Mini Comments

The following books were the last three books I've read in 2016.
I'm just writing some sentences about each one, just to wrap things up when it comes to 2016 reads and sort of leave the past year of readings already dealt with.

These three books are placed on reading order, older at the bottom. I think it was a great way to end the year although none of them made it to best list  :)

Comment: The Ice Child is a book I was quite expectant to read because it's the newest installment in the Patrick Hedstrom and Ericka Falck series by author Camilla Lackberg. I find this one of the best thriller/mysteries series I've been following lately so I was happy to read it. 

In this book, we keep on following the lives of all the known characters, their personal challenges and troubles make the story feel closer to us a s a reader. As always, there's mystery, a young girl is found on a road but she dies soon after and the investigation leads the police and Ericka to a certain group of characters. They find out the girl had a secret but when they realize they were looking at that secret through the wrong perspective, that makes it easier to follow some leads. Ericka is working on a new book too and interestingly, that and the crime look they can be related...

I think this isn't the strongest book in the series. The domestic side of the story felt interesting like all the others, but the crime didn't seem as well structured as others and even the end, although understandable from a realistic POV, seemed rushed and let out some loose ends I would have preferred to see done differently. All in all, good but not the best.

Grade: 7/10

Comment: The Good Neighbor is an m/m story by Clare London, featuring Dylan, a young man who has to endure the advice and gossip of two great-aunts on everything. Dylan is a teacher, he is happy where he lives and of what he does but yes, he does feel rather lonely. His aunts try to entertain him with stories about Josie, a neighbor that they think would be perfect for him. She is away often but Dylan takes care of her house mostly because he has been having an affair with Josie's brother Neal, someone who isn't often in town. But now Neal is around for one of his few escapades to see Dylan and of course Dylan is eager to see him as well. But is this secret relationship enough or is Dylan ready to change his expectations?

I liked this story for the most part but yes, the aunts comments and attitudes seemed very obvious and without any real importance to the main plot, which was Neal and Dylan's issues when it comes to be together. This is a short story so things happen quickly but the pages would have been better used to show the guys' relationship better instead of making it look like a silly comedy.

Grade: 6/10

Comment: The Firebrand is the story of Lucy Hathaway, the third heroine from the

Chicago Fire trilogy by author Susan Wiggs. Lucy is a fighter for woman's rights, after the fire, where her family lost all the money, she manages to find credit at a bank and have her own bookshop, dedicated to women's literature and women's rights publications. Lucy also saved a child from the great fire and she is now a proud mother. Everything changes when she goes to the bank and finds a man she used to be attracted to and to whom she proposed an affair, before the fire, not knowing he was married. He is now divorced and has the scars from the fire and is also the manager of the bank that will end Lucy's business if she doesn't get more profits. But one picture will change everything...

I liked this story, it has many amazing elements and I really liked the romance and the beginning of the plot. I was really enjoying it all until a certain element was added to the plot, which wasn't necessary in my opinion and made things start to drag...the romance was cute but it could have been much more vibrant. The HEA was what one would expect despite some noticeable loose ends. 

Grade: 8/10

Susan Wiggs - The Mistress

As the historic fire ignites across town, Kathleen O'Leary finds herself dressed in borrowed diamonds and silk, enjoying a lavish masquerade. The penniless maid has caught the eye of Dylan Francis Kennedy, the rich, handsome gentleman all of high society has been speculating about. The night feels alive with magic...and ripe with promise.
Then fire sweeps through the city, cornering the young lovers with no hope of rescue. Desperate to share their last moments together, Kathleen and Dylan impulsively marry. Incredibly, they survive. Now, as the fire burns down to cold ash, Kathleen must tell Chicago's most eligible bachelor that he has married a fraud. But the joke's on her. For this gentleman is no gentleman. While Kathleen had hoped to win Dylan's love, he had planned only to capture her heart and steal her fortune. Dylan Kennedy -- con artist, gambler, and ne'er-do-well -- has been unwittingly caught in his own game. Now the real sparks are about to fly.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Great Chicago Fire trilogy by author Susan Wiggs. The books can be read as standalone but there's an obvious sequence in the facts presented and they are best read if in order.

In this second story we follow maid Kathleen O'Leary as she goes along her friends' Lucy and Phoebe ideas that people from good breeding and families will always recognize one another and Kathleen will be discovered as a fraud. But if she succeeds in being asked for a special event then she will prove people only believe what they see. This seems to be proven real when one of the most sought after men in Chicago, Dylan Francis Kennedy, is smitten with her and asks her to dance and later on to the ball.

What Kathleen doesn't know - nor anyone else for that matter, is that Dylan isn't who he says he is and, in fact, it's even poorer than Kathleen herself. In the aftermath of the fire that affected so many lives, can Kathleen and Dylan come to terms about what they mean for one another?

While reading the first book, the reader is given some little clues about this and that including the protagonists of the following stories. It's nothing detailed, only a reference to Dylan saying he is rich and looking for a wife and we see the preparations of turning Kathleen into the mysterious young woman to be presented as some heiress or, at least, belonging to a good and well placed family.

I was very much looking for to this story based on those glimpses because I really thought I'd get that story, the one about a woman who only wants to know what it's like to be rich and noticed and that of the man who will like her beyond her origins and masquerade. A bit like Cinderella really, I actually like the Cinderella trope in romances.

However, it wasn't so, I haven't read the blurb for this book while reading the first so it was quite the surprise when I was reading this book and realized Dylan is as much a fake as Kathleen! This wouldn't be a sweet romance about Cinderella-like characters but a story about common people who lied and were caught in their secrets and deceiving. I mean, I was ready to be convinced Kathleen's actions wouldn't cause harm to everyone and that a man would still love her but the two of them playing to be someone they're not and the joke instead of being on the other is actually on the reader? Ehhh...

This fact alone kind of crumbled all my expectations for this book and I was already disappointed, no matter how interesting their story ended up being.

I liked Kathleen's family and I do applaud her dreaming of being different, of having a different life, of trying to have a different reality. I also like she didn't just give up but it's not as if Dylan is a great catch! Could she really be in love in such a short time and can she really be expected to not change her feelings when she finds out he not only deceived her too but wasn't even sorry and let her go when he found out the truth? I don't think it's brave and persistent to still go after some liar if they leave you while saying bad things about you...

Dylan is a character I both understand and dislike. Yes, her is a liar and he doesn't come from a good childhood so his actions are understandable but at the same time he is a grown up, why can't he be a good citizen or why didn't he try? Yes, it's much easier to settle and don't try and that's realistic but this is a romance, for me to like the hero he has to, at least, try. He never does, even by the end, when the HEA happens, he didn't try to change, he simply saw the light once at church but went away and got lucky, what he does to help or to switch something within his own limits isn't ever for himself, it's because it serves a purpose, even if good intended.

Because this book didn't positively surprise me nor did the main characters turned out to be anything close to what I expected, I can't really say much about it. The plot has some interesting moments, especially when the protagonists interact with other characters and when they try to help in feeding the poor after the fire, but the whole thing left me rather disappointed. Not even the relationship between the main characters seemed strong enough or romantic enough to justify everything else, so...

I really hope the third one won't be like this and is actually as intriguing as it promises.

Grade: 5/10

Susan Wiggs - The Hostage

Deborah Sinclair is a beautiful, accomplished young heiress with a staggering dowry. But her fortune does her no good when, one horrible night, Chicago is engulfed in flames.
Tom Silver will walk through fire to avenge a terrible injustice and he may have to. But when he makes Deborah a pawn in his revenge, the heat of the inferno fades next to the attraction he feels for his captive. And the further he takes her from everything she's known, the stronger their passion grows, until it threatens to consume them both. 

Comment: This is the first installment of the Great Chicago Fire trilogy by the author. I've read other books by the author before and enjoyed them, so I got the trilogy and, in my usual style, I'm reading it one book a month.

In this book we meet Deborah Sinclair, a young heiress who already has an engagement with Phillip Ascot, a man from one of the most important families in America. But when we meet Deborah, she isn't feeling well, she has doubts about her future marriage and she wants to discuss it with her father. Sadly, that was the day where the great fire started and everyone knows how deeply affected countless people were because of that.

In the confusion of escaping the fire, Deborah is separated from her father, a man tries to kill him but ends up kidnapping Deborah instead. What happens next is an adventure, something that Deborah cherishes even when things are complicated. But can Deborah find justice and happiness?

While reading this novel, I was impressed by its interesting descriptions which tells me the author did a good research job in finding details to show us how dire things were but it wasn't to the point where this would look like an history book.

Then, the plot moves to another location and the interesting descriptions of the fishing village were quite impressive as well. I think that, overall, in terms of location and description, the work was well done. I don't think it was perfect because certain passages seem to have been developed a little too much.

Of course the main interest in the story are the main characters, Deborah and Tom.

Deborah is a rich heiress but we learn when the book starts that she isn't feeling well and it's more a emotional things rather than physical. I kind of guessed what happened to her at some point, I mean, the clues are all there but I have to say I expected more in terms of reaction. Yes, times were others and women had a different take on what their behavior should be like, but still...

My favorite scenes with Deborah were when they action was set on the island and she acted like any other women...the sense of freedom was quite interesting to see on her.

Tom is a mysterious character, even after we learn all his secrets or things about his past. His behavior throughout the novel is well explained and his sense of honor doesn't shake even when he is committed to o something so wrong. Thankfully, he never goes ahead with it. His actions towards Deborah aren't as bad as one might think because he never hurt her physically or caused her any kind of harm. I liked how his emotional state evolved and it was quite sweet to see him fall in love.

The romance was sweet too and when they finally acted on their feelings, not before they talked and communicated, it was great to see them together. Too bad that until a certain point, things didn't seem all that good and they didn't think about the other, romantically I mean, that long and then, they were being intimate. I think a smoother transition would have made the book better.

The plot that makes them meet, be together, that makes Tom consider Deborah a hostage in the first place isn't something memorable in my opinion. Sure, it has merit and so on but...not that vital to me and then with the lengthy descriptions that didn't always add much to the plot moves... This was a good book, slightly above average but still not the best romance ever.

I liked the HEA, of course and I liked the little hints about other characters, not that we see much of them, but I'm curious to see them have their own story as well. I liked how things worked out at the end, but the lack of  fluid transitions, too many descriptions at time and a plot that didn't always convince me, makes me have enjoyed the book, especially the romance, but I don't think I'll remember this forever.

Still, a great effort by the author.

Grade: 7/10

Susan Wiggs - A Summer Affair

A gifted but troubled physician, Blue Calhoun runs a thriving medical practice from his Nob Hill mansion in San Francisco while raising his son alone after an unthinkable tragedy. Then one day a female fugitive with a gunshot wound appears in Blue's surgery. Even though she holds a pistol aimed at his heart, the desperation in her eyes awakens Blue's compassion. Reluctantly he is drawn to her fragile beauty, her nerves of steel and the mystery surrounding her circumstances.
Isabel Fish-Wooten has spent most of her life on the run, but everything changes when she forces a stranger to save her life. Yet her rescue comes with an unexpected price. As Isabel recovers from her wounds, she finds herself touched by this remarkable man and yearns to reach out to him and his rebellious son.
From danger-filled back alleys to the glittering ballrooms of high society, Isabel and Blue confront the violence and corruption that threatens their newfound passion. Theirs is an unforgettable quest to discover a rare and special love, and the precious gift of a second chance at happiness.

Comment: This is the last book in the Calhoun Chronicles series by the author. In this book we have the story of the oldest son of the protagonist of book #2. Blue has grown up, is a doctor and a widow. He also has a son to raise and is about to meet the woman he can't ignore.

Blue Calhoun lost his wife in a shooting and feels guilty since then. Ten years have passed, his son is now 15 and looking to be someone different from what he imagined. But Blue's life takes a turn when he meets Isabel, a woman with a wound he treats. She recovers at his house and makes him think and desire different things although he is still afraid of letting the memories go. In the middle of a illicit business deal, Blue will have to weight in what matters the most to him and if the new woman in his life will be worth it all...

I was very curious to read this book, not only because I aimed its reading to the end of the year so I could finish the series still in 2014, but also because I've got to know the Calhoun family and was interested in seeing how Blue, a character we've met when he was a child, a mute child at that, in book #2 would be like a a grown up and with a son of his own.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this story. I didn't have the feeling this was as well executed s the previous stories which seemed to develop a much more heartfelt connection between the main characters.

I don't know if it was only the way Blue and Isabel were developed as characters or the lack of real connection (in my opinion) that made this story feel less good to me, but the truth is I struggled more to feel empathy towards them, Isabel in particular.

We've met her briefly in the previous book in the series and she seemed intriguing enough but she has that sort of personality that wants freedom, wants independence and her thoughts are always on the move. So, when the HEA happened, obviously, I had some hard time believing she was devoted to stay with Blue forever. We see why she is like that but I still think her origins, her life story wasn't explained enough. We have clues and hints about what happened to her, and she talks about it quickly but there was never any going past that to welcome a new life, dedicated to love. I missed that assurance to better believe in the HEA.

As for Blue, he has a lot of emotional issues to deal with and despite the time that passed, which can make this better accepted in terms of mourning done, I still felt he wasn't ready to overcome that or at least, the way things happened didn't convince me of that and his thoughts about Isabel didn't feel convincing to me, not at love level it seemed.

The plot revolves around Blue's profession, his troubles with his son and how the boy is different from him, wants different things. I liked ho they worked out their relationship and for the most part I was glad Lucas, his son, was a rebel but not completely out of control to the point of being reckless and stupid, but overall, I wished more for them, or sooner.

I liked seeing some characters we've know since the beginning. Their brief appearance was funny and cherished, too bad it was so short. I also think some things weren't properly solved, at least not in a conclusive way, too many ideas were left in the air, and despite most not being vital to the plot's resolution and ending, I still would have liked to see it happen differently.

All in all, this book had good parts but there was a lot I would like to have seen done differently and compared to her other works I've read, this wasn't the strongest one, in fact of all 5 books in the series, I consider this the weakest. Still, the author's voice is clear and easy to read and that is always something to appreciate.

Grade: 6/10

Susan Wiggs - Enchanted Afternoon

The wife of an ambitious senator, Helena Cabot is the perfect accessory for a man whose hunger for power knows no bounds. But she married for all the wrong reasons and now she is trapped with a dangerous man. Fearing for her safety, Helena ends her marriage and flees to a safe haven. But she soon understands that it's impossible to outrun the past, so she turns to Michael Rowan for help. Michael broke her young heart years before, but Helena must learn to trust him again so that together they can face the dangers that lie ahead.

Comment: In the sequence of my reading of Susan Wiggs' Calhoun Chronicles, here's another one of the installments. I've enjoyed all the books so far, but I have to say of them all, this one is probably the one I've liked the least. Not that is bad, but when comparing them all so far, this one didn't seem as magical as any of the previous ones.

This is Helena's story, the older sister of Abigail, from the previous book. We know Helena has an image he shows to everyone but deep own she is like any other young woman, she wanted happiness and love.This book starts ten years after the happenings in Halfway to Heaven and presents us an Helena with some issues to deal with and for that she asks for Professor Rowan's help, despite the way they parted ways. But now a new fear makes Helena bolder and willing to take charge.

When things didn't go well, will Professor Rowan still have the effect he once had on her?

Like I said, this wasn't my favorite book but it still had many elements to make it a good read. Only, as everything in life, we usually focus more on the negative aspects because they tend to be more obvious, overall. Again, this is just a general idea, nothing that affects the reading of this book by other readers. But for me, the things that could have been better seemed more obvious than the good things that exist, which still make this a good story with strong scenes.

My issue with this book is how the main characters, who were in love but never admitted to each other, after ten years apart now meet again when she asks for his help but it doesn't seem they deal with it in the most emotional way. One can say lack of emotion is a reaction on itself, but I was hoping to see them deal with things in a more aggressive way, I guess. I wanted them to experience further the years of separation, the issues that put them apart and I wanted them to learn to deal with their new relationship in a much more alive way too.

I think the way the story developed made them close together again but it wasn't really the emotional journey I thought would happen, basically because all their interactions seemed distant, and when physical attraction was mentioned things didn't change much.

All in all, their connection never seemed perfect, although I was glad they had an HEA.

The plot had many elements to almost camouflage the main couple's relationship. Some things, namely Helena's new found purposes and inner strength were wonderful to watch, as was the interaction with many secondary character that fill this book. But despite Helena's ties with the characters from the previous book, the main characters from that story barely showed up here. I get it, in terms of plot needs, but still..it's really weird when people who are known to be close practically never make an appearance after...

There are some secrets to uncover in this book. Some seemed a real surprise and they played the role they had to in order to move the plot along. Others were more predictable, but still interesting to see develop. There are some scenes and subjects addressed here that can be very pertinent to see and to think about. 

In the end, this was a successful book, but not as engrossing as I hoped for and compared to the previous ones, not as beautiful.

Still, it was entertaining and had enough elements to make me enjoy it overall.

Grade: 7/10

Susan Wiggs - Halfway To Heaven

At a glittering White House gala, Abigail Cabot discovers the man of her dreams. Only, he's not interested...yet. So the gifted lady astronomer, whose passion for measuring stars has left her woefully lacking in social graces, seeks someone to educate her...someone who is a master at the art of seduction.
Jamie Calhoun's handsome looks and easy charm have made him as popular on the Senate floor as he is with the capital's most attractive women. But secretly he loathes the cynical, manipulative man he's become. Initially, he befriends Abigail as a means to a political end. But somewhere along the way the plan goes awry.
First laughter and then love take them completely by surprise in this wildly romantic story. For a man convinced he's incapable of love and a woman who believes she can reach the stars, could this be a match made in heaven?

Comment: This is the third story in the Calhoun series by the author. I've read the previous two months ago and decided I wanted to finish the series within the year, so the remaining 3 books are spread over the last three months of 2014. This month it was Jamie and Abigail's story.

The story focuses on Jamie and how he decided to become a congressman to change politics and a law about railroads which would affect his late brother's land in Virginia. In honor to him, Jamie will do anything to stop the railroads appeal to government funding. He will do anything even getting close to the daughter of one of the senators who might have influence over the possible law.

Abigail Cabot isn't known for her beauty and grace. She prefers to watch the sky than to go to a ball, even more so because of her physical limitations. But when she sees the man of her dreams, she joins forces with Jamie so a mutual relationship can help them both. But what will happen if they fall in love on the way?

First of all, I didn't remember Jamie from the previous books. Thankfully, this is one of those stories where there's plenty of mentioning of family members, meaning the main couple isn't an oyster living on their own like it happens in so many books.

The story has several classic tropes and we can recognize them throughout the story. I don't think this diminishes the story's appeal or worthiness, it was just a way for the author to simplify her goal, I think. Honestly it didn't bother me.

I liked how the main couple seemed wrong but they had a lot of common after all. I liked how both took steps to undertsand the other, they went out of their way to help and to be supportive. I think Jamie had some notions about himself which were hard to accept, sometimes I wished he would just get over it. But in reality, there isn't any amount of time to just get over a tragedy and guilt like Jamie went through. My impatience was for show, but if one thinks about it, it wasn't so out there.

Jamie has a lot to think about, to deal with and Abigail is someone who understands, who is there for him. Abigail also has issues about herself and what she believes are true feelings for someone she exchanges letters with. There's a lot of mixed and wrong assumptions in this book, but of course all is solved after some angst ad heartfelt confessions.

The romance was good. I think it was balanced because they both gained a lot from being together, both her issues, some were worse than others, but on their own way, both had to go through truth and acceptances and th fact they fell in love was obvious. I liked how things went in the end.

There are some parts where is so romantic to watch them, others where they could have been more assertive. I think their night together was done with the right mood and attention but seemed to be there just because and afterwards the meaning didn't seem as strong as that, but all things considered, it was still perfectly acceptable.

There are some secondary characters who will have an important role in the following books. Still, their presence was key to this story too and I kind of liked how they mattered and weren't there just to fill up the place. I'm curious over Helena's story.

The story has many subjects to read between the lines, ideas and characterization which adds up emotion to the book. I think the author did a good job in  exploiting so many themes and how that affected the characters and their actions. In my opinion, it was a successful job and I'm still curious over the rest of the series and other work by her.

Grade: 8/10

Susan Wiggs - The Horsemaster's Daughter

Southern plantation owner Hunter Calhoun gambles the success of his Virginia horse farm on an Irish stallion; unfortunately, the animal arrives crazed and unridable after the stormy sea crossing. Desperate, Hunter turns to Eliza Flyte, the horsemaster's daughter, who has inherited her father's gift for gentling horses. Her ability to heal wounded spirits with her compassion and wisdom is amazing, and when Hunter convinces her to leave her isolated island and return home with him, she soon applies that gift to the bitter man and his grieving, motherless children. But what future can a woman raised alone by her father with only the sea, animals, and a few books for companions have with a man who grew up as a rich, upper-class son of the South? It seems unlikely that Eliza could ever fit into Hunter's world and just as unlikely that he would give up his privileged life for her world. It just may take a miracle for these two mismatched lovers to find a way to live happily ever after.

Comment: Months ago, I've read the first book in this Calhoun series and loved it. In fact, it was one of my favorites of the past year. I was immediately interested in reading more, and more so this story after realizing it would be Hunter's, a widow single dad who needed help with horses but I pictured on the spot he and his children would benefit from the heroine's help. I bought it, waited and read it last month.

This is the story of Hunter Calhoun, he lost everything after his wife left him. Now he's got the task of taming a stallion for a race but he is helpless to do so. In a final desperate attempt to save he horse, he turns to the horsemaster on Flyte island, a small island near his house in Virginia.
The horsemaster is dead but on the island, all by herself, is his daughter, Eliza. She saw her late father work with the horses others brought to him so she knows how to help Hunter's. What wasn't on the cards was he attraction between Eliza and Hunter...

I did like this story a lot. I thin it was a successful romance between two people with different takes on life. One of the best things about reading romances is to see how two people act and see the relationship develop. In this case, the author once more took feelings and expectations into account without being too obvious about it, even if one can say some plot clichés were to be expected, namely the things learned at the end about Hunter's late wife.

This book has a good main couple. Together, they act well and their interactions seem believable enough. Thinking about it, it was good to see them together, learning and teaching the other what it's like to love and to be loved, it was beautiful.
Hunter has a past to forget but he wants his children to be happy although he doesn't know how to change their misery at the moment. He also wants to build a new life for himself with a horse farm and racing but in everything else he is clueless about what to do. He drinks a lot and tries his best to not talk about his wife and the feelings she still evokes on him. Eliza changes all this with simply her presence because she is different and has a different take on life.
Eliza has been living alone on the island, rarely talking to people. She doesn't understand society conventions and only sees the truth of taking care of animals and seeing what works for them helped shape her vision of the world. She isn't prepared for what Hunter makes her fell but as always she gos with th flow. She really is the change he needed to shape his new life.
It was beautiful to see some scenes where Eliza does her job with the horses, with those who need...the en felt good, I think. Everyone needed to learn something, to live with th idea of something and for Hunter, Eliza and the children that meant a radical move. I loved the romance and the story.

Eliza is a different ind of heroine and she seems uncaring about society rules. In a way, this was refreshing but it also made her a bit too aloof to be true. I would have liked her to be more understanding of what it meant to be in society. Still, I think the end was suitable and romantic too!
I think this story isn't as strong as the first one but it offered many scenes powerful enough to make me feel something, to imagine what would be like for me to be in their shoes...so, all in all, a well done job.
Grade: 8/10

Susan Wiggs - The Charm School

Isadora Peabody is an awkward misfit in her beautiful and accomplished family. Shunned by those she yearns to befriend, she gives her heart to a man who doesn't even know she exists. With nothing to lose, she seizes the chance to journey to a wondrous new world in search of a dream.
In a society where men are judged by their family name and position, Ryan Calhoun is considered to be reckless for walking away from his. Driven by his quest to right an old wrong, the fiery, temperamental sea captain doesn't have time to look after the meek young woman who comes aboard his ship.
What Isadora discovers on the voyage is more adventure than she could have imagined. The crew of motley sailors becomes her own personal charm school, teaching her to be a lady. And giving her the confidence to believe in a startling new love.

Comment: I've got this book to read for some time. I got it at bookmooch, a site that allows you to exchange books you don't want to with others you'd like. It's tricky and is set on a points currency, but after a while it can be a great help, I've got many books, especially older ones (as the more recent aren't easily available there), thankfully to this site.
Anyway, I've seen Hilcia liked this book a lot and by the blurb I thought I'd like it too.

This is the story of Isadora Peabody, she's a woman other make fun of and she never feels worthy. Despite her family being an important one, she never thinks she might be happy and she is clumsy and others can't seem to see how wonderful she really is. She isn't the most attractive person in the world and is always doing something wrong in her otherwise beautiful family. But a ship will change that.
Ryan Callhoun is eager to prove himself and has two goals in his life, to help his former slave and always friend Journey to get his family back and to prove he is a good skipper. Isadora will show up and from the beginning sparks fly...

I liked this book a lot. It's one of my favorites of the year, for certain. I mean, the year isn't over yet, but this is a favorite already.
I really liked the feel of the story, how Isadora is so sad and clumsy and unhappy all the time and how that changes after she embarks on an adventure where she finds out she isn't only stronger than she thought she is also much more than her outside and despite being a good friend to everyone she can also be pretty.

Isadora has a lot to overcome in her adventure. She goes from a clumsy unattractive girl to someone who discovers a side of herself she didn't thin she could present to world even when in her heart she knew she had it in her. But sometimes we need others to see for themselves what we can be instead of just hoping they will. I liked how Isadora never had to make mistakes to learn a lesson as it happens with so many novels with this theme, where characters do something wrong and by being judged realize they had always been perfect as they were. No, Isadora keeps her personality and her intelligence. What she learns is how illusions can be in front of everyone, even those who think are immune to them, for instance, in her idea of who the perfect man for her was, but in the end she changed, she grew up through the challenges in the ship and what she sees and she ends up being the most wonderful person ever in the eyes of those who love her, something she didn't think possible.

Ryan is someone used to difficulties and injustices. At first he didn't seem someone one might care about, but his values were in the right place and I enjoyed getting to now him too, even more so, because his relationship with Isadora was full of sexual tension and developing love and it was also fun to watch them interacting. Ryan wanted to do something he believed in even if he had to make bad decisions over that. I can't say I applaud him for that, after all good values don't excuse bad actions, but his heart was in the right place. He is a very likable character all things considered.

The slavery theme here can be an issue for some. It's not the easiest of themes and despite being all very fiction like and not that deeply discussed, it still touches out minds about how it must have been like and how unfair and inhuman it was. I felt very angry just thinking some of the situations mentioned in this boo could have been true a they surely were.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the ugly duking storyline and how it progressed, I liked many situations and scenes int he book, the romance was great and I liked the characters on their own as much as when they were together...many ties this doesn't happen...I can«t wait to read the next book, I'm buying it this time and as soon as I can.
For an older book, this certainly was amazing. Oh the great hidden treasures out there...