This is a romance with a twist. Kate is the cofounder of a matchmaking firm who can't seem to find love for herself. Not because she isn't trying, though. She just can't escape her gift of knowing who the right match is for someone- and it never seems to be her. When she meets Slade Montgomery, she knows she's met her match. The dialogue is well-written, the banter is witty, the characters are relatable and likable.
My only issue with this novel is the epilogue. Yes, it was cute to include the point of view of Kate's dog. Given that there are no other instances of this in the whole book, though, to me it was awkward and unnecessary.
Full of self-doubt, angst, and childhood issues, this is a fun, quirky novel that will leave you hoping that there's another installment in the Love Spell family.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Priest by Monica La Porta
I was deeply intrigued when I started this book. It has everything I could want in a story: a ruling class, a mistreated slave, a high-born girl who is only looking for love, and hope for those brave enough to rebel against society in order to make their lives happier. I was also disappointed in this book.
There is huge potential here. Set in a future dystopian society where women rule everything, the only sanctioned marriages are between women, and men who are only good as slave labor, La Porta has given us a window into something spectacular. However, the characters fall flat, there's almost no development in the plot, and the narration and conversations are formal and stilted.
Mauricio's child-like glee at experiencing anything new, such as the outside world, quickly becomes tedious with the same terms and descriptions used again and again. And again and again. And again and again. (Get where I'm going with this?) His encounters with Rosie also become repetitive and seem to go nowhere. While they eventually share a "date" and she tells Mauricio a bit of her childhood, there is no basis for a love connection, making this story more awkward.
I read the author's note, telling us that Rosie and Mauricio were characters that came to life during the writing of another novel that was almost finished. To me, this made more sense as to why it fell short of my expectations.
There is huge potential here. Set in a future dystopian society where women rule everything, the only sanctioned marriages are between women, and men who are only good as slave labor, La Porta has given us a window into something spectacular. However, the characters fall flat, there's almost no development in the plot, and the narration and conversations are formal and stilted.
Mauricio's child-like glee at experiencing anything new, such as the outside world, quickly becomes tedious with the same terms and descriptions used again and again. And again and again. And again and again. (Get where I'm going with this?) His encounters with Rosie also become repetitive and seem to go nowhere. While they eventually share a "date" and she tells Mauricio a bit of her childhood, there is no basis for a love connection, making this story more awkward.
I read the author's note, telling us that Rosie and Mauricio were characters that came to life during the writing of another novel that was almost finished. To me, this made more sense as to why it fell short of my expectations.
Friday, October 18, 2013
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
Cleo Berry jumps straight from the pages and into the hearts and imaginations of the reader. Adrift in a sea of uncertainty of what to do with her life, Cleo decides to do something to help those who are most at risk of contracting Spanish influenza- something as small as handing out fliers on how to care for the ill, along with masks to prevent more from becoming ill. Cleo's compassion for those who need help is astounding. Even though she's appalled by the illness, the unclean conditions of those who most need help, and the terrifying knowledge that no one is safe, Cleo returns to the temporary hospital day after day to help in any way she can. She doesn't know what she wants to do with the rest of her life, but she knows that if she doesn't help, even more people will lose their lives to this awful disease.
The characters in this story came to life in my mind. Cleo is a protagonist with whom many can relate. Her details and first-person narration served as a wonderful aid to the imagination. I could really picture Jack as my brother and Lucy as my sister-in-law. I could imagine going out for lunch and a play with Kate. I could imagine being in love with Edmund, who is so sure of himself and completely selfless, even though he'd been through so much already. Although each character has a history that is sad in many ways, there is never a moment that feels contrived in this novel.
This is a stunning story of pain, suffering, death, and the triumph of spirit that preserves us all throughout the worst moments of our lives.
The characters in this story came to life in my mind. Cleo is a protagonist with whom many can relate. Her details and first-person narration served as a wonderful aid to the imagination. I could really picture Jack as my brother and Lucy as my sister-in-law. I could imagine going out for lunch and a play with Kate. I could imagine being in love with Edmund, who is so sure of himself and completely selfless, even though he'd been through so much already. Although each character has a history that is sad in many ways, there is never a moment that feels contrived in this novel.
This is a stunning story of pain, suffering, death, and the triumph of spirit that preserves us all throughout the worst moments of our lives.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Preservation (Preservation #1) by Rachael Wade
As a reader who enjoys the romance genre, Preservation didn't let me down. This is a great story of two people who never seem to get it right who finally get as close to perfect as you can.
Kate is a great narrator, letting the reader in on her thoughts, her reasoning, and the way she buries her emotions until she can hide from them. She never fails to acknowledge the tenuous situations in which she finds herself, such as her male friends having crushes on her, and finds a way to pull herself through while maintaining her sense of self-preservation.
Ryan is the perfect opposite of Kate. Rather than shut out his every feeling until he convinces himself he no longer has them, he takes them over, manipulating them until he is in control of them.
Both have made mistakes, both have given everything before and been badly burned, both of them know how to avoid the same situations. Neither of them can ignore their feelings any longer- they have to let their emotions control them or risk losing them altogether.
Kate's narration is bookended by stories from Ryan's point of view. This gives the reader awesome insight to what the other protagonist is really thinking, and provides a different perspective on some of the same scenes from the book.
I can't speak for everyone, of course, but I think this has the makings of a great romance series.
Kate is a great narrator, letting the reader in on her thoughts, her reasoning, and the way she buries her emotions until she can hide from them. She never fails to acknowledge the tenuous situations in which she finds herself, such as her male friends having crushes on her, and finds a way to pull herself through while maintaining her sense of self-preservation.
Ryan is the perfect opposite of Kate. Rather than shut out his every feeling until he convinces himself he no longer has them, he takes them over, manipulating them until he is in control of them.
Both have made mistakes, both have given everything before and been badly burned, both of them know how to avoid the same situations. Neither of them can ignore their feelings any longer- they have to let their emotions control them or risk losing them altogether.
Kate's narration is bookended by stories from Ryan's point of view. This gives the reader awesome insight to what the other protagonist is really thinking, and provides a different perspective on some of the same scenes from the book.
I can't speak for everyone, of course, but I think this has the makings of a great romance series.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Aberrant by Ruth Silver
Told in chillingly realistic detail, this is Children of Men for the YA set.
Olivia moved me as a narrator. She knows what she wants, and she knows what society is demanding of her. Rather than buck the system and cause an uproar, she does what would scare me most- she dives into the unknown of marriage to someone whom the government has chosen for her.
Her life is sent further into upheaval on her wedding day, and when she is forced to leave her home and what little family she has left for good, she forges ahead, even though she has no idea what will come next for her. Alone and making her own decisions for the first time in her eighteen years, Olivia must figure out the right way to live her life , finally realizing that everything she has been taught has been greatly modified to favor those in charge.
Olivia changes immensely through the course of this story. From blindly accepting to forcefully demanding answers, she took me on an emotional journey. One in which I had to stop and think about what I would do if I found myself in the same situation.
Caught between those who would kill her for her unique quality and those who would exploit it for their own gains, Olivia has only begun her fight for her own life- and the future of mankind. Aberrant is the thought-provoking, danger-filled beginning to what I expect to be a fantastic series.
Olivia moved me as a narrator. She knows what she wants, and she knows what society is demanding of her. Rather than buck the system and cause an uproar, she does what would scare me most- she dives into the unknown of marriage to someone whom the government has chosen for her.
Her life is sent further into upheaval on her wedding day, and when she is forced to leave her home and what little family she has left for good, she forges ahead, even though she has no idea what will come next for her. Alone and making her own decisions for the first time in her eighteen years, Olivia must figure out the right way to live her life , finally realizing that everything she has been taught has been greatly modified to favor those in charge.
Olivia changes immensely through the course of this story. From blindly accepting to forcefully demanding answers, she took me on an emotional journey. One in which I had to stop and think about what I would do if I found myself in the same situation.
Caught between those who would kill her for her unique quality and those who would exploit it for their own gains, Olivia has only begun her fight for her own life- and the future of mankind. Aberrant is the thought-provoking, danger-filled beginning to what I expect to be a fantastic series.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Unaccompanied Minor by Hollis Gillespie
An absolutely riveting story of April Manning, who lives her life flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles to accommodate her divorced mother and stepfather. April is being interrogated by several members of law enforcement regarding her part in the bombing of an airplane.
April is a whip-smart fast-talker who is trying to expose her stepfather and his girlfriend of gross misrepresentation and borderline child abuse. She is completely relatable as a narrator and protagonist. She keeps up with current technology and communication, she is sarcastic, she knows how to be aware of her surroundings and use everything she can to her advantage. Or at least go down trying.
This is a unique format for a story. Rather than read in just one medium, such as email communications, the reader is given transcripts, emails, interviews. The reader can easily put herself in April's shoes, trying as hard as she can to prove she's right to people who don't want to listen just because of her status as an unaccompanied minor on WorldAir flights.
Even if you might guess what's coming next, this story will still throw you for a loop in several places. It's definitely worth reading more than once!
April is a whip-smart fast-talker who is trying to expose her stepfather and his girlfriend of gross misrepresentation and borderline child abuse. She is completely relatable as a narrator and protagonist. She keeps up with current technology and communication, she is sarcastic, she knows how to be aware of her surroundings and use everything she can to her advantage. Or at least go down trying.
This is a unique format for a story. Rather than read in just one medium, such as email communications, the reader is given transcripts, emails, interviews. The reader can easily put herself in April's shoes, trying as hard as she can to prove she's right to people who don't want to listen just because of her status as an unaccompanied minor on WorldAir flights.
Even if you might guess what's coming next, this story will still throw you for a loop in several places. It's definitely worth reading more than once!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
First Kiss by Cindy M Hogan
Brought to us by author Cindy Hogan of the Watched series, this is an illuminating short story. It addresses first dates, first loves, first kisses, and expectations of a teenaged girl.
Brooklyn has a policy of not dating until she's 16, and has promised herself that she'll remain a VL, or virgin lips, until she finds someone who is truly special to her. Even though many will say this is unrealistic in terms of modern teenage girls, I found Brooklyn to be refreshing. She's smart, she knows what she wants, and she's not afraid of waiting until she finds it. Yes, she's a Mormon living in Utah, and yes, she's got dreams of her ideal first kiss. But she's not unrealistic.
Brooklyn is a change of pace for current YA fiction. She refuses to give in to peer pressure when it matters most. She doesn't want to find the loopholes in her own rules in order to make herself feel better about the decisions she makes. And she presents teens girls today with the idea that not only do you not have to have sex just because everyone else seems to be, but you don't have to do anything that with which you find yourself uncomfortable.
The writing is also good. Cindy Hogan gives us a female protagonist who isn't afraid to speak her mind or maintain her own conscience without sacrificing a genuine voice. I look forward to the next installment of the virgin lips chronicles.
Brooklyn has a policy of not dating until she's 16, and has promised herself that she'll remain a VL, or virgin lips, until she finds someone who is truly special to her. Even though many will say this is unrealistic in terms of modern teenage girls, I found Brooklyn to be refreshing. She's smart, she knows what she wants, and she's not afraid of waiting until she finds it. Yes, she's a Mormon living in Utah, and yes, she's got dreams of her ideal first kiss. But she's not unrealistic.
Brooklyn is a change of pace for current YA fiction. She refuses to give in to peer pressure when it matters most. She doesn't want to find the loopholes in her own rules in order to make herself feel better about the decisions she makes. And she presents teens girls today with the idea that not only do you not have to have sex just because everyone else seems to be, but you don't have to do anything that with which you find yourself uncomfortable.
The writing is also good. Cindy Hogan gives us a female protagonist who isn't afraid to speak her mind or maintain her own conscience without sacrificing a genuine voice. I look forward to the next installment of the virgin lips chronicles.
The Commodore's Daughter by Jami Brazil
This is a decent story of a girl who shucks the trappings of society and makes her own way in the world after being stranded in a foreign land.
I had some big issues with this book, however. The first-person narration doesn't always flow well, making it awkward to read in several places. Although progressive for her time and friends with Susan B. Anthony, Jenny isn't very convincing as being from the 1850s. She's far too modern in her manner of speech. She even says, "like" in a current fashion in a few places. As in, "I didn't want to do it, but, like, I had to." While not a direct quote, it does give some idea what I mean.
Another issue I had was that, in the author biography, Ms. Brazil's love of research is cited. I cannot say I've done the amount of research I know it takes to write a historical fiction novel, but it doesn't appear that much, if any, was done on manner of speech.
If one can get past these literary obstacles, the story is good. But I had to fight my way around the issues to get to the heart of that story.
I had some big issues with this book, however. The first-person narration doesn't always flow well, making it awkward to read in several places. Although progressive for her time and friends with Susan B. Anthony, Jenny isn't very convincing as being from the 1850s. She's far too modern in her manner of speech. She even says, "like" in a current fashion in a few places. As in, "I didn't want to do it, but, like, I had to." While not a direct quote, it does give some idea what I mean.
Another issue I had was that, in the author biography, Ms. Brazil's love of research is cited. I cannot say I've done the amount of research I know it takes to write a historical fiction novel, but it doesn't appear that much, if any, was done on manner of speech.
If one can get past these literary obstacles, the story is good. But I had to fight my way around the issues to get to the heart of that story.
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