Review: Caller ID

Caller ID
by Rachelle J. Christensen
Published by Sweetwater Books
Expected Publication March 13, 2012
NetGalley copy


From Goodreads:


When twenty-three-year-old Courtney Beckham is abducted near her home, the search turns up more than just a kidnapping crime. FBI agent Jason Edwards investigates the ten-million-dollar ransom and stumbles upon something he wasn't meant to find. When Courtney catches a glimpse of the caller ID in her kidnapper's home, what she sees turns her world upside down.


My Thoughts:


I enjoyed this book! There was a lot of suspense and twists and turns. Just when you thought you'd figured out the bad guys, there was another twist in the plot. Courtney is a likable heroine, she's vulnerable, but not a pushover. I thought this was a debut novel when I first started reading it and I later realized that there was a first novel, Wrong Number. I'm eager to read this one as well. I really did enjoy this book. It was an easy enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the twists and turns of a suspense thriller.

Review: If You Know Her by Shiloh Walker

If You Know Her

by Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballentine Books

ARC recieved from author

FAIR WARNING! If you haven't read the first two books in the series, If You Hear Her and If You See Her, then this review will contain some spoilers. You can find my review of the first book HERE, and I suggest that to be where you start, and my review of the second book HERE.

From Goodreads:

A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW. 

Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free? 

Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike. 

Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.

My Thoughts:

This book was a perfect ending to the series. On the romance side of things I was so happy to see Law finally find someone, and become a little more confident in himself. In the first book I saw him as a sad little puppy dog who couldn't get the girl. In the second book he was like a big brother looking out for Hope, but Nia brings out his stronger side and he does a little more taking charge in this book, and I really liked that.

Nia is a really interesting girl. I love the bad ass persona she has, albeit the grief stricken gun wielding girl from the second book had me nervous. She's leveled out some in this book though. She comes back to Ash because she simply isn't satisfied that her cousin's murderer is really Hope's dead ex-husband. She starts digging around and finds some pretty disturbing facts.

When we discover who the killer is, and find out the totality of his MO, it's incredibly disturbing! I was excited that the killer was who I suspected though. That's my favorite part of reading a mystery, trying to figure out "who done it" before the author tells us!

This was an incredible series, I highly recommend it! My book club is reading If You Hear Her for March's meeting and I can't wait until they get into this series so I have more people to talk about it with!

Review: Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Then Came You
By Jennifer Weiner
Audiobook by Simon and Schuster Audio
Read by Jenni Barber, Aya Cash, AnnaLynne McCord, and Karen Ziemba
Audible.com

Synopsis:


In this novel by Jennifer Weiner four very different women find themselves involved in Princeton's Fertility clinic's surrogacy program in some capacity. Jules, a college student, is looking for a way to earn enough money to help her father battle a substance addiction. Annie, a young wife and mother of two wants to contribute to her household, so that her family doesn't have to struggle financially. India, newlywed to a powerful businessman who is much older than she, longs to have a child to complete their family. Bettina, India's step-daughter, will stop at nothing to prove that her father has made some kind of mistake, and that India can't possibly be anything other than a gold-digging impostor out to ruin her father.

Over a span of roughly two years these women will be forever impacted by the decisions they make, and the connections, however unlikely, they make with one another.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It isn't often that I listen to audiobooks, but I'm glad I've started. I have always enjoyed books with multiple points of view. I enjoy hearing the same story told from different perspectives. The fact that this recording actually used four different women to read really added something for me.

I loved the story line. Surrogacy has never been a controversial topic for me, but I began to see how it could be. For these women, the stereotypes and stigmas associated with it had a real effect on their day to day lives.

Annie was mu favorite character, a young mother left wondering if there had been more out there for her, wondering what it would be like to go to college. Her yearning for things that many of us take for granted really tugged at me.

I didn't like Bettina. She was spoiled and judgmental, but by the end of the novel she had grown up a lot. I could see how going through the awkward teen years without a mother could mold her into the bitter adult who doesn't trust anyone. In some ways she doesn't have the maturity that an adult her age should have because she grew up with everything she needed. She has a very narrow view of how things are, and I wonder if that ever really changes for her.

It was a new look at a topic I've never spent a lot of time thinking about. I really did enjoy it, and I would definitely recommend it.

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath

By Brodi Ashton

Published by Harper Collins

Released January 2011

ARC Tour with Once Upon a Twilight

From Goodreads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My Thoughts:

What a great story! I was happy to see some indication that there will be a second book, because the ending simply blew me away, and I still have so many questions!

In Everneath Nikki Beckett goes to the Underneath as a forfeit, meaning she literally forfeited her life so that she wouldn’t have to feel pain anymore. Only afterwards she realizes that it was a mistake and chooses to return to the surface for six months instead of going straight to her end in the Tunnels of the Everneath.

Cole, the Everliving who took Nikki to the Underneath to feed off of her energy, realizes that she is special and wants her to go back to the Underneath as his queen. Only Nikki doesn’t want to give up her heart and feed off the energy of others for eternity.

In her six months on the Surface she tries to reconnect with those she hurt most by leaving. She tries to be a good daughter and sister, and most importantly she tries to reconnect with her boyfriend Jack, the reason she wanted to give up her pain in the first place.

The story that unfolds revolves around the ancient myths of the Greeks, and the strong emotions of young love.

This is definitely a book worth reading. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series to see what comes next.

Sidenote: I love that the strong connection between the teens in this novel didn’t revolve around sex, but rather around their long friendship and their honest love of being together. I know that teen sex is a reality, but I hate seeing it glorified. This novel didn’t do that and I was very grateful for that.

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl
by Paige Harbison
Published by Harlequin Teen
Expected Release January 31st 2012
NetGalley

From Goodreads:


They call me 'New Girl'... 

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her. 

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault. 

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be. 

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this novel. Although I had to pretend this was college and not boarding school. I hate thinking about  teens drinking and having sex. Probably because my sister is a teen and I want to think it's not really happening. But I digress.

This novel was full of drama in the style of CW or ABCFamily. I kept waiting to see what really happened to Becca. There was a lot of tension in the novel, I felt like I was holding my breath a lot. I had so many different suspicions while I was reading! Was Becca alive? Did one of the boys kill her? Did Dana have something to do the her untimely disappearance? The writer really allows your mind to explore all kinds of possibillities before we find the answers.

This is the kind of book that I would love to talk about with someone who has read it. My favorite part is at the end of the book when the main character finally comes into her own. I don't want to spoil anything and there was a definite, "oh my gosh" moment at the end when I realize that the writer did something incredibly difficult throughout the book and I didn't even notice!

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the high-drama of a good YA novel.

Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
by Aimee Bender
Published by Anchor Books (April 2011)
Originally Published in May 2010 by Knopf Publishing Group
Purchased for Book Club

From Goodreads:


On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein bites into her mother's homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the slice. To her horror, she finds that her cheerful mother tastes of despair. Soon, she’s  privy to the secret knowledge that most families keep hidden: her father’s detachment, her mother’s transgression, her brother’s increasing retreat from the world. But there are some family secrets that even her cursed taste buds can’t discern.


My Thoughts:

This was yet another step outside of my normal reading habits. I enjoyed it though. Rose is a sweet spirited girl until she discovers that she can taste feelings in food. From that point on her life is dramatically different. I wanted to cry for the little girl who knew so much more than any child should know about her mother. The idea that she couldn't enjoy food anymore because the majority of the world around her was so unhappy! I imagine it would be awful.

One of the things that makes this book so different is the detachment of the characters. You have Paul, the dad, who likes to have his normal organized family, and goes through the motions even when things aren't so great. You have Joseph who prefers to be alone all of the time and very rarely engages with the family. You have Rose who, before long, avoids cooked foods because there is too much emotion there. She sticks to processed snack food so that all she tastes are the methodical factories that produce the food. Then there is Lane, the mom. She is so sad and so empty. We know more of her emotions than any other character because it is the one thing that Rose can't avoid. She tastes it in every meal. She is so sad, and lonely.

The book was well written and definitely creative, but it left me feeling empty as I read it. The emotions are conveyed beautifully by the author.

I will be honest, there is a secondary plot line involving Joseph that is kind of out there. For most of the book he goes through these spells where he disappears. We don't know why, and we don't know where he goes, but we know that something is off. When this begins to resolve it gets a little different. It was actually the part of the book that we spent the most time talking about at book club. The majority could only use the word 'weird'. I leaned more towards 'interesting'. This book is in the genre of magical realism so you have to be willing to accept that a lot of it isn't really explained in concrete satisfactory terms. It's about the emotion conveyed through the story.

This was a story of loss innocence for a young girl. Once she grows up she realizes that by avoiding the emotions in food, she has avoided emotion all together. When she sees what that detachment has done to her brother she sets out to find herself, and really live her life for her. The book ends in the middle of Rose's new beginning and I was left with the feeling that she was going to be ok, even if the path that brought her there was a little bumpy.

I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it for people who like something a little different and aren't bothered by the unexplained mystical elements. If you don't really like books where there is not a clear concrete explanation it may not be for you.

Review: Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty (Hell's Eight #5)

Shadow's Stand (Hells Eight #5)
by Sarah McCarty
Published by HQN
Expected Release January 31st, 2012
Acquired through Net Galley

From Goodreads:

Shadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers—the Hell's Eight brotherhood—to clear his name. That is, until he's unjustly strung up for horse thieving…and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard.

Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.

Shadow isn't a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei—except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren't closing in on him. If only he's left standing when the impending showdown has ended….

My Thoughts:

I read the first four books in this series when they first came out. Due to contracts and such, I had to wait a whole year for this book! I thought I might die waiting! So when I saw it on Net Galley I simply had to request it!

A little background on the series; Hell's Eight are a band of Outlaws turned Texas Rangers. The eight men survived an attack of Mexican Army as young boys and once they grew into mean they hunted down the mean who killed their families. Rather than waste energy and men trying to arrest these skilled killers, the government offered them jobs as Texas Rangers. Together they have worked hard to establish their ranch and work to keep peace in Texas. No longer outlaws, they still aren't above using necessary force. Once by one the men of Hell's Eight encounter women who turn their worlds upside down and change their way of thinking.

The first four books of the series were Caine's Reckoning, Sam's Creed, Tucker's Claim, and Tracker's Sin.

Tracker's Sin ended with Shadow Ochoa shooting a man in front of the US Army. Now a wanted man, Shadow is on the run after escaping his captors. He has cut himself off from his brother and the rest of Hell's Eight. Along the way trouble continues to find him as does Fei Yen, a young Chinese American woman who is looking for a quick husband that can help her with her current predicament.

There are a few slow spots in the book but I really enjoyed it on the whole. Shadow has already been portrayed throughout the series as the most dangerous of Hell's Eight but he has always been on the fringes. We finally get to know him and learn that he may also be the most damaged of the group. Fei Yen is also a very interesting character. She isn't necessarily my favorite heroine in the series, but she is very likable. Her culture is different and that is always fascinating. This series is full of diversity as far as the heritage and backgrounds of the characters.

My copy had a lot of typos and errors but it was an advanced copy so hopefully most of those will be taken care of before the final print.

A point worth making for those who have read the previous book in this series is that this book was published under the HQN imprint as opposed to the SPICE imprint. The first four books, published under Harlequin's SPICE Imprint, were real sheet scorchers and I loved them! Now all of the 'SPICE' books are being published under the HQN imprint. Does that mean they will be tamer on the whole? Time will tell, but this one definitely had a lot less steamy sex scenes than it's predecessors. That's not to say I didn't still like it! But fans of the series will notice the change.

Overall impression? I really liked it, and I will continue to read this series, and I have a feeling that Fei's cousin Lin will be making another appearance. Maybe? Who knows. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sexy cowboy book. Because if it's place in the series you could read this book without having read the others before it, but I recommend starting with Caine's Reckoning and working your way through.

** Due to explicit sex scenes this book isn't recommended for those under the age of 18 ;) **

Review: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed
by Lia Habel
Published by Random House Publishing Group
Released October 2011
Received through Net Galley

From Goodreads:


Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie? 

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. 

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.


My Thoughts:

This was my first zombie book AND my first steampunk book. I always thought I would hate anything that had to do with zombies but with all the zombie craze I read in the blogosphere I knew I had to at least give it a try. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this book. I'm not going to re-summarize because the above synopsis is pretty thorough.

I loved both Nora and Pam. Two young girls growing up in a society that has the ideals of the Victorian era where the girls are expected to marry young and marry for money. They bucked the system and I like that. I also really loved Bram. Dead as he might be, he was incredibly loyal, and had a very kind heart.

I also really loved the whole steampunk thing. I figured I would, I love the wardrobe anyway, but it was really interesting to see the two themes combined.

One thing that I loved with this book is that I never got confused. When you are writing in a different time and almost a different world, it can be confusing. It helped that the girls were students and it really flowed for them to give us the "how we got here" explanation by way of school conversation.

I also really loved that they explained the zombie phenomenon as a disease. My only experience with zombie related entertainment was too stupid to be funny for me, and definitely too funny to hold any real terror.

A love story between the living and the walking dead, how do I start. When I first caught that this would be a love story I became incredibly skeptical. How? I didn't understand at all. The fact that they bring up the reality of the situation, acknowledging that there will be no forever and (thank god) that zombies can't be intimate helped me frame this in a way that I could still enjoy the book.

So while I can't say that I will now love all things zombie, I really loved this book. I look forward to reading the rest of the Gone with Respiration Series.

Review: Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

Christmas Jars
by Jason F. Wright
Published by Shadow Mountain
October 2005
Acquired through bookswap

From Goodreads:

Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me... 

Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page. 

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.

My Thoughts: 

This was a really great Christmas read. I picked this book for our December Book Club party because it sounded like a nice story and it was pretty short. Everyone's busy and I wanted to pick something that would be easy to read. I sat down and read it in one night. I really enjoyed this story. The writing is more a storytelling style than what I am used to reading in fiction. There were a lot of narrative sections but it really played into the type of book it was.

This is the story of a young girl orphaned as an infant and taken in my a kind housekeeper who doted on her belated Christmas gift. Holly Jensen grows up to be an ambitious reporter for the local paper. When Hope receives an unexpected gift on the heels of an awful event she sets out to find her benefactor and write the best feature story yet. Through the course of her investigating she meets and falls in love with a wonderful family and finally discovers the origin of the Christmas Jars. The discovery throws Hope off balance and suddenly she longs for something other than an ambitious career.

Like most Christmas movies and stories this heart-warming tale is a little unbelievable, but that is what makes the Christmas season so magical. We have an opportunity to believe in the good of mankind and happy endings for people who truly deserve them. I cried like a baby when I finished this book. It's only 122 pages but it is a great read and a very inspiring story about the true spirit of Christmas.

Review: In Leah's Wake

In Leah's Wake
by Terri Giuliano Long
First Published by CreateSpace
October 2010
E-book provided by Author


From Goodreads:


The Tyler family had the perfect life - until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn't want to be perfect anymore.

While Leah's parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake.

Will this family survive? What happens when love just isn't enough?

Jodi Picoult fans will love In Leah's Wake - a heartbreaking, ultimately redemptive story about family, connection and our responsibility to those we love.

My Thoughts:

This book was a story of a "normal" family's struggles with a rebellious teenager and how her actions effect each member of their once picture perfect family.

I don't know if you can call it a heart-warming tale, it's more heart-wrenching. In the beginning of the book Will and Zoe have two ambitious daughters with promising futures. Leah is a star soccer player chasing an athletic scholarship and Justine, their younger daughter, is very very smart. She is one of the best in her class.

Then Leah gets involved with the wrong guy and everything begins to unravel. The author does a brilliant job showing the inner battle of a teenager who loves her parents but wants to do what she wants to do. So many times you think that Leah is on the brink of turning things around and making the right choices, only to see her turn back into all of the wrong choices.

What is true in real life is true in this book. Some families are perfect only because they haven't dealt with any real problems yet. Early on Zoe flashes back to another time in the families past where the parents picture perfect marriage wasn't perfect at all. We start to see the shaky foundation this family has and you worry at any minute that it all may crumble.

I shed a lot of tears over this book. I really felt for Justine, the "good" child left behind in the wake of her older sister's destruction. I could easily substitute families and people I know in the roles of these characters.

It's a book worth reading, especially for anyone who wants to read something about what families really go through when they try to keep it together but can't quite find a good grip.

Review: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Remembrance
by Michelle Madow
Self Published
Released July 2011
E-book provided by Author


From Goodreads:


New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet. 

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.


My Thoughts:


This was a really cute book. I enjoyed the whimsical premise and the vivid imagery of Lizzie's dress and her flashbacks. She seemed like a neat character. I would have liked to have gotten more from Drew's character. I didn't feel like I got a good feel from him at all. He seemed all over the map at times.


I was never confused about what was present and what was past, which is a good thing, I will say I would have liked to have seen more of the characters that allowed me to distinguish their past selves from their current selves. 


The build-up of the story was really good, I was definitely trying to figure out how she was going to resolve the story. There are a few unfinished plot lines that I imagine will be addressed in the next book this author is releasing, Vengeance.


This was a very lighthearted quick read with a fun premise. I was fascinated by the idea that a music video inspired the plot. (The author was inspired by the music video for Taylor Swift's 'Love Story'.) I am guessing that it was actually the dress in the video and not the video as a whole, now that I have read the book, but it was definitely fun.


I would give the book a 3.5 if I didn't try to keep to whole numbers. My only complaints were that the characters could have been developed a little better, and while there was a lot of build-up, if felt like there was a lot left out of the resolution that isn't likely to be addressed in a story from Chelsea's point of view.


I enjoyed it! I will likely read the next book in the series to see what happens with Chelsea and Lizzie's friendship.

Review: Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows

Published by Random House

July 2008
Acquired through bookswap

From Goodreads:

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.... As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends--and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island--boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. As Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

My Thoughts:

This book was absolutely delightful! This was a Book Club read and I am so glad I read it! The book takes the form of a collection of correspondence. While reading it you feel as though you have found a  treasured box of secrets. It is such an interesting was to tell a story! It doesn't have a 'dear diary' feel to it either. It is as though someone stumbled upon a stack of letters in various houses and put them in chronological order to see what happened with this group of people. There is more than enough in the letters to keep you from becoming lost or confused, but the story moves along much more quickly this way.

The content of the story is quite heavy since these people are dealing with the aftermath of the German Occupation, and yet their telling of their own experiences in a way that focuses on the happy times and the friendships that they've formed.

It was truly impressive to me that the author is painting a vivid picture of the aftermath of WWII and yet this book seems so warm and inviting. It is really all about the interesting characters. There were moments that I shed tears, but even more when I found myself laughing along with the characters.

I loved this book. I highly recommend it!

Review: If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker

If You Hear Her
by Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballantine Books
Released October 2011
Received as a gift (RAK rocks!)


From Goodreads:


A CRY IN THE WOODS 


The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration. 


Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close? When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her


My Thoughts:

Squeel! I loved this book! It was everything I hoped it would be. I've always loved Shiloh Walker but the more I read her work the better it gets!

In Shiloh Walker’s new release we meet a handful of friends and acquaintances from Ash, Kentucky. I really enjoy Lena Riddle, the main character. She is a cook at a local Inn and she hears screams coming from her woods. When she reports the incident to the police she can only tell them what she heard because she is blind and couldn’t actually look out to see who might’ve been there.

Her grit and determination with the jerk deputy really made me love her. She and Ezra King, a town newbie and off-duty state cop, are thrown together by circumstances as well as by their growing attraction for each other. Ezra has his own dark past and he’s a wounded and sometimes broody character. Overall though, I really liked him too. He’s got a fierce protective streak, not only for Lena but for anyone who may need it. He’s a good cop and notices things about people. When we get to read portions from his point of view I feel like we get a lot of insight.

Law O’Reilly is a good friend of Lena’s and hopelessly in love with her. Although, I’m not sold on his dying devotion. He steps aside far too easily for Ezra and his fascination with Hope seems more than brotherly. I know that isn’t supposed to be the case, but that’s how it feels. He’s got this puppy dog thing going on. I want him to get aggressive and heated. I’m hoping that the third book will bring some romance for him and we’ll get to see him grow out of his reclusive shell.

Hope is possibly one of my favorite characters. I know she takes a more prominent role in ‘If You See Her’ and I can’t wait. She is introduced as this mousy little woman who has been beaten down by her past and needs protecting. As the story progresses though she has this surprising strength! There is a scene (no spoilers) where she puts this busybody woman in her place for talking about Law and it really made me want to hug this girl! I cannot wait to see how her story continues to unfold in the next book.

I really loved this book. This trilogy definitely has to be read in order and together. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Review of Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Special Topics in Calamity Physics
by Marisha Pessl
Published by Penguin Books Ltd
August 2006
Acquired through bookswap



From Goodreads:


Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this "cracking good read" is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some - a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel - with "visual aids" drawn by the author - that has won over readers of all ages.


My Thoughts:


This was one of those books for me that when I finished I had to just sit back and say "What the hell just happened?"


I enjoyed the book very much. There are so many literary and cultural references though, I often felt as though I was missing something. (If you've watched the TV show Gilmore Girls, there were actually more references than they use!)When I think about the time that went into the novel on the part of the author I can hardly imagine. I enjoyed the local references, I only live about an hour from the area where the novel was set.


The story is told from the point of view of Blue van Meer, a young girl headed for the ivy league under the watch of a somewhat eccentric father, and is full of interesting characters and plenty of dysfunctional relationships.


Blue and her father, a traveling professor, finally settle in for Blue's final year of high school. Blue, at the urging of a very unconventional film teacher, joins a group of friends known as the bluebloods. Over the course of the school year Blue becomes close with Hannah Scnieder, the film teacher, and forms a unique bond with the woman who brings about more questions than answers.


Blue tells us in the first few pages about the unexpected death of Hannah Schnieder, and then goes back to lay out the story for us. 


I don't typically enjoy stories that start at the end, but in this case, it allowed me to try and read more into the plot throughout so that, thankfully, I had a fighting chance of keeping up in the last 100 pages where the entire story unravels and tries to catch up with itself. It was a really intense resolution that leaves a lot open to interpretation.


I don't like to include spoilers, but it is soo hard with this book! I definitely recommend it if you are a reader who doesn't mind taking your time with a book and really settling in for a while.

Review: Dangerous Lies by Lisa Smith

Dangerous Lies
by Lisa Smith
Windgate Publishing
Published 2001

From Goodreads:


The trial had everything an ambitious prosecuting attorney could want: a solid case against a known crimelord and a seductively beautiful witness with a steamy past - ingredients guaranteed to pack a courtroom." From its first line, Dangerous Lies entices. Alternately raw, romantic, funny, and terrifying, this racy new thriller has two unforgettable protagonists. Tina Davis is the former mob mistress who inexplicably risks her life. Jake Stern, is the prosecuting attorney who hides a crippling fear behind a handsome stoic mask. Repelled by her past and obsessed with her presence, it's Jake's job to keep Tina alive. 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the heroine of this novel immensely. She had a fascinating story. I've always love reading about the mob world (because organized crime fascinates me?) and her story was so involved. I also loved seeing her find a way to fight back against the people who hurt her by testifying.

The novel is broken up into many small chapters and, after an initial courtroom scene featuring Tina Davis as the primary witness, we begin when Bettina Berenson was a child. Alternating between scenes from Tina's chilhood we get a glimpse of the world that Jake Stern (prosecuting attorney) grew up in. When the novel catches up with itself we get to know Jake a little better. He is a passionate attorney working for the State of New York and his big case of the moement features Tina as the star witness.

I never grew to love Jake. He was an unlikely hero and even in the moments when I thought he was going to win me over he stopped just short of doing what I felt he should do. He was judgmental too. I didn't like that at all. But that is me not liking the character, not disliking the book!

I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but I wasn't crazy about it. Not that it wasn't a fine ending, and probably the one that made the most sense, it just wasn't what I wanted to see.

The book was well written and I have to say I was completely caught up in it. There were a handful of distracting typos in the book that should have been caught in the editing process, but it was a very enjoyable read.

Lisa Smith is about to come out with a new book Exceeding Expectations. I hope to be able to check that one out as well!

I was provided a free copy of this novel from the author for review. This in no way affected my review. All opinions and views above are my own.

Review of A Spy at Home

A Spy at Home
by Joseph Rinaldo
Self-Published
From Author for Review


From Goodreads:


When Dad becomes the lone caregiver for a dependent adult son, Dad has to answer the terrifying question: What happens if I die first?

A retired CIA operative comes to believe he wasted his professional life not only promoting questionable American policies, but missing life with his family. After his wife dies in a tragic accident, he must learn all that she knew about caring for their mentally retarded son. After a life of planning for contingencies, the former spy must deal with the possibility that he may die before his son. Who will care for the son when the dad spent a life out of the country and now has no one to lean on?


My Thoughts:


A Spy at Home was an enjoyable read. I don't often read books written in the first person and it was a different experience. The premise of the book is so serious I was worried that it might be too heavy for me. It wasn't though. The story opens up on the narrator, Garrison Stonebrook, telling his wife how he came to steal 9.5 million dollars from the US government.


There are plenty of times in the book that I found myself laughing at the way these two very "normal" characters handled being criminals. I loved Louisa. She made me smile often throughout the book.


I never quite knew what to expect, from how Garrison and Louise became parents, to the tragic death of Louisa, all the way to the unexpected end of the novel! This book was full of surprises and I found myself completely enjoying the story.


There were some typos and a handful of awkward sentences that tripped me up, but nothing that took away from the overall enjoyment of the novel. The first person narrative jumps around a little bit, so not everything is completely chronological, but I never got confused so I didn't mind that too much.


A Spy at Home was delightful, I look forward to seeing what else Joseph Rinaldo comes out with
.