P.L. Travers - Mary Poppins

When Jane and Michael Banks draw up an advertisement for a nanny, Mary Poppins arrives on a gust of the East Wind and slides up the bannister, changing their lives forever.
Their wonderful new nanny is strict but fair, and full of surprises. Soon the Banks children are whisked off on the most exciting and magical adventures they have ever had. But Mary Poppins has only promised to stay until the wind changes...

Comment: I've read this book because of a topic in a challenge I'm doing. I got the book at a book fair a couple of years ago and I've finally had a good "excuse" to read it.

Mary Poppins arrives very suddenly at the Banks' house to become the nanny. But Mary, unlike all the nannies before, is special, mysterious and has a bag that seemed to be empty but from which she removes all kinds of things. During the time she stays with the kids, many weird situations happen but they have to bear in mind that one day she will leave...

I will confess I have not watched the Mary Poppins movies that have been released but I am aware enough of how important and special she is considered and I do recognize Julie Andrews in character if i see images of her online, and I also know there's a movie with Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson based on how this book's adaptation was done by Disney. But I had not read the books popularized by author PL Travers.

I didn't have any expectations, but I did imagine the books would include what I remember from seeing in some movie clips which is why I was actually surprised by how different in tone one thing was from the other. The Mary Poppins in this book was not as sweet and tender as I still picture Julie Andrews while she's singing, but I can see the details that would have made this a good/addictive children's story. Mary is magical and amazing but she isn't there to replace the kids' parents or to force them to be a family.

Since the book isn't big, it seemed to focus on two main elements, the way I saw them: that we must cherish the moments in which things happen to us - Mary comes and goes and what happens magically with her will do the same - and that what is special and different is always going to be part of us, even if we forget it, as we get older. Of course, this is all "hidden" under many adventures that, honestly, don't seem to make much sense to my adult self.

After the first three or four chapters I've started to loose interest. I can understand how incredible this was, considering when it was written, but I kind of wanted more substance to the characters, that they weren't only players in the adventures. Mary Poppins remains secretive and stiff throughout the book, and even in the three scenes where I think she showed how much she really cared I've wondered if perhaps I only wanted to see emotion there, and in reality that was never the goal.

Michael and Jane are the young children Mary takes care of but there are also the babies. I don't have much to say about the older kids since that they do seem to fulfill the role meant for them, but there is one chapter featuring the babies and how they babble and "talk" to a bird, and to Mary and how they are cognizant of what is being discussed but we know babies grow and forget everything as they become adults - I suppose we could discuss maturity and childhood innocence for a long time - and when the bird returns one day he finds the babies can no longer understand him. What a melancholic feeling...

I suppose that if one sees this through the eyes of the target audience, all the weird stuff is easily explained by magic, but to my current adult POV, there are just too many wrong things with the relationships depicted, the interactions, and even on how Mary deals with Jane and Michael. Of course I was partially manipulated by the movie clips I had seen; it is inevitable that I imagined the book to have more likable characters, more little things to make it worth wile... I can't explain this well, but I didn't feel any warmth nor coziness in reading this children's story, so...

I will watch the movie if I have the chance, to reminiscence and, I suppose, to maintain a sweeter feeling about the character of Mary.

Grade: 5/10

Grace Burrowes - A Gentleman in Pursuit of Truth

A dogged investigation... Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the country home of a family friend to search for a prize foxhound who’s gone missing. The purloined canine turns out to be only the tail of a series of puzzles involving family secrets, slander, blackmail, and fraud. Matters grow more baffling when Julian is told to drop the investigation, though suspects abound, motives are multiplying, and a large sum of money has come into play.

Hounded by lies...Julian survives an attempt on his life, and endures slights to his honor rather than give up on his objective. Before the truth is revealed–and the hound brought safely home–he will have to choose between protecting his only surviving brother from ruin, or allowing a scoundrel to get away with the next thing to murder.

Comment: This is book #4 in the Lord Julian series by Grace Burrowes, which I'm in the process of reading throughout this year.

In this new adventure, Lord Julian is investigating the disappearance of Thales, the well beloved hound of the Silforth family. Lizzie Silforth is an old friend of Osgood Banter, who has plans to travel to the continent with Julian's brother and he wishes to see this solved before he departs. Julian believes this to be a relatively simple task, but the more he investigates, the more intrigue he finds and it also seems as if all the neighbors have something bad to say about Lizzie's husband, who might be trying to gain money through fraud.... but how to prove this, and where is the prized dog hidden?

This was another thrilling adventure Julian gets himself into while recovering from his war injuries and the repercussions. As it happened with the previous ones, I thought that surely looking into the disappearance of a dog, prized or not, would not be very hard to accomplish, but the more information we got on the secondary characters and the situation, the more the author's cleverness in setting up everything shined.

Things really seem simple but it all sets on Lizzie's husband. Anaxamander Silforth (what a weird name even for historical novels) is an arrogant and malicious man who is bent on blackmail or pressure those who can give him what he wants and he doesn't care who is hurt in the process. In the middle of all this, Julian suspects he is trying to obtain money out of committing fraud but how to prove it? I will say I have felt a lot of frustration as things kept developing and a solution seemed more and more unlikely to happen. Thankfully, Julian managed to connect the dots...

I do like these light mysteries, and what a pity no contemporary devices can be used, for surely some things would be incredible easy to be explained. This also means we need to rely a lot on Julian's thought process and how he listens to some things, which might seem pointless, but that actually fit in a puzzle. Added to this tactic of developing the plot we have the author's writing style, which is very appealing to me in this series - it did not work as well in other books - and the slow pace and almost unimportant elements make for a very satisfying moment of learning how things can be solved.

This is also a very interesting study in character development because a lot is inferred by conversations and comments made by the characters as Julian investigates. Some things certainly would seem they don't matter and it turns out that they do. I like this sense that I need to pay attention, as if something necessary is being shared and I like the feeling of remembering when something was said or done and I can recognize it later.

It also feels unfair that some things Silforth blackmails the others with should not have to be a case in the first place. Again, it would be so easy to defeat him right away if he weren't preying on guilt and fear over things the characters are not really doing wrong. Or, to be more specific, that the law should not consider as being a crime. Thus, why I really liked it when the "good guys" won for it did feel special to see the way Julian and those who also wanted to see Silforth loose face make a plan to win him with unity.

I also liked how some issues pertaining to Julian's personal life seemed to have improved, in the sense that perhaps his situation will not be as difficult to overcome. Another great element of these books is to see the family interactions and how affectionate they are, even under all those polite company rules and so on.

I'm quite eager for the next book in the series.

Grade: 8/10

Jodi Picoult - Plain Truth

A shocking murder shatters the picturesque calm of Pennsylvania's Amish country, and tests the heart and soul of the lawyer who steps in to defend the young woman at the centre of the storm...The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen year old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania to defend Katie, two cutures collide, and, for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live 'plain', Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within, to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past re-enters her life.

Comment: One more book by this author I've decided to bring from the library. I've resigned myself o think this author's work - which i seem to appreciate in general - will be a task to complete very slowly...

Ellie Hathaway is a great defense lawyer, even though some of her clients are definitely not as innocent as they claim, and after such a trial, she decides to lay low at her aunt's house in Pennsylvania, which is how she get to be involved in a new case. Katie Fischer, the daughter of an Amish couple is accused of killing her newborn baby, although she claims she didn't give birth and she didn't kill any baby. While all evidence points to her being the mother, things are not as clear in regards to her being a murderer and Ellie decides to live with Katie's family as a way to learn the truth and to protect Katie from the sensationalism of how the case might develop. But what is truth in this situation, is all only difficult to process because the family lives in an Amish community?

What I seem to like the most about the author's books, at least the one I have read so far, is how the writing is appealing, even if not as nuanced as some readers might prefer. But I like the fluidity and smoothness of how the story is told. The author really is a storyteller.

This story is very compelling and as often happens in this author's books, offers a lot of food for thought. I liked knowing a bit more about the Amish and how they see the world, although some situations depicted here didn't seem to match what I've seen in novels by other authors. Could it be that geography, family branch, region and many other factors might change how the elements behave? It wasn't clear if all Amish in Pennsylvania would adhere to the rules/laws mentioned, or if it was only pertinent to some in some areas.

Still, the Amish and the others dichotomy was a very interesting dynamic to consider, especially when it comes to certain legal matters, as used in this plot. Some legislation even starts to seem pointless when seen through the eyes of someone who doesn't understand the laws of the laws, meaning that some things are really only there to makes everything difficult and a lot of things are simply hypocrisy. I'm specially thinking about the trial process Katie has to deal with and how she and the other Amish in her family see the proceedings.

I liked both Katie and Ellie, the main characters, and how they got to become friends somehow while this case is happening. A lot of their thoughts and emotions aren't that different which is always quite a detail to bar in mind if we also think they had different backgrounds. I think I've struggled with the time it took for Katie to admit what happened to her and how she didn't remember what happened to the baby. I know this was presented this way so that the plot could exploit the "temporary insanity" idea and so that we could see the process of going from point A to point B, but it was sometimes repetitive.

Katie's story wasn't that challenging to contemplate, because the biggest issue here really is her religion and her communities' beliefs. In this regard, I think everything was probably a bit too softly explained, if I compare with other books I've read with Amish characters. Katie's community did seem a bit more approachable than what i imagined, in fact. Perhaps this misleads me to think Amish behavior cannot really be like that.

Ellie was more intriguing and easier to "read", and I did like that she gets to have a new try at life and romance because of this case. I also would say that sometimes her characters was a little cliche but in general, I liked reading about her and about how her presence would allow for certain situations at the Fischers to be presented through her POV. It's quite telling to see something we don't get to in our lives through the eyes of someone we can relate to do precisely that.

The resolution of the case wasn't surprising, to be honest, and the final explanation either, although I hoped for something a little different. Overall, I liked spending time with these characters and for that lone it was worth reading this novel.

Grade: 8/10

Eva García Saenz de Urturi - The Lords of Time

Kraken is enjoying life as a family man, content to spend his days with Alba and their young daughter Deba. But there’s no rest for the weary, especially when you’re the most famous investigator in Vitoria. Kraken and Esti are charged with investigating the mysterious disappearance of two sisters and finding it hard to make any headway when a wealthy businessman’s murder appears to shine a light on the case. The man was poisoned with a medieval aphrodisiac–a crime that has eerie similarities to one detailed in the novel everyone in Vitoria is buzzing about. When the two sisters are discovered trapped behind a wall–bricked up alive–the parallels to the novel are undeniable. With the author’s identity a closely held secret, will Kraken be able to track down the killer before they can strike again? Or will Vitoria’s sordid underworld finally break Kraken, and his family, apart.

Comment: This is the third installment in the White City trilogy by this author, which follows the investigations of Kraken, the way detective Unai is known by everyone around him. It just happens that the author has added two more stories to the "Kraken" investigations, but apparently not meant to be a continuation of the initial main narrative, although they are set chronologically after this story.

Some years have gone since the events in the second installment and Unai is now happily together with Alba raising their daughter. Everything changes again with the sudden cases of two missing sisters and a murdered businessman apparently having something in common. The thing is, recently a book had been published by a mysterious author using a pseudonym, and in that book, set in the 12th century, one of the characters had died exactly like the current murdered businessman. This leads Unai and his team to suspect the missing girls might have had the same fate as two sisters in the book... while trying to find out who the author of the book was they get to know the secrets many local families are hiding too...

From the beginning, I was captivated by this story. I remember I had liked the first one and that is why I wanted to keep up with the trilogy but the second book wasn't as wonderful or, to be more specific, I wasn't as thrilled by it as I had been with the first. When I saw this one available at the library, I thought it would be great to finish the trilogy anyway, and I'm glad because this ended up being my favorite installment.

When this story begins, considerable time has passed since what happened in the second book and I can say I only remembered the basics, even though I only read that book in January! Still, I was happy that the main characters seemed to have reached a peaceful moment in their lives and everyone was content with how things were. This did give me hope that whatever would happen in this book would not be as difficult to get over as what happened to them in the previous book.

I also liked the premise of having two parallel stories. We do get the development of the main narrative with all the murder investigations and such, and we get several alternated chapters which are narrated by a fictional character of the book in which some contemporary crimes were based on. The medieval period is not my favorite period in History but since the chapters were short and mainly related to the current plot events, it was easy to read and process/compare.

The investigations Unai and his team are doing really reeled me in. I was quickly taken by the story, the way things were linked between them and with the fictional book and it was very entertaining to turn the pages. The biggest mystery is investigating who murdered the victims we learn about as the story progresses, but there is also another intrigue, which is related to a character who seems to have dissociative identity disorder (or multiple personalities, if that is easier). I think all the details related to these two main subjects were quite enthralling and I can see how, considering the amount of bibliography the author mentions at the end of the book. Also, all the historical facts related to the region and the medieval practices must have meant a lot of hours doing research.

The story probably have some flaws in plot and in how some information is sequentially presented, and reading some less positive reviews has made me think of that, but knowing that some things didn't work out as well, and even including some boredom with the siege scenes some characters go through during the medieval sections didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. I think most elements were interesting and used in good proportion. 

Of course, some things about the main characters were always kind of implied and thus, some emotions related to things about them as individuals (as opposed to police investigators working) were a little too obvious and not as smoothly presented as I would prefer, but I think that all this with the sense of creepiness over the murders and with what was going on with the multiple personality guy simply compensated. When we learn who the murdered is, for me, it was just positively surprising on how all worked out. 

Even with flaws, to me this was a great book.

Grade: 9/10

Mary Balogh - Someone to Honor

Abigail Westcott's dreams for her future were lost when her father died and she discovered her parents were not legally married. But now, six years later, she enjoys the independence a life without expectation provides a wealthy single woman. Indeed, she's grown confident enough to scold the careless servant chopping wood outside without his shirt on in the proximity of ladies.
But the man is not a servant. He is Gilbert Bennington, the lieutenant colonel and superior officer who has escorted her wounded brother, Harry, home from the wars with Napoleon. Gil has come to help his friend and junior officer recover, and he doesn't take lightly to being condescended to--secretly because of his own humble beginnings.
If at first Gil and Abigail seem to embody what the other most despises, each will soon discover how wrong first impressions can be. For behind the appearances of the once-grand lady and the once-humble man are two people who share an understanding of what true honor means, and how only with it can one find love.

Comment: This is the 6th installment in the Wescott series by Mary Balogh, one of the series I have been slowly reading for the past months.

Abigail Wescott saw her life change radically once the bigamy of her father was discovered. She told herself she wasn't that bothered by it, because along with her, both her mother and her sister agreed with how they should feel about Anna, the rightful heir, coming into their lives. Even so, the one who changed the most was her brother, deprived of his title, which is why that now that he is finally home she feels they need to recover the lost time while he was at war. She didn't count, however, on his friend Gil staying for so long too, and she reluctantly begins to appreciate his presence and personality. But when a sudden need is forced upon him so that he doesn't loose his daughter, will Abigail be the person he needs to make certain all goes on well?

I gave this book four stars on goodreads and a seven here because, honestly, by comparing, I did like this story more than I did book #4 which was the one I liked the least so far. Otherwise, I might have given it a slightly lower grade because I just could not see the romance as that wonderful.

The base for this plot was interesting, Harry is finally home to recover from his war experience and the best place is at his country estate, where the family reunites to welcome him. Along with him, he also has a friend, Gil, someone who comes from very humble origins but reached a good rank in the military, and someone he trusts. Of course, it was fun to see how Gil and Abigail didn't get along right away and the reason is that they feel attracted to one another and she isn't really aware of why this happens.

As the story progresses, it starts to be very obvious that these two would be a good couple but at the same time, the chemistry they thought they had didn't seem very easy for me to see. Their interactions at first were expected and sometimes even cute in the sense they could not work on their attraction that simply, but as time went on and they got to know one another and started sharing confidences, I somehow got the feeling that instead of this reinforcing the attraction, it also made them both look more and more boring. I stopped feeling emotionally invested in them as I was in the beginning of the novel.

Abigail is a likable heroine, but I must say she isn't especially vibrant. I can understand her thoughts and emotions, considering what happened and how that must have affected her life and the relationships she had and how thin they were once she faced such social trials. I wanted more complexity for her character but it wasn't there, and I don't think she was a very challenging person to get to know. I mean, I'd be friends with her in real life, but reading about her wasn't what I imagined.

Gil is certainly a lot more interesting, personality wise. But it gets to a point that his ideas get very repetitive on that whole "I'm not worthy" particularly when we learn who his father is (what a coincidence it turned out to be. not) but that, of course, isn't that simple mentally. I think Gil is complex, yes, and he has a lot of inner debate on the course of his decisions. He is worried about his daughter which is understandable but this does color his view of how his life with Abigail should be and, sometimes, I don't think he was really fair in his assumptions.

Regarding the romance, I don't really buy it. I think the idea is good and the causes for their decision to marry as good as any, but the chemistry after the  wedding seemed to be missing. The intimacy between them told me nothing and I think if this had been a marriage of convenience which would develop after would have been better. Having them marry around half way and then deal with things made the story seem slow and a little lacking. 

Once everything is solved and everyone is in their best place in life, I've found the final decisions about who they were as a family to be predictable but sweetly delivered. I do like spending time with this Wescott family and their interactions are often rewarding to read about. But the romance between Abigail and Gil wasn't great.

Grade: 7/10

Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn - Permanent Ink

At twenty-three, Poe Montgomery is going nowhere. He still lives in his father’s basement and spends most of his time tagging with his friends. When an arrest lands him in debt, Poe accepts the front desk job at Permanent Ink, the tattoo shop owned by his father’s best friend, Jericho McAslan. Jericho is nearly twice Poe’s age, but with his ink and prematurely graying hair, he quickly takes the starring role in Poe’s hottest fantasies.
Jericho is known for his ability to transform poorly designed tattoos into works of art, but he was once as aimless and misdirected as Poe. Wanting to pay it forward the way someone once did for him, Jericho makes Poe his apprentice and is determined to keep things strictly professional. Easier said than done when Poe makes his interest—and his daddy kink—abundantly clear.
Jericho can’t resist Poe or their intense chemistry for long. But between the age gap, tension with Poe’s father, and Poe’s best friend calling him a sellout, they’ll need to ensure they’re both on the same page before they can rewrite their rocky start into something permanent.

Comment: I've decided to read this book due to a challenge I'm doing and one of the topics included a book with less than 200 pages, which is the case here.

After one more negative experience in his seemingly drifting life, Poe Montgomery does accept the idea of going to work at the tattoo shop of Jericho, his father's best friend. Poe likes art and quickly learns he is interested in how tattoos work and how to do them correctly, which is great, but it also allows him to spend time with Jericho who, despite being his father's age, is extremely attractive. It seems the attraction is mutual and they soon start dating. But will Poe's father accept this idea? What about Blue, Poe's best friend who often distracted him and led him into doing graffiti, which is why he was arrested?

This is not the first book I try by these authors and I had a certain expectation on how this would go. I had this idea that the age gap would be an interesting element to see developed and since I also have liked stories featuring tattoo artists, this should be a good read.

The story isn't long and I could quickly finish it but I wasn't completely taken by it either. I think the main characters worked out better for me as individuals than as a couple. I just could not see what they would see in each other besides the physical aspects and even that seemed a little exaggerated as well, considering Poe's general attitude.

Poe is 23 or 34 and he still acts like a teenager, emotionally speaking. I can understand why he feel rebellious and why he feels unsatisfied with life, but I never warmed up to him and struggled to care for him as a character. All the things that should make him special in this specific context just seemed to be overlooked, such as his behavior in doing things he knew she shouldn't, his relationship with his best friend, his attraction to a man that is his father's age and not even him saying that he simply doesn't care about dating people his age seems enough compensation for his irritating personality.

Jericho, a man who has it together, who has a business with a good reputation, who is at a stage of his life where he can feel he is at a good place seemed more interesting to me. However, his attraction to such a guy as Poe is, emotionally, seemed to be unrealistic. I can get it that physically that isn't a big deal, but what did Jericho see in Poe, emotionally? He did lack maturity and even their conversation about their age gap, Jericho's musings about this exact issue seemed too weak and I never really believed in their romance for that, they simply don't match in all areas.

I also dreaded the idea of the "daddy kink" mentioned in the blurb. I have no interest whatsoever in this, whether in regards to m/m or m/f, and I was already a little influenced negatively before starting, but I did read other books by the authors and hoped this would not be too bad. Apparently, after reading some reviews, this was that bad precisely for that reason: it isn't enough daddy kink. I'm actually glad this story didn't exploit it further, but what did happen just left me confused on why would this seem like a good idea, it is too weird for me.

Besides, Poe does have a father and their relationship isn't really friendly sometimes. It also happen that his father and his boyfriend become a couple, they tell Poe's father and he reacts rather numbly. I mean, if it works for them, great, but does this not affect the behavior and the way people now need to interact? If the older men had not been friends, I could see this in a better light. I've ended up thinking that this "kink" was just a convenient device to push the dynamics between Jericho and Poe as a replacement for real maturity and connection.

Thus, I've finished the novel, I did like a few elements but, overall, this did not win me over and if I ever re-read books by the authors, I don't think this will be it.

Grade: 5/10

Delphine Dryden - Gossamer Wing

After losing her husband to a rogue French agent, Charlotte Moncrieffe wants to make her mark in international espionage. And what could be better for recovering secret long-lost documents from the Palais Garnier than her stealth dirigible, Gossamer Wing? Her spymaster father has one he won’t send her to Paris without an ironclad cover. 

Dexter Hardison prefers inventing to politics, but his title as Makesmith Baron and his formidable skills make him an ideal husband-imposter for Charlotte. And the unorthodox undercover arrangement would help him in his own field of discovery. 

But from Charlotte and Dexter’s marriage of convenience comes a distraction—a passion that complicates an increasingly dangerous mission. For Charlotte, however, the thought of losing Dexter also opens her heart to a thrilling new future of love and adventure.

Comment: Here is one more book I can't remember why I've added to my TBR but it probably has to do with the marriage of convenience trope.

Charlotte Moncrieffe is a young widow who is also a trained spy and all is ready for her mission in France except it would not be believable for her to travel alone and her superiors find her a man who could be her husband. In fact, she knows about him, for they have been exchanging letters upon her requests for his devices but nothing would prepare her for how attractive he is, both physically and for her personal senses. Dexter Hardison has a title he often ignores which makes him a good husband on paper but he finds it an extra that he and Charlotte work out so well in person as they do in letters. The question is, while on this mission, can they separate what is real and what is fake in their relationship?

In this story we meet two people who had been exchanging letters which, of course, is an easy way to establish that a certain connection was already there. I didn't doubt that Charlotte and Dexter would be a solid couple because the understanding of who they were was already there, even though the exchange wasn't necessarily personal.

Thus, the idea of the romance was immediately established as stable and I was eager to see how getting to know one another in person would add to the connection. I think that, at first, this was well done, and I was convinced that they would slowly learn about one another in a romantic way. What was being shared about their personalities in the beginning also made it look as if they would be likable characters and I was quite interested in what was happening.

I will say that this is the first book I try by the author and I had no idea about her style, but in the beginning all seemed to go well. I should also mention that this impressed me in spite of the fact I'm not terribly fond of spying plots and two or three books with this theme I have read in the past months have not been that impressive, but I hoped this element here would not be that important anyway, with the focus on the romance, I hoped.

Well, my enthusiasm was soon lost, I'm afraid, because the interesting and vibrant tension between the protagonists practically disappeared after their "marriage". The dynamics between them, while kind of believable for that situation, no longer seemed appealing and the intimacy between them too quick and without the same "mood" as before. How they interacted with one another no longer felt appealing and I could easily ignore the sex scenes.

In regards to the plot, which I confess I never really paid attention to, there was indeed a lot of spying business and other secondary issues related to the mission that I skipped here and there in order to get to the romance, but like I said, that wasn't winning the story over for me anymore either. I wasn't fond f the idea of giving their enemy a POV because it meant that I knew I'd not like the person and it made it easier to just glance at those paragraphs, making a few more pages I was not interested in reading.

This experience got to the point of me being almost ignorant of what was going on with the plot. I've forced myself this finish and not even the (usual) fun details about the world building compensated. I simply consider it a success that I've finished because there are more elements I didn't like than the ones I did. I really think the plot lost interest once they went on with their mission and, supposedly, that is when the fun times would start, so... one less on the pile.

Grade: 4/10

Irina Shapiro - Murder on the Prince Regent

London, 1859. Nurse Gemma Tate boards the American packet ship the Prince Regent to aid Inspector Sebastian Bell in investigating the death of a British aristocrat. But when she sees the crime scene, Gemma realizes that her knowledge of human nature will be just as valuable as her medical training. Lord Anthony Blackstock lies murdered in his cabin, his head locked inside a nightmarish iron cage. His wife has vanished without a trace, and time is running out to find her, dead or alive…
Sebastian and Gemma have until the ship docks in London to uncover the truth behind the Blackstocks’ final evening together. But as they unearth a web of blackmail, bitter arguments and secret affairs among the ship’s guarded passengers and crew, one chilling fact becomes they are trapped aboard with a killer who is growing increasingly desperate…

Comment: This is the 6th installment in the Tate and Bell series I have been buddy reading with a friend for the past months. Thankfully, this was another story I consider to be a good one.

In this novel, Sebastian and Gemma find themselves boarding the ship The Prince Regent, since a lord was killed and the circumstances point to his wife, who is now missing. While Sebastian and Gemma talk to several passengers and crew, they start connecting the dots as to who everyone is and how their personalities fit or not, what might have happened. Everyone claims lord Blackstock wasn't a good man, but why was he found with a torture device on his person? And what meaning does it have that his wife and her lady's maid are described to act differently when he was around? Gemma and Sebastian need to discover the culprit before someone else dies...

In terms of plot I will say that this was probably the one I liked the most in the series. The setting taking place on board of a ship somehow made things a lot more intriguing and vibrant than what I had felt in regards to other plots. Even though lord Blackstock was an unpleasant character, he is dead from the start and that also helped to overcome his awful behavior.

The story develops in a logical manner. Sebastian and Gemma discreetly interview several characters and slowly uncover some misleading information, step by step, until we get to slowly connect the dots. I cannot say that the final explanation was terribly clever, because it wasn't very original, in spite of some peculiar details, but the road until we learn what really happened was intriguing and provided a lot of food for thought. In fact, if I feel some disappointment is because the reasons behind the crime are not as complex as the story line made it look for most of the time.

The characters being investigated all seem to have good reasons to not commit the crime, but as always, as little things become revealed, the more it seems everyone is hiding some secrets. When we do learn of some, as things approach the end, it seems that expectations were taken to an extreme, but I think the author did a good job here, in maintaining a good enough balance between the facts and the red herrings, so that every detail does matter, does make some sense, but not everything is pertaining to this specific situation. Of course, the fun is to see what does matter after all.

In regards to the plot, I feel this fit all the criteria for things to be engaging. I liked the case, I liked how things fit together in the big picture (with some exceptions) but everything ended up being well fit, and the result was very satisfying. I also liked it that the secondary characters were, in general, more appealing, or were described as such. An element in the books I've liked less was precisely this, how unappealing it was to read about them.

Another great element was how the relationship between Gemma and Sebastian progresses. Since the author included the romantic element in the main story line, this has been an expected detail readers wanted to see having more development. Although nothing physical happens between them except some kisses - I am supposing the author won't go there - it was still encouraging to see they are, indeed, on the same page in relation to their feelings and that this might have further development soon.

All things considered, this was really a good addition to the series. I am now hoping that the next story continues in this vein...

Grade: 8/10

Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Simply the Best

Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in the business—fast and furious, swift and deadly. Failure? Not an option.
Rory Garrett is—let’s be honest—a disaster. She has a big heart, an empty bank account, a passion for making exquisite chocolate, and a huge inferiority complex from living in the shadow of Brett’s most important client, her football legend brother.
Brett and Rory should never have met, and they absolutely, positively should never have had to deal with the consequences of one stupid, drunken night…one disastrous lie…one career in jeopardy…one missing football player…and a very dead body.
It’s going to get messy…and dangerous…and heartbreaking…and sexy. To Rory, Brett represents skewed values and a devious mind. To Brett, Rory is forbidden fruit, off limits, do not disturb, and no entry—definitely no entry.
A woman who has succeeded at nothing and a man who’s succeeded at everything confront the challenge of their lives as they struggle with themselves and each other. When it comes to love—what price are any of us willing to pay to be simply the best?

Comment: This is installment #10 in the Chicago Stars series, which has been ongoing for several years now. For me,it feels like revisiting a world that has given me good memories.

Brett Rivers is a sports' agent with Heath's agency (Heath is the hero of book #6) and he has his hands full with some complicated clients, which ow includes Clint Garrett. Brett has told him his ex was only interested in his money and Clint didn't take this well. To make it worse, he realizes he has slept with Clint's sister Rory and now needs to worry about this as well,although it looks as if the siblings aren't close...

Rory dreams of being a chocolatier but life hasn't been easy for her to achieve this dream. Now that Clint is even more angry because of his breakup, Rory feels responsible, after all she did mislead his ex which caused the whole mess... then something unbelievable happens and she needs to find a way to help Clint, even if that means dealing with Brett again... but this time they might be able to actually talk...

Quickly looking at the list of books in this series and checking out my grades, I can say this book is the one I've given the lowest grade to but I cannot say I disliked it. It's only that, comparing, the big picture of this story somehow didn't wow me as much.

Perhaps my biggest complaint is related to how Brett is portrayed... I kind of wanted a more obvious character development and I think the hints and clues about how much of a good guy he is weren't as well inserted into the plot. I also think that the messy situations the characters saw themselves in, which in this author's books are certainly solved by the end, weren't done with in such a fluid way as in the past.

Brett and Rory as a couple are as cute as all the other couples, even though their relationship seemed to develop in a slower and less impactful way, comparing of course. I think their hookup right at the beginning when they weren't yet aware who they were in connection to Clint was a good way to establish their link without it being too much of a commitment but at the same time, things are described in such a way that it was almost like it meant nothing, and didn't highlight their chemistry. I think this was more like a tool to inform us they had been been together, not that it gave the meaning it aimed for.

In fact, the romance is cute of course, since this author is known for her comedy style, but there are times where I've felt this was too much. Some circumstances required more seriousness and this time, I don't think this was done as well as in other books, where the balance seemed to happen more easily. Both Brett and Rory face stressful situations and the way they thought about them and then acted somehow didn't seem as convincing as when the same tactic was used in previous books.

I mean, I liked them both, they were rather quirky in their own personal way, which is always fun to read about, especially Rory. I did root for them and for their success in achieving what they saw as the best choice for themselves, and I think the road chosen was realistic, but the path there wasn't always very smoothly presented. Then, the author also adds a little bit of a mystery and a crime investigation, which ans't too bad, all things considered, but it did offer more distraction that perhaps could have been addressed differently.

The book ends in a very likable way, as one can imagine, and all the pieces finally fit together. The protagonists manage to find happiness and they find a way to fix some of their other personal relationships which had not been good lately. Good all around, but I've finished the book with the sense of... I can't explain it well,but almost as of this had been a task the author finished without the usual "vibe". The book met the expectations, but did not exceed them, I guess.

Grade: 6/10

Kia Abdullah - Take It Back

The Victim: A sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, neglected by an alcoholic mother. Who accuses the boys of something unthinkable.
The Defendants: Four handsome teenage boys from hardworking immigrant families. All with corroborating stories.
Whose side would you take?
Zara Kaleel, one of London’s brightest young legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a glittering career at the Bar. All before hanging up her barrister's wig to help the victims who needed her most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe.
Jodie’s own best friend doesn’t even believe her claims that their classmates carried out such a crime. But Zara does. And Zara is determined to fight for her.
Jodie and Zara become the centre of the most explosive criminal trial of the year, in which ugly divisions within British society are exposed. As everything around Zara begins to unravel she becomes even more determined to get Jodie the justice she’s looking for. But at what price?

Comment: Last year, I've read a book by this author which offered a great food for thought plot. I was hopeful all the books by the author would be the same, and that is why I've decided to give this one a try.

Lawyer Zara Kaleel had a promising career but she left everything behind and is now working for a non profit that helps those who can't afford other means. This is how she meets Jodie Wolf, a young white girl with facial deformities caused by a genetic disorder, who tells her that four school friends had assaulted her. Things progress but Zara recognizes how sensitive the situation is  because the four boys are Muslims and Zara, a Muslim herself, might be caught in the middle. Everything becomes more complex when conflicting information is exposed... who is telling the truth? What really happened?

As the blurb suggests, this is definitely a very provocative novel, in the sense that the themes are all likely to cause divergence and opposed views. I think this would be a very good story for book clubs to analyze. Personally, I was more interested in the courtroom idea, and how the trial would go, considering that there are legal steps that had to be taken. Apparently, plots where courtroom scenes take place are stories that appeal to me.

I think the author has done a good enough job in trying to present things in a kind of leveled manner, in letting the reader come up with their own conclusions about what might have happened and why. Sure, there are some intentional misleading sequences and information, so keep up with the mystery of what would happen next, and in terms of me having a doubt, yes, I was always reluctant to say this is it or not, but at the same time, a big part of me was immediately driven to believe one side more than the other.

In fact, I saw myself wishing the side I thought was the right one to get ahead. I wanted that, in the courtroom scenes, things would go positively towards that side and that the other would not have any "victories" but of course, it wasn't so. In terms of this being addictive to read, I think the author did accomplish what she aimed for. I also liked all the investigation that took place into letting the lawyers being aware of possible distractions or red herrings. Sometimes, when an unexpected information was revealed and ruined the plans I also felt bad over its consequences.

Thus, plot wise, the story was quite engaging. Of course, some characters were more likable than others and their personalities, backgrounds and, yes, faith, did play a role in shaping my opinion of what was happening. I think the characters were all divisive and we get to see one or two scenes from their POV (all in third person narration) which means some behavior might become easier to explain, if not to accept. There were times I wish something more substantial would be shared, so that things would go easier for the characters I cared about. 

Regarding the plot and the characters who had a bigger role in the whole thing, I think readers can make their own minds about what is happening and what is behind some of the unsaid things. There were moments I felt anger, I hated this person or that, I felt things weren't developing as they should but,,, justice takes time and sometimes things don't happen the way we want them to. I think this was a good read, mostly for how it does give room for thought, to thinks a lot of what ifs.

The main character is Zara, though. A lawyer who is not representing Jodie, only advising her on legal matters before the state takes over (or something like this), and someone who sees herself in the complicated middle of everything because she is a Muslim. I understand the author wanted this character to be at center stage for obvious reasons, but I will be honest: I disliked that so much attention was given to her troubled past, to her difficult relationship with her family and, yes, her being a Muslim. I understand this but Zara wasn't, at times, someone I liked. 

I think the story would have had a better impact, for me personally, if Zara had had a quieter life, or if her background had been such a problem/issue. Some of the same issues could have been addressed and she didn't have to be so rebellious, or not the way she was. Anyway... so much focus on Zara detracted my attention from the plot and, at times, I think this was not the best strategy.

I've finished the book with a bittersweet feeling, just like I had in regards to the other book I had tried. I suppose this is the author's MO.... I see there's another book featuring Zara... I will get to it one day.

Grade:7/10

Julie Shackman - A Secret Scottish Escape

When Scotland’s sleepiest hamlet becomes the centre of hot gossip, Layla Devlin finds herself caught in a mystery…
When Layla’s fiancée has an unexpected heart attack and dies – in another woman’s arms, no less – Layla is determined to pack up and leave Loch Harris, the village she’s always called home. But an unexpected inheritance and love for her quiet corner of Scotland send her down a new path.
Now Layla finds herself facing a whole new kind of drama. Rumours swirl that a celebrity has moved into Coorie Cottage and Layla is determined to have him headline her opening night at local music venue The Conch Club. But the reclusive star is equally determined to thwart Layla’s efforts. Rafe Buchanan is in hiding for a reason, and soon his past comes to Loch Harris to haunt him…

Comment: I got this book because the premise sounded good. I like these apparently moody types of novels where characters must do something or live in a place where they can think of their life, which is what I imagined the plot would focus on.

In this story we meet Layla, a young woman whose much older fiancé (just one year younger than her father) dies while being in a compromising situation with another women, who happened to be his ex. This makes Layla believe she needs a change but she ends up staying in her beloved village, since the fiancé  leaves her an inheritance, and she can fulfill her dream of opening an intimate music venue. Luckily, a celebrity musician is staying at a cottage nearby and is the perfect person to help her get more publicity. The question is, is he willing to help?

I cannot remember when, in such a small period of time, I had had several DNFs in a row as I had recently. This is the second one this month, and the third one if I look at it since last month. Is it that I have less patience? Are the books this poor?

The first chapters were likable enough and I could certainly empathize with Layla and her situation, I mean, not only is the fiance older and quite obviously "using" her, even if he does have genuine feelings for her, but he is also cheating and we find out it wasn't a one time thing. I thought this would certainly lead to her need to redefine her life, but I sensed right away that the book would not be for me. The writing style is simply lacing for me and I did not appreciate the characters.

I've only managed to read 80 pages, which might seem unfair, but until this moment, apart from the premise, nothing made a positive impression in me. Until this moment, the heroine had only whined and revealed her anger, which is understandable, but made me see her character and personality from a very unflattering POV. I was not interested in getting to know her better, nor see what would happen or if she had chemistry with the hero. At this point, in fact, the main male character, the apparent celebrity, had not even been introduced.

I don't have much more to say except I didn't "feel it", no matter how vague and arbitrary this might sound. The characters I knew were card board, Layla seemed to be someone I'd not want to know in real life and her goals didn't make me curious to learn more about how she would turn her ideas into a self sufficient business. It is a pity, but what I've read didn't seem engaging.

It is also totally ridiculous to say this, but I was even more disappointed because let us look at the cover, so, so gorgeous! Actually, all the covers of this series are cute and make me feel so happy, I really like the color/style schemes. Oh well.

Grade: DNF