Sunday, December 09, 2018

Review: Big City Christmas Wish by Wynter S. K.

Big City Christmas Wish: A Sweet Holiday RomanceBig City Christmas Wish: A Sweet Holiday Romance by Wynter S.K.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The perfect Christmas book. Very sweet - at times, maybe a little too sweet for my tastes, but I'm a bit of a Grinch, so don't let that deter you. If you want something sweet, and completely saturated in the holiday spirit - family, snow, New York City, decorations, the spirit of giving, reconciliation, romance and a touch of Santa's magic - this is really the ideal holiday romance novel.

I enjoyed this, it's written in such a way that I didn't ever want to put it down once I started reading it. And while a few of the situations are a bit unbelievable and a little over the top, for a Christmas novel, it works fine. I'm willing to suspend my belief a bit to indulge the magic of the season. Great characters, nice, hopeful story line.

Would definitely recommend this to anyone searching for a sweet, holiday romance. Really good book.


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Sunday, November 25, 2018

Holiday reads

I used to binge holiday romance novels as soon as I made it through Thanksgiving. I'm not a big romance person, not a big holiday person, but something about these books made me happy. But last year, I didn't love them as much, so wasn't planning on reading many. But then I start seeing all the sales and book covers and it makes me want to read them again.

So currently looking for holiday recommendations.

I've already bought a few - Big City Christmas Wish by Wynter S.K., No One Cancels Christmas by Zara Stoneley, Chasing Christmas Eve and Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis, A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft, and It Started With Christmas by Jenny Hale. I probably have a lot more but those are the first on my current to-read list. I also have a few anthologies.

Anyway, some of my holiday recommendations:

Last year I read a book called Covent Garden in the Snow by Jules Wake and I loved it. Highly recommend.

Other favorites inclue Sarah Morgan's Sleigh Bells in the Snow, Jo Leigh's Definitely Naughty and Jenny Oliver's Parisian Christmas Bake Off.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Review: Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris

I didn't like this book much at all. Unfortunately, I was right at the 50% mark when I realized how much I disliked this book - and I'd been reading for an hour or so in the airport, and that's really some of the only quality reading time I get, and I didn't want to waste it by completely abandoning the book. So I kept reading, hoping maybe something would happen to improve my feelings about the story, but, no, that didn't happen.

In this book, we have Grace, a former musician, currently an instrument maker, who is in a long term relationship with a married man in France. She lives near a Eurostar station in the UK, and visits him in Paris often - though he lives with his family in Strasbourg. One night, when they go out, something happens which attracts media attention - and David is upset because he's afraid his children will find out he's in this relationship. Then the wife is upset because everyone now knows her husband has a mistress, even though she's always known and was okay with the arrangement. The huge social media response and the extreme attempt to hide this seems a bit much, and was one of the issues I had with this story. 

Eventually, Grace learns something horrible about David and has a breakdown, and her two friends, a man in his 80s and a teenage girl help her come to terms with what happened. I realize this is supposed to be a story about her finding herself and learning to move on without this man in her life, while also coping with some horrible things in her past, but it didn't feel that way to me. She didn't have much choice. She was, for the most part, dumped. She had to face the reality that the life she thought she had wasn't ever going to happen. I didn't find the story especially empowering, but rather very sad.

I think what really set me off is that this story included items that I consider to be pet peeves of mine, and I know it's something that doesn't bother other people, so maybe take my intense dislike with a grain of salt.

I'm so tired of books in which the main story line is a seemingly intelligent woman deeply involved in a very, very bad relationship with a horrible man. (In this book, we spend about half the book being told he's a really great guy, everyone likes him, he's supportive of her interest and career, attentive and caring, and then all of a sudden we learn he's the worst.) But even more than that, I'm tired of stories in which these same women enter into long-term relationships because of an accidental/unplanned pregnancy. This is becoming a thing, or maybe I just keep selecting the wrong books. Several books I've read in the last few months involve a woman in a bad relationship or in most cases (not in this case) a marriage all because they got pregnant - didn't like the person all that much, or know him all that well, but hey, we have no other option because BABY and that's the most important thing in a woman's life, right? - cringe. Also, in almost all of the cases, the pregnancy ends in miscarriage, but the relationship continues, everyone so very sad and hopeless because there's no baby. In one of the books, the baby died after a year or so, and the woman remained in the marriage even though the pregnancy was the result of break-up sex, and eventually walked in on her husband having sex with his secretary. I long for stories about women who take some sort of control over their lives and realize that getting pregnant doesn't automatically mean having a baby or, even if they do want the baby, realizing marriage isn't necessary.

Spoilers - lots of them, so stop reading if you don't want to know what happens in this book - in this particular book, Grace meets a man, David at a party. His wife is at the party, but leaves early. David goes back to Grace's place, he tells her he's married, and she's perfectly okay with them still having sex, despite knowing this. Then a few weeks later, she realizes she's pregnant by this man she knew only a few hours, but immediately her whole world becomes all about having a baby. She informs David, he's not thrilled about this, as he has two children and a pregnant wife. But we're told he suddenly becomes a wonderful, caring boyfriend. After Grace has a miscarriage, she becomes obsessed with getting pregnant again, and when this doesn't happen, she goes through all kinds of tests, with David right beside her holding her hand - but failing to mention he's had a vasectomy. WTF? Did I mention, he's the worst?

And since I'm providing spoilers anyway, the end of the book, in which we see Grace overcoming some of her teenage traumas, we then learn the teenage friend is pregnant. Grace suddenly knows this because the girl looks fierce and confident, or something absurd like that. (She contrasted the girl whose diary she read with the girl she saw performing earlier and this change in her disposition led Grace to realize the girl what pregnant? Okay.) So yet again, we're celebrating an unplanned pregnancy. This girl has dropped out of school, has been having sex with her friend's boyfriend, and had a bit of a coke habit, but hooray, she's going to have a baby now! We couldn't have instead had her, oh, I don't know, get noticed as being a skilled musician and get accepted into a prestigious school or offered a job with a great symphony? No, babies, always babies.

All that being said, I know a lot of people love books that focus on women having babies, women discovering their true purpose by procreating. I'm sure this book will be wonderful for people like that.

I really, really wish I'd picked a different book to read while traveling over the Thanksgiving holidays.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Review: Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'Donnell

Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American PoliticsPlaying with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'Donnell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. It's read by Lawrence O'Donnell, so if you're a fan of his, I imagine you'll also enjoy this. The story is riveting, and so well-written and read. Despite already knowing what was about to happen, I was in tears hearing the details of Bobby Kennedy's assassination. The details all that happened during this era make the story fascinating. After listening to this, I feel like I have a much better understanding of the U.S.'s involvement in Vietnam, as well as the political maneuverings of the different parties.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in American history and or politics.


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Saturday, November 10, 2018

Review: Dracul by Dacre Stoker

DraculDracul by Dacre Stoker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm so glad this book exists. Such an interesting take on origins of Bram Stoker's novel. I love Dracula so much, and this book, while feeding my interest in the character, also makes me crave more. I plan to search for all the texts mentioned by the authors at the end of the book.

The book took a bit longer for me to read that I would have liked, but I feel that had more to do with so many things going on in the real world rather than anything wrong with the book. However, because of that, it was a slow start for me. But once I finally had a chance to sit down and read, I sort of flew through the last half of the book. Plenty of action and suspense, as well as history and a healthy dose of gore to keep this story moving.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Bram Stoker's Dracula. I checked this out from the public library, but I'll eventually be buying a copy because I feel I'll be re-reading often in the future, along with my frequent re-reads of Dracula.


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Sunday, October 21, 2018

Review: Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

Tales of the City (Tales of the City, #1)Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this. When I was in high school, I watched the TV series on PBS and loved it. I wanted so very much to someday find my own place at 28 Barbary Lane.

That was twenty-five years ago. I'd not thought much about the story until last weekend, when I decided I wanted to visit San Francisco for my birthday. That's when I remembered why I had once yearned to go to San Francisco. Turns out, I already had the book on my kindle.

To prepare for my trip next weekend, I decided to read Tales of the City. And it was wonderful.

Really a fun book about a group of friends living in San Francisco during the late 70s. Deals with so many issues that remain relevant today. The story didn't feel dated at all. I now want to read the rest of the series - I think I've got several of the books at my parents' house, so will wait until after the holidays before purchasing what I don't already have.




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Sunday, October 14, 2018

Review: Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith

Whiskey & RibbonsWhiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, it kept me up reading well into the early morning hours. Really a heartbreaking about a woman who has lost her husband, and how she and his brother come to terms with the loss. I liked that we are able to see how the relationship began, because then you see why their grief is so intense. This was a happy marriage, they were expecting their first child, and then it ended.

The brother steps in to take care of his brother's wife. His brother, who was a police officer and often worried that he might not survive the job, had often asked that his brother take care of his wife should something ever happen to him.

I would have liked this book a whole lot more if the ending had been different though. The ending this had made me a little uncomfortable, wrapped things up a bit too conveniently. I think it would have made more sense if they had realized what was happening to them was the result of grief and a shared love for the man they lost. But that's just me. Still a really good book.


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Saturday, October 13, 2018

Review: Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Such an important and timely story, and I'm so glad an author with Picoult's clout chose to tell it.

This tells the story of the people working at a women's health clinic when they're attacked by a "pro-lifer" wanting to avenge his daughter who had an abortion. (As the story progresses, you realize his daughter didn't even have an abortion there, but that's what he thinks when he shows up and starts shooting.)

I thought Picoult did a good job of showing what everyone was going through - the doctors, nurses, office staff, as well as the patients, and the police officers outside. I also realize that she was making an effort to show all side of the story and claim that the pro-lifers aren't really evil. That's nice and all, but it's a little difficult to convince me there's any good in anyone who feels women shouldn't be allowed to control what happens to their own body. But respect to the author for making that extra effort to try and claim they don't really want to control women.

Anyway, I was glad to see that the author was showing the necessity of abortion clinics and how they work to help women. These people are putting their lives at risk every day so that someone else can live the life they want. She went into the different reasons why people - the doctors and patients - found themselves in these situations. These women aren't there because they're selfish, they're doing what they think is best at this point in their lives.

I didn't love the way in which the story was written, going back an hour with each chapter. It made the story feel a bit repetitive because we already know what's happened to a lot of the people. I know the purpose is to reveal more about each character, but it made it too easy to set the book down. Also, there's a bit of a twist in the story involving the nurse, and it's there for shock effect, and I know Picoult's books tend to have something like that in them. But I didn't like it, it felt very unnecessary and a little confusing. There's an even bigger twist involving some of the other characters. That part, I thought was interesting. In the end though, what you realize is there are so many people living lives they didn't want because of accidental or unplanned pregnancies. They did what they felt they should and brought the unplanned child into the world, and in doing so, had to give up their own dreams and plans. Even if their lives turned out okay, it wasn't the life they'd wanted, and years later, they find themselves in a constant state of disappointment, missing the life they gave up in order to bring a child into the world.

Overall though, a very good book providing a lot to think about.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Sunday, October 07, 2018

Book recommendations - comforting/empowering reads

I'll get right to the point: I'm very much a feminist, and quite liberal, and on some topics, I'm even something of a radical. So, I was a bit shocked and horrified when I began to see tweets in my feed supporting ideas that I find, well, horrible. Who the hell was I following that would re-tweet this kind of trash into my timeline?

Alas, it was a romance writer whose books I've read and bought in the past. I immediately unfollowed the author on twitter, went to facebook and unliked her fan page. Mostly though, I was feeling kind of disgusted for having spent money on her books. Sad about the time I'd spent reading her books.

That same day, not too long after I noticed this, I saw quite a few other people commenting on it. Clearly, I wasn't the only person upset - for me, this is the benefit of twitter, knowing others feel the same. Turns out she wasn't the only author expressing some rather icky opinions. I wasn't familiar with the other authors, but suffice it to say, I won't be reading any of their work. I very much appreciate the book bloggers who put together a list of authors to avoid.

Maybe a writer's political opinion doesn't bother some readers. That's fine. No judgement. But for me, I feel like the way a person thinks will reflect in their work. Also, time and money are limited and I don't want to be wasting either on people who hold beliefs I find abhorrent. There are so very many books out there to read. Right now, I've got 871 books on my "to-read" list, and that isn't even counting the hundreds of free kindle books I've gotten from amazon. It only makes sense that I would choose to focus my reading time and money on people I don't mind supporting.

I don't think it's a random coincidence that most of the authors I love tend to hold similar beliefs to mine. Their work resonates with me for a reason.

Now to the point of this blog post. I felt like a I directed a lot of energy toward "authors to avoid" last week. But now, I want to direct some attention to authors I love. These days, a lot of us need an escape into fiction, and these are a few of the books and authors I recommend for that. The following are books I consider to be comfort/empowering reads.

One of the books I keep thinking about lately is Jennifer Bernard's Set the Night on Fire. The story is very relevant to one of the big stories that has been dominating the news lately - except on more of a small town political level - not the Supreme Court. The first time I read this was in July of 2017 - and I feel almost certain there was a similar news story happening at the time, but I don't remember the details, only that after I read the book I thought, "It's so nice to read a story in which the corrupt, bad politician gets what he deserves." I recommended the book to all of my friends at the time. Now, it seems appropriate to do so again. I thought Bernard did a great job at showing what a woman goes through in keeping a secret like that, believing she needs to protect her family, and knowing the risks associated with coming forward. Also, Jennifer Bernard writes the best contemporary romances. I don't read a lot of that genre, but I try to read everything she writes. Her books are so good, really sexy, with great story lines and interesting characters.

Paranormal romance tends to be more my thing. My favorite author in that genre is Michele Hauf. Her books, set in her Beautiful Creatures world are often my escape when the real world is too much to handle. The one I'm going to recommend now though is called An American Witch in Paris. I liked the way Hauf directly addressed issues such as feminism and consent. It felt very relevant. Besides all of that, the story is exciting - they're saving the world from falling angels - and very sexy.

Another great romance that I have read recently is Pas de Deux by Wynter S.K. I hadn't heard much about the book, but the description intrigued me. I don't know much about the author, this is the only book of hers I've read - but I thought she did a great job of showing people realistically dealing with trauma and its effects - both mental and physical. And it is one of the most beautiful love stories I've read in a while. Really wonderful book about a couple who have to endure a lot before they can get to a point where they are truly honest with each other.

My next recommendation is a favorite of mine. I read it every October. Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is the perfect fall read - witches and vampires, libraries filled with magic, history and science - it's all there. It's a story about discovering that love looks beyond differences and long-held prejudices, and families are built on much more than blood connections. Once you read that book, you'll want to read the whole trilogy.

My last recommendation, because I felt like I should have five books, is City of Darkness, City of Light by Marge Piercy. This one, unlike my other recommendations, isn't a romance. It's a story about the French Revolution that focuses on the women involved. These days, we're kind of bombarded by stories of horrible things happening to women, and it might help to read about women trying to claim a bit of power in shaping the direction of their country.

Those are what I could think of right off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll think of others as soon as I post this.

I've attempted to hyperlink the book titles to amazon because that's where I tend to buy books, but I have no affiliation with them. 



Saturday, October 06, 2018

Review: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan

Beneath a Scarlet SkyBeneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Listened to this audiobook and very much enjoyed it.

I have a very strong interest in WWII, but most of what I've read is set in France. I know very little about the war in Italy, despite having visited the country a few times. This story is set mostly in Milan, a city I've visited once, and loved, though I only spent a day there. Was interesting to imagine the action taking place in the areas near the Duomo and La Scala.

I found this story fascinating because it's told from the viewpoint of a young man who was forced into the war. He was going to the movies one evening, waiting and hoping for the woman he'd asked out earlier to show up and next thing he knows he's in the midst of bombing.

The story traces his involvement in the war, which spans about two years. From his time of helping Jews to escape to working for the Allies as a spy among the Nazis. There's also a bit of a love story.

Not entirely sure I would have liked this book as much if I'd read it rather than listened because when I read, I notice that I skim over details relating to war, and this is fairly descriptive. But listening to the story, that wasn't an issue at all.

Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in WWII or Italian history.

I was telling students about the book the other day and someone says, they should make that into a movie. Had no idea until a few minutes after I finished listening to the book that there is a movie in production. Looking forward to seeing that.


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Friday, September 21, 2018

Review: Paris Ever After by K.S.R. Burns

I didn't like this book very much. This review is sort of regarding both this book and The Paris Effect, who which Paris Ever After is a sequel.

First, lots of respect to the author for writing something so weird and different. When I first saw the book, thought it was another story about a woman who runs off to Paris to escape her dull life and find herself. And it is that, but it's a lot more. The characters are bizarre. The Paris in this story is not the one we're used to seeing or reading about, but rather one of underground clubs and insane English women, and creepy, lying men. No one is what they seem.

As for the main character, she's equally complicated and disturbed. She's married to a man she doesn't love and married only because she was pregnant - but had a miscarriage very early in the pregnancy and has since been miserable in her marriage for years. A big part of the story involves her grieving the loss of her best friend, who was also her lover in college though her confusion about her sexual orientation is never really addressed. (I was kind of hoping the story would end up with her finding an amazing woman in Paris but finally realizing maybe she was never happy in her marriage because she was lesbian, but that didn't happen - big missed opportunity because the actual romance that got tacked on at the end of this book was super boring.)

There are several characters suffering from some fairly serious mental issues and no one seems to be especially concerned about this. The English woman who lies and manipulates people, her daughter who is either a liar or suffered something fairly traumatic that no one is addressing, and then the creepy guy who pretends to be wealthy. Then we have the main character's eating disorder that is only sort of addressed - mostly in the first book, less so in this one.

I didn't really like the characters in this book. Amy, the main character, is selfish and irresponsible. She runs off to Paris while her husband is away on business, thinking she'll be back before he returns. Then she gets sick, loses her phone, ends up being completely dependent on total strangers. That was the first book. And I didn't like it all that much, hadn't planned to read next book - but then I saw in on NetGalley and I was curious as to what happens next because as I said, I was quite impressed with how bizarre the story was.

In this book, Amy has a fight with her husband, takes off to Paris again. She essentially abandons her marriage and then, surprise, realizes she's pregnant. So again, she's expecting these people she barely knows to care for her. And her constant referring to her unborn child by name is so annoying - once in a while, okay, but it's constant, the baby (I don't remember the name) likes this, the baby was doing this, the baby wants this. That kind of made me hate the character.

Also, as I've said in other reviews, many times I'm sure, I despise stories in which the accidental pregnancy is the most wonderful thing ever - the last thing this woman needs is a baby. She doesn't even have a place to live, or any source of income or any real plans at all regarding her future.

Clearly, I didn't like the book very much.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Pas de Deux by Wynter S. K.

I loved this book so much!

Every time I picked it up to read it, it was nearly impossible to put it down. I'd do the whole, "just one more chapter, then I'll... " whatever it was I needed to do - go to bed, go to work, eat dinner, you know. Maybe I've been in a bit of a book rut, but it's been a while since I had that feeling for a book.

I stayed up well into the early morning hours to read this. The characters are wonderful. Likable and real - not perfect, but interesting and well meaning. They've both been through some very rough experiences, and they're doing their best to move forward, but they're also struggling to deal with their emotions and learning to trust people again.

I loved the way the relationship developed. They became friends first and very carefully moved into something more than a friendship. I never wanted this book to end.

Highly, highly recommend. This is such a beautiful love story.

Saturday, September 08, 2018

Review: Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel

The Room on Rue AmélieThe Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this book. I very much enjoy stories about the French resistance. And in the beginning, I liked it a lot. But the last part of Ruby's story was a bit too out there and difficult to believe for me.

Overall though, it's a pretty good book. Certainly held my interest. I know it looks like it took me a week to read it, but it was really two sittings, I read one half last weekend, and read the entire half the next time I was able to pick it up. I struggled a bit with the love story. Didn't appeal to me for some reason. That was a little disappointing because I'd really hoped for a good love story. If I go into detail, I'm afraid I'll spoil the book. (view spoiler)

The cover is beautiful, and that's what drew me to the book. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of Paris. I had my iPad out as I was reading, mapping out the streets. I found the stories about the French citizens involved in the resistance to be interesting. I am however, really glad I waited and borrowed this from the library.


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Saturday, September 01, 2018

Tempting the Dark by Michele Hauf

Took me a while to get into this - but that was not the book's fault, more along the lines of I had too many other things happening to allow myself to sit and read for a while.

When I did finally have some time to read this, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Michele Hauf's paranormal romances are my go-to escape when I cannot deal with the rest of the world. She creates the most beautiful stories, full of interesting characters dealing with life and love, and the complications caused by the magic they harbor inside.

In this particular story, Savin runs into a friend he believed he'd lost twenty years earlier. As children they fell into Daemonia - a world inhabited by demons. Savin managed to escape, but believed Jett had died there. He returned with a demon trapped inside of him, and now spends his days working with others who have magical abilities to send trouble causing demons back to Daemonia.

He's overjoyed when he sees Jett again, but something has changed inside of her. As much as she wants to return to the human world, she and Savin both have to accept that she's no longer completely human.

This is a story about battling demons - both real and mental. The characters have to face their guilt and the truth about who they are and what happened to them in order to truly find their way back to each other. To make matters more difficult, since Jett's return, Paris has been suffering from an influx of demons. Much to Savin's dismay, he discovers the only way to protect the city may involve a horrible sacrifice.

As always from this author, a very sexy, very fast paced, engrossing story set in the beautifully described city of Paris.

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys sexy, paranormal romances full of magic.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.


Saturday, August 04, 2018

Review: The Paris Secret by Karen Swan

The Paris SecretThe Paris Secret by Karen Swan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really could have done without the whole "my sweet, gentle brother who would never hurt a soul is being wrongly accused of rape by a crazy woman who is obsessed with him because their one night stand didn't mean more" story line. Ugh, really? Maybe he shouldn't have put himself in that situation. Maybe he shouldn't be having one night stands. I'm kidding, but isn't that what women get told all the time? I just felt that part of the story was unnecessary - I especially didn't like the way it was built up. For about half the book we know the brother has been wrongly accused of something awful, and it's going to ruin their family and reputation, but we don't know what it is. And then it's really easily resolved after it causes a bunch of problems in Flora's newest relationship. The whole thing felt icky to me.

I found the story interesting - I always enjoy stories that tie back to WWII and art. But that part of the story played such a small role in this book. It was much more about Flora and the men who wanted her and the men she wanted. And the big relationship at the end didn't make much sense because they supposedly hated each other, but turns out that hate was really attraction. Are they ten?

There were too many twists in this story that didn't feel very developed. They were all resolved with hunches or feelings, not much actual explanation. Flora looks at things and suddenly knows the truth.

Did not love this book.

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Sunday, July 29, 2018

Review: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I'd wanted to read this book for so long. I noticed the audiobook available from my library, and decided to check it out for a long road trip. Big mistake. Being on a road trip meant that when I realized I didn't like this book, I was kind of stuck with it.

So many issues with this book. I was bothered by the way the author described the French. For example, she keeps saying her in-laws dislike her because they regard her as "that American feminist" as if to imply that feminism is an American thing. Really? Because I can think of several French women who are internationally known for their contributions to feminism. In general the French are much more open to feminism and Americans still have quite a ways to go. When people think American women, I doubt their first thought is how feminist we are. But anyway. Also, I didn't notice anything particularly feminist about the character - she works, but I imagine most French women do. She's kind of pathetic in her marriage to a man who openly cheats on her and doesn't seem to like her all that much - that's not what I consider feminist.

The main character is a journalist, and she uncovers the tragic story of Sarah. While that's the basis for so much of this book, there's not a lot of info with regard to Sarah. The historical aspect is important, that's why I gravitate to books like this, but the contemporary story line was dreadful. The woman is obsessed with this story as a way to avoid the miserable state of her own life. She also goes on and on about how the French ignore their history and the role they played in collaborating with the Germans. This may have been the case at the time the story was written, but the times I've been to Paris and seeking out WWII sites, it was very clear to me that the French acknowledge the role they played - I remember being taken aback by how clearly it is stated that the French police rounded up French citizens. But maybe this is a more recent thing. I believe the book is set in 2002, and my own experience in France only dates back about ten years.

The part of the book that turned off completely is the character learning she's pregnant - says they've tried for years and had given up - only to have her husband insist that she have an abortion. If she was really the feminist she claims to be, she wouldn't even entertain his suggestion if that wasn't at all what she wanted, and clearly it wasn't. But she ends up in the abortion clinic, wondering how many other women will be "having their babies scraped out of them" - another very un-feminist view of what should be regarded as a normal medical procedure. Then she claims the people at the clinic are chasing her down, trying to force her to have this abortion that she doesn't want. Ah, yes, because people who work in abortion clinics are evil? Whatever. That's when I would have quit the book - but was still an hour and half away from my destination, driving on the highway, so couldn't exactly pull over and download a new book.

And then to end the story, she's chasing down the people who were related to Sarah, forcing them to confront her history, even though the man has no desire to learn all of this. The whole thing was very uncomfortable and stalker-ish. But then I guess they fall in love in the end which didn't make much sense at all.

Overall, didn't like this book at all.






Monday, May 28, 2018

Review: Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener

I'm trying to catch up on reviews, especially on books I received from NetGalley. This is one of them, and I read this months ago, so am not clear on details.

I gave it three stars on goodreads though, so I must have liked it.

I wanted to read the book because I visited Budapest a few years ago, and I only spent a couple of days there, just enough to want to see more. Also, I like reading books set in cities I've visited before.

Definitely held my interest, once I started it, I didn't want to put it down. I remember that some of the characters were a bit annoying. The story is all told from the viewpoint of someone not directly involved in the action - except that she sort of puts herself in the middle of the action. There's quite a bit of family drama involved, and revenge, but you're never quite sure who is telling the truth. Interesting book with some frustrating characters.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Review: The Lucky Ones by Tiffany Reisz

This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Based on the cover, I thought this would be scary, or spooky, with a touch of the supernatural. But it wasn't anything like that. Creepy, but in an icky, not haunting, sort of way.

The story is about a very dysfunctional family. A single man takes in a a bunch of foster children and they live in a big house and consider themselves very lucky, hence the title, but really, there's something strange going on.

The main character had been one of the foster children, then something bad happened and she was sent away. Years later, she hears from her foster brother and returns because their foster dad is dying. This is when the secrets begin to emerge.

This story didn't really work for me. There's a big buildup to the secret, and then it's all revealed and I felt the people involved accepted what happened a bit too easily. Also, the romance in it felt very off and awkward and inappropriate.

While the story held my interest, for the most part, in the end I felt a bit disappointed with it.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.


Thursday, May 10, 2018

Review: Solsbury Hill by Susan M. Wyler

Solsbury HillSolsbury Hill by Susan M. Wyler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wuthering Heights is my all time favorite book. I first read it when I was a teenager and I'm in my 40s now, and have read it many times. Last summer, I went to Haworth to visit the Bronte Parsonage and walk to Top Withens. One of the best experiences of my life.

Suffice it to say, I am drawn to anything related to Wuthering Heights. But often, I end up disappointed when stories connected to Wuthering Heights don't regard it as the love story I consider it to be, or focus too much on Heathcliff being horrible. There were moments when I worried that this book would go that direction. I wasn't certain who the Heathcliff character was in the current day storyline. Also, at one point, the main character says Cathy died because she couldn't let go of Heathcliff - to which I yelled in my car (I was listening to the book) "She died having Linton's baby - that wasn't Heathcliff's fault!" Anyway, I ended up really liking this book. There were a few elements involving the backstory of a some characters that I thought were a bit much and unnecessarily - what's the word, without giving away the story - scandalous? I think the tragic, unrequited love of family members could have been expressed without such extreme examples. But still, didn't alter my overall enjoyment of the story.

The basis of the story is that Emily Bronte's novel was inspired by her own fierce love. (This is a popular belief among Bronte fans - how else could she write something so passionate is how people explain this.) Rather than follow her heart, she tried to do the right thing - much like Cathy, choosing to marry Linton because she felt she should, rather than be with Heathcliff, who she truly loved. With each generation of women who occupy this house haunted by Emily's ghost, they tend to make the wrong choice, doing what they think they should do, rather than what they want to do.

And now Eleanor is there, faced with a similar decision.

I loved the characters in this book, the love story was beautifully written - fiercely passionate, the way a Wuthering Heights retelling should be. And the descriptions of the house, and the moors was wonderful. I spent the day thinking of this book, wishing I could be there on the moors. In my short time there, it felt like a place I belonged and I want to go back. I want to find my Heathcliff there. But until that happens, I am grateful for books like this.

I highly recommend this to any Wuthering Heights fans.


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Friday, April 27, 2018

Review: The Billionaire Werewolf's Princess by Michele Hauf

This book is so fun. I read it on a long school trip, many hours on a bus with a bunch of teenagers, and it helped immensely to pass the time. While others complained about the long ride, I was like, I'm doing just fine. When else do I get to spend all day reading? And such a great, interesting story to dive into.

That evening, after we took the students out to eat, we were sitting at a park, and I was reading again. The students wanted to know what I was reading - so I tried to summarize it. Wealthy, handsome, billionaire werewolf/fairy meets a woman with a mysterious past - one she isn't even aware of until she meets him and something in her stirs. Anyway, it's been a few months since I read it - I am so behind on writing book reviews - so a little fuzzy on details, but I had the students hanging on my every word. The next day, they were all, "What happened next?" And it got me wondering, has Hauf ever considered writing YA fantasy? Some Beautiful Creatures stories geared toward younger readers, with less steam? Of course, in my descriptions to the students, I left out the sexy times - which Hauf always does very, very well.

I loved these characters, all the wonderful magic and the descriptive Paris setting  (when I was in Paris this summer, I walked by a signs and was all, there's the hospital mentioned in Billionaire Werewolf's Princess). The story is fast paced, and seeing the characters learn about their past made for a thoughtful read. Each of them had to deal with coming to terms with their true identities, both growing up thinking they are something they weren't.

Very much enjoyed this book. Would recommend to anyone who wants a fun, sexy read involving werewolves and fairies and saving the world (or at least the children of Paris.)

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.




Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Review: Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

A new book by Susanna Kearsley is always cause for happiness. I enjoy pretty much everything of hers I've read, and I've read quite a few. (Counting this one, I've read seven of her books, if you want the exact number.) I enjoy the historical aspects of her stories, and especially the paranormal bits she sometimes throws in there, and she writes some really beautiful love stories.

I ended up really liking this book, but I struggled with it in the beginning. There are two story lines, one in the past and one in the present. I usually like that format, but this time, the chapter changes from past to present made it too easy to put the book down between chapters, and sometimes I wouldn't pick it back up for days. For the first half or more of this book, I felt like nothing was happening. There's so much history explained. And again, rich, detailed history is something I tend to like in books. But for some reason, I didn't find it very interesting. The presentation felt more like I was reading passages out of a textbook, and much of it was information I already knew, so I did not find it enjoyable. I felt like I was being forced to sit through a lecture I'd heard before when really I was wanting some action, adventure and romance. Also, there are so many characters in this book - both in the past and present story lines - and we learn so many details about them, details that are not very significant to the main story. I had to keep stopping to remember if that person was the cousin or the friend or the neighbor or another soldier.

I admit that part of the problem could be me. I'm stressed at work, I'm upset by the current political situation, and often feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes reading helps, but sometimes, my mind is too distracted to focus on books.

Eventually, I found myself with several hours of time in which I couldn't do much of anything except read. That's when I finally got through what I considered the very long introduction in the book. I noticed I was right at 70% percent when I started to warm to the characters. That's when the romance in the past and the present finally moves forward. We know from the beginning who likes who and what direction they're going, but they don't make much attempt to get there until that 70% point. At that point, I really started to enjoy the story, both the past and present story.

Even though it took me a few weeks to get to that point, I am really glad I stuck with the book because I absolutely loved the last 30% of the book. Kearsley creates the best male love interests. The men she writes about are nice and respectful and noble and I love them so much. Even years after reading some of her books, I can, without having to think about it, tell you some of my favorite lines from her heroes in past books. Nice guys, in books, much like in real life, sometimes seem entirely too rare. In this book, in the present day story line, we have Sam, who is carefully making his way into Charley's life, becoming a friend at work, as well as helping her out around the house she's just moved into - replacing a broken door, showing up after a storm to clean up the area. In the past we have the French soldier, a man of honor, prepared to admire Lydia from afar because he fears he can never provide her with what she needs. I won't go into too much detail, because it's better if you read it for yourself. Kearsley has a gift for writing some sizzling romance, without the characters ever doing much more than holding hands or sharing an unexpected kiss.

Also, there's a ghost story, and I love good ghost stories. I wish this had been more of a ghost story, and less of a history lesson, but I did enjoy the ghost aspect quite a bit.

Frustrating that I find it easy to talk about the parts of the book that bothered me, but I'm afraid to describe what I really liked about the book without giving too much of a it away.

I ended up really liking this book, but it took me a while to get to that point. I definitely recommend this book to Kearsley fans and fans of historical fiction, with a bit of romance.

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.

Finished reading on April 15, 2018.


Saturday, April 21, 2018

Review: Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Issacson

Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed this book. For years, I've had something of a crush on Leonardo - as weird as that sounds. I'm an artist and an art teacher, so yes, I'm a Leonardo fan girl. The more I learn about him, the more I like him.

While most of us are familiar with his greatest work and achievements, this book provides the stories behind that work, and all the work that didn't get finished or receive the kind of recognition of Mona Lisa or The Last Supper. What I like the most are the parts of the story that portray him as just a normal person - a very intelligent, talented, interesting person - but in a lot of ways, normal. He had friends, he had family, they had drama - he adored his friends and family, he fought with them, he stopped speaking to them, he reconciled with them - you know, just like normal people. He had ideas - some that worked out, some that didn't. He didn't accomplish everything he wanted to accomplish. Like all artists, he was always striving for more. I think this book does a great job of presenting him as a whole, complex person, not simply a genius.

Some of the less interesting parts for me, were when the story got very analytical about his sketches, in particular, the scientific and military based sketches. Important topics, of course, but listening to this, I would sometimes find my mind drifting during those parts. That probably wouldn't have happened as much if I had the book with the images with me. (A pdf is provided for the audiobook, and I downloaded it, but was never near a computer while listening.)

Overall though, I loved the book. Because I checked it out from the library, and there's a huge wait list (I think I've been on the list since October) I could only have it for seven days. So I was listening every chance I got, sometimes when I maybe wasn't able to pay as much attention as I wanted. As a result of that, I plan to buy a copy of the book soon. (I'd planned to buy a copy after Christmas, knowing I would be getting book store gift cards, but after Christmas, the cost of the book increased - so I decided to wait on the library copy - anyway, after listening to the book, I'm now going to go ahead and buy a copy.)

This is one of those books that makes me wish I knew other art people, so that they could read this and we could discuss this. Quite a few things in this book that I'd not known that I found fascinating.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Leonardo or art history. Very enjoyable and interesting story.


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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Favorites

Earlier today, a friend was looking for recommendations for book series. So I was scanning through what I've read in the past few years.

Not a lot of series that jumped out at me, other than romance series and I don't think that's what she wanted. But quite a few books jumped out at me as favorites that I feel compelled to recommend to others.

So I put together a list of books I've loved and think everyone should read:

2018:
Italian Party by Christina Lynch - this just came out, and I need to write an actual review of it. Will do that soon. It's good, set in Italy, lots of secrets and twists and a really, nice unexpected and very different sort of love story.

An American With in Paris by Michele Hauf - Loved this book so much! Super sexy vampire and witch romance set in Paris. 

Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan - I love this book. Became a bit obsessed with this book. 

2017 -

Covet Garden in the Snow by Jules Wake - really nice story about getting your life together, also a bit of a romance 

Bewitching by Jill Barnett

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

2016 -

The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown
Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan

2015 -

Enchanted by the Wolf by Michele Hauf
Stealing Venice by Heather Redding
Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King 
Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott
Moonlight and Diamonds by Michele Hauf
Shadows Over Paradise by Isabel Wolf
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl

2014 - 

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
The Cranes Dance by Meg Howry

Monday, March 12, 2018

Review: The Italian Party by Christina Lynch

This is what I wrote immediately after finishing the book:

This is a really good book. I spent most of today in bed reading it because I'm sick, and I liked it enough that it took my mind off of how awful I was feeling.

Very well written, I never wanted to put the book down. And such great characters, these could have been characters that a person hated - with all their lies and secrets - but they are written in such a way that their behavior makes sense, at least in the moment. I really liked them and was a little sad when the book ended because I wanted more of them.

The Italian setting is wonderful, with quite a bit of information about the political situation during the 50s. I kept grabbing my ipad to look up names, only to realize that if I'd read another line or so, it would have been explained.

Overall, a great book, I highly recommend it.

Will try to write a more thorough review later, when I get over this sinus infection and can think more clearly. (Now that I'm done reading the book, I'm very aware of how bad I feel.)

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.

That was months ago and I never returned to write a more thorough review. I am so very behind on writing book reviews. I've been reading the books and rating them on goodreads, but not writing the reviews in a timely manner.

Anyway, I liked this book a lot. I think what I liked most about it was that it's very much a love story, but not a romantic love story. The people involved, they aren't in love with each other, but do, in fact, despite their strange circumstances, love each other. I think the author did a really wonderful job of showing how their relationship developed and how they grew to care so much about each other.

That's really all I have to add to my initial review. I think I had planned to expand more on the idea of a platonic love story or something like that. But really, just read the book. It's a good one.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Review: Hotel on Shadow Lake by Daniela Tully

I thought the ideas for this book were interesting, but I struggled with the format of the story. The back and forth felt jarring, making it too easy to put the book down, and the cliff hanger-like endings to chapters were frustrating - especially because they were so intentionally misleading. I was a little angry when I realized the truth because the setup it was leading to was so opposite what I thought it would be.

There were also big segments involving a fairy tale that I thought was boring. Usually, I love fairy tales, but in this case, it was kind of  pointless. I was drawn to this story because of the WWII connection, and I did find that interesting, but the modern day part of the story got a little confusing and far-fetched. The research and the travel and the weirdness at the hotel was a bit much for me to accept.

I'm very late writing this review, read the book months ago, and I gave this book three stars, so I must have liked it somewhat, but now I can only seem to remember the things I didn't like about the book. Took me a long time to read this book, which is unusual for me. In general, good story, I definitely appreciate the originality of the story, but I didn't feel as if it was told especially well.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.



Sunday, February 04, 2018

Review: An American Witch in Paris by Michele Hauf

I have read a lot of books by Michele Hauf, (32 books, counting this one, according to Goodreads) and I've liked them all, loved many of them, but this one, this may be my favorite. It's possible that I say that after every new book by this author, but only because it's true.  This book has everything I always love about her books - great characters, interesting story line, fascinating magic, beautiful imagery and sexy, steamy romance - and then taken up to the next level. Tuesday may be my favorite out of all the wonderful characters in Hauf's Beautiful Creatures world. And have I mentioned, this story is so, so sexy? Reminded me a bit of Hauf's Paris Secrets erotica series that she writes under the name Michele Renae.

The women Hauf creates are always strong and independent, that is a big part of why I enjoy her books. These women can take care of themselves, and they're powerful - literally - but they're able to fall in love, absolutely and completely, while still holding onto their power and that's something that I find very appealing in a romance novel. In this particular book though, I feel like Hauf went a step further, giving us this character of Tuesday, a centuries old witch who has devoted much of her life to helping other women, because as history has shown us, that's what witches did. There's a line in the book that says, "Feminism was her right" and when I read that, I knew immediately that Tuesday was going to be one of my favorite characters. While a lot of romance authors write characters who are clearly feminist in their actions, I feel too often they're afraid to use the word. Not the case with Tuesday.

Another aspect of this story that I really loved was the dynamics of Tuesday and Ethan's sexual relationship. There is something so very sexy about Ethan asking, "May I?" Yes, explicit consent is sexy! There's something very mature and respectful about their relationship. They both know exactly what they're doing. Both of these characters have been around for a long time, they've seen a lot over the centuries and they're a bit jaded about the idea of love, but wonderfully philosophical about sex. "It's about finding yourself in someone else, yet not getting lost there." That quote was one of my favorites, but I highlighted so many lines in this book. The talk of "worlds." Another favorite, "I'll share myself with you, lover. But let's never take ownership."

And the visuals Hauf creates. Her descriptions always make me want to get out my sketchbook and attempt to draw what she'd described. Sometimes it's amazing fairy wings, but in this book, it was Ethan at the window of his Paris apartment, drinking Scotch. I could see that so clearly and it was beautiful.

Besides the romance, there's also a rather tense story line about stolen codes that could bring about the end of the world, and trying to find the demon who took those codes - which is the entire reason Tuesday and Ethan are together. Then there's the appearance of an former spouse and a deadly curse. Pretty much everything you need for a great book.

This book felt very relevant and important in the current landscape. This is the story of a vampire and a witch trying to prevent a demon from destroying the world, but it's also about two very powerful people, who realize they have to look beyond the horrors they've experienced in the world to save each other - because somewhere along the way, they've become a part of each other's world.

I highly recommend this book. If you like hot, sexy vampire/witch stories, you want this book.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

Friday, February 02, 2018

Review: Charlotte Bronte - A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman

Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery HeartCharlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've been a fan of the novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights since I was a teenager. This summer, I finally visited the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth and doing so made me want to learn more about the Brontes. This book reveals much about the family, Charlotte in particular and explains some of the inspiration for her writing.

This book shows that Charlotte's life really was as interesting as the characters she created. But after listening to this, I'm quite heartbroken at learning of the circumstances of her death. She seemed so very happy in her new marriage, after spending so much of her life yearning for the kind of love she now finally had. And her husband adored her, which makes me glad, because she deserved that after having lost so much during her life. There time together was much too short. Think of all the beautiful love stories she may have been able to write had she been able to live a bit longer.

I now plan to re-read Jane Eyre and her other novels.

I checked out the audio book through my library's Hoopla account, but I liked this book so much, I'm probably going to buy a hard copy so I can re-read parts of it and make notes.

Highly recommend this to Bronte fans.



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Saturday, January 27, 2018

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1)The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought I would like this more than I did - being that I'm obsessed with all things Russian and I love fairy tales. But it took forever for me to get into this book, I found the first half to be a bit boring. I enjoyed the end, but I wanted more about the Frost Demon, he was the most interesting character and the book is nearly over by the time he shows up.

A while back, someone in one of my online book groups posted that this was a great book and was on sale - a kindle daily deal. I saw that it was a Russian fairy tale and clicked the buy button, without reading much more about it. Then I realized it was classified as "young adult" and sort of regretted my quick purchase. I am not much of a fan of young adult books. I read a lot of them when I was a young adult, and loved them at the time, but twenty or so years later, I no longer have much interest in reading those stories. So my lack of love for this book is my own fault. While I still enjoy fairy tales, I prefer there be more of a adult twist to them, with a bit of grown-up romance. By the time I got around to reading the book, I knew this was a young adult book, so I knew this probably wouldn't be the kind of story I'd hoped it would be when I bought it.

The winter setting is really beautiful, and it did make me want to read more about Russian fairy tales.


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Saturday, January 13, 2018

Review: Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Female pilots in the Red Army during WWII - that sort of satisfies everything I love in a book: strong women, Russian history, WWII setting.

For the most part, I loved this book. It drew me in immediately. The story is about a pilot, Katya, who was training to be a pilot before the war started. She then joins the Red Army and is part of group of women who became known by the Germans as "Night Witches" because they bombed German camps at night. I know nothing about piloting or navigating planes, but felt this story described the process well enough that I understood what was happening, without feeling overwhelmed with details.

One aspect of the book that I especially enjoyed was seeing how women were treated and how they handled finding themselves in what had previously been considered men's roles. Despite Stalin's support, they still had to deal with men not comfortable with seeing women being treated as equals. These were complex characters, with families and fears and ambitions, as well as insurmountable courage.

The action scenes are well written and exciting. Every time I picked this book up, I had a tough time putting it down. I was reading in the morning before work and during my lunch breaks, always dreading having to put the book away.

I read the entire last half in one sitting. And I continued to love the book, heartbreaking though parts of it were, up until near the end. As the story was progressing, the war was ending, and I was feeling hopeful for these characters, even after all the losses they'd suffered, and then something happened that upset me, that seemed unnecessary. I'm being vague because I don't want to spoil it for other readers - because even though I didn't like what happened, you all need to read this book.

Because this was based on true events, I thought at first that maybe the author had based this character on a real person so the author had no choice. But the author's note said the characters were fictional, and that she took liberties with the end, which was supposed to be a happy ending of sorts, but annoyed me. Sometimes, I think authors do things like this because they think it makes the story more serious or edgy. I don't know, maybe I just read too many books that have guaranteed happy endings. And as I said, this does have a happy ending, but not the one I had hoped for. The fact that I'm still so upset about this, two days after finishing the book, shows how well-developed these characters and this story was. I loved these characters and my heart is broken for them. I may as well admit, I cried through the last few chapters of this book, I felt that attached to this story. 

Anyway, I think this is a really great book. I highly recommend it if you are interested in stories set during WWII, and/or stories about interesting, strong women.

I received a copy of this via Netgalley. 

Monday, January 01, 2018

Review: Still Me by Jojo Moyes

This book is so good. As expected, parts of it made me laugh, made me furious, and made me cry.

I love Lou, so glad to return to her world and find out how she's doing, but part of this story infuriated me. I found myself thinking, all this time and she's learned nothing, she still lets people walk all over her, won't fight for what matters to her. This wasn't the life Will wanted for her, always putting other people's lives before her own. She's too nice, like pathetically self-destructively nice at one point. There were several times when bad things happened to her with regard to her relationship and her job and she just let them, did nothing to protect herself. I can't relate to that level of niceness, but, in the end, maybe her being nice is why things work out for her. Takes a very well written story and characters to make me feel so strongly about a book.

Things do eventually work out for her with regard to her relationship and her job.

In this story, Lou has taken a job in New York City, working as a personal assistant for a very wealthy man's new wife. (The wife reminded me of a rather well-known rich wife, and that bothered me because this was the last place where I wanted to be thinking about those people, but anyway. I imagine the description would apply to a lot of wealthy New York wives.) The couple is pretty awful and it upset me to see Lou in this position.

Also, Lou is still trying to maintain her relationship with "Ambulance Sam" and as you can imagine, that proves somewhat difficult. But this is Lou, and she makes things fun and interesting and sweet.

Overall, I loved the book. I imagine this is the last we'll hear of Lou, but I would gladly read more about it, because she really is a wonderful character.

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.