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Category: Book Reviews

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Published on 2 Comments on Review: The Reluctant Elf

The Reluctant Elf

 

Meet Britain's Worst Innkeeper

Single mother and extremely undomestic goddess, Lottie, has five days to become the ultimate B&B hostess to save her beloved Aunt Kate’s livelihood.

TheReluctantElfWhen Aunt Kate ends up in the hospital, Lottie and her seven-year-old daughter are called to rural Wales to stand in at the B&B. Without the faintest idea how to run a hotel (she can barely run her own life), Lottie must impress the picky hotel reviewer and his dysfunctional family who are coming to stay over Christmas. Without the rating only he can bestow, Aunt Kate will lose her livelihood.

But will Danny, the local taxi driver who she hires to help her, really be Santa’s little helper, or the Grinch who stole Christmas?

 

My review...........4 stars

 

I purchased this holiday novella after seeing it mentioned on another blog site. I actually have a book by this author waiting for me to read on my kindle, and thought this would be a good introduction to this writer. I was also collecting books to read in the holiday read-a-thon I participated in, so this fit both categories nicely.

 

I loved this cute little story! It had so many great elements that I love in books. A great cast of characters (some you liked, some you didn't, some you thought you didn't....but then did, you get the drift), some humor, some romance, some drama, and a holiday setting to tie it all together. I think the only thing I didn't like about this book was that it was only 112 pages long! I wish it had been about a hundred pages longer, so I could keep these characters around for longer than an afternoon read!

 

If you want a really quick one to put you in the holiday spirit, while wisking you away from your own reality for a few hours, pick this one up. I can't wait to read more by this author, I'm just hoping they will be longer 🙂

 

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Published on 6 Comments on Review: My True Love Gave to Me

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

 

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY MyTrueLoveGaveToMeTRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

 

My review.........4 stars

 

I'm not one who usually reads short stories, but this one was intriguing to me because it was written by lots of YA (young adult) authors (a genre which I really like, but don't read enough of), and it would fit nicely with the Holiday read-a-thon that I planned to participate in.

 

What a delightful book! Out of the twelve stories, I loved nine, was so-so on one, and wasn't crazy about two........which is pretty good odds! Even the three that I wasn't crazy for were not so bad that I didn't finish them (the beauty of them being short stories.....well, they are short). They just didn't happen to be in my preferred reading style (magical realism, mythical creature, you get the picture if you've read most of my reviews). I thought it was a great mix of styles, there was something for everyone, which I'm sure was the intent when you have a large collection of stories such as this. And the cover is so wonderful! Each of the couples in the stories is represented on the skating pond......love it!

 

Be sure to pick up a copy of this, there absolutely will be stories in here that you will love. Gosh I hope some of these authors continue with these characters in future books, that would be so great!

 

I had the pleasure of attending an event with two of the authors (one being the editor), David Levithan and Stephanie Perkins. Also with them was Jennifer E. Smith (The Geography of You and Me.......to be read/reviewed hopefully soon). I brought along my teenage daughter, it was her first author signing event, I think she's hooked 🙂

 

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Published on 3 Comments on Review: Winter Street

Winter Street

 

In bestseller Elin Hilderbrand's first Christmas novel, a family gathers on Nantucket for a holiday filled with surprises.

Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket's Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four, all of them WinterStreetgrown and living in varying states of disarray. Patrick, the eldest, is a hedge fund manager with a guilty conscience. Kevin, a bartender, is secretly sleeping with a French housekeeper named Isabelle. Ava, a school teacher, is finally dating the perfect guy but can't get him to commit. And Bart, the youngest and only child of Kelley's second marriage to Mitzi, has recently shocked everyone by joining the Marines.

As Christmas approaches, Kelley is looking forward to getting the family together for some quality time at the inn. But when he walks in on Mitzi kissing Santa Claus (or the guy who's playing Santa at the inn's annual party), utter chaos descends. With the three older children each reeling in their own dramas and Bart unreachable in Afghanistan, it might be up to Kelley's ex-wife, nightly news anchor Margaret Quinn, to save Christmas at the Winter Street Inn.

Before the mulled cider is gone, the delightfully dysfunctional Quinn family will survive a love triangle, an unplanned pregnancy, a federal crime, a small house fire, many shots of whiskey, and endless rounds of Christmas caroling, in this heart-warming novel about coming home for the holidays.

 

My review............4 stars

 

I think Elin Hilderbrand is the kind of writer who was made for Christmas/holiday themed books, and I'm surprised that this is her first foray into this theme. The reason I say this is that she writes the type of books that lend themselves to a Christmas setting. They are usually about a family, with some (or lots) of issues that need resolving before the end of the book. Since the holidays usually are the one time of year most people tend to go home, you have a perfect story. Trust me when I say this will not be the last we hear of Ms. Hilderbrand and holiday stories......why, you ask? This book literally leaves you hanging at the end!! I don't think any of the kids issues are resolved....which is sort of interesting, since most of these Christmas stories end on a happy, all is calm, all is bright note 🙂 I feel certain that we have not seen the last of the Quinn family, whether we wait until next Christmas to continue, or we follow them in a later book set during the other 11 months of the year, we will have to wait and see.

 

I really liked this book, I was interested in all the characters, and it flowed well. It was a light, easy read, and Hilderbrand's books always make me want to visit Nantucket. I'm kind of sad that I will have to wait to find out what happens to this family, and I will be downright annoyed if we never get the sequel that I'm predicting is coming.

 

Go ahead and pick up a copy of this book, but don't say I didn't warn you about the end!

 

5

Published on 5 Comments on Review: Attachments

Attachments
by Rainbow Rowell

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. Attachments(Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

 

My review...........5 stars!!

Confession time......this is my first Rainbow Rowell book! Where have I been??? How could I have missed out on this? This story is absolutely adorable!! I loved all the characters, but especially Lincoln. If I was still single, I would want to be Beth in this book 🙂 It did get a little over the top cutesy in the end, but at that point, I didn't care! Nothing was going to spoil how much fun I had reading this book. It's definitely a light read, but one that will put a smile on your face throughout.

This is a super short review because I have nothing else to say but go read this book! You can bet I've got all her other books lined up on my tbr list. Rowell writes both young adult and contemporary fiction, and I'm going to try them all.

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Published on 8 Comments on Review: Accidents of Marriage

Accidents of Marriage

 

Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, drawn to his fiery passion, but now he’s lashing out at her during his AccidentsOfMarriageperiodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids – which works to keep a fragile peace – until the rainy day when they’re together in the car and Ben’s volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life.Randy Susan Meyers takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, alternating among the perspectives of Maddy, Ben, and their fourteen-year-old daughter. Accidents of Marriage is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness.

ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE explores a topic rarely shown in fiction: the damaging effects of a spouse’s emotional abuse.

 

My review...........3 stars

 

I picked up this book since I had read a few glowing reviews of it. I'm not really sure how to describe my reaction to this book except to say I liked it, but I didn't love it. It was well written, and I thought the subject matter was important, and something not overdone in books (emotional abuse vs physical abuse). I just didn't get into any of the characters. I went from feeling something for them (and their pain), to wanting to slap them (maybe not the best choice of words in a novel about abuse). My favorite character was the teenage daughter, who was really well written, but (as is typical with a teenager) some of her behavior just made me so annoyed! I was happy with the ending, but the author did leave it kind of open ended in a way I would not want, so I'm going to make up my own ending to what I would like 🙂

This is my first book by this author, and I would not hesitate to pick up another. I liked her writing, these particular characters just didn't work for me. Go check out other reviews on all the book sites to decide if this one is right for you.

 

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Published on 2 Comments on Review: The Book of Unknown Americans

The Book of Unknown Americans

After their daughter Maribel suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras leave México and come to TheBookOfUnknownAmericansAmerica. But upon settling at Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware, they discover that Maribel's recovery-the piece of the American Dream on which they've pinned all their hopes-will not be easy. Every task seems to confront them with language, racial, and cultural obstacles. At Redwood also lives Mayor Toro, a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamà fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: that beyond her lovely face, and beneath the damage she's sustained, is a gentle, funny, and wise spirit. But as the two grow closer, violence casts a shadow over all their futures in America. Peopled with deeply sympathetic characters, this poignant yet unsentimental tale of young love tells a riveting story of unflinching honesty and humanity that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be an American. An instant classic is born.

My review...............4 stars

This book really opens your eyes to the plight of many of the immigrants who come to this country looking for a better life. I'm not going to get into a social commentary on immigration, but it does challenge you to not lump all "types of people" into the same category. For the most part this is a sweet love story between two teens, but there are lots of supporting characters that we are introduced to throughout the book. They all live in the same housing complex, and pop in and out of the story at various points. If I had one complaint with the book it would be that I felt that it was hard to keep these characters straight. Their stories were only a couple pages long, and they were not mentioned enough that I could remember who was who. It didn't really detract from the story, and about half way through the book, I read their stories and didn't worry about where/when  they showed up again. It certainly did not end the way I would have thought or hoped, but in retrospect, I think the author ended it the way it probably would have gone down in real (not fiction) life.

This was a pretty quick read, and I'd love a follow up on what became of these characters, especially Mayor (who was my favorite!). I would recommend this, especially if you like books that are character driven.

3

Published on 3 Comments on Review: The Silent Sister

The Silent Sister

In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager.  Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary.  Lisa is TheSilentSisteralive.  Alive and living under a new identity.  But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?  As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family.  Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international bestselling author Diane Chamberlain. 

My review..............5 stars

Oh my, what a wonderful read! I've read several books by Diane Chamberlain, but this is the best one yet! The story was riveting, there were several things that I never saw coming, the characters were really well done. I can't say enough good things about this book. I read it in two days, I couldn't put it down! If I had to try to come up with anything to pick on, it would be that I thought the ending was a little too tidy. But that is a small quibble, and honestly I liked the way it ended, so it worked for me.

I had the pleasure of attending the release event for this book. Diane lives near me, and is involved in doing author events at my local Indie bookstore. It was great to hear her speak about how this book came about (from a story her writer-brother had shown her). She also told a fun fact about the two police officers she interviewed for this book. After getting a ton of information from them, her editor told her to ditch the police officers and write more about the brother. We were all chuckling about the officers who thought they were going to be in a bestselling book........and then weren't 🙂 The real point of the story was of course, the amount of research an author sometimes does (that may not even be used), and the importance of an editor (to decide what works and what doesn't). She did talk briefly about her next book that she is currently working on. The only thing I remember is that it should be out next fall, and it has dancer (or dancing) in the title.

Here are a couple of pictures from the event. Thank you to fellow book blogger Tanya (Mom's Small Victories) for taking the one of me with Diane 🙂
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Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore for this one! Next fall seems like a long time to wait for the next Diane Chamberlain fix.

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Published on 2 Comments on Review: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (Shopaholic #2)

The irresistible heroine of Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Ties the Knot is back! And this time Becky Bloomwood and her credit cards are headed across the Atlantic....
With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky's biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to pack light. But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he's moving to New York for business--and he asks Becky to go with him! Before you can say "Prada sample sale," Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury boutiques.
Surely it's only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky's bills miles away in London. But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan--but will she have to return it?

My review...........4 stars

I finished this book a couple days ago, but decided to wait until today to post my review since this is the release day of book #7 in this series! I had read the first book (Confessions of a Shopaholic) a few years ago, but wanted to continue a bit with the series before the new one makes its way to my TBR pile. I had also recently read some rather intense books, and knew this one would be a light, fun escape. That is exactly what I got! I know these books are not for everyone (most reviewers seem to either love them or hate them), but I like that they can make me laugh out loud while reading! Other than the fact that I do enjoy shopping, I am nothing at ShopaholicTakesManhattan'all like the main character Becky Bloomwood. Her forays into debt, because of her shopping addiction, is probably what turns people off from these books, but I can separate that this is a fictional character! Her mounting debt from shopping, and the resulting ways she deals with it, are what makes the story work. In this book we also have the added benefit of her boyfriend Luke, a character I love because he ultimately accepts Becky for who she is, the bad and the good. I had fun with the setting of NYC, since I've been there several times, and know most of the places (and shops) she talks about.

My advice, if you're not sure about these books, would be to pick one up at the library or at a used book shop, and try them out. Even if you are not a fan of Becky Bloomwood, you really should try another book by this author (there are several that are stand alone books). I guarantee you will find yourself laughing wile reading, as well as enjoying a darn good story.

3

Published on 3 Comments on Review: The Same Sky

The Same Sky: A Novel

In this heartrending and poignant novel, award-winning author Amanda Eyre Ward tells the story of Alice Conroe, a forty year old Texas barbecue owner who has the perfect life, except she and her husband long for a child. Unable to conceive, she’s trying desperately to adopt but her destiny is quickly altered by a young woman she’s never met.

Fearless thirteen-year-old Carla Trujilio is being raised by her grandmother in Honduras along with her four year old twin brothers. Her mother is sending money home from Texas where she’s trying to make a better life for her family, but she only has enough to bring one son to her. When Carla’s grandmother dies, Carla decides to take her fate into her own hands and embarks on a dangerous journey across the border with Junior, the twin left behind.

Two powerful journeys intersecting at a pivotal moment in time: Alice and Carla’s lives will be forever and profoundly changed. Heartbreaking, emotional, and arresting, this novel is about finding the courage to trail blaze your own path in life with faith, hope and love, no matter the struggle or the tragedy.

My review.........4.5 stars
Oh my goodness, what a gem of a novel! Wonderfully written, told in alternating chapters from the two main characters, Alice and Carla. While both stories were great, I absolutely fell in love with Carla! What an inspiring girl, Ward has written her perfectly. You do figure out how it's going to end before the actual ending, but the last entry from Carla had me bawling (I'm not going to reveal whether it was tears of sadness or joy, you have to read this to find out!). I would TheSameSkyLOVE a sequel to this book, and hope the author decides to make one. I couldn't get enough of these characters, and there were enough loose ends to warrant reading more of them.
This is my first novel by this author, and you can bet I'm going to go back and read some of her previous work! I got this book from netgalley for an advance review. The actual release date is January 27, 2015. I wish it was closer, many may forget about it by then, so go put it on your wish lists, tbr lists, whatever method you have. You don't want to miss this one.

Published on Leave a comment on Review: Lost Lake

Lost Lake

Suley, Georgia, is home to Lost Lake Cottages and not much else. Which is why it's the perfect place for newly-widowed Kate and her eccentric eight-year-old daughter Devin to heal. Kate spent one memorable childhood summer at Lost Lake, had her first almost-kiss at Lost Lake, and met a boy named Wes at Lost Lake. It was a place for dreaming. But Kate doesn't believe in dreams anymore, and her Aunt Eby, Lost Lake's owner, wants to sell the place and move on. Lost Lake's magic is gone. As Kate discovers that time has a way of standing still at Lost Lake can she bring the cottages—and her heart—back to life?Sometimes lost loves aren't really lost. They're right where you left them, waiting for you to find them again.

My review.........3 stars
I've been looking to read this book since it's release back in January. For some reason, I didn't purchase it when it came out, and by the time I got to the library for it, the waiting list was miles long! I was puttering around on book outlet the other day (a very dangerous place to be....lol) when I spotted it! At about 70% off, how could I resist?
LostLakeI thought this book was a pleasurable, pretty fast read. I think there were a lot of characters, so I didn't feel like any of them were given time to be fully developed. I also did not like the magic parts of the alligator, but that is just me. Anytime I read the words magic, dystopian, sci-fi, on a book synopsis, I'm usually not likely to pick it up (with a few exceptions). It was not distracting enough in this book to keep me from continuing to read it, but I kind of wish it had not been there at all.
This was my first book I've read from this author, and I know others have gotten great reviews, so it will definitely not be my last. She has a new one coming out in January, and the cover is to die for (yes, I'm a sucker for a beautiful book cover!).
Enjoyable read if you can pick it up on sale or at the library.