Rachel Hore - A Gathering Storm

Lucy Cardwell has recently lost her troubled father, Tom. Visiting her father's childhood home, Carlyon Manor, Lucy meets an old woman named Beatrice who has an extraordinary story to tell. 
Growing up in the 1930s, Beatrice plays with the children of Carlyon Manor. Then, one summer at the age of fifteen, she falls in love with a young visitor to the town: Rafe Ashton, whom she rescues from a storm-tossed sea... 
As Lucy listens to the tales of the past, she learns a secret that will change everything she has ever known...

  

Comment: I got interested in this book because the blurb reminded me of Susanna Kearlsey, an author whose work I enjoy quite a lot. I imagined this book would develop sort of like a book by that author and although this was a new author to me, I was hopeful. This does have similarities to a Kearsley book but it's definitely different where it counts.

In this book we follow Lucy Cardwell, a young British woman who, at the beginning of the book, is traveling near the ancient house that belongs to her paternal family and she has the urge to go and explore the area. She ditches her boyfriend - who no longer feels like a boyfriend anyway - and she stays at an inn where she meets a strange man with whom she starts talking. 

She also tries to find out more about the house where her family lived during the 30s and 40s and she is led to Beatrice, an old woman who met her grandmother and uncles and she has an interesting tale to tell, something that will change Lucy's POV on many things...

I thought about reading this as a buddy read with my friend H., but she is still behind on reading... Still, I like to try because some reads can be quite the gems.

This story is interesting, and it does have the dual time settings that also happen in mrs Kearsley books, so the similarity is there. But this novel focuses not on time travel, simply on two different plots which happened in different years, namely now and in the World War II years.

The "now" setting is England, and Lucy is a young woman still looking for what she wants to do, still investigating her roots. Lucy knows she is near Carlyon Manor, a house which belonged to her family and she feels the curiosity to know more. She then meets Beatrice, who shares a peculiar story, also very personal. However, the parts of the story which focus on Lucy aren't well developed. We never see her change or evolve or anything, so apart from the obvious, I don't know why she should matter. She has a romantic interest but sincerely, everything is too dramatic and underdeveloped for such a quick romance and side story...

Most of the novel is, therefore, focused on the past sections, a tale told by Beatrice. I liked this section because information is told gradually which allows us to get to know the character's quite well. My problem is that the narrative and descriptions aren't as engaging as I imagined. Maybe it's simply the British style of writing which can be distinctive or - and this is my opinion, considering the amount of British authors I've read - the author's style is just a bit boring but I thought some scenes jumped a bit and weren't as cohesive when inserted in the overall plot.

As for the past story itself, it had its moments, I especially liked the details about the central characters when they were younger but as time moved on some actions started to sound silly, even if understandable for the time. Beatrice is the narrator so we see all through her POV, but some of her options just seemed silly, considering the outcome. I mean, when it comes to feelings, some indications are simply that, an idea, a thought... but Beatrice chooses to say things that aren't always well explored later and then...why bother. The purpose of keeping things under a certain aura of mystery doesn't always have an equally intense outcome it what I mean.

Besides, the major discovery we have at the end - which isn't such a big surprise - could so easily be avoided! I understand Beatrice's choices and surely in real life it happened as well, but...Beatrice wasn't put between a rock and hard place, she didn't act because she had no viable choice, she simply decided a course of action at some point on a whim and I can't figure out why she couldn't have thought about things differently, in terms of personal priorities... this means that, to me, she didn't have to choose at all, and the end seems avoidable because of that.

ll in all, this was interesting, some parts were much more interesting that others, but the two timelines don't really merge and I think it's just an excuse for this not to be only an historical fiction story and also the historical section has some issues I don't really appreciate in global terms. Still, it was interesting to have tried the author's work.

Grade: 6/10

Robert Thier - Storm and Silence

Freedom – that is what Lilly Linton wants most in life. Not marriage, and certainly not love, thank you very much! But freedom is a rare commodity in 19th-century London, where girls are expected to spend their lives sitting at home, fully occupied with looking pretty. Lilly is at her wits’ end – until a chance encounter with a dark, dangerous and powerful stranger changes her life forever... 

Comment:  A friend told me about this book, I confess I wasn't paying attention when it was part of the GR nominees for their best books of 2016 and we thought about reading it as one of our buddy reads. I liked the idea this was historical but had a male/female working relationship. I was very curious to see how the relationship would develop, especially if romance was on the horizon. I have to say I expected something different but I ended up enjoying the story quite a lot.

This is an historical romance featuring Lilly Linton, a young woman who is a active defender of women's rights and suffragism. She knows her family isn't the richest and she also knows only marriage could allow her to be set for life, something she doesn't want because she considers it a sort of prison. One random day, while disguised as a man, she helps a man not being conned and he offers her a job. Lilly is ecstatic except he finds out she is a girl and seems to go back on his word. Lilly convinces him, however, and she starts working for him Neither would expect the other to be the opposite of what thy can endure but at the same time a strange bond is formed between them. In the midst of adventures and family matters, can Lilly understand her feelings don't need to be as black and white?

I did have a great time reading this book despite the more than 700 pages in my ebook edition. The writing is easy to follow, the chapters are engaging and the plot itself has many interesting points. Yes, I got the feeling the book could be slightly smaller but because it was originated on Wattpadd maybe the plot evolution can be explained by the need to present chapters in a way that seem to have a beginning and an ending. I didn't feel bothered by this, it just feels like any other book but yes, the length could have been edited without removing important parts of the story.

The story can be divided into two big focal points: Lilly is always the narrator so the focus is on her actions, which are her family/friends life and her work for mr Rikkard Ambrose, her now new boss. Both parts are pure Lilly, she doesn't become a different person except she disguises herself as man when at work and her voice is both fun and clever although often too naive for who she claims to be.

In fact, this was one of the aspects I liked the least. Lilly is young and it shows, I think I'd like to see this story through a more mature look, especially when it comes to her awareness in specific situations. Because it's not there, this borders on comedy and I would like to not see things go this path. But it's not crossed, so there's still an aura of seriousness which we can glimpse by other details and that makes this very worth reading.

I also would love to have dual POVs. Just seeing things through Lilly's eyes can be fun and fresh because she is sweet but fearless but in key scenes it's almost unbearable not to have Mr Ambrose's obviously more serious perspective! To wonder what is going through his head is annoying but still very interesting.

The plot is very interesting but one thing is for certain, we get distracted a lot by secondary situations and scenes that have no apparent importance except to get us to know more layers of our protagonists or, in Lilly's family situation, how each member looks at things and acts in life. This also means we have more than enough room to reach different aspects of the character's personality, mainly Lilly's because she's the narrator. I especially like how she strongly feels about woman's rights despite her thoughts about mr Ambrose. I really liked when Lilly thinks funny stuff or acts in an endearing manner...she can be rather silly at times and way too naive for the situations she gets herself into, but deep down it almost feels she's growing too, so...

The romance is the definition of subtle. Nothing is said, conveyed, imagined, professed between them. Or if it feels like it, we can't really say because Lilly doesn't see it. But when we read between the lines, it's very sweet and promising. I loved the stronger romance scene when Lilly is drunk and Ambrose helps her. There is one kiss that makes up for the whole book, that's for certain and towards the end, things start to be more intense. But well, the end comes and with it, a cliffhanger! Authors can be mean!

I really hope things progress well and are "solved" in the next installment.

I had a great time reading this, I hope the next one is good as well and I also hope the author won't stretch this story ad infinutum to the point where it no longer means anything or if we can't see the HEA at the end.

Grade: 8/10

M.M. Kaye - The Far Pavillions

The Far Pavilions is a story about an Englishman- Ashton Pelham-Martyn -brought up as a Hindu. It is the story of his passionate, but dangerous love for Juli, am Indian princess. It is the story of divided loyalties, of friendship that endures till death, of high adventure and of the clash between East and West.

Comment: I've started this book a week ago, more or less. I saw it mentioned at one of the book related sites I often visit and the fact it contained a forbidden romance with a happy ending for the couple somehow convinced me to get it. I managed to buy a hardcover edition, all 960 pages of it, for a very low price at amazon.UK and there it went to the pile. This was by the end of last year and I convinced a friend to read it with me. Too bad my friend hasn't much time to buddy readings... anyway, this was our pick for this month.

In this epic tale, we follow the life of Ashton Pelham-Martyn, a British citizen born in India and who always felt like that country was his real home. After a fascinating but challenging childhood he goes to England where he dreams of returning to the place in his heart. As soon as he can, he enlists in the army and goes back to India, as a British officer.

In India, politics and military actions are changing the way the British live and are welcomed but to Ash all that is irrelevant for he has always thought of India as a place that shouldn't need any other nation ruling it. However, when fate intervenes and he meets his childhood friend Anjuli again, his actions and goals change and he will do anything to follow his own wishes...

This is certainly an epic story and plot. It follows hero Ash since his birth to the moment he goes to live in his dream place, the Far Pavillions he wants to be in since he was a little boy looking at a distance. The story is basically the tale of his adventures, the steps he takes towards different goals throughout the book and how he fails or gains what he needs. In terms of sagas, this is impressive, even more so by the huge amount of detail the author has included to describe, tell and solve several situations.

It's clear the author knows all themes extremely well and she felt dedicated to tell such a story and share so many elements. I didn't dislike the writing, I think it accomplished its role but I have to admit I also found some parts to be very boring, namely when it concerned to military situations or strategy plans, whether British or related to the Hindu or other people. The book is divided into 8 sections, all focusing on a different stage of Ash's life. The last two, when things were more or less solved were too much. I think the author could have told things in a different, more direct and simple way and still maintain the style and type of writing. I understand this need for detail, the amount of knowledge and History to be shared but in terms of fictional plotting, it was boring and I struggled to focus, especially after so many pages already.

The plot has its moments, to me the best parts were the beginning, when we get to meet Ash, his background life, his experiences as a boy and at the same time how India saw those who lived there, Hindu or foreigners. I also liked all the parts where Ash, already a grown man, wants to help the people he knew as a boy and pursues Anjuli, the girl who followed him almost everywhere and who now has a fate so far apart from his own. The romance in this book is very subtle, not the focus but it allows for several plot moves. It also makes it possible for the reader to learn a lot about Hindu traditions and so many things inherent to India, some of them still on these days.

I was eager to read about Ash and Juli, both together or apart because those sections were vibrant and has this demand about them. When the romance situation got sort of solved at the end of section 6, we still had two more to go but it had so little to matter about Juli or Ash' personal life and goals that it got boring. 

What it got instead was something I consider unnecessary, too much death of important characters and that only served to make this dramatic in a way it didn't had to, even if the author wanted to highlight these facts from the British presence in Kabul and other areas. Boredom plus annoyance aren't good mates in reading...

I think this is a well detailed story, filled with real facts and situations, something that should teach and impress the reader. There are many things I looked for to see and enjoyed knowing about, but less pages describing avoidable situations and things that wouldn't aid the plot, no matter how interesting or realistic, just didn't have to be included.

I appreciated the effort, I feel glad I went through with reading but I confess Ash and Juli, the main characters, weren't always so amazing and vibrant to the point of making me sad I left them. I feel worse about certain things I wouldn't have added but...anyway, it's an interesting epic story but yes, it's not the best thing ever to me.

Grade: 6/10

Molly Harper - My Bluegrass Baby

Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks & Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She’s a shoo-in for the director’s job when her boss retires at the end of the year…until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position.
Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie’s country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they’re both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out, what Josh and Sadie want could be each other—and Josh’s kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie’s found yet!

Comment: Since I've found this author I've been curious about her writing and one of her series was quite good and I enjoyed that trilogy a lot, while another book wasn't as interesting to me. I had hopes about her contemporary romances and I've decided to add those to my list. This month, I finally got to the first one.

It was also handy this was a buddy read...sadly my buddy read friend hasn't got the time to read lately so I read this alone. But well, I would anyway!

In this story we meet some of the workers of the Kentucky Tourism Comission and the trilogy revolves around them. In this first story we focus on Sadie Hutchins, the director's assistant who, when the book begins, is certain - and her boss told her so - she will get a promotion. But, in a surprising twist, the boss of them all has another name lined up, Josh Vaughn, some guy she never met and who she thinks won't get the identity of Kentucky people and their quirky habits.

The battle begins and after many childish warfare tactics, Josh and Sadie agree on a compromise to see who will be the best person for the job. But can they work together after all?

I liked this book, I think it was entertaining, fluid, easy, had many interesting facts and notions, especially about Kentucky, the characters were as amusing as most of the authors' characters are. I just think the main characters didn't seem to have as much chemistry as one would expect.

The plot is quite funny, the situations while Josh and Sadie fight/battle over who does what or who gains the office warfare are cute, as are several situations where they get involved but in terms of actual plot development not much happens. The idea one of them will get the director's job is a good base to all this but the development doesn't always match up. Still, getting to learn many interesting factoids about Kentucky and how costumes vs tourist's expectations is a real issue was great. I work in tourism so that side of the plot was one of the things I liked the best.

The personal relationship between Josh and Sadie was sadly weak, in my opinion. The story is told from Sadie's POV and this is an author's trademark after all, but again, I feel it was such a pit because so many things would have been better presented with a 3rd person narrator. We lose so many things not having Josh's POV and I think that Sadie isn't always a character I want to be close to. Not that she is a bad person, in fact she quite realistic, but I think we don't know her that well and that's bad because, by consequence, we don't know Josh either. I can't tell if it's the author herself choosing this or if Sadie as a character simply isn't that interesting....

The romance is cute, there are some sweet scenes, especially when they bond and later on when they become friends, but in terms of passion and chemistry I feel something is lacking. I'm glad for them but their personalities never made me cheer them endlessly. 

The secondary characters were all very interesting, all of them as quirky as Kentucky itself and I felt very curious about them all and will look forward to see them in the next books as well. Because we get only Sadie's POV, I'm particularly interested in the characters she interacted the most with. I think that Sadie's relationship with her friends was stronger than with Josh, which tells me a lot about where the focus was or how lacking the romance ended up being for me.

All things considered, it's always obvious this is a book by Molly Harper, there's fun and fluidity in her writing but in this case I think the romance just wasn't as well used as she could. Maybe the page length had something to do with it, but it was too straight in the rules, they were enemies, then they weren't...I just never felt they had to be together in the end...

Still, a good effort.

Grade: 7/10

Kimberley Freeman - Ember Island

In a compelling, complex story from the bestselling author of Wildflower Hill and Lighthouse Bay, two women separated by a century discover long-buried secrets in an Australian manor house.In 1876, Tilly, a recently married young English woman, is reeling with shock and guilt after her tempestuous marriage ends in horrific circumstances on the remote Channel Islands. Determined to get as far from England as she can, she takes on a new identity and a job on Ember Island in Moreton Bay, Australia, where she becomes the governess to a prison superintendent’s young daughter, Nell. Tilly fights her attraction to the superintendent, Sterling Holt, and befriends one the few female inmates, Hettie Thorpe, and a dangerous relationship develops. She doesn’t know that Nell is watching her every move and writing it all down, hiding tiny journals all over Starwater, her rambling manor home.
More than 100 years later, bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling with writer’s block and her disappointing personal life. Her poet boyfriend has recently broken up with her, and a reporter who is digging into her past insists on speaking to Nina about her great-grandmother, Nell. There are some secrets Nina may no longer be able to hide. Retreating to Starwater, she discovers Nell’s diary pages hidden in the old walls and becomes determined to solve the mystery. Though Tilly and Nina are separated by many years, Starwater House will change both their lives.
Deeply affecting and beautifully written, Ember Island is a sweeping novel of secrets, second chances, and learning to trust your heart.

Comment: I got this book because the blurb seemed interesting and I ended up convincing my fried Hannah to read it along with me. There was something about it that called to me and I'm happy to say I liked it a lot even recognizing some details weren't "solved" well enough. That says a lot, in particular because it's instinctive to have enjoyed this as much as I did.

This is a story divided into two parts, one set in the past and another in the contemporary times.

The historical sections take a lot more space in the whole general scheme of things but I don't mind because it was what the author clearly wanted to highlight.

The historical section focuses on Tilly, a young woman who married recently but hasn't been with her husband in Guernsey because her grandfather is ill and he is the only family member who loves her. But when the time comes for her to reunite with her husband, everything is not as it seemed and Tilly ships to Australia at the end of a tragedy.

The contemporary section presents us Nina Jones, a writer who's had a severe case of writer's block, not aided with the fact her boyfriend left her for a woman who can get pregnant. Somehow the two women have to battle common grounds to achieve happiness but can they?

I think the author wanted to write a dual time story and matching the two sections but in reality, in my opinion, the matching wasn't a match, just a coincidence, which makes me think it would be better to just bet her chances in one section. Usually I'm all for the contemporary part of duals but here no, the historical was/is obviously the best and stronger section.

In fact, this is one of the several little details that make this story weaker than it could. The contemporary part was simply too basic and superficial. I wished the author could have stressed out some things better.

Another thing that kind of downgraded this book was the unsolved and weakly done details here and there, especially when we got closer to the book.

But there's something strange about this book's tone, some parts were downright oppressive to me but that was precisely what make me want to red more and more. Tilly's story is strong and impressive and what she was going though read almost like a suspense. This surprised me, and her journey from the home she always knew to her husband and the experience she lives there is almost frightening how she learns, step by step, of what really is behind her husband's actions, words, decisions. I was always wary of reading more about her married life because something wasn't right there.

Then Tilly goes away to Australia and there again, something is going on with her life, some things she can't control and she feels a lot of guilt which adds to our own sense of things unsolved that can ruin everything at the end. And something alike this does happen but not the way most readers would expect.

I confess I was hooked to Tilly's story and all the inner dilemmas she was going through. I think her biggest flaw was not her quick temperament but her lack of restraint in certain situations, she couldn't just stop and think. When she finally did this, thinking her peace of mind was at stake, things got worse because she thought she couldn't trust anyone. I was always absorbed by her struggles, that is a fact.

The end of the book wasn't as positive as I'd have hoped. I mean, there's a HEA in both sections, just not the way I'd prefer or would have done. I'm glad things turned out hopeful for both Tilly and Nina but the execution wasn't totally flawless.

This book could have been stronger in terms of emotion vs execution. This was my first book by the author and I liked it enough to be curious about more.

What really made me be engrossed in this was the constant need to know what was happening to Tilly. There's something in all this that is strangely addictive and I can't explain well but the fact is that despite recognizing all the things that weren't perfect, I still can't put this out of my mind and I consider it one of the best books I've read this year. Sometimes there is not logical explanation!

Grade: 9/10

TBR Challenge: Judith Ryan Hendricks - Bread Alone

Thirty-one-year-old Wynter Morrison is lost when her husband leaves her for another woman. Desperate for a change, she moves to Seattle, where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of the time she aprenticed at a French boulangerie, when her passion for bread-making nearly led her to leave college and become a baker.
Once again, the desire to bake bread consumes her thoughts. When offered a position at the bake shop, Wyn quickly accepts, hoping that the baking will help her move on. But soon Wyn discovers that the making of bread—the kneading of the dough—possesses an unexpected and wondrous healing power—one that will ultimately renew her heart and her soul.

Comment: Here we are in another Wednesday dedicated to the TBR post. August is the month of "Kicking it Old School", which means a book published 10 years ago or before that. My original pick was something else but on Monday morning I realized the publishing date was actually 2009 and not 2005 as I somehow got into my head. 

Because I really like to meet the themes and not cheat, I immediately looked at my reading list and this title, which I'd read right after anyway, was the one wining the chance to be part of the challenge, more so when I checked and it was originally published in 2001, well meeting the mark.

The narrative, though, is set in 1988 but it hardly shows.

This is the story of Wyn Morrison and the story begins with her realizing her husband of seven years wants to have a divorce. At first it's just "time" but eventually thing progress negatively. Wyn goes through all the stages of not believing what's happening and even trying to find a way to convince David, the husband, not to leave her. Although he keeps saying he just wants time and he feels neither has been happy, Wyn realizes he already has another woman.

Wyn travels to Seattle, to be closer to her best friend and somehow she gets involved in the bakery business, something that also helps her deal with her personal problems. In the meantime, she has to accept her mother is getting married again and that the sweet new male friend can become something more important if only takes a chance...

This book is marked woman's fiction and it is but there's some glimpses of romance I appreciated too. I decided to read it as a buddy read because I got into my head it would be a sweet romance and my friend shares some of my reading tastes. However, this is more a study on how to go through an unfair divorce. I say unfair because Wyn never agreed and she never saw it coming. Because the book is told from her perspective, of course we empathize a lot with her and her feelings.

I confess I cried here and there just thinking how something like this in real life can hurt and depress and bring someone down. Just reading about possible scenes like the ones described by Wyn were complicated, like the knowledge he was lying, that he replaced her with someone else, etc.. Difficult feelings to overcome, which I know added more power to the story but at the same time made you think.

This is a contemporary novel too, so obviously Wyn has a lot to deal with. Her emotional path was quite believable and despite not sharing her views on this or that, for the most part the scenes she was in were convincing of someone in her difficult position.

I liked the moment the action changed settings but things were still complicated but Wyn's mother was marrying again after years being a widow. Because nothing is simple in woman's fiction, Wyn truly loved her father and missed him and felt her mother, despite deserving happiness was replacing her father, which I can understand if I were in her place, but then all things together made for some dramatic situations.

Wyn also has a new romance on the horizon but it's never something set in stone, not only because throughout the whole book she isn't divorced yet but also because she is not in the best emotional position to make that jump.

This is my first book by the author, I liked the style, the writing, the story in general. Sure, I disliked some things, I got annoyed at others but for the most part, it was a good book. I understand its faults and I'd change some things but the voice is here. Interestingly, the author must love bread because there are many examples of recipes of bread and descriptions of it. Of course, this is almost therapy to Wyn, but the author has a lot of knowledge about it and in the end it helps the plot move forward!

The characters were interesting, we learn more about Wyn because she's the narrator but many of the other characters were well depicted and because we don't have their POV, good for the author to manage to impart personality to them like that.

Wyn is complex, not perfect, but I was rooting for her and her new chances in life.

As a whole this was a good book but the end felt too easy and didn't match the rhythm of the book. Now I understand why, there is a sequel and another (this is the 1st of a trilogy in fact) and that explains why the end seems rushed. But I feel weird because although I liked this book, I won't read the next ones. My feelings about this book are defined and positive, despite the theme. The blurbs of the next books point to a path I didn't expect and that sounds too melodramatic for the story we have here. Almost as if the next books went too far.

Therefore, I stay here to maintain my good vibe of this book and not ruin the experience with more stories I might dislike. And considering all I have to read anyway...

All things considered, this was an interesting read, emotional but well paced until the end and I liked it but this will be it.

Grade: 7/10

Sharon and Tom Curtis - Sunshine and Shadow

He thought there were no surprises left in the world...but the sudden appearance of young Amish widow Susan Peachey was astonishing—and just the shock cynical Alan Wilde needed. She was a woman from another time, innocent, yet wise in ways he scarcely understood.
Irresistibly, Susan and Alan were drawn together to explore their wildly exotic differences. And soon they would discover something far greater—a rich emotional bond that transcended both of their worlds and linked them heart-to-heart...until their need for each other became so overwhelming that there was no turning back. But would she have to sacrifice all she cherished for the uncertain joy of their forbidden love? 

Comment: This was the book chosen for my buddy read with Hannah this month. The fact it would feature two very different people as the main couple was interesting and even more so because of the religious aspect included. I was looking for a strong and believable story but with a HEA.

In this book we meet Alan Wilde, a Hollywood man known for his coldness and cynicism. While directing a movie in Wisconsin, he and his team meet Susan Peachey, an Amish young woman. At first the surprise was too big for everyone to look at Susan with nothing less than curiosity but Alan sees something in her after she was accidentally caught on film. He pursues her and convinces her to be an actress in his movie.

Susan knows it is wrong to accept but the money will be a great help for her sister Rachel. Susan isn't aware of all the new things around her but Alan is a support she didn't expect. The two of them start to fall in love despite neither wanting or thinking they should. But when a path is chosen it's too unlikely one can turn back in time. What will happen to this surprising couple?

It took me a week - almost - to read this book. Sadly, I've been super busy with my job because summer is my high season of work, for I work in tourism. This means less time to read and less time to simply be lazy in the dead moments all jobs have.This poor book suffered a lot with my real life issues and the whole month, overall, did too.

It's too bad, isn't it? When books seem to feel less appealing because of things nor directly related to its content. I liked the book now that I can think of it more broadly but while reading my opinion was colored by all the interruptions, the few pages at a time I could manage and the days it took to get through it. I know it's not the book's fault, but it still happened. Don't you feel the same sometimes?

As for the plot, this book was quite unique, clearly written years ago, that's for certain, but the idea of mixing what we call contemporary people with Amish, a group that lives in the past traditions and very special ideas, was quite intriguing. 

The book basically shows us the relationship between Alan and Susan, two very different people with different looks on life but who found common ground to fall in love. Of course this was expected in a romance and the little steps they take towards that were beautiful but I'll have to be honest, Alan wasn't always very appealing. Sure, it was on purpose but the thing is, his "sort of" redemption at the end seemed a little too exaggerated because of that. The authors tried to make Susan he one who would put in evidence Alan's emotional change throughout the book but I think this was too subtle for it to be solid at the end.

Susan is a great heroine, she shows the beautiful side of life, the beauty in the small and simple things and her naiveté feels realistic but she's not stupid. There's a certain balance in her that is very peaceful.

I don't think this was a perfect book because it seems too obvious certain situations - related to the Amish - weren't fully correct. At least, by the knowledge one infers from news, it didn't seem so but of course I can't tell. I'm especially thinking about the end, which had to be sugary and happy yes, but it felt a little too much, not very realistic. Happiness and peace are worthy goals to want in this story of books but don't go over the top. In a way, I think this did. The pace of the story had its less than good moments and the romance between Susan and Alan wasn't always filled with emotionally good parts. 

I liked the general writing style but the book wasn't always very captivating, in particular because we just knew something bad would happen, not tragic but dramatic and that feeling was there all the time. I suppose it was on purpose but then it made me feel I had no option and the lack of hope for a twist wasn't always pleasant.

I liked many little details about the secondary characters, about the way Susan saw the world, there were many good passages and scenes to smile about and, for the most time, they hugely surpassed the less than good parts.

Overall, this was a positive book, somewhat depressing here and there but despite not being a favorite ever, I'll fondly think of it as a way in which different people can really conquer a lot with love.

Grade: 7/10

Lucinda Brant - Salt Redux

Jane and Salt—four years of Happily Ever After
Sir Antony Templestowe—four years of Exile
Lady Caroline—four years of Heartache
Diana St. John—four years plotting Revenge
The time has come...
How does a brother cope with life knowing his sister is a murderess? How can a nobleman have the life he has always wanted when a lurking evil consumes his thoughts and haunts his dreams? What will it take for good to triumph over evil? For readers who enjoyed Salt Bride, the story continues…

Comment: Another buddy read for me and my friend Hannah!

This book is

the sequel to another one I've read last month by author Lucinda Brant - and that I enjoyed a lot. I expected this to be another great success, although the way the previous book ended was good enough for me. What we call "loose ends" were explained enough and no one would need to read more but I expected this story to be marvelous as well.

This book starts four years after the end of the previous book. We learn how all the characters we followed before are now and we see glimpses of their happiness and life developments.

We also learn the villain, Diana, has been plotting her escape and return.

But this time, for the heroes to be certain life won't present a new and more dangerous Diana again, more extreme measures have to be done. Anthony, the protagonist of this book and Diana's brother, has to find a permanent solution that won't make him and his family as awful as Diana is but at the same time he needs to protect others from his sister's influence and plans. Can he do it?

The book starts with a prologue showing how Diana, the villain, has come up with a plan to escape the prison where she's been at and how she accomplishes that. Her characters, I have to say, is what truly captives people to read this. At the same time I was wishing for the good guys to understand her plans and find a way to stop her, I was being led to believe Diana had a wit and cleverness many real people wouldn't imagine ever to possess. But I also think in this novel, things a bit more unrealistic and despite the lack of technology how could everyone in London not suspect something was wrong with her sudden reappearance?

I liked seeing the family scenes, especially the domestic aspect of Salt and Jane's lives. It does reinforce the idea happiness is possible and HEAs are goals to want to achieve and see happen.

Of course Diana wanted to destroy any happiness of others and the ways she imagined to do so are repulsive and offensive. But I also think part of her mental process was more obviously crazy than what it was in the previous book.

The main couple here is Caroline and Anthony, people we've met in the first book and whose happiness seemed set in stone but after all, we learn their lives went different routes but now they are being reunited again to finally have their HEA.

I really dislike lovers reunited books...and although Caroline and Anthony were never together like that, they do have to deal with the time they were apart and the feelings they had between them before. I found their story boring and annoying, mostly because of Caroline.

Ok, so she was angry, she was young, she was playing a game, but I really hated how she decided to get revenge (of sorts) on Anthony by letting herself be seduced so she could punish him eventually. Both acted wrong and everyone makes mistakes, but then she has a behavior I think didn't suit her previous personality and it seemed to me it was something the author invented so she could have a story to develop now. But I feel annoyed because it matters. Because now that she and Anthony are together again and willing to play for keeps and finally admitting what was obvious to anyone - themselves included which is more than annoying - they no longer can be the same people they were and, to me, that's not a positive thing, despite the growing up they both had in the meantime.

Anthony was more assertive now but he also went through a bad experience that frightened him and now he's a different person. He learned he was a drunk and is trying his best to not give in anymore. Interesting methods to achieve that. I liked how he took the reins of deciding important things and how good he was to Caroline, how understandable. I also understand how normal it was for men like him to have mistresses and so on but that practice is so vile, even if there are warm feelings between the couple. But I digress...

I liked Anthony for the most part, i just don't think he and Caroline were a good couple anymore and their scenes seemed childish and not up to what they changed. Besides their scenes were boring and I saw myself skipping some here and there.

In this book there's a final destiny to Diana and her evil behavior. I totally understand why and it's deserved but the way it happened, I think I'd change...

Anthony and Caroline end up happy but I don't care much about them. I preferred to see Salt and Jane happy and with their family close together. It's so good to see HEAs matter even after the characters are done with their story.

Some little things weren't as easy to swallow now as they were int he other book like when a character helped Diana without knowing and we, as a reader, couldn't do anything to stop...I felt like putting common sense in the character's head. But I suppose this is more personal taste than author's fault.

All in all, a good portray of a villain, of a happy family but bad new romance development.

Grade: 7/10

Amy E. Reichert - The Coincidence of the Coconut Cake

In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French

restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancé…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.
Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.
The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?
Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together.

Comment: I got this book after I saw a friend at GR had it in her TBR and by the blurb it seemed intriguing. This month I've decided to buddy read it with a friend and I really couldn't put it down, so I already finished and she's still reading. Nevertheless, this is a cute contemporary romance and I feel very glad I was ale to read and enjoy it.

In this book we have Lou's story and it starts with her making a coconut cake for her fiancé (although she's not really feeling the connection with him anymore) but when she surprises him, she's the one who gets the bigger surprise when she finds an intern from his lawyer offices there, half naked.

She obviously gets emotional and shocked but she works as a chef and that night she decides to cook because it's her job and she still can't understand what happened.

Precisely that night, Al Walters, a British man who has a pseudonym as a renowned cruel food and restaurant critic, eats there and doesn't get a good service and then writes a terrible review that sunks Lou's restaurant.

At the same time, Lou and Al meet by chance and somehow they start going out out of friendship but then their relationship evolves...but what will happen when both find out they're dating the person they  thought would never get in their way?

I was very motivated to read this story, it's quite entertaining and told in a very simple way, without too many exaggerated details or not enough description, I think it's was mostly told in the right way. I think some passages had an overdue of explanations or settings that were supposed to give us an idea of everything but sometimes it wasn't that captivating.

But I think the author did well with the pace and simplicity of the story because I wanted to keep reading and always found reasons to do it.

In fact, this is the first book by this author I try and it was a positive one to me. I think the research is there, she gives the idea she knows what she's speaking about and all the different things addressed with a certain importance seem believable (the chef work, how to write to a newspaper, the knowledge of food and clothes, for instance).

Even details related to the secondary characters seemed to have an important role, even if small and that helped the reader to form a more precise idea about everyone.

Lou is the main character and she is the one that goes through the most changes. Still, the path wasn't all good and despite a new relationship and solid friendships, I felt for her because she had her dream and because of one mistake, things went wrong. Even though things weren't her fault, she still felt bad - which is understandable - but then she revealed her strength and tried her best to find solutions. I appreciate that a lot, she is a very  conscious and motivated person and very likable.

Al has a secret and obviously that influences the way he behaves, the things he shares with Lou... I can't say I didn't like him, from an outsider POV it can look like his actions were cowardice but I know it's not easy to assume mistakes done or things that you should have done better. Still, after he finds out, it seemed too much time went until he acted on it.

In a way, this is one of the most obvious less good things, the amount of time and situations that happened which prevented them to find out who the other one was for such a long time. It seems difficult to accept so many coincidences would stop them from knowing what was in front of them. Personally it felt like a comedy of errors, but it seems the author's intention was to give us a serious series of coincidence events. I can understand that some readers could consider this too bland overall, but I had more fun than regrets reading, so it's a positive experience for me.

I liked the tone of this novel, the way the author showed important things but didn't linger on unnecessary scenes and how small things like Lou's dreams and possible future actions will allow her to be the person she always wanted to be. And we even have a HEA and a recipe at the end of the book.

To me this is positive, despite some minor less than good details.

Grade: 8/10

Alyson Reuben - A Beautiful Cage

Wanted by the Gestapo, Rebecca Bloomberg is on the run for her life. Sheltering in the home of a reporter who writes absurd lies for a Nazi propaganda newspaper is hardly an ideal solution. Irresistibly drawn to the man, she dares not trust him, until she discovers his journalist position is a mask for involvement in an anti-Nazi resistance ring.
Gustav Von Furst has done all he can to perfect his mask. Neither his family nor his close friends know the truth. Hiding a Jewish girl is the most foolish risk, yet there is something about her that makes him want to protect her.
Eager to forget the outside world, Rebecca and Gustav are caught up in a private world of forbidden passion—until unexpected danger lands on their doorstep and they’re faced with a decision that will change everything. Will love demand a sacrifice too great to give?

Comment: I can't remember when I got my eyes on this book but since it happened I decided I had to try it. It's been in my TBR list since last year and this month I agreed with a friend to buddy read it and share ideas. I think she ended up liking a bit more than I did, but overall, it was an interesting read.

 

This is a story with an interesting premise. Rebecca Bloomberg is hiding from the Gestapo during the Nazi rule in Germany. Her Jewish family is all gone and her only hope is to try to find the house where her younger brothers supposedly went after the family lost their house and her father was arrested. During her attempt to leave the apartment where she's been to said house, she is seen by Gustav von Furst, a young German man who has been in love with her for a long time, ever since her family owned the closest bank where his family had their money. Gustav saves Rebecca and with the agreement of his grandmother, hides her in their house until figuring a way to take her out of Germany. Can the three of them stay out of the German authorities attention? What will Rebecca do when she realizes she and Gustav are in love?

 

In general, I liked this book. If I were to think about it as a whole I'd always recommend it or think positively about it. But there a couple of things that bothered me a bit, which distracting me enough from giving the book a higher mark. Of course all is relative and my buddy reading friend liked it a bit more than I did.

The story focuses on how Gustav and his grandmother, who live together in Berlin, help hiding a Jew young woman, Rebecca. Gustav has always felt attracted to Rebecca and saw her fall in love with her boyfriend but now she's alone and he can't help but helping her. Gustav also has a secret, he's actually spying and decoding messages for the German Resistance opposing the Nazis. This isn't seen much in books - or movies - so I curious to read about how a national resistance movement could work. We never think about the German citizens who didn't like Hitler or his ideas and ruling so I was quite curious to read about it. The fact there was a romance convinced me further.

 

However, my biggest problem comes from the writing itself. Although I appreciate the effort and the research work the author certainly did to compile ideas and real things to create this story, I feel some of the ideas didn't translate as fluid as they should to the actual book. I got the feeling some scenes were quite disjointed and lacked the power of emotion, especially if one bears in mind the time setting.

Several things were happening and that's fine but not always what would happen in one scene would go smoothly leading to the next one and it felt like we were getting different things that should matter and had to be included in the plot, so they were there, but not exactly in a well structured way.

I also think there wasn't enough emotion in the story. I applaud the fact the author tried to bring some joy and routines to the character's lives, after all they couldn't all be gloomy and desperate, even more so if others were paying attention to sudden changes in behavior but I always got the feeling people's lives at the time must have been so paranoiac...it's weird to read how mundane some things were when it pertained to daily lives. But the emotion behind all that lacked the sort of intensity I expected.

 

There's a romance happening, which is great. It only helped to prove love can happen to anyone, anywhere when you least expect it. But again, Gustav and Rebecca's romance was strongly based on what they said they felt and little on their personal growth. Neither really got much development by being in love. The intimacy between them, even if one considers the stress and pressure of living like that which could result in behaviors they wouldn't normally have, wasn't very romantic. I missed the parts where we should have seen them falling in love, where their feelings and thoughts were about the other, about the romantic aspects of it. If the aim was to point out the need for contact even in oppression times, it lacked its historical impact because it felt like were scenes more focused on lust.

 

Anyway, this is just my impressions of course. It seems all I have to say is negative, but it's only because were things that stayed with me the most. I liked the majority of the novel and had a good time reading. I also loved Bertie, Gustav's grandmother. Her personality and attitude was fascinating and sweet and I loved we had someone positive and caring on the page.

 

All in all, I just think focus on the wrong details and not enough character development, not enough scenes where the main couple would show their feelings instead of consummating them made me lower my grade to what would have been quite the successful historical story for me.

Grade: 6/10

Hazel Gaynor - A Memory of Violets

1876. Among the filth and depravity of Covent Garden's flower markets, orphaned Irish sisters Flora and Rosie Flynn sell posies of violets and watercress to survive. It is a pitiful existence, made bearable only by each other's presence. When they become separated, the decision of a desperate woman sets their lives on very different paths.
1912. Twenty-one-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London to become assistant housemother at one of Mr. Shaw's Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the homes have cared for London's orphaned and crippled flower girls, getting them off the streets. For Tilly, the appointment is a fresh start, a chance to leave her troubled past behind.
Soon after she arrives at the home, Tilly finds a notebook belonging to Flora Flynn. Hidden between the pages she finds dried flowers and a heartbreaking tale of loss and separation as Flora's entries reveal how she never stopped looking for her lost sister. Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie—but the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.

Comment: This is a book I've gotten interested in and recommended to a friend and then we decided to read it as a buddy read, meaning we both read it around the same time and now we will chat about it to compare thoughts. I liked the book and I know, from the grade used, that my friend also enjoyed it a lot. This was a wonderful surprise!

 

In this book we follow two women through their lives and their feelings. In 1976 Florrie is a young Irish girl who sells flowers with her younger sister, Rosie. After their parents die, Florrie tries her best to help and protect Rosie but one day she is taken from her in a busy market day and blind Rosie can't get back to her sister. For decades, Florrie looks for Rosie but doesn't find her and dies not knowing what happened to her.

In 1912, Tilly Harper is young woman starting to work at Violet House, one of several houses taking in crippled or orphaned girls who used to sell flowers and now work in factories that make beautifully done fake flowers. Tilly doesn't want to think about her past and she quickly sees herself part of Violet House and the girls she takes care of. But a diary found in her new room and the time spent with people who care for her will make her want to uncover a mystery and give closure. Can she do it?

 

I liked this book a lot. I confess I begin to read dreading the awful sad and unfair parts where the girls who sold the flowers would be mistreated and abused somehow but thankfully the story isn't a study on the disgraces of the world, it's a story more centered around the key characters, their lives and the people they know. We do have a realistic idea of how difficult and poor life was for people who didn't have money or any means to survive with decency, but the focus is on Florrie's desire to find Rosie and then on Tilly's life and her wish to help Florrie's spirit or soul by finding Rosie and letting her know she was loved and looked for until Florrie couldn't go on anymore.

This was a very emotional read but I can say it's not as depressing as I feared and in the end it's actually sweet and slightly uplifting.

 

Florrie's part of the story is mostly told from her diary, that Tilly finds. It's emotional, heartbreaking because she loved Rosie and dies without knowing and how that sometimes it's the hardest part, not knowing where our loved ones are, if they are well... I wish Florrie's life had been kinder and that she could have found more happiness other than the flower houses and the girls, but maybe the fascination is precisely that, a love that doesn't let anything else get in the way...but I wish Florrie could have found her sister sooner. 

The last scene made me cry, despite the happy ending.

 

As for Tilly's parts, obviously they are bigger, more developed, for she's the main character after all. Tilly is young but she lives with guilt and fear and some other feelings from her childhood she can't exactly process. Closer to the end, she also finds closure, a very needed one, and some situations are explained. I think some things were dramatized in an unnecessary way, but since the majority of the novel is well done, well executed and I had such a pleasure reading and unwillingness to put it down I just put aside any little things I didn't find as amazing.

 

Tilly arrives in London, where everything is different, but she's wise, she learn to cherish her friendships and she even grows to respect and like Edward, a young man who will understand her back.

I liked Tilly, I could accept her actions based on what she thought was the way things really happened in her past, I understand her decision to move and how she couldn't avoid developing feelings for the girls, Edward and mr Albert Shaw, the person who made it all possible.

I wanted to keep reading, I wanted to see Tilly find out about what was right or not and I had a good time seeing how Tilly grew up to be an amazing woman and how she tried to help Florrie's spirit.

 

I think the author thought well about the story, about how to tell it. At some moments, certain parts seemed to lose speed, but that isn't a bad thing in my opinion. The author did a good research, I was convinced I was reading things about real situations, about possible real actions and moves in history. The fiction part was lovely, emotional but not depressing and there's a happy end, despite some sadness that one can't avoid.

 

I was really impressed and very glad I decided to risk on reading this book. I like historical fiction but it's not the thing I look for the most. I think that, for a buddy read, my friend and I did pretty well. I recommend this one.

Grade: 8/10

Alphabet Soup Challenge: Francine Rivers - A Voice in the Wind

The first book in the bestselling Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Wind brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget—Hadassah.
Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, this young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.

Comment: This is book #1 in the Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers. I first knew about this book in a forum where a reader said something that made me curious about the story and how things would develop. I just wasn't aware it was so focused on religion, despite being labeled Christian fiction. I've read some of those and as with everything, some were god, others bad, some heavier on the religion, others not that much.

This story has a lot of preaching, to be honest, and despite being a catholic myself, I think it was too much.

Anyway, I talked to a friend and we agreed on a buddy read of this. Now that we both finished it, I think we agree some things weren't very appealing, but overall we liked the book.

I also used this title for the alphabet challenge to get the V letter done.

 

Basically, this is the story of a young girl, Hadassah, who lives in Judea with her family but she loses them all in a roman attack and is taken to Rome as a slave. Hadassah has never felt her faith was strong enough but she is a believer and that helps her live a simple but thankful life among her owners, especially Julia, a very childish and naïve girl around her age and her brother Marcus, someone Hadassah can't see as just an owner.

We also follow the path of Atretes, a German warrior captured and taken to Rome to become a gladiator.

But social status, intrigues and corruption fill up Rome's streets and the cities of its empire. Can Hadassah hold on until happiness is on her way?

 

First of all, I think the blurb is deceptive. It makes one think we'll have more romance than what actually exists. And I don't mean sex, no, it's really romance, which I think could be there without removing the Christian aspect of the story. Things were subtle in a way, but I wanted to have seen Hadassah not so blind and strict to a detail at the end that made everything go a certain way. Then the book ends in a sort of cliffhanger and now I can't wait to read what happens next.

 

The story is labeled as Christian fiction, so there's lots of religion conversations, elements, references. Hadassah is devoted despite everything and I get the message we should be proud of our beliefs, but if we think this was Rome at a time where Christians were killed without mercy, she could have been practical too and be devoted but not so loudly. Sure, that goes against the idea we should share the Lord's love and so on, but come on.... this was historical, if it was so important to insert certain aspects to give it accuracy, then this was exaggerated for plot's purposes too, I think.

I was actually annoyed at the whole religious content. I didn't think it would be this much and would have liked more focus on the romance story.

 

Nevertheless, the writing is addictive even if I wrinkled my nose over some passages. I still want to know what happens, how things happen, I want to see a HEA so I'm going to read the other books just for that.

Some historical content was very interesting, culturally fascinating too, but I admit it was difficult to read about slavery and be powerless to change the history that killed so many people and treated them so wrongly. The gladiator's fights - usually featuring Atretes - I skimmed through because they were violent and I felt for those who had to die for the amusement of others. History id teach us how unfair is was/still is for some in detriment to others...

I'm looking for to see more historical details about the imperial Rome. Not my usual preferred theme, but it's interesting to learn things through fiction books.

 

The characters... I liked Hadassah despite her over religious behavior and intransigency about it. I didn't expect things to happen miracously, but a bit more feeling towards Marcus would have been sweet. I'm looking for seeing her admit her love without any issue. She is a good heroine and I applaud her actions in some situations.

Marcus is the son of the man who purchased Hadassah and then gave her to Julia. Marcus is amazing although at first I didn't like him much. His love feels convenient and temporary at first but in the end I really felt for him when things didn't work out right away. I foresee he's going to turn Christian but I hope that doesn't change his personality...

Julia, Marcus' sister and the owner of Hadassah, I'd say is the villain but she does it out of jealousy and loneliness. That's not an excuse, and she was also manipulated by true villains but she got on my nerves so much for her blind belief in things anyone should realize are wrong. Too childish and spoiled. I'm curious to see what happens to her too.

Atretes was featured a lot and I got the idea he just wanted freedom but didn't enjoy the path to that. I skipped some violent scenes with him so I'm curious to see his softer side in his book.

The other characters were all intriguing and added up to the plot in a way I liked.

 

All in all, I liked the book and I'm eager to keep reading. But I can't put aside the things I wish were different. Less preaching would be nice because it distracts from the plot and the curiosity over the fictional plot. I get it but I still wish it were different.

Eagerly ready for the next one as soon as I buy it.

Grade: 7/10