Paige Tyler - Hungry Like the Wolf

The Dallas SWAT team is hiding one helluva secret . . . they're a pack of wolf shifters.

The team of elite sharpshooters is ultra-secretive—and also the darlings of Dallas. This doesn't sit well with investigative journalist Mackenzie Stone. They must be hiding something . . . and she's determined to find out what.
Keeping Mac at a distance proves impossible for SWAT team commander Gage Dixon. She's smart, sexy, and makes him feel alive for the first time in years. But she's getting dangerously close to the truth—and perilously close to his heart...

Comment: This is another book which has been too long in the pile. To be honest, my intention in reading it was more to get it out of the pile and not a real eagerness for the story but I still hoped to be surprised...

Mackenzie Stone is a journalist who is after a good story and she just knows that there is something going with the Dallas SWAT team. Something weird is happening and not only because they all seem to deal with the missions wit perfect results. Her persistence pays off and she is able to interview the team and visit their compound one day but nothing prepared for the impact of being so close to Gage Dixon, the team's commander. When she and her cameraman finally go inside, they discover a tight team, men who are good friends but the tour of the place seems to hide nothing... but Mac won't give up and when Gage asks her for dinner, she plans on learning as much as she can...

Once upon a time, specifically two decades ago, a story like this would have been great and appealing to me. Now, despite nothing wrong with the writing itself, I was simply bored and disappointed because after years reading about other worlds featuring paranormal plots, this one fell short.

This story feels very contained, in the sense that the characters are part of a very confined setting and what happens beyond doesn't seem to matter nor play any role. For instance, we only have details about the main characters and the setting in which they are, nothing about their lives apart from the SWAT compound, nor about their personalities. Everything feels very superficial and I know I'm now a reader who prefers more layers and more complexity to the main characters, including their friends and so on.

Despite this, I wanted to cheer for the characters and whatever they would deal with, considering that it seemed the main point of this novel would be to present the werewolves as existing in the world and how Mac would react to this fact, both as a journalist and as a person who would become romantically involved with one. Regarding this, I was fine with her professional reaction, it isn't difficult to imagine her surprise, but as someone pursuing a romance, of course this story felt like it didn't offer enough vital information.

The only thing I recall about werewolves is that someone can become one after going though a traumatic situation and if they have a certain gene. OK, but apart from this, nothing else is mentioned about werewolves, nothing whatsoever related to their culture/existence and this lack of world building felt so ridiculous that I thought to myself what was the point! These guys could have been regular human and that would be enough, why include the werewolf idea if it was only going to be used in one scene or two? I was certainly spoiled by other series throughout the years where being a werewolf was important/special.

When Mac and the cameraman went to the compound to investigate, I felt sad this wasn't such a big deal as I imagined. It was also disappointing to see that there wasn't even any chemistry between the main characters and that not even the hints at her being the one for Gage - apparently the way they think of their mate - (I also hoped the cameraman could be THE one for one of the other guys but checking out the blurbs of other books, I suppose the author never considered m/m relationships in this series) were enough to make reading about them something special. The characters were very bland and they could have been anyone.

The biggest plot challenge is something to do with some bad guys who want to attack Gage and Mac at some point but I'll be very honest: I didn't pay attention, and it didn't seem I've missed much by not doing so, because the whole goal with this was to "force" Gage to protect Mac and reveal his werewolf side to her. I mean.... this is it, they kind of fight because she is still thinking about it being a good story but of course true love wins. Sadly to me, this isn't a memorable story, especially in the PNR genre, although some elements were clearly a missed opportunity. 

I can't say this is a bad story, but it isn't distinctive either. I don't plan on reading the other books.

Grade: 5/10

Irina Shapiro - Murder at the Orpheus Theatre

She looks hardly more than a child, sleeping, her lashes long and thick as they rest against her rounded cheeks. But in the flickering gaslight, she is unnaturally still…
For Inspector Sebastian Bell and nurse Gemma Tate, a night at the theater becomes a deadly spectacle when the two lead actors are found dead on the stage, murdered before a stunned audience. Drawn into a shadowy backstage world, they encounter a cast of suspects, each with desperate secrets to hide…
Sebastian is determined to get justice, and to keep Gemma safe from the dangerous killer circling the cobbled streets of Covent Garden. But she is already too deeply involved, and, in a world where everyone wears a mask, could she have trusted the wrong person…?

Comment: This is the 4th installment in the Bell and Tate series by Irina Shapiro, following a police detective and a nurse as they investigate and solve crimes in the late 19th century, which I've been buddy reading lately.

In this new adventure, detective Bell needs to look into the death of two actors, on stage. Many witnesses in the audience saw nothing strange, including Gemma and the lady she is taking care of, as well as her employer. When the investigation begins, it doesn't seem the deceased had any cause to have been murdered but apparently that is exactly what happened. As the clues slowly start piling up, Sebastian and Gemma realize the world of the theater isn't as fake as it is made to seem, and everyone is hiding quite an amount of very real secrets... but why would the killer risk such a public killing?

Now that my friend and I have read four books, I think I can safely say I have a pretty good idea on what the author's style is and how the formula might go in each new book. I have thought all the books to be enjoyable, in terms of plot, and hopeful in my expectations of what will happen romantically between Gemma and Sebastian. In fact, regarding this element, in this book they finally talk and agree that their future will be brighter if they will spend it together, which will happen as soon as Gemma is out of mourning for her brother.

However, there's always this weird sensation that something isn't working as well as I'd want, at least to make this a much more seductive series, as I have thought others to be. I do like the mix of historical elements in a crime investigation and romance, even though it seems mrs Shapiro's goals are more centered on the plot's details and not as much on the main character's personal lives. Personally, I prefer the focus to be on the protagonists but I suppose this isn't a big deal if all the parts work out.

The thing is, in this series, unlike others I have enjoyed or are still ongoing, the tone is definitely a little bleak and the hopeful, cozy, warm feelings I tend to add to my usual experience aren't always present here. Sebastian and Gemma live in a moment and time in which their social situation seems to be a little unfair and complicated to change. They can't find easy/financial solutions to some of their issues and this, correctly, affects their way of seeing life. I kind of wish they could be more carefree.

Still, this would be just one more thing, if not for something I've noticed while reading this book. For the most part, with the usual exceptions, what probably has added more issues to my enjoyment of the series as a whole is probably this: pretty much all important secondary characters seem to be unlikable or face impossible situations. In general, besides the main couple, there is only one or two characters per book we can see positively, such as Gemma's employer. The other characters all have something to make me characterize them as unpleasant. It makes for a strenuous reading.

This said, the plot in this book was interesting, of course, mainly in how the connections between the characters lead them to discover who killed the actors. I will confess that I found the method to be a little far fetched for the motivation of the killer and that when we find out the reasons, they seem way more basic than the behavior suggested. Still, the way the pieces were placed together was intriguing and the final scenes and epilogue compensated for some injustices and unfairness throughout the novel.

I will keep reading, because I do want to see the main couple be happy and because my buddy read friend is also on board, but I will also admit that if not for this, I would not be too sad if I weren't to continue.

Grade: 7/10

Kerry Barrett - The Bookshop of Secrets

In a bookshop nestled in the sprawling streets of Lisbon, a shopkeeper leads a double life…
Looking for a new start after her father’s death, Lara Hope arrives in Lisbon in search of a family she’s never met.
As war storms across Europe, Lara finds solace and belonging in her landlady’s tranquil bookshop in one of the most beautiful corners of the city.
But when she witnesses a customer secretly swapping a book, she realises the bookshop is not all it seems. Lara is plunged into a labyrinthine world of mystery and facades, encountering new friends, an unexpected romance, and even royalty… Is she prepared to risk it all for this new life?

Comment: Close to the end of last year, I was browsing online to pick possible Christmas' gifts and stumbled on this book. I was immediately seduced by the idea of a story set in Portugal, even if it was in the late 1930s, just so I could see places I know represented. I was also keen on the whole bookshop idea, even though I had not read anything by the author, so I've got this one for myself instead of to give it away.

Lara is the daughter of a man who loved the theater and who also loved Portugal, the country, so much that he married a Portuguese woman and they went on to live in England. Sadly, Lara's father recently died and she is ready to travel to Portugal to learn more about her Portuguese family, since her mother lost contact with them when she moved to England. However, things don't go very well for Lara and after an unfortunate event, she sees herself in need to work to gain money so she can buy a passage back to England. In the meantime, she works in a bar and in a bookshop, where she stars having contact with very special people...

I suppose I now understand why such a recent release, even in paperback, wasn't too expensive to get. I'm afraid that the writing style of this book makes it feel very dull and juvenile, and I had a hard time enjoying it. Not even the Portuguese references won it for me...

The story starts off quite well, with protagonist Lara following her father's advice to seek her family in Portugal, namely in Lisbon, and how this would help her come to terms to what her parents' relationship was, since her mother lost contact with her Portuguese family when she went to England. Since this is set around the time WWII was starting, the reaching out could not depend on digital methods, but I was curious to see how the Portuguese setting would be depicted.

Sadly, the same day she arrives in Lisbon, Lara learns that her mother's family no longer lives where her father thought they did and no one knows where they went, thus right there this is one part of the plot out of the picture. The day after, Lara is ready to go back to England but, tragedy!, her passport and money are stolen and now she has to work to get money to pay for those things... but thankfully she is able to start a job at a bar.

We move on a few months and Lara is still at the bar, and is both entertained by learning Portuguese and imitating people, a talent she has since she is an actress and when she goes back home, she will seek this as a career. But, no, it isn't this easy because her boss catches her "performing" for a bunch of Nazis, since they are everywhere, in their attempt to control Europe. Anyway, this makes it so that Lara is dismissed and then starts working at a bookshop, an element I was tremendously interested in.

Sadly once more, this isn't much of a deal either because there isn't much plot related to the actual bookshop, but mostly about Bea, the owner, and how she is somehow involved with spying for the Resistance, which leads Lara to be in the middle of this too, and what luck, her acting skills will come in handy again. Then, there's a plan to deceive the Nazis, which involves mingling with duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, and Otto, a Nazi officer who is actually a double agent Lara finds charming...

Now, seriously. This was.... juvenile, to use a nice word. I can see why it might appeal to some readers (and it does, looking at so many positive reviews out there) but to me it wasn't a good experience, because the plot was senseless at times, Lara was not always very aware of what she should be doing, and was actually inane most of the time, considering the time period, the secondary characters were not developed at all, and the writing lacked depth.

The bookshop wasn't that important, the Portuguese references, while interesting to me for value's sake, also didn't matter much in the big scheme of things, and the end was very disappointing. There wasn't even a memorable or valid romance possibility to make it worthwhile. I'm sorry to say but this author clearly isn't for me. 

The cover is beautiful, though.

Grade: 3/10

Helen Paris - Lost Property

One lost purse. One lost woman.
A chance encounter that changes everything.
Dot Watson has lost her way. Wracked with guilt and struggling with grief, she has tucked herself away in the London Transport Lost Property office, finding solace in the process of cataloguing misplaced things. It's not glamorous or exciting, but it's solitary - just the way Dot likes it.
That is, until elderly Mr Appleby walks through the door in search of his late wife's purse and Dot immediately feels a connection to him. Determined to help, she sets off on an extraordinary journey, one that could lead Dot to reclaim her life and find where she truly belongs...

Comment: One more case of me not remembering why I've added this book to the pile. Must have seen something positive about it somewhere...

In this book we meet Dot Watson, who works for the lost and found section of the public transports system in London (or its official nomination which I might have forgotten) and she takes her work very seriously, unlike some of her co workers. Things at work have been predictable just like she prefers, while at home she is still mourning her father and dealing with the fact her mother is now at an hospice home, considering her dementia. Things with her sister haven't been great either, but Dot carries on with all these things until the day her boss announces he is leaving and the replacement is someone who shouldn't be given the this task. One thing leads to the other and, suddenly, Dot has a lot to ponder and finally deal with... but will she be able to do so?

I was ready to enjoy this story and discover what would make it a good one, but I must say that it wasn't, in general, as great as I imagined, even though there are some elements that on its own were quite compelling and interesting.

Dot is a fascinating character, quite layered and with plenty to analyze if one thinks about all the little things that make her who she is. Dot is still mourning her father, who she worshiped, in a way, even in detriment of her mother, who always seemed to prefer her sister Phillipa way more. In a way, this made Dot see her father as "her" parent, while Phillipa was their mother's, and that is why she took it so hard when her father died, which we learn at some point, wasn't due to age or an accident.

Now, her mother is in a home, which is the best for her health but there is a need to sell the house, although Dot lives there but she isn't ready to move on, although one of Dot's most treasured possession is her collection of touristic guides to other places she dreams of one day visiting. However, her work is pretty stagnated, even though she takes pride in what she does.In fact, she feels it's her duty to preserve the lost things so that one day the owners can get them again. I suppose I could go on with the metaphor of what this symbolizes for Dot, but it got to a point in the story, right when something sudden happens, that made me realize I really wasn't that eager to learn about Dot's layers.

Things started to feel a little boring to me, if I want to be honest. The writing style is clearly one we would find in any woman's fiction story, and I do tend to like these sometimes, but the juxtaposition between what Dot is going through and processing, and what happens in her life just felt too much and I struggled to focus on what elements should be more important. The themes aren't new and I think all had its appeal, but the development didn't win me over completely.

Dot is a great person and I could certainly understand why she felt she got to an impossible point, once she learns something she never imagined, about who her father really was in their family. Psychologically, this was a fascinating story and made Dot way more interesting to follow, but what surrounds her, and the whole job stuff just failed to make an impression on me. Sometimes, I felt that she could have had any other job that for her journey as a character, it wouldn't change much.

There are secrets being unveiled and there is even a slight romantic interest, mostly only alluded at, not really pertinent, but the mix of all these elements never felt truly rewarding for the amount of time we spend having them part of the plot. I also think the blurb implies at a story that will ultimately be a "feel good" one, and in reality there are more moments with sad/melancholic situations and emotions, than the other way around. It's not as if I mind it, exactly, but then the choice of certain scenes and situations feels irrelevant.

As a whole, this wasn't a bad story, but I don't think it's one I'd want to re-read, and not because of the themes. The execution just feels off here and there and there were times where the focus seemed to be on the wrong details.

Grade: 6/10

Jenn Burke - House on Fire

He’s done fighting his attraction to the sexy vampire…
To say former firefighter Colin Zhang is struggling to accept his new life would be a vast understatement. He’s bound to a vampire he didn’t choose, living in a house filled with creatures better left to the imagination—there’s a lot to resent. As much as he tries, he doesn’t resent Evan—far from it. But he needs to know that what he feels is real and that requires breaking their bond. No matter the cost.
Vampire private investigator Evan Fournier is more than willing to explore his connection with Colin, but the crisis at hand keeps getting in the way. Their bond makes it dangerous for them to be apart, so he’s forced to put the other man at risk while he investigates the latest in a series of murders. If he doesn’t find the killer soon, the paranormal community will seek retribution on all humans, not just the guilty ones.
As the tensions escalate, Evan and Colin find solace in each other and their growing attraction. But if their bond is broken, attraction—even love—might not be enough to keep them safe.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Ashes & Dust trilogy by author Jenn Burke, a follow up trilogy to another one, titled Not Dead Yet.

In this second story, Evan and Colin are still bonded, after the events in book #1 but the situation is tricky for Colin feels he isn't being much help and it's not as if he can simply do something else. For Evan, this isn't so bad, but he is the one who has a steady job to do. Then, surprisingly, Colin discovers something that happened while he was taken by the villain of the previous book, something that should have changed his life if he hadn't been taken. Now, Colin has other issues to deal with but a new problem starts in the midst of the paranormal community, someone is posting videos outing some people as paranormals. This will likely create fear among humans, and something must be done to prevent it being general knowledge. Who is behind this and why? How will this affect Colin and Evan's relationship?

This did feel like a very predictable middle book, to be honest, in the sense that some things happened but weren't decisive enough for the story to feel set on what needs to be done. Still, we do learn a few interesting things, which was great, but to me the story was somewhat lacking and I'll probably think that this book and the third would have been great if combined.

The plot is focused on two issues: the threat to the paranormal community and what exposure would do to everyone, and the status of the relationship between Evan and Colin. I can understand why the author wanted to delay the development of the romance, but the way things are presented makes the romance feel too secondary and almost superficial. It also doesn't help that Evan is the only narrator and by not having Colin's POV, there are too many things that don't seem to have enough attention.

The romance is certainly a let down, I will confess. It seems that Evan is moving at a quicker speed than Colin, and to make things even more awkward, Colin is coming out of a coma-like experience and before that, and hie new paranormal abilities, he had a hetero relationship. Of course he can identify as bi, but the thing here is that he doesn't really have time to adjust to his new life, at the same time he is dealing with the bond effect. I can understand him having doubts about the future, because there are too many unknowns for him, and in this story he discovers a new detail. Having all this from Evan's POV alone feels a little too limited, in my opinion.

The elements related to the paranormal groups are interesting, although the whole video thing seems way more hassling than the plot conveys. It's not hard to guess whoever is behind this is also somehow involved with the events that took place in the first book, but I kind of wanted more action, which added to my impression of this second book being too much of a "bridge". I also got easily distracted by the series of situations, sometimes unrelated, to which we had to pay attention. I think too much was going on and what we had wasn't given enough closure for the plot.

Yes, I know there is still a final book in which most things will be solved and explained, but that is also why this one felt too much like a transition book. I think the author could have written things differently for all elements to combine better. When the attacks on the paranormal community are "explained" to the public and then for the sake of the main characters, several things made sense but I wasn't overly impressed by what happened.

All things considered, this wasn't a bad story, despite what my words make it seem. I liked being with these characters and seeing where they are going with their lives and reading about what they do to have a good life just like everyone else. But I kind of expected more from this book anyway... the mix of romance and plot here just felt a little weak than in other things I've read by the author.

Grade: 7/10

Herbert Le Porrier - The Doctor From Cordova

The Doctor from Cordova (originally published in French as Le Docteur de Cordoue) is a 1979 biographical novel by Herbert Le Porrier that tells the life story of the renowned 12th-century Jewish philosopher, physician, and Torah scholar, Maimonides.

Comment: I got this book for a symbolic price on the purchase of a newspaper, several years ago. The newspaper had this initiative of "offering" a collection of historical romances if one were to buy the newspaper. The "offer" is not really an offer of course, but it did cost less than if one were to buy the book on a bookshop, plus the covers were all similar and I liked the idea of seeing them in the shelf.

Moses Maimonides, a possible name for this real life man, who was born in the 12th century, is the key character of this novel, narrated by him, as if he is dictating a letter to one of his disciples. In this text, he tells his story, namely of how he was born in a Jewish family in Cordova, Spain, and how everything changed when the Muslims conquered the region and forced conversions or death on those who were not of the same faith. Moses and his father and younger brother have to flee and seek another life somewhere else...

This is a short book and that helped to motivate me to pick it up now, but I will say I was positively impressed by it. Before this, I confess I had not heard of this doctor/philosopher, someone who was what we would call a trailblazer in his time, and it was a reward on itself to read about him and his ideas, at the same time I was learning a bit more about the period of time and the events mentioned. Nowadays, we are lucky to have internet to help investigate stuff if it catches our fancy!

I had not heard of the author either, thus, for clarification, the author was born in a region which is now in Ukraine, wrote this in the 1970s, using research to create a fictional life for a man who was referenced in many texts but of whom we don't have any official information beyond those references. The book is narrated as if by Moses himself and the author included not only possible events Moses saw and lived through, but also many personal moments and thoughts which are likely an interpretation.

I think what made me appreciate this book more was the fact the author perfectly blended his ideas and the descriptions of what he was going through. Moses was a Jewish man, believer and from a traditional family and when so many situations placed them in a position in which they couldn't live their faith as they thought was their duty, this placed a heavy burden on their shoulders and, perhaps, this is the origin of so much of his need to do research, to study, to match his beliefs with others. While reading, I kept thinking that, in so many centuries, we still fight nowadays over who is more right in thinking their God is the One.

I especially liked the philosophical ideas Moses presented because, being religious, some of his thoughts were certainly not seen well by many, but from a logical POV, many things make sense and are still quite viable to out contemporary way of analytical thinking. This is especially interesting when we think Moses was a doctor, at a time so much depended on the texts of former people such as Herodotus, and while understandable, some things still make me wonder how easier it would have been if certain things in the world of medicine had been made clear so long ago...

In fact, there were a few details I felt compelled to investigate, namely about some references which didn't ring a bell, and let us just say that my comprehension about certain diseases became a lot richer. To me, this was really the fascinating part, to read something that made me think and made me interested enough to seek some further information or even clarification on this or that word/concept. It's not an easy book, in the sense that it's more a book to think and link to historical events, but to me it was rewarding enough.

Grade: 7/10

Shaun Bythell - The Diary of a Bookseller

Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop, Wigtown - Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. A book-lover's paradise? Well, almost ...
In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.

Comment: This is another buddy read choice for me and my friend. Books about books or somehow related to books are also something we enjoy, thus why this one got on our list.

In this non-fiction diary, the author and bookseller Shaun Bythell shares several episodes of the life in his bookshop in Scotland, namely the joys and struggles of what it means to own a second hand bookshop, and the the interaction with the costumers. 

I liked this book merely because it is about a theme I appreciate and most things book related tend to interest and entertain me. I also liked that the author references several books and that he, too, reads some books and talks about them sometimes. I was also amused to see the mention of Jen Campbell's Weird Things Costumers Say in Bookshops, which I have read and enjoyed, so this was a plus I found charming. As someone who also works with public (sadly, not among books), some entries were just too realistic and one needs to find fun where it exists....

The book is presented in a diary format, with the indication of the days of the week, and the amount of money the shop made each day. The author also tells many things about his life, namely how much he enjoys fishing, and several situations related to the way the shop functions, how he helps prepare a book festival and how tricky it is to deal with those who work at the shop, considering their quirks and personalities. I liked all these things and, for the most part, the personal information was interesting, but I did expect - perhaps because of other books I had read about the life in bookshops - more examples of the fun things people say.

In fact, apart from some episodes, most of the references to people's actions were not centered on the random clients, but on repetitive ones, such as mr Deacon, and on people who interacted with Shaun daily, like Nicky, the quirky woman who works at the bookshop, and many other people who live in Wigtown and who are part of the community's life and routines. I liked these slices of life from all the people mentioned, often they were charming enough to be compelling, but sometimes it felt a little intrusive.

I liked the many facts related to how one goes being a bookshop owner, especially a second-handed one, and how much Shaun appreciated the "hunt" for special or unique books among the many people wanted to sell to him. Since the bookshop is in Scotland, there are countless references to books about things in this country, especially books on railways, fauna, flora, artists and many other things. I've found this delightful, but in a kind of distant way, you know, for many things weren't easy tor elated to, obviously.

It is also beyond glaring how much Shaun dislikes amazon but, at the same time, the business needs to deal with them. I understand that he, as many other booksellers out there for certain, has serious reasons to have this opinion, and it is his right to not hide it, and I liked it that he explained some things about this works and how the progress of ebooks and mostly the progress of how internet made it so simple for anyone at home to do what they want, making some jobs obsolete. Shaun often mentions how rewarding it feels to have people asking things, or buying books through the shop and not just browsing to order them online later.

I can see why some readers found this book to be a little depressing... the author does not hide the struggles nor the thoughts of why it would be so much easier to not carry on, and this can, sometimes, make for a slightly melancholic read, since it isn't as focused on cute or amusing scenes, but I still enjoyed it for what it is and, if possible, I'd read the sequel one day.

Grade: 7/10

Sophie Beaumont - The Paris Cooking School

Life rarely serves up the perfect dish, but second chances are always on the menu
There’s nothing quite so beautiful as Paris in the spring; and when you add in the chance to learn the French way of food, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, who can resist? Not Gabi Picabea or Kate Evans who have come from Australia to Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School.
Both are at a crossroads, and learning to cook the French way in Paris, far away from all their troubles, seems like the perfect escape.
Still bruised from a shocking betrayal by her ex-husband, Kate is trying to find a new place for herself in life, and emotional peace, while French-Australian artist Gabi is struggling with a crippling creative block.
Meanwhile, Sylvie herself is facing challenges of her own – a mysterious harassment campaign against the School and a reassessment of her relationship with her commitment-shy lover Claude.
For each of the women, that extraordinary April in Paris will bring unexpected twists and transformations that will change the course of their lives.
A delectable novel about love, hope and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart, The Paris Cooking School is a treat for the soul.

Comment: I brought this book from the library because the blurb seemed interesting and I imagined it would be a sweet story.

The Culinary School of Paris is a project imagined to give those who attend a true Parisian experience to learn about cooking, especially for those who are amateurs. Sylvie Morel, the owner, is proud of her life work but things haven't been great lately, and her relationship with her partner Claude is stagnated. Still, she welcomes the new students, among which Kate and Gabi, who both seek to learn more and to have a different experience in life. However, despite the things they all have in common, each one has to deal with a different challenge... will this experience be what they look for after all?

This was a sweet story, that is true, because the characters are easy to like and dislike depending on their personalities, and the narrative was pleasant and easy to follow... the issue is that there wasn't much to it, emotionally. The plot is easy but bland and the characters are likable but not as dimensional as I think the story merited.

There are three main characters in this story, three women who meet because of the school and whose lives will mix in unexpected ways. At first Sylvie is only a mentor but as things progress all of them become closer and the experiences they have individually also contribute for their understanding of each other's issues and the dynamics of who they are in the school. I think the whole school situation was not as developed as I thought. Yes, there are many references to what they do there but not in such a way I think it should, if the school is the location which brings everyone together.

All three women are interesting but not more beyond that. I really think the writing style isn't vibrant nor stimulating enough to being everyone to life or for the issues they face to be seen as urgent as it is made to seem. Sadly, this ended up being a very superficial story. I'm not saying this should have been more dramatic or something, but there is certainly some element of seriousness to what we see that is missing. The characters aren't as dimensional as they could, for instance.

Sylvie, the school's owner, is dealing with some online nuisance, then a partner who she isn't in love anymore and a son who decides to live and marry abroad. She also finally sees her neighbor for who he is for her, sentimentally. There's a lot to unpack here, but it's all very straight and narrow in how is presented, as of the author had a list of things to accomplish and say, and that was it. There was no special emotion linked to this character and her struggles besides the basics.

Gabi is at the school to learn more about french cuisine, since it means something to her parents, and in the process she falls in love with Max, a cheese expert, but their relationship is tested when it becomes known he comes from a very distinguished family and there is pressure for her to see how unsuitable they are. Of course, this break up doesn't last long and they get together again... I mean, this was cute and they do get along, but it's predictable and superficial....nothing about these two is remarkable.

Kate is the other main character, someone dealing with the end of a relationship and what it meant for a business she had with her ex. She likes cooking, like the others and she randomly meets a guy who lives in a boat and they are perfect for each other after some obstacles.... I liked Kate most of all, as a character, but the issues she is dealing with seem very forgettable and her characterization doesn't seem to evolve much from the life lessons she is supposedly learning. Her journey is cute but that's it.

It was very easy to read this book, and there are certainly many references to food, to cooking, to produce and many things that did make my mouth water just thinking about the possibility of trying some of them. I think the end was also cute enough and some of the (very) mild secrets ongoing were quickly solved. All the ladies end with a new romance. I mean, this was super predictable and average and I'm glad it was a library book because it wasn't very impressive as a reading material, so I appreciate I don't feel I "wasted" money.

All in all, this story lacked depth for me to enjoy it more. There were some interesting elements, yes, mainly the food references and it was fun to remember some Parisian locations, since I've visited as well, but the fictional part was definitely lacking.

Grade: 5/10

Joanne Bertin - Bard's Oath

In The Last Dragonlord and Dragon and Phoenix Joanne Bertin created a world unlike our own, where Dragonlords soar in the skies above the many realms of the land. The Dragonlords’ magic is unique, giving them the ability to change from dragon to human form; to communicate silently among themselves; and other abilities not known to mortals. For many millennia, the Dragonlords have been a blessing to the world, with their great magic and awesome power. And though they live far longer than the humans who they resemble when not in their draconic state, these fabled changelings are still loyal to their human friends. Now in Bard's Oath, their magic is not the only power abroad in the world. And not all the magic is as benign as theirs. Leet, a master bard of great ability and vaulting ambition, has his own magic, but of a much darker nature. Years ago, death claimed the woman he loved, setting him on a course to avenge her death, no matter the consequences. Now, mad with hatred and consumed by his thirst for revenge, Leet has set in motion a nefarious plot that ensnares the friend of a Dragonlord, using his bardic skills . . . and dark powers only he can summon, to accomplish his bitter task. Raven, a young horse-breeder friend of the Dragonloard Linden Rathan, is ensnared by Leet and under the bard’s spell, is one of the bard’s unwitting catspaws. When accused of a heinous crime, Raven turns to Linden, and while Dragonlords normally do not meddle in human affairs, Linden comes to Raven’s aid, loath to abandon him in his time of desperate need. But Raven, and others victimized by Leet, are at the mercy of human justice. Can even a Dragonlord save them from a dire fate before it is too late?

Comment: This is the third installment in the Dragonlord series by Joanne Bertin. I have read the first two books years ago and now I've finally got tho this third one, which I was lucky to have gotten in paperback format since nowadays the prices are prohibitive.

This third story takes the main characters, Linden and Maurynna, along with their friend Shima, to a fair where they will see about horses but mainly about other friends, especially after the adventures they went through in the second book. However, something is not going very well for some of the elements of the group they meet and become friendly with, and when one of their close friends is even accused of a murder he didn't remember committing, they feel they have to help. This leads them into investigating an old tale which might not be as forgotten as many would think...

After finishing this book, as I often do, I checked out some reviews by other readers and that also helped to remember some things from the past books. One thing I had completely forgotten was that there had been years since the release of the first two books and the release of the third. For me this wasn't as hard to deal with because I wasn't aware of it when I finally got the third book - probably soon after it became available in paperback format - and because it took me years between the second and this one to start it anyway.

This said, I can understand why the distance in time for many readers was a challenge, it's not easy to wait between installments, and even more so when it became obvious that this third installment was not going to be about the aftermath of what happened in book #2. The plot of this third book is centered about a slice of life situation, let's say, in which the main characters attend a fair and need to interact with many other characters and help with what is going on. I can imagine how this disappointed some readers but, for me, it wasn't a big deal.

The plot takes quite a while to develop because the author does include a lot of setting up and many, many things happen at the same time, obviously to lead somewhere at the end. I didn't mind this as a whole since most of the characters are likable and the situations presented in a way that made me curious. However, it's true that there are a few passages from one or two characters 'POV which felt boring and took too long, required too much attention and I wasn't a fan of it.

It can also be said that the boring aspects of so much detail regarding situations which feel too far out, along with the lack of follow up explanations for events and information given in the first books made for a very disconnected plot. Like I said this didn't bother me, but something did. Due to how this is played out, the actual plot of this book, the one we infer from the synopsis, only starts happening a little after half way. Again, I liked the main characters so it wasn't that bad, for the most part, to read about secondary issues, but it does seem too much time was spent on those.

Apart from these things, I did have a good time and, in general, consider this to have been a worthy story because it was entertaining and once the main pieces were put together, this was one of those stories of good vs evil and a good person being helped and the bad guy denounced. I knew where the story was going and how it would end but it was still captivating to read and to see what would happen next for the characters involved.

It's true there isn't a lot about the dragons beyond the basics and the information we get and/or learn ins't truly necessary for the resolution of this plot. As some readers say, with so much yet to be developed about the dragons and everything related to them, was this truly the best way to keep the series going? Perhaps not, but for me it was still engaging, for the most part. It doesn't seem more books are coming in this series, but who knows. If a new one is released, I'd read it.

Grade: 7/10

Jodi Picoult - By Any Other Name

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.
In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.
Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.

Comment: I brought this book from the library. No specific reason, only it seemed interesting and I did like other books by the author...

In this tale of two women who live in different times but who are connected both in blood and in their love for the theater, the important thing is to be certain their voice can be heard.

In 2012 Melina Green, a descendant of Emilia, is also dreaming o being a writer but just like Emilia, her worth as woman isn't taken seriously among those who make the rules. She has a bad experience while in college and that is why, years later, she is reluctant to submit a play based on her ancestor. Everything changes when her best friend submits it for her... and just like Emilia did in her day, he does it using a male pseudonym... but will Melina be able to come clean about her identity?

In 1581, Emilia Bassano sees her life change when her guardian leaves and cannot take her, and this is how Emilia has to become the courtesan of Lord Chamberlain, a patron of the arts. Emilia does love writing and the theater and her passion for both is developed as the becomes used to her new status, but so does her feelings for the count of Southampton, a man she can not have. Emilia feels she needs to do what she loves, but she is aware a woman could never come out to the public as a playwright.

This book was engrossing and I went through the more than 400 pages of it very quickly, and only didn't finish sooner because of work. How our perception changes because ten years ago or more, when I read Keeping Faith, my first attempt with this author, I wasn't too impressed. Now, her writing just seems very appealing and I feel compelled to keep reading...

This book is divided into two parts. We alternatively follow the life of Emilia while she goes from a 12 year old until she is an old woman, and we follow Melina from her college years on, while we see how they both struggle to see themselves as play writers in a world still dominated by men and still oriented for men. I liked both sections, although Emilia's were harder to read at times, because we know she had no option but to become what the male members of her family wanted, and Melina at least has rights.

For a while I was preferring Melina's sections, because those are easier to go through, and they are obviously easier to relate to as well. There is also a slight hint at romance and I can be honest by saying that if this had been only a romance novel about Melina and her love interest, in this world of play writing, I'd be happy enough. I actually think this section was underdeveloped... it does touch way more themes than I imagined, and I think the personal relationships kind of suffered for it, due to the fact her sections seem to be more about a message than Melina's development.

Emilia's sections are way more complex, not only because of her life and what it means to be a woman at a time there were no rights nor way for women to have a voice in their lives, but because of who she is in the plot. I confess I wasn't too keen on her for a while, I had a hard time going through the passages in which she is powerless to avoid her fate of becoming a courtesan  but once she is established as such and even has some fondness for her lover, I started to be more and more in syn with her emotions and even though my commiseration for her never ended, I could appreciate her efforts more.

The point of this novel, I'd say, is to highlight how unfair women are treated and have been so, when it comes to acknowledging their intelligence, their skill and their right to be as successful as men in the play writing world. The author certainly studied the subject and to base this plot on, she picked up the theory which claims Shakespeare didn't actually write his plays (there are historical facts at the end of the book and notes on the author's research as well) and had deals with others who could not publish them on their own, including Emilia.

I mean, I won't say I think this is likely or not because I have no real academic knowledge of the issue, but the way the information is specifically presented for this book makes it seem possible, at least. Of course the philosophical and social debate about it makes for an interesting conflict in certain moments of the story,both in Emilia and Melina's sections. There are several details the author used that give come sense of credibility to the role of women in theater and even assuming it wasn't as described, it still gave me food for thought.

The end was kind of predictable, with some slight personal development there, mostly for Melina. I was still happy with how her section ended, and what went into it, but... again, it could have been so much better. As for Emilia's, well, I've cried and that is all I'll say...

All in all, a very compelling read... I'll keep on reading more by this author...

Grade: 8/10

Alice Archer -The Infinite Onion

Grant Eastbrook hit the ground crawling after his wife kicked him out. Six months later, in Seattle without a job or a place to live, he escapes to the woods of nearby Vashon Island to consider his options. When he’s found sleeping outdoors by a cheerful man who seems bent on irritating him to death, Grant’s plans to resuscitate his life take a peculiar turn.
Oliver Rossi knows how to keep his fears at bay. He’s had years of practice. As a local eccentric and artist, he works from his funky home in the deep woods, where he thinks he has everything he needs. Then he rescues an angry man from a rainy ditch and discovers a present worth fighting the past for.
Amid the buzz of high summer, unwelcome attraction blooms on a playing field of barbs, defenses, and secrets.

Comment: One more case in which a recommendation by a reader somewhere made me look for this book and the blurb sounded appealing, and that is why I've decided to try it.

In this book, Grant is a 38 year old who never seemed to reach his full potential, which is why, in part, his wife divorced him and why he is just now quitting his menial job. He decides to squat at his ex's brothers' cabin while he thinks about what to do. He isn't aware of the security cameras which is why his former brother in law finds him, but not before Grant's life reaches rock bottom, without money nor a place to stay and to make it worse, the eccentric neighbor of the propriety next door, Oliver, seems to pity him.

Oliver is convinced he can help Grant, but only if he demonstrates he is eager to change, and Oliver decides to make a deal with him, conveniently forgetting he has issues of his own. As the two of them start a game of pull and push, too many things come to the surface and not all of them are things they truly want to deal with. However, as their connection deepens, so do the stakes if they both fail.. after all, who will save whom?

This is my first book by this author and without the recommendation I probably would not have noticed it because it's not the usual type of plot I gravitate to. I mean, it did sound as if this would be a bit more introspective than what I seek, but since I sometimes like to get in this mood, I thought why not.

It turned out to be a complicated book to read and to classify, in fact. As always, one of those cases in which I liked some elements but others weren't great. I feel a little bad to not have appreciated this more, but the way the plot is structured made me struggle, at times, with what the characters were really thinking or doing. This happens because while we have the POV of both protagonists in alternated chapters, we also have their dreams and what ifs mixed up with actual situations and sometimes it was hard to distinguish what was what.

The setup is also tricky to go through because both main characters have serious issues and emotional traumas to deal with and it felt as if how they did process things throughout the story wasn't done properly. Grant is basically homeless when the story starts and he is also depressed, in my opinion. He feels he never got to identify himself with anything he did and his wife left him because he didn't try to be ambitious. I can understand how his mind state would have "told" him things that weren't right and I did feel some pity for him and for how much stress he had.

He forges a connection with some kids who live nearby, including Kai, the nephew of his ex, who still cares about him and looks up to him somehow. Grant instinctively understands Kai would want to tell him something so he makes him comfortable enough to trust him, as do the other kids. Let me tell you, this did sound a little too odd but it all serves to let us know Grant found his call, and how his quirks might have a reason to be, which is to work with kids, but the way to get there... too odd.

We also follow Oliver, an artist who seems to be helpful at first, then a little weird in how the only will help Grant if they play things the way he, Oliver, deems necessary... Oliver also "helps" others deal with traumas through artistic experiments but this sounded very insecure, after all Oliver is not a therapist and he, too, has a lot to process, so much that as things went by I started to think Oliver needed way more psychological help than Grant! It was hard to accept the idea these two would be in any condition to welcome a relationship.

The romance didn't convince me because the guys aren't in the best place, emotionally, for a real commitment to feel based on solid awareness of one another. There's also the detail that Oliver had a friend with benefits who distracted his attention throughout the novel and, honestly, I just c«didn't by it that Oliver and Grant were attracted to one another beyond the physical. I think the many secondary details about and around them were not conductive for a believable romance.

I suppose that, thinking about this book, I can say it is about accepting oneself, admitting we need help when we are at a bad place, physical and emotionally, but I wasn't captivated by it anwyay. I think the author has a very specif way of how she wanted this to be delivered, but the method isn't easy to appreciate. In real life, these two finding each other and a goal in life would be a great story of resilience, but on paper it was often boring and the events dragged and I lost interest many times. I kept going to finish because I had to know if the guys would "heal" somehow, but it wasn't a really rewarding reading experience.

Grade: 4/10