Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2018

Favorite Spotlight: Pride And Prejudice, by Jane Austen


Well, it's been a while since I've put a spotlight on a favorite book of mine.  Might as well do one now on one of my all-time favorite classics!


Pride And Prejudice
By Jane Austen
Genre: Classic Literature, Romance
Words To Describe This Book: Witty, romantic, satirical, feminist, informative, thought-provoking


Thursday, July 19, 2018

Book Review: The Reef, by Nora Roberts





Genre: Romance/romantic thriller
Date Published: 1998
Publisher: Putnam
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 440 pages/13.25 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: The Reef is the story of Tate Beaumont, a beautiful young student of marine archeology - and of Matthew Lassiter, a sea-scarred young man who shares her dream of finding Anguelique's Curse, the jeweled amulet surrounded by legend and said to be long lost at the bottom of the sea.
Forced into a reluctant partnership with Matthew and his uncle, Tate soon learns that her arrogant but attractive fellow diver holds as many secrets as the sea itself. And when the truth emerges about the mysterious death of Matthew's father eight years earlier, desire - and danger - begin to rise to the surface.
True to form, Nora Roberts offers a story of grand passion and gripping adventure, bringing her devoted fans to the hidden undersea world - and to the deepest parts of the human heart.


My Rating:
 ★
.....For being a decent mindless read.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Book Review: A Murder In Time (Kendra Donovan #1), by Julie McElwain





Genre: historical mystery thriller
Date Published: A[ril 2016
Publisher: Pegasus Books
# Of Pages: 492 pages

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.


My Rating:
 ★
.....For being a good debut mystery novel, with a time-traveling twist and a lot of spunk!

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Book Review: Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier



Genre: Classic Romantic Suspense
Date Published: August 1938
Publisher: Doubleday
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 449 pages/14 hours 48 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again....

The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives - resenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

First published in 1938, this classic gothic novel is such a compelling tale that it won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century.


My Rating:
 ★★ 1/2
.....For belatedly grabbing my interest.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Fire (Graceling Realm #2), by Kristin Cashore


Genre: YA Fantasy
Date Published: October 2009
Length: 461 pages
Source: Owned copy

Goodreads | Barnes&Noble | Amazon

Synopsis: It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.
This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.
Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom. If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.



My Rating:
★★★★★ and a ♥ (again!)
...for being a strong and empowering novel.


Sunday, February 21, 2016

Book Review: Graceling (Graceling Realm #1), by Kristin Cashore



Genre: YA Fantasy
Number Of Pages: 471 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.
She never expects to become Po's friend.
She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...



My Rating:
★★★★★ and a ♥
....For continuing to be an empowering novel for girls


My Thoughts:
I love this book. It isn't the best written story ever, and there are parts of it where you feel like it could go just a little bit faster, but the female protagonist completely makes up for anything that's lacking.
We see this everywhere nowadays: movies/books with strong female lead. Sometimes, it makes sense to say that the female character is a strong character. Other times, we're left wondering "what strong female character?" For me, any female protagonist who doesn't need a guy in any way is a strong character. Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy has Lisbeth Salander. Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy has Katniss Everdeen.
And now Graceling has Katsa of the Middluns.
Katsa doesn't need a guy to help her. At all. No one can beat her in a fight, and there is nothing out there that she can't do. She does have one weakness, of course, but she is able to overcome that weakness on her own, without a guy's help. The male character, Po, isn't really there because she absolutely needs him; he's there more as an emotional element to the story than anything else.
I really appreciate stories where one can truly say there's a strong female protagonist, and that's why this book will continue to be a favorite of mine for a good long time. The writing is simple, the plot tends to drag in places, but Katsa turns out to be worth every minute of it! Highly recommended for anyone who likes to read stories with "a strong female lead".

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Book Review: Of Neptune, by Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy #3)



Genre: YA paranormal romance
Length: 330

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Synopsis: Emma, who is half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together. Alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma’s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.
Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn’t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean-living Syrena and the land-dwelling, freshwater counterparts. They didn’t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn’t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love, but their ocean kingdoms.
In this stunning conclusion to her bestselling Syrena Legacy, Anna Banks thrills fans with more action and romance than ever.

My Rating:
★★★
...for being an okay conclusion to a series, but not a very good one.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Book Review: Of Triton, by Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy, # 2)


Genre: YA paranormal romance
Length: 246 pages, or 7 hours and 52 minutes on audiobook

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Synopsis: Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm. Syrena law states all Half-Breeds should be put to death.
As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance in the Syrena world turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?
Once again, Anna Banks infuses Emma and Galen’s points of view with humor, intrigue, and waves of romance.

My Rating:
★★★
....for being okay, but a little disappointing.



Sunday, July 19, 2015

Book Review: Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy #1)


Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Length: 324 pages, or 9 hours and 32 minutes on audiobook
Synopsis: Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!— both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible



My Rating:
★★★ 1/2
...for being surprisingly fun read.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Book Review: Garden Spells (Waverley Family #1), by Sarah Addison Allen


Title: Garden Spells
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: Magical Realism
Year Published: 2007
Source: Audiobook
Length: 304 pages (7 hours 43 minutes)

Shelfari | Goodreads | Audible
In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small house in the smallest of towns, is an apple tree rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it. The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. A successful caterer, Claire prepares dishes made with her mystical plants--from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her cousin, Evanelle, distributes unexpected presents whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys--except for Claire's sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before. When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down. Together again in the house they grew up in, the sisters soon realize they must deal with their common legacy--if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom...or with each other.


My Rating:
★★★★ 1/2

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Book Review: The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie ProjectThe Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion
★★★ ½ (rounding up to 4)

Synopsis: This hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love. Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver. Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper. The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.
In A Sentence: A pleasant and charming novel that made me giggle quite a bit.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Book Review: Fifty Shades Of Grey, by E.L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1)Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Fifty Shades Of Grey, by E.L. James


Synopsis: When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana's quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too--but on his own terms.
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success-- his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family--Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey's secrets and explores her own dark desires.
In A Sentence: Be prepared for a rant because OH.....MY.....GAWD.

Book Review: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Jane EyreJane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
★★★ and 1/2

Synopsis: Orphaned Jane Eyre grows up in the home of her heartless aunt and later attends a charity school with a harsh regime, enduring loneliness and cruelty. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence and spirit — which prove necessary when she finds a position as governess at Thornfield Hall. However, when she finds love with her sardonic employer, Rochester, the discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a choice. Should she stay with him and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions, even if it means leaving the man she loves?
In A Sentence: A decent classic, but not a favorite

Book Review: The Golem And The Jinni, by Helene Wecker

The Golem and the JinniThe Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Golem And The Jinni, by Helene Wecker
★★★★★

Synopsis:Helene Wecker's dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.
Struggling to make their way in this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their neighbors while masking their true natures. Surrounding them is a community of immigrants: the coffeehouse owner Maryam Faddoul, a pillar of wisdom and support for her Syrian neighbors; the solitary ice cream maker Saleh, a damaged man cursed by tragedy; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew, Michael, whose Sheltering House receives newly arrived Jewish men; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the enigmatic Joseph Schall, a dangerous man driven by ferocious ambition and esoteric wisdom.
Meeting by chance, the two creatures become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures, until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful menace will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.
In A Sentence: A good story, well worth the read!

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green

The Fault in Our StarsThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green
★★★★★ (and a ♥ contender)

Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
In A Sentence: An absolute heart-wrencher of story, tissues must be purchased before reading this novel

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Book Review: Beauty, by Robin McKinley

Beauty (Folktales #1)Beauty by Robin McKinley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Beauty, by Robin McKinley
★★★

Synopsis: Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?" Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.
In A Sentence: A nice story, but I still prefer the Disney movie.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Book Review: Beastly, by Alex Flinn

BeastlyBeastly by Alex Flinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Beastly, by Alex Flinn
★★★

Synopsis: I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly…beastly.