Nguyen Phan Qué Mai - Dust Child

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a young and charming American helicopter pilot, Dan. Decades later, Dan returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, hoping to find a way to heal from his PTSD and, unbeknownst to her, reckon with secrets from his past.
At the same time, Phong—the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman—embarks on a search to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for himself and his family in the U.S.
Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war—decisions that force them to look deep within and find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language. Suspenseful, poetic, and perfect for readers of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Dust Child tells an unforgettable and immersive story of how those who inherited tragedy can redefine their destinies through love, hard-earned wisdom, compassion, courage, and joy.

Comment: I was given this book last year, whether for my birthday or for Christmas and, well, as always, better late than never!

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quynh leave their village to work in a bar in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh) so that they could earn more money and help their parents paying debts. However, this bar is only a step away from a brothel and while they feel uncomfortable, they still accept what it entails, since they have no option.

In 2016, Phong is an orphan whose father was clearly an African American soldier and he has the dream to travel to the US and, perhaps, have a better life with his family. This isn't easy,especially when he knows nothing of his origins.

This same year, Dan is traveling to Vietnam to try to get closure, for he was also a soldier whose life was deeply affected by the war and by Kim, the woman he met at a bar and who he left, pregnant, although now he wants to find her and his child...

The lives of these people will somehow mix, but will the truth of their existences be easy to accept?

This is the first book I try by this Vietnamese author. I actually had another book by her, her debut The Mountains Sing, but since a friend gave me this one, and it fit a prompt in a challenge I'm doing (precisely, reading a gifted book), I've decided to start with it. As indicated by the accolades, it was "powerful and heartbreaking" but to me it lacked a certain strategic emotional impact.

The story is divided into three main characters' POV, in third person, but the really strong impact of the emotions and the difficulties all of these people faced seemed a little detached from what was being told. In a way, this helped me cope and accept the events, but at the same time, it felt like a missed opportunity and the terrible things everyone dealt with weren't as harrowing as I imagined.

Perhaps having different timelines and focus on more than one protagonist made me feel distracted but jumping from Trang (mostly) and then Phong and then Dan made the flow break somehow. Still, their individual tribulations all had merit and offered food for thought. Of course I cannot really describe the necessary details without some spoilers, but it's not hard to infer stuff from the main subjects each character seems to personify.

Dan is dealing with PTSD and guilt over leaving a pregnant woman behind, although he had a girlfriend back home. This situations repeated itself with a large number of soldiers and while I could sympathize with Dan, bearing in mind the circumstances, I also felt annoyed by him and his American entitlement. I can imagine many others behaved properly and really developed feelings for Vietnamese women, but I confess it is much easier to imagine a majority of those who didn't do "the right thing".

Phong really made me sad, he is the son of a Vietnamese woman and an American soldier, Black at that. This means that it was even more obvious how discriminated and bullied he was by other children and adults later on. The world has not improved, I supposed. It was also very heartbreaking o see how Phong didn't have much chances in life but he was still a good man, in spite of youth mistakes. I think his character was my favorite and I felt sorry that while his discoveries led him into a satisfying closure, not  every detail was as rewarding.

Trang was, probably, the most complex character. I cannot envision the life real people like her actually went through and how it must have affected the way they saw themselves. This was, for me, the really heartbreaking part of the novel, the way her journey went through. Perhaps a different writing style would have added drama and sadness to how Trang lived though the hard choices, which would have elevated the novel, I bet, but this way I could maintain my control on how much to suffer..

The author included a note explaining the inspiration for the novel and I got the feeling that this would have led her to write a better non fiction than a novel, but at the same time, this was a much stronger story than others out there, so... I also liked knowing more about cultural and social aspects regarding Vietnam, of course, mainly when it came to the time period of he late 60s. However, to be fair, this was not the focus, I'd say.

In the end, what really stayed with me is that everyone who might see representation in any of the characters in this book probably feels this could be avoided. Wars are never solution to anything. Why can't humans learn?

Grade: 8/10

Joel Dicker - The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer

In the summer of 1994, the quiet seaside town of Orphea reels from the discovery of two brutal murders.
Confounding their superiors, two young police officers, Jesse Rosenberg and Derek Scott crack the case and arrest the murderer, earning themselves handsome promotions and the lasting respect of their colleagues.
But twenty years later, just as he is on the point of taking early retirement, Rosenberg is approached by Stephanie Mailer, a journalist who believes he made a mistake back in 1994 and that the real murderer is still out there, perhaps ready to strike again. Before she can give any more details however, Stephanie Mailer mysteriously disappears without trace, and Rosenberg and Scott are forced to confront the awful possibility that her suspicions might have been proved horribly true.
What happened to Stephanie Mailer?
What did she know?
And what really happened in Orphea all those years ago?

Comment: One more book by Joel Dicker I had in the pile to read. Since I have enjoyed other thrillers by him (more than two other books which are not mainly crime investigations), I had confidence I'd like this one too.

Stephanie Mailer is a reporter who shows up at the retirement party for officer Jesse Rosenberg telling him that, in 1994, he and his partner caught the wrong man, guilty of killing four people. She tells him that the truth was always in front of them and they didn't investigate properly. Stephanie Mailer disappears that same day and that propels Jesse and partner Derek, who has been on desk duty, to reopen the investigation. As things move long, they start noticing that there are more things that seem to be linked to that old case than they imagined, as clues that were overlooked before, now take a new meaning. But happened, what made the killer scared that he or she felt they had to kill again?

This was a very rewarding story to read. It might not be perfect because there were some transitions here and there that seemed forced and around half way a few details were presented in such a way that coincidence is a weak word to describe things, but one thing is true: it was a real roller coaster of entertainment to read this story.

The plot is centered on the investigation happening in the present but there are a few scenes spread throughout the book in which we can see something from the POV of the protagonist, in the past. I'm glad this wasn't "flashback style" because I tire very easily of that method, and this way I could sense I was not being too distracted by going back and forth. Besides, I really like it when we, the reader, can follow up the clues on the now as the characters do, instead of just having that information as a given while the characters are in the dark.

I also think the author must have watched a lot of movies because I could see a couple of references to scenes I remember seeing in a movie; perhaps there were more and I didn't recognize them. This said, I think the plot was constructed in a very ingenious way, there are twists and red herrings around all the time, and while the chapters didn't all end in surprises or shocking news, I've felt that going forward was always going to tell me something new, something for me to think about.

What an imagination it must have required to sequence the events in a reliable way, to add details and make them (mostly) work out with what we had read before... the author really did a good job creating the plot. I never suspected the killer was that person, and I'd have preferred for someone else to be guilty, but I think it made sense, psychologically speaking. It was also fun to be able to see how some little things mattered a lot more than seemed obvious when certain things were introduced.

The characters were all very intriguing but not in the sense that they were all keeping secrets. I mean, of course they did that, but their personalities were what was really fun to look for. I also liked the fact that everyone had layers but only one character or two, clearly antagonists, were really "bad people" and all the others had more to them than just a label we could give them. It was really a relief to think these characters were not all secretly hiding terrible stuff or something. Some were simply people trying their best.

Perhaps, this is not the most incredible plot ever, but it was very satisfying to read and I was rooting for the characters we are suppose to root for, namely the police officers investigating, to succeed. The title is, perhaps, a little unsuitable because the main focus isn't exactly on Stephanie's disappearance, but on how it is connected to the initial crime. Still, entertaining. I'm looking for to read more thrillers by the author.

Grade: 8/10

Heidi Swain - The Book-Lovers Retreat

Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That’s what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime.
Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex.
But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves, find love in all its forms and where their lives will change course forever…?

Comment: I decided to add this book to my TBR because it would feature characters who love reading. This month it fits a prompt in a challenge I'm reading, so...

Rachel, Emily and Tory are friends who have always loved everything connected to the book Hope Falls, centered in a group of three friends, just like them. They have also loved the movie based on the book and have planned for months the trip to the cottage where the movie was done. The place is very requested there is a waiting list as well, which means that when Tory tells them her father will no longer give her money as he has always done, they fear they cannot go. However, a solution is presented by the cottage's owner, perhaps they can accept a third person to help with the expanses, since Tory cannot go. They accept and that is how Alex takes Tory's place, but.... a surprise is definitely waiting for them. Will the three enjoy staying there as much as they dreamed?

This is the first book I try by the author, so I had no solid expectations except for a pre-conceived idea based on the author's prolific work and the cute covers of the books. I imagined the books would be more chick lit and not as much woman's fiction, but it seems that is precisely the mix.

The premise is interesting and starts off with a fictional excerpt of the fake book Hope Falls but I must not be paying enough attention because then the action jumped from characters Rosie, Laurie and Heather to others, whose names were Emily, Tory and Rachel and I admit I was very confused. Thankfully, this didn't last long and I quickly got on track  with what the story really was about, which is how the three friends deal with their holiday, so longed for and the unexpected that comes with it. 

Of course, another element is how each main character - Rachel, Emily and Alex - face personal issues and what it means to process many things in their lives has any importance to how much they enjoy the holiday or not. Certainly, there is plenty of stuff to compare with the reasons they claim the fake book is so special and we can infer the lesson to be that: life might imitate life but a person's journey is always personal and not really simple to see in a book.

There isn't much I can say about the plot that would surprise any reader, for that isn't the goal here. In fact, for anyone who has read other woman's fiction books, this is rather predictable. The sequence of events, since the main characters meet at the cottage and how their days go on after that follow very obvious patterns and the end is also calculable for this type of story. The supposed lessons aren't really special, and in part I suppose it has to do with the writing, which I've found to be competent but not really remarkable.

The real interest here sets on the characters, and how their personal little journeys seem impactful or not, depending on how much we like them. Rachel is a sweet woman who has a controlling boyfriend. This is obvious to everyone but her, so her story is centered on whether she realizes this or not. Clearly she does by the end, I don't think this surprises anyone, but considering the amount of time it takes, when she does see that feels rather anticlimactic.

Emily was more complex, mostly because the story is told only through her POV. She is debating on accepting a boring job or trying to start a patchwork business and her thoughts on this felt realistic. However, at first, she felt a little selfish in regards to her feelings about the cottage and expectations she had, even though I understand why she would act like that, and it took me some to warm up to her. Her dealings with Alex also seemed a little too hard to see positively and I did not buy into how their relationship evolved.

In the end, everything happens in a way we might consider as being positive and what a book in the genre requires. All the expectations were met but, honestly, nothing about it will likely be easily remembered.

Grade: 6/10

Gregory Ashe - Triangulation

After a recent case with a treacherous client, North and Shaw are ready to go back to work building Borealis Investigations. They’re also ready to go back to dodging their feelings for each other, with neither man ready to deal with the powerful emotions the Matty Fennmore case stirred up. Everything is getting back to normal when their secretary asks for help: her girlfriend’s boss has gone missing.
Shep Collins runs a halfway house for LGBTQ kids and is a prominent figure in St. Louis’s gay community. When he disappears, however, dark truths begin to emerge about Shep’s past: his string of failed relationships, a problem with disappearing money, and his work, years before, as one of the foremost proponents of conversion therapy.
When Shep’s body turns up at the halfway house, the search for a missing person becomes the search for a murderer.
As North and Shaw probe for answers, they find that they are not the only ones who have come looking for the truth about Shep Collins. Their investigation puts them at odds with the police who are working the same case, and in that conflict, North and Shaw find threads leading back to the West End Slasher—the serial killer who almost took Shaw’s life in an alley seven years before. As the web of an ancient conspiracy comes to light, Shaw is driven to find answers, and North faces what might be his last chance to tell Shaw how he really feels.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Borealis Investigations trilogy. I thought the first book to be rather average and too focused on elements I wasn't as fond of but I had hopes this one would improve on them.

Shaw and North are back to their regular work, even though the effects of the case they just solved are still being felt by them, in how they are dealing with each other. Then, while each one of them comes to terms with how they really feel about the other, a new case comes along. Their secretary Pari asks for help when her girlfriend's boss Shep goes missing and they learn he manages a youth house for LGBT kids, but in the past he had worked for a group that did "conversion therapy". Thinking this might be connected, they look into everyone who knew Shep and the more they learn, the more complicated everything becomes. While investigating, they also find a clue connecting this case to the one that caused Shaw to have been the surviving victim of a serial killer. What is going on, and what will come next?

I liked this story a little more than the first, overall, but I will grade it the same anyway because the element I wish I could see improved wasn't, which is how the personal relationship between the characters is portrayed. I get it that this author probably imagines countless ways for the characters to deal with serious and deep emotions, but I think this is dragged too much and the constant verbal battle between them is more often tiring than amusing for me.

In fact, while things change and we get to see how their feelings for one another keep demanding their attention, and the need to deal with them as things progress in all aspects of their lives adds up the drama, it also becomes difficult to see why North and Shaw cannot simply have a conversation, especially since they both learn stuff that should give them the impulse to do it. But no, the aim here is to drag on the drama, the tension and to make them suffer before they feel stable in becoming a couple.

If things between them had been presented in another way, perhaps this would not distract me this much, but the banter between them and the things they deal with, and what we learn from their inner monologues makes me think they should be in therapy and not looking to become boyfriends. I know the next book is the final one, so I think we will have closure and an HEA, but the road there didn't have to be this complicated, I think.

Regarding the plot, the story was quite interesting, actually. I liked the case they were investigating and the way the clues started to fit, especially when the method seems to be the following: Shaw and North are given a case with someone telling them about it in their own way, and then an idea here, an idea there, it turns out that the version they had wasn't not the full truth. If not for the constant bantering between the main characters, which I find too distracting in inopportune moments, I think the development of the investigation would be even better.

While the central case is being exploited, another situation is ongoing, which I've noticed here more than in the first book. So, one of the reasons for the guys to have started their investigation agency is partly caused by an experience Shaw had in the past, with a guy who targeted gays, and killed them, as it happened to someone Shaw had a date with once. Shaw is still dealing with the trauma of all that, and it seems things were not as solved as it seemed. Thus, in this book, we got to have some scenes about it and I think it will also be a key element in the last book.

This book had good things, and others were a little too much for me, both for exaggerated elements or the lack of consistency in them. I'm still curious to see the guys reach a stable life together so I'll finish the trilogy.

Grade: 6/10

Mini - Comments

I brought both these books from the library the last time I went there. Both are by writers whose books I had previously read and I had good expectations about how much I'd enjoy these too.

Offering to the Storm by Dolores Redondo is the final installment in a trilogy I've started months ago and now I finally had the chance to finish. The story is centered on inspector Amaia Salazar who, throughout the three books, investigates a series of crimes and some are very much connected, as we discover here. At the same time we follow her personal life and the challenges she faces, especially since she is a recent mother. To spice things up, the stories are very set on local legends and mythology, which is fun and sometimes a little creepy. 
I liked this story and I've liked how things end, in terms of plot. I cannot say that the real mastermind of everything was a surprise, and perhaps the author could have linked the final explanations better than she did, but a few decisions this character did caused enough trauma, that's a fact. I also liked the experience of reading, even though I wasn't always happy with the main character, because the whole mythology and many little references to countless details made me curious. I think this final book was done well enough and one day I'll try to see the streaming series that was based on these books.
Grade: 8/10

Inventário da Solidão by João Tordo could be translated into "inventory of loneliness" and it is the tale of a man, a psychologist, who travels back to England to attend the funeral of an old college friend. While this happens, he reminiscences a lot and lets us know what made him do certain things and make certain decisions.
As all the books by this author seem to be, also this one is very rich in cultural and literary references, which I bet is the author's personal little game in having fun writing his books. I like going through them, as well as the philosophical questions, the psychological concepts... I think this is the author's strongest point. As always, the narrator is a man, whose voice we follow on first person and this, sometimes, seems great, but others makes the story seem a little annoying because while all the narrators this author wrote are clever and incredible, they are also irritating and I sometimes wish they could make better options, such as in this specific book.
In spite of this, I'll certainly keep on reading his books...
Grade: 7/10

Anna Lee Huber - A Bitter Cut

July 1833. Lady Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, are settling into their newly renovated home at Bevington Park in Warkwickshire with their young daughter. With the breach between them and Sebastian’s father recently healed, they've agreed to help host a country house party for friends and family to share in their joy. Kiera is also anxious to help promote a match between her brother, Trevor, and the woman he’s fallen in love with, inviting her family to join them. However, Kiera swiftly discovers that the would-be bride’s family is not without their detractions. Her brother is unpleasant. Her mother is abrasive. And her father—the prosperous industrialist Jeremiah Birnam—is brusque, discourteous, and, at times, downright rude.
So when Mr. Birnam’s secretary is found murdered with Birnam standing over her body, many are content to allow him to take the blame. But neither Kiera nor Sebastian believes he did it, and in spite of his bluster and boorish behavior, they can’t let an innocent man be hung for another’s crime. Unfortunately, Birnam had his fair share of enemies at the house party, and any one of them might have struck out at his secretary in order to get to him. It's up to Kiera and Sebastian to uncover the truth and salvage Birnam’s reputation. As the couple slowly inches their way closer to the truth and threats emerge against their loved ones, Kiera begins to fear that the price of solving the crime may mean sacrificing her brother’s future happiness.

Comment: This is the 14th installment in the Lady Darby series, one I have buddy read with a friend for months now. Of course, we would want to read this one too.

Kiera and Sebastian and their daughter are staying with Sebastian's father while he hosts a house party. Kiera took the opportunity to invite the Birnams, the family of Matilda, the woman her brother Trevor hopes to marry, but she quickly realizes what a mistake it was since mr Birnam is very obnoxious and only interested in discussing a certain bill. Mrs Birnam is also unpleasant and Kiera fears the problems if Trevor and Matilda ever marry, but all this takes second place when mr Birnam's secretary is found murdered. No question that Sebastian and Kiera will investigate but will everyone be ready for what they find?

What else can I say about these books that I haven't already, in terms of positive aspects? For me, the books remain consistent, appealing, and the only things I'd change are related to personal preferences and little things that would make the story flow more easily. That aside, it was like seeing friends again.

I think the author achieved the perfect balance in this series in regards to mix a crime to be investigated in a time period without modern devices, and in presenting us with recurrent characters that we care about and want to see happy. Sometimes, one element or the other takes over but here, in my opinion, everything seems to be suitable placed together. I'm quite glad that this installment maintained this trend.

The crime being investigated seems simple when they learn that the secretary, a young woman, which is unusual, wasn't liked by Mrs Birnam and her son. Matilda seemed ambivalent and only mr Birnam defended her in front of others, a situation that caused enough gossip. I thought the most obvious explanation would be too easy and, in fact, it was. The way the situation is finally explained at the end is actual quite simple and, as always, thoughtful conversations would avoid a lot, but of course that part of the fun is seeing things develop.

There is also an interesting segment regarding the possible marriage between Trevor, who is Kiera's younger brother, and Matilda. It seems the couple is in love and interested in being together but it also becomes obvious that her parents don't seem that happy and believe she would aim higher in terms of finding someone titled, something Trevor cannot have. I think the undercurrents about this were an interesting comparison to Kiera and Sebastian's own relationship, especially before they married, and to the other relationships we get to see here.

In a way, a very good element in these books is precisely the constancy and the confirmation that the difficulties Kiera and Sebastian went through before they go their HEA is validated by how happy and in tune they still are. It might seem boring to some, but to me this a wonderful element and I hope the author keeps up with it. Since it seems there is one more book, at least, coming out next year, I can't wait to see what comes next.

Grade: 8/10

Julie Otsuka - When the Emperor was Divine

Four months after Pearl Harbor, signs begin appearing up and down the West Coast instructing all persons of Japanese ancestry to report to 'assembly centers'. For one family - reclassified, virtually overnight, as unwelcome enemies - it is the beginning of a nightmare of oppression and alienation that will alter their lives forever.There is the mother, reeling from the order to 'evacuate', and the daughter, travelling on the long train journey away from freedom. There is the son, who struggles to adapt to their new life in the dust of the Utah desert, and the father, who, after four bitter years in captivity, returns to his family a stranger.Based on a true story, Julie Otsuka's powerful, deeply humane first novel tells of a forgotten generation who found themselves imprisoned in their own country, and evokes an unjustly overlooked episode in America's wartime history.

Comment: I'm not certain anymore why I've added this book to my TBR. This is a novella and I've added it in December 2024 so it might have been part of some best of list somewhere...

Life had been going as normal as it could when Pearl Harbour happened, and with that the existence of all people of Japanese origin in the US radically changes. There are signs telling them they need to travel to a specific place, for an undetermined period of time, and every adult understands what this means. A certain family follows the rules, a mother and her two sons, for the father is already detained somewhere, and they join the others in the long train journey and on the long stay in a camp in Utah. What they live through, what they feel while there are things that will never leave them.

I had an idea about the camps in the US where many American-Japanese citizens had been kept after 1942. I didn't know where exactly and for how long but it seems that if there is one thing we can count humankind to do is to be blind in regards to what it means to have morals. History did not teach us anything, after all, whether regarding what this books talks about or in regards to countless other examples in which a group of humans thinks they know best how to deal with other groups.

Sadly, the state of the world now only validates these "historical" novels and texts and proves that power and money do control the world and only a few manage to make the rules. How many world crimes would not have happened if only the greed of man were no more, but... 

This subject is never ending, so I will move on. This novella was quick but gave quite a punch. And, honestly, to me it wasn't so much about the situation in general, which is bad enough to think about, but the way the author wrote this based in real life facts/events. The apparently mundane, everyday routines of how the family leaves their house, coped with what happened and then returned to a life that was never the same impacted me in a much more powerful manner. Whoever else read this, the scene in which the mother "releases" the pets is.... God.

We are never given the characters' names but that, after all, is meant to not matter to those who make the rules. We follow these three in their travel and it is true that they stay there and have food and water but the psychology of what happens to them is a concept that we would spend a lifetime exploring and trying to explain. I both liked this - I do like to think about details - and disliked it because if one tries to place oneself in these people's shoes.... or anyone else somehow privy of their freedom...

The historical context should be enough to make this an easy book to understand but the real wonder is in the little things, the thoughts they have and how they all deal with what they must do and live through. While they stay at the camp, it seems as if everything is simple to follow, boring and pointless most of the time, unfair at others, and under all that who knows how many layers of feelings and sensations and thoughts that are impossible. No, this isn't a book where the author enumerates all possible things, but it does give food for thought.

After the despair and the obvious trauma of this situation, the family goes back home. Another trauma waiting because, of course, nothing can ever be the same. I bet there are many books published about this and about other returns, both from a social and a psychological POV, even if not centered on PTSD as it should, but it is impossible to avoid the fact that these people, like so many others nowadays, simply cannot be allowed to have a voice. Perhaps culture is also something to consider here, but... what stays with someone is not measurable, is it?

The fact this a novella made some things seem simplified and not even inferring made it easier. I also think maintaining the distance between the characters and the reader was good most of the time, but not always. I also would have wished for an end with a bit more of closure but I suppose this is only personal preference, since the way it does end gives that food for thought I've mentioned.

This left me thinking, that is a fact. So, I will investigate the author's other work.

Grade: 8/10

L.H. Cosway - Six of Hearts

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.
I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.
I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.
Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.
But most of all, I put on a good show.
The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn’t. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.
Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.
I want it for all six of us.
She doesn’t remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this – if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.
So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.
You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.
I’ve only got one heart, and after I’ve pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.
So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride.

Comment: One more book by this author, whose blurb had caught my eye, to add to the list of things I have read by her. My experience has been mixed, some books seemed great, others less so. This one stays in the middle.

Matilda lives with her lawyer father and she helps him with his work, although he doesn't have a big office. To help with the money, her father decides to accept a lodger, and in comes Jay Fields, a charismatic man, an illusionist who had a lot of success in the US and is now in Ireland, apparently for work. Her connection with him is immediate and they become friends, but there's always this weird tension between them and it doesn't seem to be explained only by sexual attraction. What is Jay hiding and why, of all places, did he choose to stay with Matilda and her father? When some problems seem to come to light in regards to a trial case Jay is involved with and in which Matilda's father is helping too, will the truth be too much for Matilda?

Overall, what comes to mind when I think of this novel is "average". Everything felt kind of average to me, even though the fact Jay is an illusionist is quite the detail. In a way, this author is very clever in deciding which job/area to give to her characters, all of them are somehow linked to some cultural or artistic field. But an original activity can't be enough to sustain a plot.

This story is also told in first person by Matilda, as is the author's style. Unfortunately, here I could not fully disconnect from it and there were times where, as so often happens to me, the focus on Matilda's inner monologues was too much and gave the story an almost sense of lack of maturity. Matilda is 23, Jay is four years old, but following her thoughts made me imagine them much younger, juvenile. Of course, life experience has made them seem more mature at times and if I think about certain scenes, this is visible, but having only her POV, in this novel, kind of brought the grade down for me.

Although it is a little obvious how the characters are connected, I was still interested in seeing how the author would play out the journey until we finally have explanations. I think Jay has an interesting path in life and I can understand the reasons why he behaves the way he does while the plot develops. Matilda is less complex, but for the most part I thought she was a genuine and friendly person and while I wasn't particularly motivated to see them become a couple, I was glad they found happiness.

The romance is OK, I suppose, but it didn't impress me because it felt like they were teenagers. All of Matilda's thoughts about Jay and the weird stuff they do together go on and on so that we could have scenes with them both flirting and getting close enough for falling in love to be believable from her POV alone (she goes to a seminar to practice being comfortable talking to guys and he randomly is able to go with her). This becomes repetitive and, frankly, a little annoying after a while. I wanted more nuance and inner development, not only sexy thoughts.

The plot about the reason why Jay came to Ireland and a lawsuit he is involved with is intriguing enough, and has some cute scenes, but this is all very superficially presented. I didn't exactly mind this, but then the resolution of the legal case sets too much on situations that are too coincidental or simplistic. I liked the idea but the execution seemed a little too simple to me.

All things considered, this was an entertaining novel, had fun scenes and some silly but cute things, but it didn't really meet all the expectations I had on it. I will keep on reading things by the author, but I hope I will appreciate the next one more, whenever that happens.

Grade: 6/10

Nora Roberts - The Seven Rings

Long ago, Arthur Poole built a grand house overlooking the turbulent ocean, in a Maine village that bore his name. Today, Sonya MacTavish lives in that house—a manor that has been cursed for generations. Within its walls, she has witnessed the deaths of seven brides and the thefts of seven wedding rings. And now, to break the curse and banish a malevolent spirit once and for all, a difficult task must be completed.
After Sonya, her boyfriend, Trey, and their friends are forced to hear, see—and feel—the suffering of the house’s many ghosts as their torment is reenacted by the evil presence, their bond only strengthens and their anger is renewed. Refusing to let her spirit be broken, Sonya searches each room for clues to her ancestors’ hidden story, putting the picture together, unearthing small treasures, and uncovering the moments of joy that existed among the sorrows. She’s determined to bring light to this haunted place—to fill it with people, with life and hope, once again.
But the enemy in the black dress continues to hover, to come at her in frightening forms. They may be illusions—but illusions can be powerful enough to wound and kill. She feeds on fear, and lies are her weapon. This dark-hearted witch wants to be mistress of Poole Manor, at any cost. And Sonya will need to fight a battle across two realms to finally take possession of the house on the clifftop—and of her own future…

Comment: This is the third and final installment in the Lost Bride trilogy by Nora Roberts. I liked the first book, thought the second to be unnecessary and this third one felt like a good enough conclusion but that was it.

After realizing that she needs to find the seven rings so that the manor where she plans to live becomes free from the evil ghost of Hester Dobbs, Sonya decides she won't give up the search even with some setbacks. Along with boyfriend Trey, friend Cleo and cousin Owen, she goes on with her routines but she also makes an effort to find the clues which lead her to the rings, even if that increases the anger of the ghost. But Sonya has built a life here now and she wants to help those around her, as well as the other ghosts trapped in the manor. But will she succeed before the ghost of Hester does her most daring attempt yet?

I will repeat what I said about the second book, which was, in my opinion, avoidable: this story, all three installments combined, would have made for a much better standalone. Certainly, with less elements but to be honest, the scenes we are given in these three books, especially the 2nd and 3rd ones, could have been easily edited into a single story. Or, as the author often did in the past, if each book were to be focused on a different main couple, perhaps that sequence between books would not feel as repetitive.

The first book presented the idea and developed things in a likable way, mainly because I like the author's style. The second was a constant repetition of the same thing and this third book concluded loose threads, which was obviously intentional but at the same time it maintained a certain superficiality and thinness of plot that surprised me a little negatively, since I know the author has done so much better in her past.

Basically, nothing major happens and what does happen could be summarized into half the pages, I'd say. In fairness, I had a good enough time reading and being involved in the comfort of the routines in these characters' lives, but  that isn't enough. Sonya and the others accomplished the necessary tasks to defeat the evil ghost, they do find the clues about the rings, we get to see a (very) quick resolution to her past with Brandon, we see a perfect bow to their personal lives, as couples - Sonya and Trey, Cleo and Owen - but all this was shared in such a polished, perfect writing style that it read to me as lacking passion, a touch of drama and some unpredictability, which the author was known for.

Everything about Sonya and those around her fits the perfect mold of the idea the author imagined. This is good, all things well aligned, but there is no real challenge into what is happening. Even the whole quest about the rings and such is terribly superficial, well used in each scene and idea and it was, frankly, boring. I also missed some more character interaction, mainly with the secondary characters, who were all perfectly established in Sonya's sphere and played a role, didn't read as real people.

I especially disliked how the romances were presented. No passion, no angst, no real doubt on whether they would see each other differently, no slow falling in love while wondering what was the other that appealed to them. The romances were consensual and practically discusses as a given, so no sexual tension nor self awareness, which was something the author did wonderfully in other books. I mean, the author is very talented, a perfect user of the craft, as she likes to call it, but the result in this trilogy was, for me, as if this was a computer program of steps to accomplish, and not an always heartfelt story.

Thus, it was good to pass the time, and I did finish but I won't feel like re-reading as I still do other novels by her.

Grade: 7/10

L.A. Witt - Shot on Goal

The Vancouver Narwhals’ star goalie. The New York Krakens’ head coach. This can’t possibly be a recipe for disaster.
Goalie Brad Spencer is flying high after his team clinches the Cup and names him their MVP. Like his teammates, he’s ready to celebrate—ideally with someone in his bed. When he slips off to a gay bar, he meets someone who’s gorgeous, willing, and… absolutely the last man he should be touching.
Head coach Anthony Caruso just wants to have a few drinks and get laid to soothe the sting of his team losing the Cup. Then that ridiculously sexy player from the opposing team strolls into the club. The chemistry is instantaneous, and a mountain of PHL regulations can’t keep them apart. After all, it’s just a hookup.
And then another hookup. And then a summer getaway that’s just enough time and privacy for them to get in way over their heads. When the hockey season starts up again, they walk away… but they can’t stay away.
Anthony and Brad value their careers way too much to be this reckless, but they’ve both been alone for way too long to ignore these feelings.
Sooner or later, though, something has to give, and one of them is going to have to choose between the man he loves and the sport he lives for.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Pucks and Rainbows trilogy by LA Witt. I have read the first last month but skipped the second book because it would feature a romance between three guys. Nothing against it but it's not a relationship dynamic I'm interested in, so I've jumped to this third story instead.

In this story we meet Brad Spencer and Anthony Caruso, goalkeeper and coach of two opposed teams which have just played each other and Brad's team won the cup. As a celebration, Brad checks out a gay bar where he hopes to find someone to spend the night with and who else would be there but Caruso, the only openly gay coach in the league. They hit it off and decide to spend the night... then Bard invites Anthony to spend a week with him, and they they mutually agree to spend the whole summer together... but reality and their jobs won't allow them to be a couple. How will they cope or will they need to stop seeing each other?

I liked the previous book in this trilogy but didn't love it. In fact, I liked the cover more than the story (this book's is also gorgeous) but the blurb of this book seemed to captivate me and I hoped this would be a good story, better than the previous one.

Although this one and the first - and the second, which I haven't read - all feature characters in the same universe, hockey players, I mean, the plots are independent and the characters are only referenced, and from what I understood, it's not important if one reads in order or not. Still, it was nice to have the main character of the first book named here once or twice and I could know who he was.

Brad and Anthony are two people who should not match, and not only due to their roles in their respective teams. I can see how a relationship between a player and a coach of an opposed team would be too hard to maintain, especially if this is at a professional level, one only needs to think about real life and the repercussions of it and how it would affect several things. Still, to me, the forbidden aspect was never a thing because these two are falling in love and as with so many other sports novels out there featuring rivals who fall in love, this is the fun part to see developed.

I think it was also a good idea to have the guys in teams that don't play each other often, only at decisive moments, because it certainly made the opposition seem less important if real feelings are involved. Of course, this means the relationship struggles with long distance and if this wasn't a romance, the odds of they holding on to it in a steady way would seem very weak. I liked it how the author played things out and the "solution" in the end was rather predictable. I still preferred it to something unrealistic, so..

Brad and Anthony have very different personalities but I think the way the author established that they were falling in love and what was special about the other in this situation, with this sequence of events seemed intriguing and I wanted to see them being happy and finding a way to make it work. I also liked the way the sport they played and their professional roles being key to how they dealt with the potential discovery of their relationship. Perhaps what was lacking was a more obvious interaction with the secondary characters, namely their teams. This does happen but only close to the end of the book and I think to have these dynamics more would have been important.

I won't analyse how well the sport is portrayed since I don't know any rules about ice hockey, but when it comes to the way this affected Anthony's behavior in leading a team, and in how Brad felt when things weren't as great for him as a player, I think the sport was key enough to make these things seem important and why it influenced their decisions as much as it was made to seem.

All things considered, this was a good enough story. I think there was something extra missing, that special thing that made me like other novels more and a few others even less, but I would not mind re-reading this one, if I were to have time one day...

Grade: 8/10

Meljean Brook - Demon Angel

Half-demon, half-human, Lillith is bound by a bargain with the devil and forbidden to feel pleasure. She draws upon her dark powers and serpentine grace to lead men into temptation. That is, until she faces her greatest temptation, Heaven's own Sir Hugh Castleford. Once a knight and now a Guardian, Hugh's purpose has always been to thwart Lillith, even as he battles treacherous hunger for her. When a deadly alliance unleashes a threat to humans and Guardians angel and demon are forced to fight together against evil and against a passionate desire for each other.

Comment: I had this book in the pile since 2010, a time when I was still very much invested in paranormal romance, and I thought the premise to be captivating.

Hugh and Lilith have been in opposed sides of a war between Heaven and Hell for centuries but deep down they both want something out of the other. Lilith wants to defeat Hugh and he wants to somehow redeem her. It seems their battle will be never ending, at least until a mutual threat makes it necessary for them to join forces. Will such an alliance be the way they needed to finally learn more about one another and see what has always been in front of them?

I have read several books by this author, from her other series, and have liked all those stories. I was also, at a time, eager to read the Guardians series, in which this Demon Angel is included, and even more so when it seemed there were many installments to look for. Still, despite getting this book before the others, somehow I got to them first and this one stayed behind. And stayed....

Now, sixteen years later, I've finally decided to start it. Sadly, it ended up being a DNF because I just could not get into the story. Not surprising, as often happens in a situation like this, time and my personal taste have evolved and I no longer feel the patience to read this genre as I used to. I mean, I still like PNR but now the story has to be something extra for me to want to immerse myself in such a new world. Had I read this back then I might have liked it, but now I simply don't feel the vibe.

I've read 110 pages and they were all of Lilith and Hugh on a cat and mouse game, kind of, and while the possibilities seemed intriguing, I just didn't want to read the huge amount of pages left (my paperback edition had more than 400 total) to see them get their HEA. So, I've stopped and glimpsed the end. I think the writing is competent and captivating, but the characters didn't convince me, not in the way they were being developed.

This author published her last book under this name in 2014. She has voiced how difficult it has been to find motivation and eagerness to write the stories fans were waiting for in the ongoing series she had. After that she has written other things under a pseudonym, which I have not read. Perhaps she will never return to these worlds, but her stories are always incredible, that's a fact. It's just my poor timing that cannot appreciate this Demon Angel.

Grade: DNF