn to my list of “comfort read” authors, I was torn over the
ending and the way Kitsy’s relationship with Hands was dealt with. Like <i>Where I Belong</i>, this novel had a fairly
open ending. In a way, I appreciated that Gwendolyn doesn’t go down the route
of neatly tying everything up in a bow, with the boy of your dreams tossed in
for good measure. The endings to both her books have emphasised that your story
does not end when you’re a teenager, and you still have a lot of growing up to
do. As someone who read far too many romance novels as a teenager and had
unrealistic expectations of meeting my perfect guy when I was fifteen, I could
have done with some of Gwendolyn’s books back then. But as a romantic at heart,
I did really like Hands, and I like to think that he and Kitsy stayed together
despite their different dreams. Some readers might interpret their relationship
differently, which is the good thing about the lack of conclusion to this book.
I’m one of those people who like things to be tied up neatly, so I’m torn
between wanting Kitsy to have her perfect ending and not wanting teenagers to
have unrealistic expectations of high school and relationships. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gwendolyn’s second novel is definitely
a bit deeper than her first, dealing with a dysfunctional family and a teenager
who has taken too much on in life and needs to escape for the summer and
explore who she is. I didn’t find it quite as compelling as <i>Where I Belong</i>, but I definitely enjoyed
it. Kitsy is an endearing character, and even if you’re familiar with
Manhattan, you’re sure to enjoy seeing it through Kitsy’s eyes. While I felt
quite torn over the open ending, I’m sure everyone will imagine the
continuation of Kitsy’s life differently, and as such, take something different
out of their experience of reading <i>A Long
Way from You</i>. I still can’t decide if this novel had a specific message,
and every time I think about it I come up with a different lesson. I’m not sure
whether Gwendolyn’s next novel will follow up another reoccurring character
from her first two books, or whether she’ll introduce someone entirely new, but
either way, I’ll definitely be reading it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Disclaimer: There were a few instances of
underage drinking in this book, but Kitsy was very responsible with what she
drank. A few of her friends smoked, but she did not partake. There are
suggestions that one of the reasons that Kitsy’s mother is neglectful is
because she drinks too much, but this situation is dealt with very tastefully.
There is one brief illusion to a sexual situation between two secondary
characters, but nothing graphic.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Review title
provided by publicist.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-21953683069216396852012-06-07T09:00:00.000+01:002012-06-07T09:00:08.599+01:00Love in Disguise - Carol Cox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5VtRDZ9LPk/T84YUHG7k2I/AAAAAAAAAzA/Msm2k7JA_Q0/s1600/loveindisguise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5VtRDZ9LPk/T84YUHG7k2I/AAAAAAAAAzA/Msm2k7JA_Q0/s320/loveindisguise.jpg" width="205" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 01, 2012 </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 – EXCELLENT</span></b><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b>PROS:</b> Plot is entirely original and unlike anything already present in the genre; perfect blend of romance and mystery</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b>CONS:</b> Spiritual sections felt disjointed and didn’t add much to the story</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">When Ellie Moore finds herself alone and jobless in Chicago after spending her whole life working for the theatre, she has no idea where to look for work. All she has is a trunk full of costumes and her skill at putting together an outfit. When she overhears two men discussing their need for a new female operative for their detective agency, Ellie can’t help but wonder whether her knowledge of costumes and disguises might be able to help her gain such a position. After much convincing and a new persona as the elderly Aunt Livinia, Ellie makes her way to the small town of Pickford, Arizona, where she is to meet an experienced detective who is to play the part of her niece, and help her catch the thieves who are stealing silver from the nearby mines. But along the way, Ellie receives news that her partner is unable to make it to Pickford. Desperate for work, Ellie decides to continue on to Arizona and solve this mystery on her own. But as endearing as Livinia is, she isn’t able to make the right people talk. Ellie really needs someone to play the part of Jessie, the attractive and flirtatious niece of Livinia. She couldn’t play both parts...could she? With all the effort of keeping track of her two personas, Ellie finds herself becoming more confused about who she really is, especially when Jessie catches the eye of handsome mine-owner, Steven Pierce. Between balancing the two characters of Livinia and Jessie and attempting to catch the silver thieves, Ellie may just have forgotten to guard her heart against potential suitors...</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">The common thread that I’ve spotted in reviews of this book is that it is a lot of fun to read, and I completely agree with that sentiment. The premise of Ellie switching between two different personas in order to solve a crime not only made for an original and compelling story, but also a very entertaining one. It was the premise of the novel that drew me to <i>Love in Disguise</i> in the first place and it definitely lived up to my expectations. While there’s a mystery running through the entire book and a sweet, if slow to develop, romance between Ellie and Steven, it was Ellie’s character-switching that kept me reading. Could she really keep her ruse up? Would she ever forget which character she was playing? Would anyone figure out that neither Livinia nor Jessie existed? Not only did this situation create a fair amount of suspense, it was also pretty amusing to read about Ellie’s attempts to play two entirely different characters. I found myself grinning and giggling at several points throughout the story, and it was very sad to say goodbye to these characters – not just Ellie, but also Livinia and Jessie, who almost seemed as real as Ellie. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Unlike some historical novels that contain a hint of mystery, I didn’t solve the mystery before the protagonist. But I wasn’t at all disappointed at this. Ultimately, I just wanted Ellie to catch the thieves and prove that she could be a good detective; I didn’t really mind who ended up being cast in the role of the bad guys! But although the mystery wasn’t always at the forefront of my mind while I was reading this novel, I did appreciate the climatic ending. It was nice to see Ellie using the wits that she had developed over the course of the story, and a couple of hints that had been dropped earlier in the novel finally made sense and aided the characters as they apprehended the thieves. Fans of romantic suspense and mysteries may be disappointed that Ellie’s attempts to catch the thieves aren’t as developed as they would be in a pure mystery novel, but I felt that <i>Love in Disguise</i> had the perfect blend of history, mystery and romance to keep fans of all three genres entertained.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">The romantic element to <i>Love on Disguise</i> wasn’t as central as I thought it would be, considering that the word “love” is in the title, but the slow progression of Ellie and Steven’s relationship seemed appropriate for their situations. Steven was preoccupied with protecting the interests of his mine and Ellie was too wrapped up in being both Livinia and Jessie to consider the possibility of her connection with Steven turning into something more serious. I found Ellie’s reaction when she realised that Steven was falling for Jessie to be very realistic. Her dilemma over whether she was leading Steven on and whether it was fair to continue spending time with him was very heart-felt. Did he really love her, underneath her disguise? Or would he be disappointed once she took off her wig and revealed how different she was from Jessie? Even if Ellie’s situation in this book was entirely fanciful, the “Does he really like me for who I am inside?” issue is one that any woman can relate to.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">I came very close to giving this novel full marks: I loved the concept, the characters, the suspense and the romance. But what holds me back from giving <i>Love in Disguise</i> five stars is the spiritual aspect of the novel. While I liked Ellie’s commentary on her church experiences and her reception of the pastor’s sermons, some of the other scenes that were intended the show the development of Ellie’s relationship with Jesus just didn’t flow with the rest of the novel. The one where she devoted her life to Jesus seemed to almost come out of nowhere, and I wished there had been more development on Ellie’s spiritual life. She seemed to have almost no concept of faith at the start of the book, and while there was a smattering of comments on her growing relationship with God over the course of the book, it wasn’t enough to convince me that Ellie had suddenly come to a complete understanding of God’s love for her by the end of the novel. The spiritual sections of the novel were so brief that they could easily have been removed entirely from the novel and not changed the flow of the story. While I do think that the spiritual elements of<i> Love in Disguise</i> could have worked if they had been better integrated into the main storyline, I couldn’t help but wonder if by choosing to write a salvation plot into the story, Carol had missed out on the great possibility for exploring the struggles that a Christian detective faces in having to lie and deceive others as part of their work. That is a story that I’d definitely like to read. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Although I wasn’t entirely convinced by the spiritual aspects of <i>Love in Disguise</i>, I didn’t find fault with any other aspect of the novel. From start to finish, this book had me hooked and I hated having to put it down for any reason. Not only does <i>Love in Disguise </i>contain the perfect blend of character development, mystery and romance, it’s also entirely original and unlike anything I’ve come across in this genre. And although I appreciated the originality of <i>Love in Disguise</i>, I can’t help but hope that Carol gets the chance to write another novel about a female detective. If she does, you can be certain that I’ll be one of the first to get my hands on it.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b><i>Review title provided by Bethany House.</i></b></span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-78500325591146503602012-06-06T09:00:00.000+01:002012-06-06T09:00:00.265+01:00Sixty Acres and a Bride - Regina Jennings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSNGoGxPP8E/T84ZjccbabI/AAAAAAAAAzI/x9t7aC0M1Fg/s1600/sixty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSNGoGxPP8E/T84ZjccbabI/AAAAAAAAAzI/x9t7aC0M1Fg/s320/sixty.jpg" width="206" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 01, 2012</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 – GOOD</span></b><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b>PROS:</b> Unconventional heroine; engaging secondary characters</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b>CONS:</b> Conflict between hero and heroine is fairly weak; awkward pacing, particularly at the start of the novel, which makes it hard to get into the flow of the story</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">After the tragic death of her husband and father-in-law in a mining accident, Rosa Garner follows her mother-in-law, Louise, to their family home in Texas. Having met and married Mack in Mexico, Rosa isn’t prepared for life in Texas, and the people of Plum Creek aren’t prepared for her foreign clothing or behaviour. But before she can figure out how the locals want her to act, Rosa has to help Louise pay off the taxes on their family home. The task facing the two widows is momentous, and they have little chance of meeting their goal before their home is bought up by their neighbour, who has his sights set on Rosa more so than her home. Their only hope is in Weston Garner, a fellow widower and relative who might just be able to help the women pay their debts. Can Rosa stoop to begging a strange man for help before it’s too late? And can either of them handle the ramifications of the agreement they make?</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">The biggest compliment that I can give <i>Sixty Acres and a Bride </i>is that it reminded me of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s writing, which makes me hope that Regina has what it takes to someday be as popular as Kim in this genre. Regina’s setting and secondary characters made me feel involved in the story, just as some of Kim’s novels have. But Regina also brings something new to the genre – namely, the character of Rosa, who was a welcome change from the more typical heroines. I honestly struggle to think of a time that I’ve read a Christian romance novel set in this era where the heroine is Mexican. I adored the descriptions of Rosa’s clothes, and if they look anything like the ones pictured on the front cover of this novel then I’m quite envious. However, I can also see why Rosa stuck out so much in Texas, and her initial mishaps were both amusing and touching to read about.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">But as with Kim's books, <i>Sixty Acres and a Bride </i>just didn't have that little extra spark that pushed the story up into the "Loved it!" category for me. While my emotions got very riled up at the character of Mr Tillerton and his treatment of Rosa, and the general animosity that met Rosa when she first arrived in Plum Creek (I can’t be the only one who thought of <i>Little House on the Prairie </i>every time the town’s name was mentioned, right?) I also got pretty annoyed with the way that Weston and Rosa could have figured out their difficulties if they’d actually talked to each other! These are two very different sets of emotions to experience when reading a book. The first set is good, and the ability to make a reader get so involved in a story that they start feeling angry on behalf of a character is a talent that I greatly admire. But getting annoyed with the characters because you’re fed up with them continually making a mess of things isn’t so good. I didn’t mind the conflict between Rosa and Weston initially, but after it dragged on I started to get a bit fed up as it could have been resolved so easily. This may be just be a matter of a personal preference, since I’m the kind of person who doesn’t let an issue go undiscussed for more than five minutes. Perhaps those who share Rosa and Weston’s stubbornness will be able to relate to this situation better. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Aside from the weaknesses in the conflict, my only other issue with <i>Sixty Acres and a Bride </i>was the pacing. It’s hard to describe what bothered me about it, but something just felt a little bit “off” about the pacing and I found it particularly hard to follow the plot at the start of the novel. There were several places where I got confused as to whose thoughts and feelings were being described and I had to backtrack to see whether or not the perspective had changed. After my initial difficulties with this novel I was able to settle into it better and struggled less with the pacing as the story developed, but it was a bit off-putting to begin with. If you’re just about to start this novel, I will say that it’s worth the read, so don’t let any confusions at the beginning of the story put you off. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">As long as it took to get to the conclusion, I was pleased with how everything worked out, and I was sighing with relief when Rosa and Weston finally confronted each other about their feelings. The conclusion was particularly satisfying, and made me hopeful for Regina’s next novel. I’m wondering if she may revisit Molly in the future, as she was a secondary character that I found particularly interesting. Despite her scheming tendencies I did feel quite sorry for her as nothing ever seemed to go her way. And if not Molly, I hope that Regina’s next heroine is just as unconventional as Rosa.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">While I do have my personal qualms with the conflict and the pacing of <i>Sixty Acres and a Bride</i>, I’m sure that these are issues that will be smoothed out in subsequent novels. For a debut,<i> Sixty Acres and a Bride </i>definitely shows potential, particularly as Regina brings something new to the genre. As much as I love to read Christian historical fiction, the genre definitely needs to be shook up every now and again, and I hope that Rosa’s story does just that. I also love that the cover of <i>Sixty Acres and a Bride</i> is branching out from some of the more typical covers in this genre. As pretty as some of them are, they do get a little repetitive after a while, and I really felt that this cover reflected <i>Sixty Acres and a Bride </i>as well as Rosa’s character. Hopefully both this novel and its cover are a sign of good things to come from Regina Jennings.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Review title provided by Bethany House.</b></i></span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-31419768160440520692012-06-05T15:28:00.003+01:002012-06-05T15:28:45.353+01:00Short-Straw Bride - Karen Witemeyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tb92b1LfcA0/T84W6YplzxI/AAAAAAAAAy4/WFloEfJ-6sU/s1600/ShortStrawBrideCoverArt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tb92b1LfcA0/T84W6YplzxI/AAAAAAAAAy4/WFloEfJ-6sU/s320/ShortStrawBrideCoverArt.jpg" width="207" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 01, 2012 </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">RATING: 10 OUT OF 10 – NEAR PERFECT</span></b><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b>PROS:</b> Original twist on a well-worn storyline; confident and quirky heroine; endearing romance between a newly married couple that contains just a pinch of edginess</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><b>CONS:</b> None!</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">No one has stepped on Archer land in years – no one, that is, except Meredith Hayes. Having stumbled on to forbidden territory in search of her lunch pail as a child, Meredith met the mysterious Travis Archer when he had to rescue her foot from a bear trap. She’s never forgotten that day, and not just because of the limp she was left with following her accident. Travis remained her idealised hero even after she entered womanhood, and when she overhears a plot to burn the Archers off their property, Meredith knows that she has to warn Travis and his brothers. But her good deed isn’t appreciated by her uncle and aunt, who insist that Meredith marry one of the Archers when the fire forces her to remain overnight on their property. To Meredith, the possibility of being forever united with her hero, Travis, is a dream come true. But does Travis view their union in such a positive light? Or is he merely marrying Meredith out of feelings of duty and responsibility? Meredith is determined to make their marriage one worth fighting for, and to convince Travis that picking the short-straw wasn’t a mistake.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">I’ve yet to discover a Karen Witemeyer novel that I’ve not loved, but I approached<i> Short-Straw Bride</i> with a little bit of trepidation. Could Karen really keep up her previous standards? Will she run out of original plots? Thankfully, my fears were unfounded and <i>Short-Straw Bride</i> not only met but far exceeded my expectations. I’d have to say that it rivals <i>Head in the Clouds</i> for its place as my favourite of Karen’s novels. Although I think Karen’s books may a slight formula to them – perhaps in the pacing or the number of action scenes – this really wasn’t evident when I was reading <i>Short-Straw Bride</i>. While I could definitely see some similarities to her earlier works, the plot of the novel was entirely original and Meredith was a refreshing new heroine. The romance between Meredith and Travis reminded me of those written by some of my favourite romance writers – Kelly Long and Mary Connealy in particular – and while it was different from some of Karen’s earlier romances, it definitely took her writing in a positive direction.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">I love marriage of convenience stories, and you’d think that considering their prevalence in the historical romance genre that authors would eventually run out of ways to twist this plot into something new. While Meredith and Travis’s arrangement – borne out of Meredith spending the night with a man while unchaperoned – is one I’ve come across before in this genre, I loved the spin that Karen put on this story. The concept of the four brothers living on a ranch and barely having any contact with women made Meredith’s presence all the more interesting, especially as all the brothers were jumping at the chance to marry her. The brothers definitely made the story more interesting, especially in the early days of Meredith and Travis’s marriage when neither of them knew how to treat each other. <i>Short-Straw Bride </i>had more to it than just the romance between the hero and heroine. Meredith, an outsider, had a thing or two to teach Travis about the image he was projecting of the Archer brothers and their land, and it was particularly touching to see him breaking down the walls – both physical and emotional – he’d put up to protect his family from the outside world. Each of the brothers had their own personality and I enjoyed seeing how Meredith’s presence on the ranch helped them to understand their own strengths and get the courage to pursue friendships and work arrangements outside the bounds of their property. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">The romance was still a big element in <i>Short-Straw Bride</i>, so there’s no need to worry that secondary characters might encroach on what is an incredibly touching and romantic love story. While I wasn’t always entirely convinced by Meredith’s childhood adoration of Travis and the idea that Travis fell for Meredith as soon as she reappeared on the ranch, their relationship was built on so much more than these initial moments. I enjoyed witnessing them coming from the awkward early days of their marriage into a relationship based on trust and commitment. Meredith’s worries about whether Travis was rejecting her by not sleeping in the same room once they were married were very real and heart-felt, and I could completely understand her pain over this aspect of their relationship. Likewise, Travis being torn over whether he should be a gentleman and court his new wife or pursue the more physical aspects of their relationship was very well presented. A lot of marriage of convenience stories skip over the transition from a chaste romance to a couple engaging in their “marital privileges”, so it was a nice change to see Karen exploring this aspect of a couple’s relationship. The awkwardness over how to discuss such things with your new husband and trying to seek womanly advice on a ranch full of men also created some amusing moments, which made the romance a well-rounded mixture of humour, emotion and a little bit of edginess. The conclusion to the novel and the romance was very satisfying, and while some readers may find themselves blushing a little, I’m sure plenty of married readers will be pleased to see Meredith and Travis endorsing those aspects of marriage that God intended married couples to enjoy. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Even if I did speed through <i>Short-Straw Bride</i> at a record-breaking pace, I think I’d still struggle to find any faults with it on a slower, second read – which may happen, as this book is definitely worth reading again. It pushed all the right buttons, from the twist on a well-worn plot to the engaging secondary characters to the touching and realistic romance. While <i>Short-Straw Bride</i> is quite different from Karen’s previous novels, it contains many of the trademark elements that readers are familiar with, particularly Meredith, the confident and slightly quirky heroine. <i>Short-Straw Bride</i> will satisfy many historical romance readers, and I imagine that those who have yet to discover Karen Witemeyer will be hunting down her backlist as soon as they turn the final page in this endearing love story. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Review title provided by Bethany House.</b></i></span></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-89174691693625491222012-05-16T09:00:00.000+01:002012-05-16T10:41:35.264+01:00Epic Fail - Claire LaZebnik<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3jo66yc0KX8/T7IfXk7_ScI/AAAAAAAAAys/s2PmFRr5vb4/s1600/epicfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3jo66yc0KX8/T7IfXk7_ScI/AAAAAAAAAys/s2PmFRr5vb4/s320/epicfail.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">GENRE: YOUNG ADULT/ROMANCE</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLISHER: HARPERTEEN</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">PUBLICATION DATE: AUGUST 1, 2011</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 – EXCELLENT</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">When Elise Benton’s mother gets a job offer from a prestigious private school in Los Angeles, the entire family gets uprooted. Elise and her sisters couldn’t be more out of place at Coral Tree Prep where they’re surrounded by the children of famous celebrities, and the green minivan that their mother makes them drive doesn’t make fitting in much easier. Juliana is fortunate enough to snag the attention of the attractive, yet surprisingly down-to-earth, Chase. Elise finds herself being dragged along to social events in order to make Chase’s buddy, Derek Edwards, feel like less of a third wheel, but Elise and Derek don’t exactly hit it off. Derek is the son of one of Hollywood’s most famous acting couples, and he’s constantly paranoid that people are only interested in him because of his fame. Elise couldn’t care less, but his attitude puts her off, particularly when he kicks up a fuss over her friendship with Webster Grant. She just wants Derek to leave her alone so that she can choose her own friends at Coral Tree, but this guy just won’t let up. To make matters worse, her mother, the principal, keeps disciplining Chase’s annoying younger sister, and Elise’s own sister, Layla, is meddling in affairs that a fourteen year old should know nothing about. Is Elise’s time at Coral Prep going to be an epic fail?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Here’s a rather amusing anecdote: Claire LaZebnik was the first “grown up” author that I read as a teenager. I read <i>Same As It Never Was </i>(or <i>Olivia’s Sister</i>, as it’s titled in the UK) when I was thirteen and had exhausted my library’s supply of <i>Sweet Valley University</i> and <i>Point Horror</i> novels. I recall really enjoying her novel, but my library sadly never got any more of her books. I’ve now finally made it out of my teen years (I turned twenty in September) and apparently, Claire has started to write Young Adult fiction! It seemed appropriate that I do a reversal of my initial experience with Claire’s work and take a dip into her foray into teenage fiction. Plus, this book was incredibly cheap on Kindle and it was advertised as being a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> – how could a penny-pinching English Literature student resist a deal like that?</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">As shocking as it may sound coming from an English major and a romance reader, I actually only read <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> for the first time last year. The story wasn’t entirely fresh in my mind, however, so I had to occasionally keep looking up the character names on Wikipedia, as I was curious to see who Webster Grant and Chelsea were modelled after. <i>Epic Fail </i>didn’t exactly follow Austen’s original to the letter, and missed out the character of Mr Collins almost altogether, but I don’t think it could have made a compelling high school novel while accurately mimicking <i>Pride and Prejudice.</i> I’m not a massive Austen fan, but I have enjoyed most of her novels, and I would consider Epic Fail to be an original and successful adaptation. But I’d also say that one of <i>Epic Fail</i>’s best characteristics is that it can be read without any prior knowledge of Austen. It isn’t riddled with links to<i> Pride and Prejudice</i> that would alienate a potential reader, so jump right in if that’s what’s been holding you back. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">As I came close to finishing this novel, I was very tempted to give it full marks. The only thing that holds me back marks is that Layla’s storyline felt very unfinished, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen to her, Weston and Campbell. It stopped me from completely enjoying the incredibly sweet concluding scene with Elise and Derek. I'm holding out for the hope that this means there will be a sequel about Layla. I’m particularly interested to see whether Claire follows up some of the secondary characters in this novel, especially Derek’s sister Georgia, who was introduced towards the end of the book. Even if Elise and Derek weren’t to feature in a later novel, I’d still be interested in reading it as I think some of the tertiary characters had real potential.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">However, I do have to complain about the title. It has no relation to the story whatsoever, other than that Elise herself makes two or three mentions to something being an “epic fail”. I get the feeling that the publisher wanted to use what they thought was typical teen lingo in order to get the attention of their target market. But from what I’ve see of reviews, many teen readers have also bemoaned the fact that this phrase has very little to do with the story. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i>Epic Fail </i>was an incredibly cute, fun, touching read. I was cautious about reading a teenage romance as I never had much of a love life as a teen. I devoured many Meg Cabot novels and books about the <i>Sweet Valley Twins</i>, which set me up for a bit of a disappointment when I got older, when I realised that it was very unlikely I’d meet a guy in high school who remotely resembled any of my fictional heroes. But I felt that the relationships in <i>Epic Fail</i>, both those between Derek and Elise as well as Chase and Juliana, were very well written. The characters acted their age, unlike some teen protagonists who either seem younger or older than they’re meant to be, and it was encouraging to see the mistakes that occur through the inevitable teenage miscommunications. Despite all the wonders of texting, emailing and vid-chatting (which even<i> I’d </i>never heard of), these characters still managed many a misunderstanding, which echoed my own teen years all too well. I’d like to think that <i>Epic Fail </i>accurately reflected the behaviour of teenagers, which should be appreciated by teens and adults alike. I really hope that there’s a sequel in the works, or maybe even another modern Austen adaptation. </span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i>Disclaimer: </i>There are a few instances of bad language. While there are brief instances of smoking and use of alcohol and drugs, all of the principal characters are disapproving of such behaviour. There are some vague hints at how far one character's relationship is going physically, but nothing descriptive and what is considered “far” is up to the reader’s interpretation. A secondary character is revealed to have been taking photographs of girls in various states of undress, but this topic is dealt with very sensitively.</span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-37240668740905434932012-05-14T19:11:00.000+01:002012-06-05T15:19:05.008+01:00Arms of Love - Kelly Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfywMFTqoN4/T61WIl_A_lI/AAAAAAAAAyg/VHlXS6jcUb0/s1600/ArmsOfLoveCoverArt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfywMFTqoN4/T61WIl_A_lI/AAAAAAAAAyg/VHlXS6jcUb0/s320/ArmsOfLoveCoverArt.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENRE: AMISH/HISTORICAL ROMANCE</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLISHER: THOMAS NELSON<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 3, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RATING: 8 OUT OF 10 – VERY GOOD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>PROS: </b>Contains Kelly’s trademark edgy
romance; good presentation of PTSD; presence of visions and the Holy Spirit is
very encouraging<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONS:</b> Initial introduction to the
characters feels rushed; a lot of sad events occur at the start of the novel;
spiritual message is a bit overwrought<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The American
Revolutionary War was a time of a great loss, and not just for those who fought
for freedom. Lena Yoder’s father has been imprisoned for refusing to give up
his livestock for the war effort, and not soon after this her mother dies in
childbirth. Alone with just her younger siblings, the only place Lena can think
to turn is to her childhood friend, Adam, whom she had always hoped she would
someday marry. But Lena’s mother was fearful of the hold that Adam’s father
held over him, and made Adam promise not to marry Lena until he was sure Lena
would be safely out from under his father’s influence. Adam cannot tell Lena
this, but he does know that he would not make a good husband to Lena at present.
Continually wrought by troubling dreams, Adam is permanently unsettled, and
wants nothing more than to gain freedom from the memories that haunt him. The
only way he can see fit to do this is in bearing arms and fighting for the
patriot cause. Lena is appalled at Adam’s desire to fight, and turns for solace
and stability in his older brother, Isaac. Adam must reconcile himself with the
troubling memories that haunt him and with his own desire for freedom before he
can begin to fight to win back the love of Lena. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve been
anxiously awaiting Kelly’s next book ever since I finished her contemporary
romance, <i>Lilly’s Wedding Quilt</i>. But
although <i>Lilly’s Wedding Quilt</i> made
my list of favourite novels for 2011, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect
from <i>Arms of Love</i>. While a few
authors have attempted Amish historical fiction recently and handled the
combination well (Murray Pura, Anna Schmidt, Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith),
none of them have gone as far back as the eighteenth century, and I wasn’t
entirely sure how a novel about the Amish during the American Revolutionary War
would turn out. I didn’t enjoy <i>Arms of
Love</i> as much as Kelly’s contemporary romances, but I do think that this
book is a good start to her <i>Amish
Beginnings</i> series and breaks new ground in Amish fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It took me a
while to get into this novel, and I’m not sure if that’s just because I wasn’t
in the right frame of mind at the time and was up to my ears in exam revision. The
beginning of <i>Arms of Love</i> is
incredibly sad, and wracked with numerous tragedies – a father is imprisoned,
his wife dies in childbirth and a new widow loses her home. Throwing Adam and
Lena’s troubled love into the mix made my initial reading of this book quite
depressing, and I kept putting it down so that I could read something lighter. I
don’t think that all readers will find this book as sad as I did, and perhaps
if I read it at a later date, when I didn’t have so much on my plate, I would
enjoy it more. I didn’t really feel like I become properly involved with the
story until about halfway through the novel, when the plot pacing really began
to pick up and I felt like I’d got to know the characters better. When I first
met Adam, Lena and their families there was so much going on that I almost felt
like I’d been thrown into the middle of a story that already in progress and
that I’d missed some essential details. But by the middle of the book I’d
settled into the lives of the eighteenth century Lancaster Amish and felt that
I could accurately keep up with their troubles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Arms of Love</i> isn’t all sadness and tragedy;
it contains a good helping of romance and a little bit of humour. One of my favourite
scenes is probably one around the middle of the novel, in which Adam tells his
brother that he won’t have any time to study or work when he has a wife because
she’ll want to do is kiss him all day long. The exchange between the brothers
was amusing, and really brought the characters’ personalities to life for me. I
really enjoyed watching Adam and Isaac’s friendship develop, almost as much as
I appreciated the romance between Adam and Lena. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of my
favourite aspects of Kelly’s writing is how her romantic scenes are just a
little bit more edgy than most Amish authors’, showing the importance of
physical as well as spiritual and emotional attraction in a marriage. The
cellar scene was the one that made me really start to care about Adam and Lena,
when I found myself rooting for them to get together, even though Lena was then
engaged to Isaac. I won’t say any more than that, but any true romance fan
can’t help but root for Adam and Lena after reading the all important cellar
scene. Kelly hasn’t neglected her trademark of edgy romance, even in the
eighteenth century. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have to
admit that I found Adam far more interesting to read about than Lena, and what
made me keep reading this book, even during the tough scenes, was the desire to
find out what was behind his disturbing dreams. I don’t know a lot about Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder, but I found the portrayal of Adam’s struggles to be
very realistic. Since PTSD wasn’t properly recognised until around the time of
the First World War, it made me wonder how men like Adam were treated by
society at this time, which made him all the more endearing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On the topic
of dreams, I also loved the way that Kelly incorporated the Holy Spirit into
her novel, through visions and healings. It seems that writing about the Holy
Spirit in Christian fiction is just as hard as presenting the physical love
between a husband and wife. Kelly manages both in this novel, and I was really
impressed by the way that she wrote the scenes containing healings and visions.
Nothing felt forced, and I definitely got a sense of the characters’ faith in
God. However, I will say that I felt that the message of “God is for us” to be
a bit overwrought. I liked how Ruth, the non-Amish wet-nurse, mused over this
statement as she came deeper into her faith with God, but as I got further into
the novel so many characters were quoting this passage that I wanted to ask
them if they actually knew of any other verses in the Bible. It fitted Ruth’s
storyline, but at times the statement was made to the extent that it no longer
seemed comforting and just became repetitive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although I
have my qualms about some aspects of this novel, <i>Arms of Love</i> is an encouraging start to Kelly’s historical series
and I hope that further <i>Amish Beginnings</i>
novels are of a similar fare. Readers might be put off initially by the
introduction of so many characters at the start of the novel and the presence
of so many sorrowful events, but I would encourage readers to persevere, as
this novel is definitely taking the time to read. Kelly doesn’t shy away from
edgy topics, from romance to spiritual issues, and her presentation of both in
this novel reflects what I’ve come to expect from her writing. I hope that
other readers are similarly pleased and challenged by <i>Arms of Love.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Review
title provided by Thomas Nelson.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-76701862162114168592012-05-11T19:09:00.000+01:002012-05-11T22:16:10.371+01:00By the Light of the Silvery Moon - Tricia Goyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjOinF8imdQ/T61VcngqQMI/AAAAAAAAAyY/H3f10mVRRJM/s1600/ByLightSilveryMoonCoverArt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjOinF8imdQ/T61VcngqQMI/AAAAAAAAAyY/H3f10mVRRJM/s320/ByLightSilveryMoonCoverArt.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLISHER: BARBOUR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLICATION DATE: MARCH 01, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 – GOOD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>PROS: </b>Interesting take on the parable
of the prodigal son; really captures the essence of what it was like to be
onboard the Titanic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONS:</b> Hero and heroine fell in love
too fast for it to be believable; some characters were underdeveloped; preachy
in places<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Amelia
Gladstone and Quentin Walpole are both looking forward to making a new start in
America, and the first step in their journey is taking a trip on the Titanic.
But while Amelia’s ticket has been paid for by a potential suitor hoping to
meet her and her aunt when they arrive in America, Quentin is thrown off the
ship when he attempts to sneak onboard. Amelia can never ignore a need, but she
doesn’t imagine how her life will change when she hands Quentin her spare
ticket. Not only is this trip the start of a whirlwind romance with Quentin,
but Amelia’s discoveries about her new friend help her to reunite him with his
long-lost family, who are also onboard the Titanic. Soon Amelia is swept into
the life of the first class passengers on the ship, dancing and dining with
Quentin’s older brother, Damian, while Quentin struggles in deciding whether or
not he should reintroduce himself to his family. And if he doesn’t, is he
worthy of Amelia’s time and love? But very soon, Amelia and Quentin will have
much harder problems to deal with, ones which could tear them apart for ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When looking
at this spring’s new releases, it almost seems as if every publisher in
existence was trying to put a Titanic novel on the shelves. When it came to
deciding which book I wanted to read to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic,
<i>By the Light of the Silvery Moon</i> was
an obvious choice, as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed some of Tricia’s previous novels.
But while I had high hopes for her writing and storytelling abilities, I was a
bit cautious when it came to fitting a love story into the short space of time
from the Titanic leaving Britain and coming to its sad demise only a few days
later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ultimately,
I was very satisfied with <i>By the Light of
the Silvery Moon</i>. I came to care about the characters and could feel my
heart thudding during the scene in which the ship sank. I can’t even begin to
mention the amount of detail that Tricia put into the descriptions of the
cabins, dining rooms, clothing and food onboard the Titanic. Tricia definitely
did a lot of research into what it was like travelling on the Titanic and I
could easily imagine many of the scenes that she described. But I feel that there
were some aspects of the characterisation and romance that felt a little
underdeveloped, which is only natural when you’re trying to fit so much into
such a short space of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyone who
reads my reviews will know that I’m just not a big fan of love-at-first-sight stories.
I kid you not when I tell you that the first time I saw my fiancé, I turned to
my friend and said “He looks a bit weird, doesn’t he?” We did not have a
fairytale romance, and I’m okay with that – real life is not that perfect. But
a romance onboard the Titanic is definitely going to be along this vein, which
I anticipated when I started reading this book. I had to try to make myself
forget that Amelia and Quentin had only known each other for a few days when
they described the strong emotions that they felt for each other. Ultimately, I
did enjoy reading about their relationship and was rooting for them in the end,
but I didn’t find how quickly they fell for each other to be entirely
plausible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When it came
to Amelia on her own, I did really like her character, even if she seemed a bit
too perfect at times. I was worried that Amelia didn’t have any flaws, until her
aunt challenged some of Amelia’s notions about love and marriage. I had to be
similarly challenged about my romantic ideals a few years ago so I could
definitely relate to this part of the book. The section in which Amelia mused
over her dilemma over whether to settle for someone stable, like her potential
suitor in America, or risk her love on someone who has made a lot of mistakes
in their life, like Quentin, was one of the most realistic and touching scenes
relating to Amelia and Quentin’s relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While I did
like the fact that Quentin and Damian’s story was a retelling of the parable of
the prodigal son – although I’ll admit, it took me a while to realise the
inspiration behind this part of the plot – I wish that Damian’s character had
been developed further. I knew that he was the villain of the story but I wish
that Tricia could have delved deeper into what made him such a hateful person.
There were some hints of jealousy and rivalry between the brothers, and
bitterness because Damian associated their mother’s death with Quentin, but
these hints weren’t developed enough to let me see Damian as a truly believable
character. Although Damian managed to redeem himself in the end I still felt
like something was missing from his part of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When it came
to the spiritual aspects of <i>By the Light
of the Silvery Moon</i>, I liked the idea of Quentin learning that he needed to
forgive himself in order to restore his relationship with God, but I wasn’t so
keen on the execution of this part of the plot. The scene in which Quentin
finally talked to God and asked for forgiveness was just a little bit too
cheesy for my liking. Some of the spiritual sections of this book, particularly
the conversations between Amelia and Quentin, were realistic, but others verged
on too sermon-like. I was actually surprised at the way that Tricia dealt with
the spiritual issues in this book as the spiritual aspect of her <i>Big Sky</i> series was what made me love it
so much, but her approach in <i>By the Light
of the Silvery Moon</i> seemed entirely different. I also have to mention that
I’m honestly convinced that every single character that Amelia came into
contact with on the Titanic was a Christian. Even in 1912, I didn’t see this as
at all realistic. Please correct me if you find a character in <i>By the Light of the Silvery Moon</i> that
doesn’t have some sort of relationship with God, but this is the way that it
seemed to me when I was reading this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ultimately I
found <i>By the Light of the Silvery Moon</i>
to be an enjoyable love story set onboard the Titanic. As far as I could tell,
the details about the ship and its sinking were accurate and really made the
story come to life. Tricia’s strengths definitely lie in her ability to
research and recreate a scene.. While I did struggle with how quickly Amelia
and Quentin came to fall for each other, this may just be a matter of personal
taste, and I’m sure that some romance readers won’t let this deter them. <i>By the Light of the Silvery Moon</i> didn’t
quite live up to some of Tricia’s previous novels, namely in the character of
Damian and the heavy-handedness with the spiritual sections of the novel, but those looking for a romantic, dramatic
retelling of the sinking of the Titanic won’t be disappointed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Review
title provided by Barbour.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478569559582632928.post-36970896542559813972012-05-07T11:07:00.005+01:002012-05-15T10:22:16.927+01:00Where I Belong - Gwendolyn Heasley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XyiiTKKZ9z0/T6eeVBK7eyI/AAAAAAAAAyM/tGM6n25kz3w/s1600/whereibelong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XyiiTKKZ9z0/T6eeVBK7eyI/AAAAAAAAAyM/tGM6n25kz3w/s320/whereibelong.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENRE: YOUNG
ADULT</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLISHER:
HARPERTEEN<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PUBLICATION
DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">RATING: 9 OUT
OF 10 – EXCELLENT<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">PROS: </span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Protagonist goes
through a realistic transformation and endears herself to the reader; novel has
some hilarious moments in it; realistic open ending to the novel<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">CONS: </span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Moral of the
story is presented in a rather cheesy manner; questionable presentation of body
image<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Corrinne Corcoran returns from another successful shopping trip at
Barney’s to hear the worst possible news from her parents: not only has her
father lost his job, but the family’s entire savings have been embezzled. Her
father has been fortunate enough to get another, less well-paid job, but it’s
in Dubai and he can’t take the family with him. So Corrinne, her mother and her
brother are being shipped off to their grandparents’ house in the tiny town of
Broken Spoke, Texas. No more shopping sprees, no more credit cards, no elite
boarding school and definitely no chances of hooking up with hot, rich
upperclassmen. Instead, Corrinne will be spending her days in a town where
there’s only two places to eat and nowhere to shop, where Rodeo Queens still
reign and everyone cares about whether or not the high school football team
wins the championship. As Corrinne adapts to sharing her bedroom with her
mother, getting driving lessons from her estranged Grandpa and eating mountains
of carb-filled pancakes every morning she slowly comes to appreciate some
aspects of life in Broken Spoke. Kitsy, the perky cheerleader, becomes her
friend and she hits it off with a hot wannabe rocker, Rider, when she starts
working at the stables. But when Corrinne's old best friend, Waverly, plans a
trip to Broken Spoke, Corrinne is forced to evaluate how much she truly enjoys
her new life, and whether she wants to take any part of it with her when she
eventually returns to her old life in New York.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed Gwendolyn’s debut novel. I
usually preface my reviews of Young Adult books by saying something along the
lines of “I'm not a teenager anymore, and I don’t normally enjoy teenage
novels, so I may not be the best person to be reviewing this book”, but now I
have to admit that, okay, maybe I have become a fan of Young Adult fiction.
It’s been a long time since I used to eat up the latest Meg Cabot novel as soon
as it was released, and maybe it was due to an overdose of teenage fiction that
I swore off it when I was sixteen, but<i> Where I Belong</i> has seriously convinced
me to give this genre another try.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is yet another case of me being suckered in with a pretty cover. I
saw that this book was selling for £1.99 on Kindle and decided to download a
sample in case the book lived up to its gorgeous cover. I’m currently working
my way through <i>Oliver Twist</i> and a surprisingly depressing Amish novel and
definitely needed a light read, so when I found myself relaxing as I read the
sample for <i>Where I Belong</i> I decided to take a chance on it. And I’m really glad
I did. This book had me grinning away at the antics of Corrinne and her new
friends in Texas. It was just what I needed at this time in my life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I did find myself wondering whether or not I would have appreciated this
book so much as a teenager. I’ve read some reviews from younger readers who got
fed up with Corrinne’s ignorance and self-centred nature. But one of my
favourite books as a teen was <i>Legally Blonde</i> purely because I found Elle's
actions so hilarious, so considering that, I reckon that I would have enjoyed
this book just as much as a teen. There were a few times when I found Corinne's
comments a bit annoying - namely the remarks about her dress size (a fair few
below mine, and I’m by no means fat) and her initial hatred of all foods that
she deemed fattening (I am the Baking Queen in our house and addicted to
pinning recipes on Pinterest) but other than that, I found her a very endearing
character. For all her talks of drinking wine and staying out all night, she
was still very innocent and naive. Sure, she knew her way around New York and
could keep up with the “in” trends far better than anyone I know, but she
didn’t truly understand how friendships and relationships and families worked
until she moved to Texas. I enjoyed watching her character grow, and until she
did mature, she was just utterly hilarious to read about. I never thought I’d
enjoy reading about a rich, privileged teenage girl from Manhattan, but it
happened!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unlike some readers, I liked the open ending of the book. Perhaps some
people would have liked more of a romantic conclusion, a confirmation that
Corrinne was going to end up with the right guy and live happily ever after.
But I found it quite nice that while Corrinne had grown as a character and
developed over the course of the novel, the end of the book wasn’t the end of
her growth. She’s still a teenager, after all. It’d be interesting to read the
companion book about Kitsy and discover what happens to Corrinne after Broken
Spoke.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I only have a couple of real gripes with this book. One of them was the
scene in which Corrinne’s grandmother and mother recounted how they’d come to
deal with their differences and reconcile with each other. I found it really
cheesy and it didn’t seem at all realistic. Perhaps if they’d let their comments
drip out little by little it would have worked, but it basically came across
almost like a speech or a sermon, as if Corrinne was finally being told the big
message of the entire book. The scene could have been a lot subtler and still
made its point.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also found some of the comments about dress sizes a bit disconcerting.
If I remember rightly, Corrinne is a size 4 at the start of the novel, and she
comments at the end of the book that she’s dropped a dress size due to all the
work she’s been doing at the stables. I know that there are some women who are
naturally stick-thin, but I didn’t like the idea of Corrinne’s weight loss
coinciding with her finding contentment. To some readers, this might give the
wrong impression and suggest that Corrinne’s happiness was linked to her
unnecessary weight loss. In fact, I don’t think it’s entirely natural for
someone of Corrinne's age to be dropping sizes. Teenagers are constantly
growing, and it would be more realistic for Corrinne to go up a size. I don’t
know many women who stayed a size 2 after they hit puberty, so Corrinne’s dress
size isn’t exactly representative of most teenage bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aside from the slightly cheesy scene with Corrinne’s mother and
grandmother and the questionable presentations of body image, I thoroughly
enjoyed this book. I've now joined the ranks of grown women who read Young
Adult novels, and will definitely be seeking out more books in a similar vein
to <i>Where I Belong</i>. If Gwendolyn can make me enjoy reading about a stuck-up
teenage fashionista then I have high hopes for her next book, <i>A Long Way from
You</i>, which is about the adorable Kitsy attending art school. If you’re tempted
by this beautiful cover and not typically a reader of Young Adult novels, I
would encourage you to give this book a try. <i>Where I Belong</i> is the perfect
relaxing, feel-good read...and it may even make a Young Adult convert of you!
If you’re already a fan of Young Adult fiction then I can’t see how you could
be disappointed by this wonderful story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Disclaimer: There was one instance of swearing in this novel and a
couple of suggestions that Waverly was engaging in a sexual relationship. There
were several instances of underage drinking, although Corrinne never seemed to
have more than one drink at a time.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17485137285511905907noreply@blogger.com0