India Holton - The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love

Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.
Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals.
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.

Comment: I became interested in this book because of the cover, I confess. It really appealed to me. I was aware of the author too, even though I had not tried anything by her before this book, there was something about the blurbs that didn't really grab me, but this time I decided to jump in and was quite eager to read a good story.

Beth Pickering and Devon Lockley are ornithologists from Oxford and Cambridge respectively and both are looking for to become the winner of the prize Birder of the Year, which means capturing a rare bird. While dealing with obstacles, friends and foes and their continuous attraction despite the fact they are supposed to be enemies, they need to think if their goal is all that achievable and if the price to pay is worth it or too much. Will they be able to succeed at the same time a relationship between them feels more important than anything else?

As soon as I started reading, I became very confused. I thought this book would be an historical romance with an enemies to lovers trope, with protagonists in a field not often seen in romance novels. However, the story also had magical elements and it took me a while to get used to this. Historical elements with magical/fantasy ones isn't a bad deal, I've read other books in this mix of genres before, but something about this one wasn't really grabbing me.

I quickly realized that what wasn't working was the author's voice, let's say. The story was being told in a very tiring way to me. The suggestion of comedy of errors and whimsical elements was over the top and it felt as if each situation was a constant adventure, making the plot feel like a nonstop action movie, and the reader is supposed to find this fun and cute-silly and to me it was not so.

I must infer this is the author's style and now that I've read some reviews on the author's work, i'm convinced it is such.

This is fine, but then it's a style I find too busy and superficial and I don't think I'll purposely look for other books by the author. It is what it is. In regards to this particular story I also feel a little sad I didn't like it more because there were elements hidden among all the clutter that I was looking for to see developed better.

I liked the romance as a whole. Beth and Devon should be enemies, have had opposed views and actions in previous endeavors and field work, and they come from universities which are in constant odds when it comes to academic prestige and such. We also see them with other people in their field and the idea they are enemies is very strong at first but that doesn't last long and, obviously, they are more than attracted to one another. This new mission forces them to wok together, which had obvious results.

I wish we had more on them as individuals because the short conversations they have weren't enough to help me have a better idea about them. Some of the details they share also didn't warm them up to me much... we are told they respect and like one another but this didn't seem to be something we could see... thus, the "show" part of the narrative felt rather weak to me. I think the why of this is simple... the author was too busy coming up with silly scenes and ridiculous plot devices to propel them into action. From the start, the story became a little farcical to me, to be honest.

The ornithology content was interesting enough but with the magical aspects, things were confusing to follow. Added the rest related to the characters' actions and I was left a bit lost. I confess I've kind of skimmed a few pages where the characters seemingly were dealing with frustrating situations - I suppose they were meant to be funny - which only felt annoying considering how long it took for them to be over. 

All in all this wasn't a winner for me, and it only just barely has a positive note because I did like the protagonists, especially if I think of them apart from the silly adentures they see themselves in. The end gave us the promised HEA but I don't feel especially happy I've read this story. One more where the cover was better than the content, for certain.

Grade: 5/10

TBR Challenge: Patricia Berwick - Peril and Paradise

Peril in Paradise a mystery adventure story about a graduate student who decides to do her research in a remote island group in the Pacific. She is invited there by a fellow student who appears to have all the right connections to make her stay there an informative one. Very shortly she finds herself immersed in intrigue and legend which could be life-threatening to both herself and others. She decides she has to uncover whatever is happening in order to complete her research and return safely to her home in the United States.
Her search leads her to an island that is almost magical and where she falls in love with a handsome young islander well-versed in the ways of the West. Through a series of adventures he keeps her safe until the secret of the islands is uncovered, and she can return to her home. She leaves with her research is in tatters, guarding a secrete that can never be told, but knowing she she has much to accomplish in life.

Comment: I keep saying I don't remember why this or that book was added to my TBR and the same happens in regards to this book. No idea... but the blurb sounded great! Plus, the story was going to take place in a remote island somewhere around what could be the French Polynesia area! What a perfect choice for this month's TBR Challenge post, which is conveniently "location, location, location".

Prudence is an anthropology student in the US when the chance to travel to Oumatou, a remote island in the Pacific, comes her way which will help tremendously with her field work. Thankfully, she is friends with Manu, who is originally from that island, studying abroad on a scholarship, and after some doubts and eagerness, she finds herself going all the way there, with a brief stop in Hawaii to stay with her friend Susan. As soon as she arrives on the island, she is sad Manu doesn't stay around as much but he offers his mother's house for her to stay in and things go on well enough for a while. However, Prue is wary of some things and many inhabitants look at her strangely, which she thinks might have to do with her skin tone, but as she learns of legends and myths about the island and the smaller Mamao and Apiti surrounding it, she becomes restless. Is Prue truly safe in such a emote location?

I've seen this author - unfamiliar to me before trying this book - has an extensive background in anthropology and that is how she became inspired for her fictional work. I'd say the writing was not as smooth as we can see in other writers, perhaps who have dedicated themselves to fiction for longer, but dr Berwick used her knowledge precisely in the field of anthropology to invent a set of islands in the Pacific, so similar to real ones but different enough, to create several cultural aspects which aren't that surprising for us to believe could exist for real and set her story there.

The story has all the necessary ingredients to make this a compelling read. There were also times I thought back to those great adventure movies from the 80s and 90s mostly where the protagonists had to face weird set ups and still get ahead with unlikely odds. Prudence finds a way to travel to a remote island, even with misgivings, but she successfully reaches her destination. I think the details regarding this were made to seem a bit too easy when in real life it certainly cannot be, but I also had the feeling the author was more concerned about content than realistic steps.

I think the best achieved element was the atmosphere throughout the story. Prue herself says she feels uneasy, but the sensation that something isn't as right as it should can be felt from the beginning. This isn't horror, though, and the mystery reference in the labels for this book is very mild but the author has managed to develop a believable tone of edginess related to what Prue was seeing. The story is told from her POV, with four of five chapters closer to the end where we have her friend's Susan perspective in third person. I suppose it was the way for a few things to make sense in the end.

The plot is both simple and a little confusing because the author can't share everything right away, but there are details which start to make sense when we add up the information. Still, I imagined the whole story to be related to a specific event and how culture and prejudice and the evolution of communities might have affected such an isolated region but the truth was a little more... bizarre. When we finally understand what had propelled the whole thing, why Prue went through so many adventures and so much danger, when all is explained I was a little dumbfounded. I can see the author's idea but, really, it all ended up being a bit too weird.

The fascinating part was how the author used real anthropological facts and twisted them to create the mentality and culture of the people in these islands. Some things are so common among groups who live in countries/places we still consider to be far from "civilization" that it was easy to imagine the islands and the behaviors there. I was as interested in guessing the secrets as I was in seeing the dynamics between characters but this aspect was really very superficial. The author did enough, yes, but the intent was on how Prue was different to suit the plot.

I did love the islands' descriptions and it was very easy to go back to images of real islands in the Pacific for inspiration. Prue swam a lot in gorgeous locations! It made me think of what I'd do if something so extraordinary were to happen to me and in terms of location this story seemed way stronger than when it came to characterization. Sadly, most characters weren't really developed for a story which was quite focused on anthropology and how people vs groups might make a difference.

All things considered, I still cannot decide if this was really imaginative or slightly bonkers, but it certainly made for a very entertaining novel. Some elements were great as I've said, others not that much. I'll debate if I'll read the sequel some day.

Grade: 7/10

Frances Fowlkes - The Earl's New Bride

England, 1819
The Earl of Amhurst has returned to his estate in search of a wife and, more importantly, an heir. Simon Devere isn't interested in some comely, simpering creature. A beautiful woman only brings heartbreak and ruin, and Simon's disfigured visage is proof enough of that. No, he wants a wife who is unattractive and undesirable-and the homelier, the better.
But nothing about Lady Henrietta Beauchamp is homely. She is lovely and sweet... and struggles to mix with polite society when she would so much rather have plants for company. And yet Simon is her only hope for keeping Plumburn Castle in her family's possession. Even if it means marrying a man she doesn't love.
It's an impossible and unlikely match... unless this awkward beauty can bring hope back into a solitary beast's life.

Comment: One more book I don't remember why I've added to the TBR...likely because it was a sort of beauty and the beast trope.

Lady Henrietta is an unusual lady for she prefers plants and herbs to the typical interests ladies have and the fact she has a stutter makes her feel self conscious. Her father has died and now her fate and of her twin sisters and mother depends on the new heir, who is looking for a wife, and she would be the perfect choice so they could keep the estate they love so much in their family, but will the earl of Amhurst see that?

Simon, the earl, has become disfigured and he plans on choosing a humble bride so that he can have an heir and, thus, keep the money from his greedy brother's hands. He is taken by Henrietta, however, even though he believes she would end up being as all other ladies, but will she? The more they meet one another, the more he likes who he sees... can they become who they need before others ruin their chances?

This isn't a long story, it has a novella size in fact, but I think the important things were addressed as well as they could. I'd say the issue I had was with the organization of the plot...there were times I feel the author tried to use too many elements and the end result was cute but rather convoluted.

The story is quite predictable in its development because it does follow a traditional expectation of what the reader could expect, and the beauty and the beast trope is very familiar, so readers can take the clues to follow what is happening with that in mind. For instance, of course Henrietta would see past the earl's scars and the author even added the fun detail of her being good with herbs and even going as far as to suggest a healing mixture to help with his scaring.

The earl has an eye patch and has scars over his face due to an accident with another woman, which ended badly. Now he has a reputation that puts some people off, but he has money and that makes many overlook the physical or try to dismiss it. He is actually a good enough man but I feel we didn't really got to know him well, except in how he interacts with the heroine and a few other characters. I got the impression the author wanted to limit things to the basic but in terms of character development, the execution was, perhaps, a bit too economical.

Henrietta is, of course, misunderstood, sweet, loved her father, wants to honor his memories and the connection he had with the estate and, to make it even better, she is special, always interested in herbs and such. This is the element that makes her stand out to Simon, especially after a scene in which she helps him with a headache. I liked Henrietta and her characterization, including the stutter but, again, it felt as if the author planned on writing her as being too unique.. still, I was rooting for her.

In the sequence the first moment alone, they find ways to still speak with one another and share things, which I liked because it made it simpler to see they were developing an affection. The romance itself wasn't very significant in the big scheme of things but I think the author did enough to convince m they suited. The intimacy between them felt exaggerated, though, this story didn't have enough pages - or the execution was such - that them in bed together was really unnecessary.

At some point, closer to the end of course, things speed up and the interactions with secondary characters become rushed. This is a real pity because the base of the story, although not that original, was going on at a steady and believable pace for me. Several characters suddenly deciding on things, some out of nowhere it seemed, and the conversations on top of one another and then misunderstandings on purpose made for a very confusing end, which didn't have to be so. This means the very end, when the HEA is achieved, is also rushed.

I think the end result isn't as great as it could, and the author seemed to have started quite well. Some choices weren't the best, in my opinion, and the details I feel should have been given more attention were a little overlooked in detriment of pointless ones. Not all was bad, after all I felt like reading and seeing which scene would play next. I' still doubting, however, if I will want to read the stories of Henrietta's sisters... not right now, though.

Grade: 6/10

Mala Kacenberg - Mala's Cat

This memoir, rescued from obscurity by the efforts of Mala Kacenberg's five children, should be read and cherished as a new, vital document of a history that must never be allowed to vanish.
Alone in a forest with only a cat for company - this is the deeply moving true story of one little girl's remarkable survival in the shadow of the Holocaust.
Growing up in the Polish village of Tarnogrod, on the fringes of a deep pine forest, Mala has the happiest childhood anyone could hope for.
But, when the Nazis invade, her beloved village becomes a ghetto and family and friends are reduced to starvation. Taking matters into her own hands, she bravely removes her yellow star, and sneaks out to the surrounding villages for food.
On her way back she receives a smuggled letter from her sister warning her to stay away: her loved ones have been rounded up for deportation. With only her cat, Malach, and the strength of the stories taught by her family, she must flee into the forest.
Malach becomes her family, her only respite from loneliness, a guide and reminder to stay hopeful even in the darkness.
With her guardian angel by her side, Mala must find a way to navigate the dangerous forests, outwit German soldiers and hostile villagers, to survive, against all the odds.

Comment: Unless I previously plan on choosing something for the GR challenge I participate annually, I tend to pick random books at he library. I still love to go there, even if they can't get many recent books that quickly. Anyway, last time I went, I've decided to bring this book along, and it helped it wasn't a big one which would demand a lasting commitment.

Mala was a happy young Jewish girl who had a pretty normal life with her family until everything changed with the Nazis occupying other countries, such as Poland. In a seemingly random situation, Mala escapes the terrible fate her family and so many other people she knew were sentenced to, and she starts living in the forest with her cat Malach, foraging into villages to find food. There are many obstacles in her way and even more dangers, with the possibility of capture at any moment, but Mala will use all her resilience, all the lessons her family had taught her and her own wit to defend herself and to be proactive in escaping the Germans...

This is labeled as a non-fiction memoir by Mala Kacenberg, a Polish woman who was a child and teenager during WWII and who was a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust. I had never heard of this woman nor about her having written a book, but the cat in the title was why I've decided to give it a go. 

As far as WWII stories go, of course the theme alone would include certain devastating descriptions and references to unfair and criminal situations. Whether non fiction of fictional tales, books with this theme always seem to be somewhat emotional and there are details that are, sadly, repeated. Well, in reality this was the first thing I've noticed about this book because the repetition of what other books had included, somehow failed to make me emotional.

I think this happened due to narrative choices. Mala is the obvious narrator and while I can't say if this is really her personal style or because she didn't really write the words and only dictated them to someone or something, the narration feels detached. Everything was quite factual, which wouldn't have to be bad, and there aren't gory or violent descriptions either, but I still didn't feel much in sync with what was supposed to be the feeling related to this or that situation. Mala's descriptions of events and her own steps felt very practical and pragmatic despite the certain heartbreak she must be feeling, but that didn't' come through. Her "voice" remained too clinical.

Portuguese cover

I've now read some other reviews and some readers say she comes across as being a bit too self assured and her descriptions of her young self don't make her seem vulnerable as she had to be. There is quite a clash between what she is describing and what she was feeling, which is very superficially presented. Then, since she keeps reinforcing her Jew roots and why she was persecuted with so many other people for this... well there are time where it does seem she sets herself apart from others. Of course, this isn't about who suffered the most, but the lack of common points with who she was and how she behaved make her seem untouchable somehow.

I won't go into validity of this or that assumption, but there are some passages that don't paint Mala as being as likable as that. I won't comment on what she felt or if she should have emphasized her suffering, but her testimony felt impersonal, which is odd indeed in a first person narration. It was also a little hard to accept she could have evaded the Germans for so long and often only because her cat was there to kind of warn her.

Speaking of the cat, I surely expected more of the cat, or better, of having the cat playing a bigger role. The cat felt like a prop to be honest, sometimes even seemed as if the cat was there so suddenly, out of nowhere and I was wondering where the cat had gone and how could she be there at that specific time... it seems as if the goal was to make the reader see the cat as an omen, almost as if she was magical and could help Mala at the perfect time. I really thought this would be more centered on her experience in the woods with the cat for company...

As a WWII story, this wasn't as heavy as others, to be fair. But it wasn't told or edited in a way that was memorable, either. Perhaps because of the author's natural style? Some situations are repetitive and described with a lot of detail - sometimes too unlikely to be believable even! - and other situations quickly rushed through... maybe they should not have been included to begin with, I don't know. What I think is that, testimony apart, this wasn't a great book to read or to cherish, to be honest. Even with the cat.

Grade: 5/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Bad Attitude

The agents of the Bureau of American Defense are sexy, strong, brave, and unforgettable. You won’t want to leave their world of edge-of-your-seat suspense and they’ll leave you laughing out loud.

BAD agent Sydney Westbrook must find the perfect sniper for a risky counter-terrorism mission. J.D. Steele, a military sniper whose attitude problem landed him in prison, seems a good candidate. But as they’re dragged into a secret world of freelance killers, Sydney begins to discover the man of honor and passion beneath Steele’s arrogant façade. It’s a man even Steele didn’t know he could be—and a man whose mission will risk the life of the only woman he’s ever loved...

Comment: Last year in June I've read the first book in this BAD agency series, which was a set of novellas introducing several characters who I have, miserably, already forgotten. At the time I had purchased that book, I got this second one too, and I've decided it was time to just get it over with and not having it "hanging".

In this story, the BAD agency is looking for to recruit JD Steele, an ex army who was discharged and sent to prison, so that he can join their team and be the sniper who can hot a specific target... to help him is Sydney Westbrook, the agent in charge of the mission and the attraction between them is immediate. While they try to get to know one another, they discover each has layers the other didn't expect but liking someone might not be enough and Steele is tired of his years in prison and the possibility of having to do something he isn't comfortable with, but there's definitely an enemy they need to stop. Will it be that the price might be too high?

Readers are creatures of habits too, and there was once a time I was quite fond of romantic suspense and PNR, mainly between 2005 and 2010. It seems incredible now, but around these years, books were a lot cheaper and many used ones were extremely accessible, sometimes being the cost higher due to shipping. I have collected many paperback this way, some which have accumulated over the years. Now, some are still good surprised on occasion, but the majority not really.

This is one of those cases. The story isn't really that bad, but it's no longer as appealing to me and the overall style not really catching anymore. I don't think it's only the book's fault, nor the added factor of my personal taste changing, but a conjunction of many things, one other being the momentum... all those years ago, this book might have seemed better and the author's work too in general.... I especially liked her PNR stories.

The plot is quite simple, very similar to countless action movies out there with romantic elements.... you know, the movies in which the plot ins't the main issue and viewers are taken by the actors' charisma and want to see some sexy scenes... I'd say that is a good summary of what this book felt like to me. The resolution of the plot and what it related to the mission wasn't much of a big deal, in my opinion, and I confess I didn't pay much attention anyway.

The main element is, of course, the romance and how the relationship between Sydney and Steele develops. To me there wasn't enough personal growth for each protagonist, at least not like I tend to prefer seeing in romance novels, and I'd say this is more a matter of trend and 00s style rather than the author's fault. Still, Sydney and Steele never went beyond basics to me. I was glad they found things in common and I liked they achieve their goals, mission wise, and like one another enough to try something, but just like with the characters of the other novellas, I'll probably forget them quickly.

I did like some interactions with secondary characters and the whole BAD agency seems interesting and offers many possibilities for future installments (the series has 4 full length installments and some novellas). I think one of the best details in these books has been the suggestion of how intriguing some characters are and why we would want to read about them, even if they barely appear or interact. The calling of a series which features different protagonists, after all! But this alone wasn't enough to make me want to read more books, no.

This was a duty-like read and I do feel glad I've read it. It's one more out of the pile and it did remind me of the old days of enjoying this style of books, but if not for this reason of having things out of the pile, I don't think I'll easily look for these books.

Grade: 4/10

Lisa Henry - Starlight

Brady Garrett is back in space, this time as an unwilling member of a team of humans seeking to study the alien Faceless and their technology. It’s not the first time Brady’s life has been in the hands of the Faceless leader Kai-Ren, and if there’s one thing Brady hates it’s being reminded exactly how powerless he is. Although dealing with the enigmatic Faceless might actually be easier than trying to figure out where he stands with the other humans on board, particularly when one of them is his boyfriend’s ex.
Cameron Rushton loved the starlight once, but being back on board the Faceless ship forces him to confront the memories of the time he was captured by Kai-Ren, and exactly how much of what was done to him that he can no longer rationalize away. Cam is used to being Brady’s rock, but this time it might be him who needs Brady’s support.
This time Brady is surrounded by the people he loves most in the universe, but that only means their lives are in danger too. And when Kai-Ren’s fascination with humanity threatens the foundations of Faceless society, Brady and Cam and the rest of the team find themselves thrust into a battle that humans have very little hope of winning, let alone surviving.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Dark Space trilogy by author Lisa Henry, which concludes the story of the adventures in space facing some aliens which weren't always bad but certainly never really good.

At the end of the second book, Brady and Cameron along with a few others went on to stay on board of a Faceless space ship, for scientific reasons included in the treaty between humans and the aliens. Adapting hasn't been easy for all the same way but they are all alive and they have been managing. Things change when, seemingly for no reason, another Faceless ship approaches and some of the new aliens decide they want to meet the humans. After that, nothing goes as planned and it even starts to look as if everyone is in danger, included the Faceless in the ship where Brady and others have been staying. Could this be the ships are actually enemies? What will happen to these humans trapped in space in the middle of a conflict?

Once again, this wasn't a very big story but it had enough content to make it seem busier than what it really was. I'd go as far as to say that the first chapters were more about the setting up of things than about real important situations, a trend I've also noticed in the previous books, mostly in the second one, since the first was certainly more planned, I think.

This plot is developed on board of the alien ship and this does seem to limit a little certain possibilities, but I think the author found an interesting way to make this feel less restrictive, mainly by adding a few details about the aliens which allow for a broader perspective. For instance, since the group has been staying in the ship for a long time, the food they took would not last forever and I think the solution for this was quite clever. Of course, it is related to the aliens and this, too, was used to advance the plot because some of the issues faced later on were kind of a consequence of the "help" given to the humans.

I won't spoiler things but the reality is that despite the incompatibility between humans and aliens, there are some elements the aliens can use to help the humans stay healthy without their regular needs such as food and other types of health care. When a new ship appears and other aliens discover the results of this help, everyone is on danger and from this moment on the story really became more alive and with action scenes, and not as much musing or inner thoughts as before, during the beginning of the story.

When the conflict begins, things become really complicated for the group of humans and not only because of uncertainty related to what will happen with the other ship. I think this part of the story was fast paced and much easier to follow, even though it also includes some stressful moments. There is also a very specific element which brings in a whole new perspective on things and that did elevate the story quite a bit. As expected, the biggest issues were solved in a way I was happy with, in the sense that no character I cared about was harmed.

The romance between Brady and Cameron was pretty much just the basics. They are a stable couple, which is wonderful and satisfying to see, but nothing special happened either. I feel happy for them but, like I said in regards to the previous book, since this is an established element, perhaps the overall story didn't have to be divided into three parts...

I consider this to have been a good trilogy anyway. It does offer all the necessary ingredients for its purpose, is consistent even with details that could have been more vibrant and ends happily.... I wonder if the author would want to add a spin off, though... that wouldn't be to waste.....

Grade: 8/10

Anne Stuart - Shadow Dance

Beneath the ruffles and frills of a demure woman, Valerian Romney is ingeniously disguised as his older brother, Phelan’s “wife” in order to escape a wrongful murder charge. All is well until he meets the charming Sophie, who never expected to have feelings for a “woman.”
His brazen masquerade is not the only secret—the stable lad is actually Juliette, dressed in man’s clothes, trying to escape her abuser, and Valerian’s brother, Phelan, is totally smitten.
They are all caught in a swirling dance of mistaken identities, passion and danger, and it will take heroic measures to release the four of them from historic mess they’ve gotten themselves into.

Comment: I was not planning on reading this book but a challenge topic made me pick it sooner than what I'd probably would. It also helped the plot seemed intriguing and very familiar to a certain Shakespeare play.

Phelan and his half brother Valerian decide to run and hide right after their father is found dead and Phelan's mother accuses Valerian, whom she never liked. While hiding, the brothers decide to lay low and Valerian dresses up as a woman, which means that someone looking for two men would not look at them twice. In the meantime, while they stay at a secluded estate near a small location, they hide in plain sight mingling with the locals and Valerian starts being friends with young Sophie, who sees in Valerian the older female friend she never had. Things might not be so bad if Julian Smith, a young boy who starts working at the local inn, didn't catch the eye of the wrong man, making Phelan decide to help him.. the only issue is that Julian is actually Juliette, running from her abusive husband, and Phelan discovers he might like her more than he wants others to see...

It's true that this sounds a very complicated plot, with lots of lies and deceit and cross dressing. Things aren't really that hard to follow, though, and the characters were very distinctive, making it following the plot easier than what I anticipated. However, this was a story published in 1993 and some details are quite dated.

I've read the author's work before and I've had mixed results. I'm not very fond of the supposed "darker" stories where characters are shady or do things we would condemn now because knowing that debatable issues will be on the page make me anxious and less eager to appreciate the story. I was a little unsure, then, regarding this book, but thankfully the less than good details weren't dark and I was actually quite interested in seeing what new shenanigans the characters would see themselves in.

The overall plot is a big adventure with characters deceiving others with a supposed good reason. This leads to a lot of confusion, especially considering some characters are also trying to hide from someone else. I've found this messy plot more palatable anyway. There was a slight sense of comedy in errors and the notion things would never become degrading or terrible for the characters and I could stomach the less than good situations for I knew something good would come out of it.

The main characters see themselves in a mix up of identities, but like I've said, it was easy to keep track of what was going on with all. Valerian and Sophie are a sweet couple, even when Sophie believes Val to be a woman. I will say it seems extremely unlikely that no one would recognize Val for whom he was but I'll just accept maybe Val was androgynous enough this could happen and that, as always, people see what they want. Juliette as Julian wasn't as easy to hide (less clothes and way to hide mannerisms) but even this has an explanation for why we should accept it. Still, it was a lot simpler for Phelan and Val to immediately see Julian as a woman...

The romances develop as expected, with deceit all around. I didn't think this was a bad as that because we could know the characters were not being malicious or deceiving to cause intentional harm. It's true the length of the deceit wasn't fair but this didn't really ruin my experience. Let's say that it was less thrilling to think Phelan took so long to admit his own feelings and this delayed the HEA with Juliette which, to me, merited a less vague story... I think their end was a bit too quick.

There were a few details that bothered me and which I attribute to dating and older school types of stories... first, the general idea of how women are treated, and how there was this notion they are badly treated - even accepting this an historical, so - , then how the men have this behavior of being superior, especially Phelan and some of his own thoughts while justification this or that action and also the terribly superficial and unfairness of having the only obvious gay character being so unpleasant. I know this wasn't a big deal then, but surely other options might have been better.

All things considered, this was a good enough story, entertaining and easy to read even with the less than good elements. I'd certainly change some details but as a whole, this still felt better than other stories I've tried by the author I didn't like much.

Grade: 7/10

Amber Belldene - Not a Mistake

On the night she graduates from seminary, Jordan Sykes finds herself in bed with Dominic Lawrence, the ethics professor she’s crushed on for years. Two months later, she discovers she’s pregnant and is determined to hide it to protect his career. Maybe, if she loves her new church like hell, they won’t fire her for being a single mother.
Dominic knows the difference between right and wrong, and he’s filled with remorse after sleeping with his favorite student. He’s offered the job of his dreams, but he'd be a hypocrite to accept without making things right with Jordan first.
Dominic proposes marriage to save their careers, never expecting they will prove a perfect—and passionate—match. But can Jordan give her heart to a man who still believes the first night they spent together was a mistake?

Comment: I cannot remember why I've added this book to the pile but it probably has something to do with the theme, it's not often I read stories featuring female priests.

Jordan Sykes is a very young Episcopalian priest who, at the very night of graduation, shares a one night stand with her former professor Dominic Lawrence. Although she has had a crush for years, she knew nothing would happen, but that night changed everything and, to make it even more memorable, she ends up pregnant. She decides on not telling him, for she knows how much this would impact his career but a random meeting again forces her to change her plans. Will these two see eye to eye on what is necessary for a relationship between them to work? How will others see their connection when both are in a position where they were supposed to set the example?

I wasn't certain on what to expect in regards to this novel except there would be a romance. I was more interested in seeing the dilemmas related to the life of a female priest, which is not the norm in my zone, where the vast majority of the population is Catholic. This means I was quite surprised by the characters and their decisions, and some of the content.

I was not really seeing how Jordan and Dominic would have made the choice to be intimate without a different type of relationship... I think I went into this with the pre conceived idea that those who are linked to the world of theology and priesthood would not be giving in to certain things, namely intimacy out of a steady relationship, but I suppose this would be very, very naive of me. Jordan and Dominic were also made to look young, attractive people who would have biological desires and personal wishes, just like anyone else, but my head was still trying to come up with this vision.

As things progressed, it became easier to see them as a romantic couple, also due to the situations depicted. The fact Jordan is pregnant had to add some drama but I was surprised by how apparently simple some church related details seemed to be. Well, until a certain point, when things became more seriously discussed. Still, I got the feeling the purpose was not as much the church issues themselves, but how they affected the characters' decisions and POV.

Jordan has got a position in a church very soon after graduation, which I assume might not be the norm, and this fact affects the way she behaves and she believes others expect of her. But she is also a young, independent woman and knows what her possibilities are and most of her motivation comes from helping others, which is commendable and makes her more likable. The pregnancy detail and how she and Dominic come to agree on what to do was predictable and less relevant if she had kept her secret, for instance.

Dominic is a little older, more experienced, divorced and he feels the ethics - of which he is a professor after all - weren't really respected in this situation and he feels responsible for Jordan and what happened. As they start getting each other more as individuals - opposed to teacher/student mode - he starts focusing more on her being someone he likes and can have deep feelings for, but all this is colored by a secondary issue. He is investigating a claim by a woman of how she was deceived by a well liked priest and this would affect others' opinions. The obvious similarity is purposeful but Dominic is also worried about his own fathers's past.

We learn Dominic's father was also a priest and his marriage with Dominic's mother not a happy one. I think this was presented in a very realistic way, but also a sad one... it does reinforce the idea I had - even if wrong - that there is always some expectation of how some people in specific roles should behave and this part of Dominic's past felt very dire. At this point, Dominic and Jordan were debating on what they would do in the future but I'll say the romance aspects were a little... meh.

It's a given they would end up together, this is a romance, but I thought that more on what they were thinking of was related to the secondary issues and not only with them as two people who were going to decide on a future. I wanted more scenes with them dealing with this or interacting with one another while going through mundane things instead of this being so heavy on less important issues which seemed to be addressed too. In the end, things were solved, but I feel more on the romance could have been done.

All things considered, this was fine, readable and a good enough surprise by the author, whose work I had not tried until now. But some things could have been better, to my personal taste.

Grade: 7/10

Meg Shaffer - The Lost Story

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.
Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.
Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.
Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

Comment:  This is Meg Shaffer's second book. Having enjoyed the first one through a buddy read with a friend, we have decided to try this one as well and it was as sweet and as magical, although, for me, a little less balanced.

In this story we find two friends who were lost in a forest for six months, in West Virginia. When they are finally rescued, there is a definite change to their appearance and one not matching people who were lost for so long. Besides, one of them, Jeremy, seems to be hiding something and the other, Ralph, claims he doesn't remember anything of all that time.

Several years later, Jeremy is now a man who dedicated his life to search for missing girls and one day he meets Emilie, who wants him to help search for her sister Shannon, who went missing twenty years ago. At first Jeremy is reluctant but then decides to help her and, for that, they need Ralph's help. What will happen next will be very hard to describe...

As I've said, I did like this story. I particularly enjoyed the low key vibe which suggested something was going to happen, some kind of secret would be revealed, and the tension until we finally get some answers was good. I also liked that while this was happening, there were some characterization clues that drew me in to the dynamics between the characters and I was quite invested in knowing what would happen next.

Although graphically the text doesn't have a separation on the page, I'd say there are two main parts in this book: before the main characters go on an adventure to search for Emilie's sister, and after they enter the woods where she went missing. To me these two sections are distinctive and not only because they take place in different geographical locations. Since the story is a fantasy/magical realism mix, some "bizarre" notions are to be expected, but I was still a little surprised by the difference in atmosphere and narrative.

Jeremy and Ralph - well, Rafe, as he prefers to be called - were lost in the woods and then suddenly were rescued. Suddenly because nothing really happened to find them... one day they were still missing and the teams stopped looking, and the next they simply showed up while witnesses saw them. Of course something is different about them and why is what is the real mystery. I think the author does a good job in presenting and slowly setting up things for the big reveal which we know, as things go by, will happen after they go back to those woods.

To me, this first section, let's call it that, was truly special. I think the tone of mystery wrapped up with some magic hints, something special under the currents was so greatly paired up with the characters themselves that I was eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next or what the characters would do. The tension and the idea of something were enough to make me want to see if some of my wishes would come true about this story.

Since I did read the other novel this author wrote, of course I knew magic would happen for certain, and when we finally learn some key information, Jeremy and Rafe along with Emilie decide to investigate the woods, where the magic will be. This is no horror story, don't worry, and magical stuff starts coming out of everywhere. This is no surprise, it's the whole point after all, but I will share why I was very disappointed with some details in this section: whereas the other part had been juicily antsy, this new part, due to the content, nevertheless, was way too juvenile for me! It seemed as if a new story was taking place and those characters had reversed to be teenagers... so disappointing!

I get it that the reveal and the fantasy aspects could not keep up the narrative as it had been, but... still. I wish the author had done things differently because while I was happy enough with the path taken, the characters sounded immature and were doing things in ways we would only see in juvenile stories that hide moral lessons or such. I've also read the author's note at the end where she tells how this story came to be and what inspired her years ago... well, I can see the youthful base of her work, but I was still sad this was it. The fantasy section wasn't as special as I wanted nor as well explained either.

I should say there are some hints of romance, which were very well suggested but not as amazingly accomplished as they could, there are choices the characters need to make which sometimes felt weren't in par with their characterization and some fantasy elements felt a little too staged, even for what was already fantastic anyway. And, again, some things were just too vague, even if one accepts the rules of magic would not follow any others in this specific world.

In the end, as expected, all ends as well as the characters want, and Jeremy, Rafe and Emilie face the fears they have to so they can triumph. I liked the novel and the end, but I think the author could have done some things better.

Grade: 7/10

Satoshi Yagisawa - Morisaki Bookshop duology

In my most recent library visit I've stumbled on the gorgeous Portuguese covers of the Morisaki Bookshop duology. I had seen on GR that a few friends had read the books but the opinions were mixed. Since the books are actually not very long (both under 200 pages), I've decided to bring them and read them both in a row. 

The two books are sequential although reading out of order isn't that bad; there isn't a lot of information that feels spoilerish. Still, for those who like things in order, I still think that reading the books in the correct sequence makes the story feel stronger.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books.
Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier.
When Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop.
As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

In this first book we are presented to the characters, namely the narrator Takako, and how she comes to stay at her uncle's bookshop for a while. After the end of a relationship, she feels drift, but an apparently random phone call from her uncle inviting her to help him for a while seems both sudden but a blessing. While living above the bookshop and dealing with costumers, Takako will learn a few lessons, which might help her open up to new possibilities in life...

This was certainly cute and certainly very book oriented. I loved the fact the bookshop played a big part in the short novel and that there are references to several aspects of the bookshop and about authors/books in Japan. Well, really references and not as much development because the stories aren't big. However, I think the cultural differences compared with more western exceptions mean the story is a bit too simple. If the goal is to use metaphors or to indicate something by the choice of dialogue, everything is too subtle, so much that I kept wondering how this story is so well liked. There isn't much to the story in fact, which might be, again, a cultural aspect.

Japanese authors I've tried have been both great and average to me but there's this sense of vulnerability which is stoic, where people/characters don't share too much in a very open or expressive manner. Takako is a sweet young woman but she seems to be too passive. Then, when necessary, she changes her life and we don't really follow the evolution. It's a style for sure.

There are other interesting details here and there but I'll have to say the overall impression I had was one of "cuteness". It was fine to read this little book, but not spectacular.

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Set again in the beloved Japanese bookshop and nearby coffee shop in the Jimbocho neighborhood of Toyko, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop deepens the relationship between Takako, her uncle Satoru , and the people in their lives. A new cast of heartwarming regulars have appeared in the shop, including an old man who wears the same ragged mouse-colored sweater and another who collects books solely for the official stamps with the author’s personal seal.
Satoshi Yagisawa illuminates the everyday relationships between people that are forged and grown through a shared love of books. As time passes, Satoru, with Takako’s help, must choose whether to keep the bookshop open or shutter its doors forever. Making the decision will take uncle and niece on an emotional journey back to their family’s roots and remind them again what a bookstore can mean to an individual, a neighborhood, and a whole culture.

In the second book, we have more of the same, with Takako now dealing with the changes she went through, after some choices at the end of the previous book. I would say this second book was a bit more emotional, and not only for the content. I think some of the things the author used in the first book are now matured, if I can use this word, and the relationships between the characters more solid. 

There is a specific situation here, though, which will offer a different POV of what was only hinted at in the first book. Again, it's not necessary to read in order, but there are things that don't seem to come out of nowhere if one had read the books in order. I also liked we get to keep seeing the bookshop in a prominent status and the conversations about books and authors still happen.

I'd say this installment felt more emotional, yes, but also more focused. I don't know if the author had planned on writing a series, or if the first book was so well accepted he felt why not, and thinking that, I could say there seems to be a method to this. There are scenes which seem very premeditated (unlike the first where it feels some subjects just appeared) and the situations debated a lot more intentionally touching.

As for the writing, the "voice" is the same, things are simply put and told, and there aren't many reflections to do, the story is rather concise. I did like reading these novels, but I would not say I was dazzled by them. As a matter of fact, the covers of the editions I've read are way more gorgeous than the content, for my taste. Still, entertaining and easy to read, without a doubt.

 

All this said, it was worth reading for the experience
The grade for both is average, as the books themselves felt like for me.

Grade: 6/10

Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries

Wanted: One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless--bordering on masochistic. Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived preschooler. Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by everyone in his family. Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously erratic pay. Mostly, must love being treated like fungus found growing out of employers Hermès bag. Those who take it personally need not apply. Who wouldn't want this job?
Struggling to graduate from NYU and afford her microscopic studio apartment, Nanny takes a position caring for the only son of the wealthy X family. She rapidly learns the insane amount of juggling involved to ensure that a Park Avenue wife who doesn't work, cook, clean, or raise her own child has a smooth day. When the X's' marriage begins to disintegrate, Nanny ends up involved way beyond the bounds of human decency or good taste. Her tenure with the X family becomes a nearly impossible mission to maintain the mental health of their four-year-old, her own integrity and, most importantly, her sense of humor.
Over nine tense months, Mrs. X and Nanny perform the age-old dance of decorum and power as they test the limits of modern-day servitude. Written by two former nannies, The Nanny Diaries deftly punctures the glamour of Manhattan's upper class.

Comment: I had this book in the pile since who knows when. My physical copy in Portuguese still had the price sticker and by the price, of course I got it at a book fair. No idea why it languished so long, but... after finishing the books I had planned for March, I could add a few more until the end of the month and this was one of them.

Nan is a nanny, a young woman who is in need of extra money while finishing her studies, and she decides to accept the position of nanny at mrs X household. At first, the obvious over the top demands don't seem to be so bad and she genuinely cares for Grayer, the four year old she is supposed to take care of. However, the longer she works for the X family, the more she realizes things aren't as perfect as people who are rich and well in life seem to imply. Nan now needs to deal with Grayer and the complicated dance of meeting mrs X demands and even how to not be caught in the middle of what is, clearly, a dysfunctional house. What will she do when things get out of hand?

In this 2002 release, the authors offered a story in which they fictionalize situations and examples of what they had seen personally, as nannies themselves, and what is the expectation of certain behaviors from the families in the upper echelons of Manhattan. The families are well, money wise, but the "price" to pay seems to be the need to fit a pattern of behavior and social choices, which means the children are often means to an end in the status quo.

Nan is the narrator of the story and she is likable enough to me. Of course, not much about her is actually shared and I wonder if it hadn't been better to not make this a fictional story and focus on slices of life of what the narrators had lived through instead. Since this book is fiction, then, I must say Nan comes across as being a little too whiny and submissive to what is, after all, unfair expectations. Now, I have not been a nanny but I have worked for an elderly lady privately and while things are not the same, and I was never "exploited" as Nan here seems to be, I can say it isn't that easy to say no or to not accept certain things.

I've read many readers found Nan to be unrealistic but to me not that much... perhaps what could have helped was to have Nan interact more with other people so that we could see another side of her or have her just share random situations as if in a diary or something. There is a clear separation in the novel between Nan the character and Nan the nanny, and this could have been done better for certain.

Since the plot is focused on Nan's experiences while caring for Grayer, I expected a lot more on children rearing and so on, but the aim here is to portray how the rich families usually treat their children and not much on actual academic content. From the start Nan is seen as the person who will treat the boy well, who will pay attention to him and who will be there for him in a way his absent father and careless mother don't. The parents are characterized as people who don't have genuine love for their child, even if the mother disguises this with all the things that meet the necessary appearances needs, so that others can see how much she tries, such as the plat dates arrangement, the ridiculous amount of extra activities the little boy needs to attend so he can enter a prestigious school.

This dichotomy was what I really was interested in when I've decided to read the book. The fact the parents have a complicated relationship, which is undoubtedly dysfunctional and unfeeling also plays a part in how everything develops. I was reading and more than the specific glimpses of what challenges Nan faced, what really made me glued to the pages was to see when the obvious fall out would happen. The parents reach a point where it's impossible to maintain the balance and their poor child is the one who suffers the consequence. In this case, it did make me feel sorry for all those so-called "poor rich kids" who really didn't have the affection at least of their parents.

The end of the novel is predictable but there were still a few scenes I didn't imagine would happen that way. It's also frustrating that Nan never evolved from being a quiet and helpful nanny to someone who could impose herself when something didn't go right, but that's easier to defend then to do, if one is in need of money or can't simply quit for some reason.

To conclude, there are several aspects which could have been better and perhaps a more experienced author might have used this material in a way that would reach that perfect point but, overall to me, this was quite engaging. I can understand the general low average this book has in certain sites, but to me it still wasn't that bad if I focus on what this is and not on what it could have been.

Grade: 7/10