TBR Challenge 2022 Summary

The year is practically over and it's time for my now already traditional summary post of the TBR Challenge!

I could say it was another fun experience but the truth is that it always is! I love the part where we get to pick books to suit the themes and I add a little extra layer of challenge to myself by trying to use titles I had already picked for each month, meaning I sometimes allow myself some trouble fitting everything in. I just really like this part.

So, the titles for each theme in 2022 were the following:

January: The Darkest Destiny by Gena Showalter (novella) 5/10
A novella set in the Lords of the Underwold series, it was nice to read about an established world I love but I must confess I'm no longer fully invested, at least not emotionally, in it. I liked Viola had her HEA but it was a forgettable story...

February: The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner (fairy tale) 7/10

The tale of two sisters who will need to overcome some odds and difficulties regarding their family traits. Something wrong is happening to one of the sisters and there's a lot cultural and traditional aspects to understand before they can succeed. It was interesting, in the good sense of the word, but there was a lot of repetition which became too much at times.

March: Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (grumpy) 8/10

A fun romp between two pastry chefs with their own shops and how they must work together in a baking competition as judges, meaning they get to be close and finally understand how special the other one is. It was a romantic e cute story, just like I expected from this author.

April: Float Plan by Trish Doller (location) 7/10

A woman grieving decides to do the route she had planned with her fiancé through the Caribbean islands. This was amazing, mostly for the details on the islands, what fun to follow her path on google maps... as for the plot and development, things weren't always magical and the romance seemed a bit rushed.

May: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (tales of old) 8/10

An ingenious fantasy novel about three young women who have impossible challenges to overcome, but magic and a true heart do the rest. There's even some romance which I liked. The writing is appealing and addictive and I had a great time reading!

June: To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt (after war) 8/10

A man with a reputation travels to England after the war in the colonies so his sister can have a season. He requests the help of a society woman and they end up becoming closer and falling in love. I bet for many this would be considered predictable but I liked the characters and the emotional journey they went though before they got their HEA.

July: No Man's Bride by Shana Galen (vintage trope) 5/10

Another historical with one of those seemingly caricatured independent heroines who just haven't met her ideal guy. I think the story itself wasn't bad, but the execution and choice of scenes weren't always consistent. Some aspects did feel like they belong to an older style of plot.

August: The Bottom Line by Sandy James (blue collar) 4/10

My least favorite pick. The heroine contracts the hero to do renovation work in her newly purchased house and they end up falling in love. I found the writing to not be very appealing to me, the plot lacked interesting development and I felt the characters didn't show enough depth to their personalities for me to care about them.

September: Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake (animals) 6/10

A woman who is an expert in animal behavior decides to volunteer at a kennel for military dogs. One of the men in charge seems to think she is wasting his time but is proved wrong. As the dog improves, the protagonists' relationship becomes stronger but someone is trying to get the dog, believing he might carry some secrets in his chip. This was action packed and had many elements I tend to like but the writing just didn't dazzle me...

October: Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field (flirting and danger) 8/10

A fun discovery. A woman has a unique gene which means she can ingest some poisons and identify them before she dies. She starts working for a company that helps rich people from danger and death threats. This had action, fun, some romance... I plan on carrying on with the series in 2023.

November: Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (lies) 7/10

Dual time story with strong and fascinating characters. A young woman leaves prison to work on a mural at the bequest of a renowned but recently deceased artist. We also have the story of the woman who painted the original mural. The two stories somehow are combined and we learn the secrets as they go.. so much potential, I could see the edge of what would have made this perfect but, sadly, I think the emotional aspects just didn't quite got there.

December: Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan (festive) 8/10

Festive can mean a lot, but for me it will always be easier to pick Christmas! This was a cute and cozy story, focused on bookshop owners Nora and Simon, but with plenty of Christmas' spirit and cheering within their small British community and how a kind gesture by them influences and helps six others and, consequently, all their families and friends... very charming as I expected.

Some notes:

- I had a good time going through most of them, as usually happens because, after all, the books in our TBR pile tend to be things we likely will enjoy or that we are interested in. What we can't guess is how the overall work will feel to us, whether it will be appealing or not.

- I've chosen different genres and authors to fit each theme and my average is definitely positive. There was only one entry to which I gave what, in my grading system, I consider a "negative" mark.

- Six of my choices were by authors new to me, so I have that one balanced with the other six being authors whose work I had tried before.

- Seven of the stories are set in contemporary worlds, the others are mostly fantastic and I have two historical picks.

- I don't tend to mind the themes, since they are vague enough to be interpreted at will, but this year they were a little extra vague. I don't really mind it; in fact, for me it works so much better, it's easier to fit to the list of books from which I'd choose the title.

All said, it was certainly fun, as it is to read the other participants' posts too.

I'm sighing-in for next year too!

TBR Challenge: Anne Marie Ryan - Christmas by the Book

Nora and her husband, Simon, have run the beautiful oak-beamed book shop in their small British village for thirty years. But times are tough and the shop is under threat of closure--this Christmas season will really decide their fate. When an elderly man visits the store and buys the one book they've never been able to sell, saying it's the perfect gift for his sick grandson, it gives Nora an idea. She and Simon will send out books to those feeling down this Christmas. Maybe they can't save their bookstore, but at least they'll have one final chance to lift people's spirits through the power of reading.
After gathering nominations online, Nora and Simon quietly deliver books to six residents of the village in need of some festive cheer, including a single dad of twins who is working hard to make ends meet, a teenage boy grieving for his big sister, a local Member of Parliament who is battling depression, and a teacher who's newly retired and living on her own. As the town prepares for a white Christmas, the books begin to give the recipients hope, one by one. But with the future of the bookshop still up in the air, Nora and Simon will need a Christmas miracle--or perhaps a little help from the people whose lives they've touched--to find a happy ending of their own...

Comment: Incredibly, it's the last post for the TBR Challenge entries for this year. December has always be linked with a book about festivities or with festive content but is there any other logical choice but Christmas? I had this book on my radar since last year, actually, around the time the 2021 post was up. I've saved up and ended up with a cozy read, pretty much along the lines of what I would expect for the season.

In this story we meet couple Nora and Simon. They own a bookshop which was left by Nora's mother and they have dedicated their lives to it. It's Christmas time and this year Nora and Simon are a little blue because their daughter Charlotte is having her gap year traveling and won't join them for the holidays. They decide to spread joy, nevertheless, and ask their community who would be in need of some cheering and goodwill, and send six random books to the six names chosen. At the same time, they can't help feel the worry because their house needs some work and Nora also knows they are in serious risk of not being able to pay the taxes and keep the bookshop. Will Christmas, however, be the perfect time to not only fix their problems but help others at the same time?

I think this was a very charming and appealing read. It's not without its down times and slightly depressing situations, but of course it's all about the Christmas spirit and the possibilities when one believes something better can come and also how everything feels extra special during the holidays.

I also think the best element of this book is how good people Nora and Simon are. They have their flaws - like anyone else they don't like to worry others with their problems, they don't want to face problems sometimes and they do things without always saying they will - but I could see these things as just proof they are human and act accordingly and that doesn't mean they don't have good personalities or that their heart isn't in the right place.

I think the whole "close community" was a bit too perfect, the pieces were too well fitted in general but I still enjoyed reading about these people and how they become better because of where they are and because of the books. It's quite a lovely feature, sending out books to people who might need cheering, and of course part of how the story develops is how those who receive the books react to them or how the books impact their daily lives. It might sound trite, but of course each book Nora and Simon chose, all Christmas related, are like a message to those who get them. It's a predictable idea but it was still cute to see what happened.

I liked the characters, besides the main couple, the secondary characters, the ones who get the book and others around them, all have something special about them, some kind of lesson or notion they are supposed to think of or act on after the book reaches them. I know some of these lessons are predictable, too much of a coincidence and very unlikely to have such a result in real life, but it was still engrossing to read and to allow the Christmas' spirit to start earlier just because of the emotions evoked by this story.

I suppose it all works out a bit too perfectly in the end but I wasn't too bothered because of the book talk. The books sent and the bookstore setting weren't just props for the plot, there is plenty of content related to books, references, titles, situations mentioned... as a reader, I was having fun noticing little things about books everywhere. I think this was a great effort by the author, had many details I thinks were well done and it's an excellent Christmas story.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Diane Chamberlain - Big Lies in a Small Town

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.
North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.
What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?

Comment: This years' TBR Challenge is almost complete, and for November the theme is "lies". Depending on how one would interpret this, plenty of books would certainly fit but I confess I was lazy this time and went with an obvious choice, the word is in the title and that means it would include some type of lies. It was also the first book by this author I tried.

In this dual time story, we follow the heroines Anna and Morgan as they set on accomplishing a task while dealing with their own thoughts and the circumstances they are in. Anna, in 1939, wins a competition to paint a mural in Edenton, North Carolina. The locals aren't too happy because she is from New Jersey and they feel a local artist should have won instead. Morgan, in 2018, is released on parole after one year in prison for a crime she isn't guilty of, but that still makes her feel that way. Anna is painting the mural in 1939 while having to deal with expectations and society's rules while Morgan in 2018 is tasked with restoring it, as decided in the will of artist Jesse Jameson William, who wanted to help Morgan as he did with other young struggling artists. As the restoring progresses, weird details come to life, but is there any way for Morgan to do a good job without knowing what Anna was thinking?

I had some expectations regarding this book. The author is prolific and some readers whose taste I share have liked this book and others too and I hoped that if this was a good one for me, I'd have so much more to look for. The genre is also one I tend to enjoy and the dual timed narrative can also be a good tactic, so I was hoping for a good read, even more so when I read here and there some readers using the expression "hint of romance".

In the beginning, all this was accomplished and I found myself captivated by both heroines' stories, told in alternate chapters. Morgan is a young woman, caught in one of those impossible situations where it seemed all went wrong and she lives with a sense of guilt and fear she won't measure up. I liked her sections and the small progress she does as she learns more about restoration and how curious she is about the mural and even Anna's life and why she opted for the details she did. I was also curious about how she would be portrayed after being in prison (apparently romances featuring young women coming out of prison is something I'm interested in) and how that would affect her future relationships.

Anna's chapters were a bit more challenging, in the sense that there is always this notion something will go wrong, the tone is one of calm before the storm and I don't know if this feeling affected my experience because when one knows something bad will happen is like just waiting for the inevitable... plus, obviously by Morgan's chapters we did know something had happened to Anna and that did colored my impression of the good things and the possible bad ones Anna was going through.

Anna is a very complex character, she had lost her mother, who we would see as being bipolar by today's standards and she killed herself. This affected Anna and there are comments duding the story that we doubt if Anna might be the same but to be fair, I think the author could have maintained this for longer or using different word choices. It is also interesting we get to know about Anna in the third person narrator and Morgan is in the first.

Morgan's path is a bit easier to understand and to root for, because her journey is open ended and we want to see her become stronger. I think it was a bit of a let down how her emotional progress felt so limited and simplified, I kind of wish the author had gone further in showcasing Morgan's personality and how she was becoming a better person, how being with new people, like Oliver, the responsible for the art gallery where the restored mural would be exhibited (alongside work by other artists Jesse Jameson Williams helped), and who aren't always certain will be a reciprocated love interest.

I suppose the easiest way to say is this, the emotional vibe and content just wasn't here. The story has all the details, the scenes, the inferring, the understanding of what it all means but the author wrote things only correctly and without the proper emotional attachment. the characters' actions just didn't read as being important to them, they felt flat and aloof and I didn't feel any emotions reading about them and what they went through. What a pity but if this is the author's usual style, then it's a well written narrative, just totally lacking empathy.

Closer to the end, as suggested by several details and the tone, something bad happens and we only learn about it because the author used one of those convenient devices (a diary) and then a twist comes in the very end which, had this been written in a more exciting way, would have had a stronger impact. The way things were, it was a good twist but I wasn't especially touched. As for the romance between Oliver and Morgan, although cute, was terribly superficial in my opinion, so that didn't "save" this for me either.

All in all, a competent story yes, with interesting content - it was fun to learn a little about art restoration - and ideas, but the execution wasn't as brilliant to me as I imagined. Too bad about the title, I feel "big lies" isn't such a good match to what really happened during Anna's time line and the blurb also seems a bit exaggerated. If I happen to get my hands on another book by the author I'll try it but it's not something I feel I have to get on purpose.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Chelsea Field - Eat, Pray, Die

Being an undercover poison taster for the rich and famous might sound glamorous, but for Isobel Avery it means stomaching bad clients and even worse coffee.
The one side of the job that lives up to expectations is the money. Which is just as well for Izzy, since she needs an awful lot of it. Who knew when she made a lifelong commitment to a man that it would be one year living with him and the rest of her life paying for it?
But even her scoundrel ex-husband doesn’t look so bad compared to her new client. He’s competent, condescending, and annoyingly attractive, and Izzy doesn’t know whether to sleep with him or poison him herself. Throw in a loan-shark, a nosy neighbor, and a murder attempt, and Izzy will have her work cut out for her.

Comment: It's been practically six years since I got interested in this book, in a very aloof manner, after seeing some comments by someone who liked it. I remember the person found this story cute and now, after all this time, reading the TBR challenge's theme for this month as "flirting with danger" I thought a light comedy with action scenes would fit this quite well.

In this cozy mystery/ comedy action we meet heroine Isobel "Izzy" Avery, an Australian who traveled all the way to the US to escape the loan company she owes a lot of money to, all because of her ex husband, who deceived her and left her a huge debt. Izzy knows she will have to pay but for that she need to have the money and when the chance to earn it comes along, she doesn't say no.

Izzy becomes a taste tester for poison thanks to a weird feature in her blood or organism which makes her more tolerant than regular people and this makes her a perfect employee for the company Taste, which works with the wealthier people in California. Her new boss is in charge of the cases going their way and Izzy is his partner for he can't be a taster. Their first case seems to be divided between two famous chefs, while they also investigate what happened to Izzy's mentor while she was learning about being a Taster... but could it be the two cases are connected after all?

At first, I confess the story wasn't grabbing me but perhaps it had something to do with other distractions around me the moment I've started... as soon as I could focus better, the story started to feel more interesting and fun to read. What felt slightly silly became something cozier and I started to like Izzy a lot more as well. This is told in first person by Izzy but I've found her "voice" to be appealing, which is half way to make a story more successful to me when the narrator is in first person.

I'd describe this as being along the lines of a cozy mystery... something not totally set on the usual "iron rules" of most thrillers or mysteries, so anyone reading it can suspend disbelief a bit... but as Izzy went on her learning adventure on what it means to be a Taster, I think the "flirting with danger" theme felt like a good fit... Avery does use her skills, not as a flirt per se, but as likable person and what could be a complicated situation, feels funnier and easier to follow.

The mystery content was intriguing enough, but clearly the author's intention was on keeping things simple and with a lot crazy stuff so that the clues don't become too obvious too quickly. There's Izzy's older funny neighbor, there's her boss who is both very confident and helpful, there's the enforcer-styled guy who is sent by the shark loaner so that Izzy doesn't forget about her debt and there's the way Izzy deals with suspects, namely one of the famous chef, who turns out to be a weird guy and possibly a rapist as well. All these elements are combined in such a way that it feels as if a lot is ongoing, but the actual advance is quite little.

Of course the funny part of to see how Izzy deals with everything and it is true some scenes are very cute and sometimes silly, but in the good sense of the word. I also liked how there are so many little things which allow us to make up our minds about the characters. For instance, Izzy might seem a flirty immature person who got herself involved with a shark loaner, but we learn how that came to be and we also learn she cares about her parents, thus the distance, so make whomever looks for her to realize her parents are innocent.

There is also a bit of romance hinted at here and there. Izzy and her boss Connor seem to have a complicated relationship in the sense he acts as if he's so much more mature and knowledgeable but her skills are unique, so he needs her help. It is obvious they will become more than boss and employee (to be clear: she works for the Taste company which Connor hired, meaning there isn't a direct employee/boss connection if one thinks about the legal and moral aspects), but I assume the intensity of their feelings will increase as the installments go...

I can imagine the future books will go along these lines too, small things advancing the reader's opinion on the characters and the things they have to do while a lot of quirky situations and things seem to be just a distraction until the mysteries are solved. I think I will read the next one too and if that one is as interesting, I'll probably finish the series. This isn't the most complex story, no, but for those who like the genre it is a very entertaining and ingenious story.

All in all, a good story for me. 

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Piper J. Drake - Extreme Honor

David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier's toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope's Crossing kennel can break through the animal's grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas's heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde's mesmerizing effect isn't limited to canines. But when Lyn's work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.
Lyn realizes that David's own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he's gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else-and he's willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn't want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both...

Comment: Since we are all so focused on our personal lives, it is a cliché indeed to say time flies, but that is precisely my thought every time a new TBR post is about to happen. For September, the theme is "animals", which is a novelty enough to make the hunt for a title fun. I confess I didn't have to think much this time, I simply chose a book I had my eye on already for this month, so perfect timing.

In this story we meet heroine Evelyn "Lyn" Jones as she is about to present her credentials so she can work with a military dog who came back without his handler. Lyn is a sort of "dog whisperer" and she hopes she can help the dog, but kennel partner David Cruz, ex military forces, isn't too keen on the idea, considering his goal is to protect the dogs he and his partners train. An experiment, however, makes him see Atlas, the hurt dog, clearly starts bonding with Lyn and he prefers to have her around than to see the dog suffer, but neither was counting on the fact Lyn is attacked even before she can reach the hotel room where she would be staying. When they realize the purpose was to stop Lyn from working with Atlas, something has to be done before they or the dog is attacked again...

The idea of this book sounded really interesting, I was particularly interested in knowing more about how kennels work, specifically where they train dogs for the military branches. I would read this even without the challenge prompt but this was quite a good timing. Added to this was the fact I have previously read stories where kennels or animals were important elements and, in general, when well done, this can work out pretty well in a novel.

To get this out of the way, the "animal" content, which is why this book was chosen, has enough plot attention to merit the label. Atlas, the dog, is also an important character on his own and the fact he is suffering from animal PTSD of sorts is quite an interesting theme. I think the fascination with this idea is, in part, the fact we do wish we could more obviously emotionally bond with animals. We do want to believe they like us and like to be around us, as we do around them. Although Atlas isn't treated as a pet, we clearly are given the impression his role is much more professional than the usual and that he and the main couple do become a little attached.

This part of the story is, indeed, well done and I did feel glad I was able to pick this one, I think it for the theme of the challenge, and even more so when Atlas also helps to save the day, etc.

Nevertheless, the story isn't only about the dog or how the dogs are treated and trained. Of course this is also a romance and at first I was quite excited because the first time David and Lyn meet sparks flew but they were placed in an antagonist position: David wasn't happy Lyn had showed up and he believed she would be just a unstable element in the whole thing but he changed his mind when Atlas seemed to want to be around her.

Had the story been about their relationship when both were wary of one another, while finding common ground in training military dogs - instead of, for instance, any other type of kennel or a rescue one - I probably would have enjoyed it more. I could envision how they would slowly get to know one another, how they would have to admit the other person was a lot more able than they thought and so on until we could trust their relationship was about more than just bonding over the dogs.

However, the writing style, despite quite objective and without too many unnecessary things, wasn't always very appealing. I don't think the author wrote this in the most compelling way, and some sentences felt boring, or didn't present the information in a way I'd feel was special. Even the character's backgrounds felt too simplified for the kind of issues they supposedly faced. Somehow the writing style made this story seem average when such specific details were said or a given for what was happening.

I agree with some readers, whose reviews I have read in the meantime, when they say the story could have had more depth or that the main characters could have been fleshed out better, that would have made their connection more believable too, especially if one considers the fact there were some external forces contributing to their difficulty in establishing a balanced relationship. I also struggled to really see how they were falling in love, things were written in a very correct but too bland manner.

As for the plot, there is obviously something going on with Atlas and how someone wants to get him, there is something shady as well when it comes to how Lyn keeps having a weird relationship with her step father, he seems to not care for her since she was a child but she still wants his blessing... I think there is plenty here to have turned this into a stronger story but to be fair, from a certain point on, I wasn't as devoted and was only eager to see how this story would end.

The story, overall, isn't bad, but I think the author could have done a better job. Right now, I don't feel that interested to keep reading the series.

Grade: 6/10

TBR Challenge: Sandy James - The Bottom Line

When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. Surviving a failed
marriage and an illness that almost takes her life, high school teacher Mallory Hamilton needs the Ladies Who Lunch more than ever . . .
After a year of upheaval, Mallory has had her fill of change—with one exception. Her house is a disaster, and she wants it fixed. Hiring a contractor to finish the projects her ex-husband started will help her banish the past so she can return to the life she had before everything went awry. But her contractor is sexy, sweet, and single, which threatens the peaceful, solitary life Mallory has planned for herself.
Ben Carpenter has had a hard time raising his daughter without his ex-wife’s help. His new client’s projects will give him the extra income he needs, not to mention afternoons alone with a gorgeous woman. Though their attraction is undeniable, Ben sees the fear and pain hiding in Mallory’s beautiful eyes. But how can he help her if she won’t let him in? Ben can fix just about anything—but can he fix Mallory’s broken heart?

Comment: Time flies and it's already the third Wednesday in August, day of the TBR challenge post.

This month the theme is Blue Collar and it was quite a quest to find one among my shelves..probably next month or the other I'll find I have plenty more, but alas, I picked this one featuring a teacher heroine and a contractor hero, who is going to do renovation work at her house.

In this book we meet heroine Mallory, who is back to work after being ill and since her husband left her, she is also now ready to do some work at the house. That is how she gets to meet Ben, a divorced man, father of a teenager, but who seems to understand what she wants and they quickly become close. The more they get to know one another, the more they realize happiness is possible again... but will they both be ready to let go of past betrayals and trust someone else once more?

This is the first book in a series titled "Ladies Who Lunch" and each installment will focus on one friend, all teachers at the same school, who got to become friends over their lunch hour. The first one to have a HEA is Mallory, we learn she has been ill, is ready to change what she sees as a disaster around her, and as a fresh restart her priority is to fix the house. The story is pretty basic, the romance rather quick and the conflicts closer to the end of the novel very easy to avoid but oh well.

This is the second book by the author I try and, as it happened with that one, so this Bottom Line felt like the writing and execution didn't match the possibilities this story suggested. I imagined a sweet romance between two wary people, both Mallory and Ben have had distrust in past relationships, worries and Ben is a carpenter or contractor so he can't simply solve most issues with money. I thought the story had all the elements to be a sweet contemporary but the execution just disappointed me. 

The beginning is actually interesting and I was curious to see how detailed the house renovation would be, what kind of information on the characters we would have because of this. I remember a scene where they are picking some things but apart from sentences here and there telling us about what else was done, there isn't a lot of focus on the fixing of the house throughout the book. This would be minor if everything else was good for me, but sadly, it wasn't.

What I think was the weakest element is precisely the romance. Mallory is recovering from cancer and of course this gave her a new perspective on life and such and she feels terrible because her husband left her when things became dire. I get that she isn't as easy to trust and I imagined her taking time between getting to know Ben and wanting to be with him. However, not many pages went between the first time they met and the inner monologues where they both wondered how much they liked the other and so on. I know this can happen but made me look at the characters as very one dimensional and the plot felt weak.

Ben is divorced, his ex is trouble but he tries to keep the peace because they have a daughter and he wants what's best for her. I liked him at first because he seemed a complex but likable guy and although he felt attracted to Mallory and her personality I thought this was a good sign, that they would take things slowly and get to understand each other. 

What happened instead was a quick romance - I mean from when they met until they started thinking of one another as a significant other - which I felt was very under developed, many scenes of going back and forth trying to get an idea of what was going on between them, Mallory trying to bond with Ben's daughter, Mallory's friends who didn't seem that supportive, then Mallory decides she wants do a certain surgery, then Ben's ex becomes jealous for who know what reason, then there's a misunderstanding and childish behavior and at this point I was just ready to finish.

The end solved all conflicts and made our protagonists realize there were more important things to consider than petty discussions, they discovered they loved each other enough to want to try to be a couple and live together but I was not convinced of their relationship nor of their feelings and the whole plot seemed to have been rushed so things could go from point 1 to point 2. I would say, looking at this book and the other one I've tried, that the writing is very simple and consistent, yes, but the characterization and development is a little superficial and I would have liked some more balanced work, this type of writing somehow feels it lacks complexity and appeal.

Although this wasn't a winner for me, some details are interesting and for fans of light contemporary, perhaps this can work because as everyone knows, it can all be a matter of perspective.

Grade: 4/10

TBR Challenge: Shana Galen - No Man's Bride

Catherine Fullbright has vowed never to marry. Growing up with a disreputable father, she witnessed male behavior at its very worst. Unfortunately her ambitious parent refuses to marry off Catie's pretty, pliable younger sister until the elder is wed and his underhanded scheming comes to a head when Catie finds herself standing at the altar with her sister's fiance.
To achieve his ambitions, Quint Childers, Lord Valentine, needs a wife, some charming, gracious lovely to play the perfect hostess... certainly not a brash, stubborn hellion like Catherine Fullbright. Why, then, is he mesmerized by the fiery chit? And when an old man's deception puts Catie in Quint's bed, why does the prospect of their union excite the handsome lord so? Winning the remarkable lady's love will be a trial - she doesn't even like him! Still, is that a glint of desire he sees flashing in those exquisite hazel eyes?

Comment: Today is Wednesday and it's time for the TBR Challenge post.

The theme for this month is vintage and my personal interpretation went along the lines of something "that is not new, especially when it is a good example of a style from the past" as seen in the online Cambridge Dictionary. I thought of the word as an adjective, and linked to something published years ago. I know sixteen years is not enough to make something classic but added to a likely classic trope, I just didn't think more and picked this historical by Shana Galen.

This book starts with a little 10 year old girl being bullied and mistreated by her father and, as she is rescued by her cousins, they make a pact in which they decide to never marry and to follow their own adventures. Ten years later, Catie is put to the test when her father demands she marries before her arrogant younger sister, already betrothed. In hopes to avoid this, Catie tries, with the help of her cousins, to make her sister's fiance see how such an horrible person Elizabeth is. If they don't marry, she won't need too either, but her plan backfires when her father decides to marry her instead to Elizabeth's fiance, since she is the oldest.

Will Catie and her now husband lord Valentine be able to go past the sudden marriage and become true partners?

This is the first book I try by this author. I've had it in the pile for years but somehow, along with other titles, it has been left behind. I had nothing to expect, but I did create an idea about it, since it was historical, published in the 00's and by Avon, whose editions made me think of certain stories (lighter, less dramatic), especially due to the font they used. I know this shouldn't matter, but it is quite a distracting font for me, always making me imagine less serious work.

Nevertheless, at first, I was enjoying this story quite well because the main character was being mistreated and I tend to like when someone grows to be a good person despite that, proving it's all in the personality and moral code. I think I've started to be rather disappointed when it seemed that the tone of this story would be more towards the easy comedy... I got that impression from Catie's personality, she simply seemed childish to me. I suppose this can be accepted, she was only 20 and disinclined to marry but... this is also an historical and I would assume some formality would happen too.

Catherine - Catie - is obviously a rebel but while I could sheer for her dreams of just sailing as a pirate with her cousins, I could also see how she would be a good heroine, destined to fall in love. The plot was weird but I still bought this notion of marrying Catie to Quint, lord Valentine, instead of her younger sister. The method, however...

Anyway, they were stuck in a complicated situation but as always, the fun part would be to see them discover they liked each other after all (they did), that they could be partners (at some point they become that) and that they could trust each other (I suppose this does happen...) but I'm afraid the execution of these things and the dynamics between Quint and Catie were a little weak.

Catie is just too childish. Her behavior and notions can be innocent and genuine, but I just couldn't see that someone like Quint, whom we get to see is responsible and experienced in all aspects of life, would feel more than physical attraction for her, their personalities simply don't mesh and although the author did try to make this happen, I was not convinced. The romance felt forced at times and the sudden plot dramas just didn't help, I felt they didn't have time to truly be a couple.

I guess I can easily portray this as vintage in my head, in the sense that we have opposite protagonists and the man is older and wiser and can't help be a role model for the heroine, and likes her quirkiness instead of seeing her as a child. This is even more obvious since we know he has a political life and would want a wife who could help him. Yes, yes, love and all that, but I feel the relationship wasn't really well done and one element of the couple would always be, realistically, let down.

I think that if some situations had been dealt with in a more serious manner (Catie's abuse at home, how a true marriage works, for instance), we could sympathize with the characters more and wish to see them overcome the problems and the issues. I would say this story is planned and the author certainly imagines many of the scenes quite well, but the action of putting everything together and make it work wasn't as well achieved, in my perspective.

In conclusion, I'd consider this a good example of the style of books in this category, lighter historical romance, not intended to be ironic nor cute, but falling into the chick lit version of historical romance. I feel bad I didn't enjoy it more in the end, but the execution was rushed at times, some situations weren't properly solved or dealt with, the characters needed more complexity in how they were developed... this is readable yes, but will not be memorable for me.

Grade: 5/10

TBR Challenge: Elizabeth Hoyt - To Taste Temptation

Lady Emeline Gordon is the model of sophistication in London's elite social circles, always fashionable and flawlessly appropriate. As such, she is the perfect chaperone for Rebecca, the young sister of a successful Boston businessman and former Colonial soldier.
Samuel Hartley may be wealthy, but his manners are as uncivilized as the American wilderness he was raised in. Who wears moccasins to a grand ball? His arrogant disregard for propriety infuriates Emeline, even as his boldness excites her.
But beneath Samuel's rakish manner, he is haunted by tragedy. He has come to London to settle a score, not to fall in love. And as desperately as Emeline longs to feel this shameless man's hands upon her, to taste those same lips he uses to tease her, she must restrain herself. She is not free. But some things are beyond a lady's control . . .

Comment: Another month has gone and it's time for the TBR challenge post. The theme this month is "after the war" and I did go the easiest way by looking through the titles on my shelves and picking a story set after a war, since the protagonist had been in one. 

In this first book in a series by Elizabeth Hoyt, she takes us through the stories of four men who fought in the war between England and France in the colonies (part of the seven years's war, I suppose?). This is the story of Samuel Hartley, whose war efforts gained him some fame, because he ran and people talked he did it for cowardice. Nevertheless, he is now a wealthy man and wants to offer his sister Rebecca the possibility of a season, thus traveling to England in business and taking her with him, so she can have this chance. He meets and chooses lady Emeline Gordon, a respectful widow, to chaperone Rebecca so she can be welcomed in balls and such, not knowing Emeline would turn out to be someone he couldn't resist. 

Emeline, on the other hand, doesn't want anything to do with a man from the colonies but the more time she has to know him, the more intrigued she gets. Could it be that this is the man that makes her want to feel happiness again?

I have liked another series by this author, and while not all books were as superb, I still had a great time going through them all. I expect the same style and tone to exist here, even though the setting is slightly different.

The plot is quite simple for Samuel knows someone betrayed his comrades and himself at a certain battle. Many men died, some were captured and all who survived now must deal with the aftermath, whether it affects them physically or mentally or both. Samuel deals by running, as he did when he ran for help after some men were captured but he still has nightmares and regrets on many things. He moves next door to Emeline's house so it can be easier to move around London society, because he believes it is a fellow comrade, who happens to be a peer, the guilty one.

As he looks for clues, with the disguise of sponsoring his sister - although he does want her to have a good time and experience, perhaps find a good man - he can't help but get to know Emeline better. She seems prickly and bent on following society rules, but their interactions aren't always polite and he does enjoy bickering with her. I could see how this would make it believable they would start feeling attraction, they are opposites in many things but something about the other called them and I was looking for to see their romance develop.

Emeline does act a little standoffish at first but I could accept how she felt she had to play a role, both for society's rules and also for her own sanity in protecting her feelings. She had a good marriage, we learn, but they weren't married for long before her husband died. She also has her son to worry about and a spinster aunt who lives with her. I kind of liked Emeline's personality and her attitudes, although I understand why some readers found her too static.

As their relationship grows, Emeline and Samuel start sharing more about themselves, sometimes without noticing how much they do share, and I liked the fact some things were more due to insight than actual words, making them seem to be connected much strongly than the obvious. I particularly liked how Samuel ends up feeling good enough to share what happened to him or how he lived through war and how it affected him, for it showed how much he already trusted her.

At some point, Samuel does learn new clues about the possible traitor and when some dots are connected, I found some information to be really well done. Nothing new in terms of plot twists but interestingly done for this plot. Other situations related to this open up possibilities to the next installments and I do admit I'm looking for to read those stories too.

The end feels a bit rushed. I think the method used to bring Emeline to the point where she can't escape her feelings for Samuel anymore was a little too dramatic and not up to the vibe of the rest of the book. I think the author could have done this better, even though we had already realized they were in love. The decisions taken after their declarations weren't surprising and I feel I can believe theirs would be a relationship that could last, even if with bumps on the way.

All in all, this was a good enough read, it is up to those others by her, so for fans, this is a good novel, I think. For new readers, I also think it's a good way to have an idea of the author's style.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Naomi Novik - Spinning Silver

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.
But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.
Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.

Comment: The TBR Challenge theme for May is "tales of old" and my personal interpretation went along the lines of something which was related to old stories or legends or the kind of things we might have heard from our grandmother. Anyway, it reminded me of stories that nowadays have gotten into myth/folklore status and that is why I chose this fantasy novel by Naomi Novik. I had previously read her book Uprooted and while the reading wasn't much fun, I liked it enough to feel curious about this one. Thankfully, now I can say this one was way more captivating for me. 

In this novel we meet Miryem, who after seeing how much her parents struggle because her father isn't assertive on his moneylender skills, she decides to do it herself and things improve, but one day she recklessly boasts about her abilities and the starik king, a fey-like creature, decides to take her to his kingdom so she can turn silver into gold. At the same time, Wanda, an impoverished woman, starts working for Miryem's parents, as a way to pay off a debt of her father. In yet another case, Irina must prepare herself for the fact the tsar, a very dangerous man, has chosen her to be his bride and she knows this might mean her life won't be long. These three women will see their path converse at some point, but will it there be time enough to save their loved ones and their land from a terrible fate?

I had a great time reading this story. One of those one feels immersed so well that when it was necessary to stop for some reason, I actually would feel annoyed by it. I think the author did a wonderful job in creating such a web that this felt complex and compelling.

Looking what what I thought about the other book by her I tried, I see this one was a lot more pleasant to read. There is some less than good content (plot wise) but somehow that wasn't as difficult to accept as I felt with what happened in the other book, in terms of how the characters had been affected by plot situations and their decisions. This doesn't have to mean anything in general but for me this made the reading experience more appealing, this idea that despite the problems, the characters had the moral compass and the love on their side as "tools" to help them navigate the choices made.

Of course this is highlighted closer to the end, after some things we believed to have happened one way actually had a different explanation. When the heroines make up a plan to save the world, so to speak, they discover key information a bit too late and this will affect how we think of them, but the author did a good planning and every action is paid. In fact, the content sits very heavily on this notion of a debt needing to be paid, and every action, every decision, somehow has to be paid or leveled so that the character in question can sort of move on. The writing is very intricate and even if one considers she based it on fairy tales or other stories, the shape of her work is complex and captivating indeed.

There is a lot to be said about the things included in this novel, and many reviewers have mentioned the Jew content, the feminist one, the cultural one... all this did help in creating a rich and compelling read but I will admit what caught my attention the most were the protagonists and their personal paths. I did like their paths connected and that at some moment they would need each others' help but I felt invested in them as individuals and I think their personalities were fleshed out very well, which means that, for me, each little thing from the other elements natural and more interesting to read about because of how they were like and how they behaved.

Meryem is fascinating, we could say she sparked the whole thing with bad timing but her path was wonderful to follow and while I dreaded the magical aspect of her being locked in the starik world, there was something about that that made me think about how important it would be for her in the end. Wanda, I feel, was the one with less gravitas, because her path didn't seem to conduct into a specific finale, she was more like a link between other characters and while I liked her a lot, especially thinking about her life before she joined Meryiem's family, I love that she found happiness, but I hoped for more for her. Irina proved to be one of those characters that goes from mouse to savior and her choices felt the most challenging, but I liked how what she does depended a lot on her own courage and assertiveness.

The magical aspects in this novel were all intriguing and added a lot of mystery and dread, as if something could happen at any time and we didn't see it coming because we didn't properly think things through. This, combined with the protagonists' "quests" made for a very addictive reading and even though we have a few more POVs, the three girls convinced me of the need of their choices and the difficulty of their tasks. This meant that when their final scenes happen, I was both relieved they succeeded and happy they had good things to look for.

This is not a romance story but for those who like it in fantasy as well, there's enough of it to suggest a HEA of sorts. In fact, if there is one element - besides how long it takes for certain situations to be set and happen, the story does drag here and there - the element I would complain the most about is how unclear some little things are. I understand the idea was to convey whimsical and that feeling of old tales when things were inferred, and alluded, instead of modern explanations for every single thing, but I do wish we had a bit more development on what happened after. I'm greedy and would have wanted more about the girls' lives after they win their HEAs.

This book convinced me and I will likely read more novels by the author.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Trish Doller - Float Plan

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has spent the last year foundering on land, shipwrecked by her grief and inability to move on. But when a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take, she impulsively sets off in their sailboat, intending to complete the planned voyage around the Caribbean that Ben had mapped out for them.
But after a treacherous night's sail and a brush with an ocean tanker, she decides she can’t do it alone, and hires a professional sailor to help her get to Puerto Rico. Much like her, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned, and he can’t refuse her offer. Together they find a way to rebuild their lives and the possibility of new love.

Comment: The theme for the April TBR challenge post is "location, location, location". It does seem any pick would be pretty easy, after all, all stories take place somewhere. I chose a book from last year specifically because the story would happen on a boat, on route through the Caribbean islands! Better location than this....maybe, but not easy!

In this story we meet Anna, right at the moment she is about to start her journey sailing through the Caribbean islands bookmarked by her former boyfriend Ben, who has committed suicide. Anna is finding it difficult to deal with this and after an year she feels that she needs to do something radical, even if that means letting go of a lot, such as her job and the worries about Ben's family contesting his will. Perhaps she will find some sort of closure if she sails and sees the spots they planned until the very last destination. What Anna wasn't counting on was on the cliche that time and a physical change of scenery might be key to make her mind feel its moving on as well...

I had not read any reviews before starting the book, I only knew the heroine would be on a boat, which means the main reasons for the journey weren't very clear but let me say the beginning does set the mood and throughout the whole story, there was this sense of...desolation, and not just because of the theme. It made me think of something that doesn't have a solution, only ways to make it doable or easier to deal with.

Although we only know about Ben's suicide, Anna keeps thinking about him during the whole book. This is understandable, especially if she is trying to complete a task that had been thought to bring them even closer, but in terms of sequence, from a bad emotional place into healthy memories or self healing, I'm not certain I finished fully convinced Anna got there...

The plot is quite an adventure, one I both wish I could emulate and that I would dread just considering it at all. It was clear the author researched both how boats work, which possible issues they could have, she looked at the islands we often only hear about in movies or other books, and she certainly looked into mental health and similar subjects. This does feel like a very detailed and busy story but it's all presented to the reader as if organic, naturally part of what is happening and I went through it quite pleased with the things I was learning.

Anna is a complex character but part from her mourning, pretty much all her actions and reactions feel believable for the situations she faces. I think she did seem to be very confident more often than not and in that regard, especially thinking about some problems she found, I can't tell if it was optimism or plot decisions to make the story more appealing, but some things felt easy, and I can only imagine we would all find convenient help and/or friendly people at the exact moment we would need...

Anna decides that a big part of the voyage would be too hard for her skill level in sailing, so she hires someone to go with her. That's how Keane, the love interest, comes to the picture. Keane is also quite complex, because he was a professional sailor who had a physical problem and now no one hires him so we also have to see him, at times, deal with his own issues. That's why, in part, I feel this was too desolate, both protagonists don't have it easy. However, sounding contradictory, it was also good they weren't one dimensional and I was quite interested in them, individually.

The romance is quiet, slowly developed and perfectly suitable for the physical journey they did; as the boat went further along, so did their feelings and emotions, and in terms of falling in love I was more or less convinced. I'm just not certain about the after...perhaps the next book, featuring Anna's sister, might have some mention of what happened to Anna, for I feel the end was a bit too... vague.

Going back to the location subject...well, it was a treat I'd say, to check google and see where the islands and places mentioned were. What fun to think someone can do it, that people really plan their lives like that. It was also great to know some specific details about each island, so the location wasn't just a prop, or an exotic choice, clearly we could get a good idea of how each island could be "described". Sometimes, I would even feel slightly nostalgic, as Anna would leave an island, so I felt I was leaving too and there's a certain weird feel when we think we are leaving and with us go the feelings and memories we stored there, isn't it?

To summarize: I liked this book, more for the boat voyage and the details, the little things linked to it and the obvious emotional journey that Anna and Keane have at the same time. However, the romance was a bit too forthright I think, for the type os issues both had. Although close proximity could be an item to bear in mind.... oh well, I do think I'll try the other book at some point.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Lucy Parker - Battle Royal

Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess.
Dominic is His Majesty the King’s favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can’t stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection.
In this royal battle, can there be room for two?

Comment: Before we thought about it, March has arrived and it's already half way. Today is the day for the TBR post and in March the theme is grumpy. I had planned on reading something else, considering the comments which made me want to read it, but it turned out to be a DNF. Very quickly, I had another look at my choices and ended up with this one, for Lucy Parker heroes always tend to be grumpy...

In this book we meet grumpy Dominic and bubbly Sylvie, who've met while she was a contestant and he a judge in a baking competition. She hasn't won but everyone remembers one of her creations and how it went wrong, exploding in his face. He told her her work wasn't good enough and she answered by opening her business right across the street from his. Now, four years later, she has been invited to also be a judge in the same competition and at the same time, both their businesses have been chosen to battle it out to see which one is chosen to create the cake for a royal wedding. Such work makes them spend a lot of time together and, of course, that opens up the road for interesting conversations and discoveries about one another...

This was the sixth book by the author I try and, apart from one - which she even wrote under a different name - I think it's pretty safe to say her style is easily identifiable (I mean, for those who have read several of her books). This is not a negative aspect for me, because I have enjoyed her books immensely but it can be said that after having read one, almost all follow the same patterns - if hers is a style one likes, then this can be quite positive.

Readers comment on the setting of the new series starting with this book as being quite similar to real life reality shows where amateur bakers do their best to win a competition and being myself a fan of these types of shows, I found the idea quite appealing. As also expected, the hero is a grumpy but hiding a heart of gold and a true moral compass and the heroine might seem like she is always happy and carefree but obviously hides some inner pain or sadness. The two become a couple and it's one of those stories where it can't be helped to be noticed they complement each other perfectly.

While this is a repetitive pattern for the author, I still liked knowing how the story would develop and I liked learning about Sylvie and Dominic's pasts, why and how they evolved from what we learn that shaped their personalities to the people we follow now. I confess I like other pairings better, some how here they fit their roles too perfectly and some of the little quirks which made previous books shine, only felt superficial here. I suppose what wasn't as great between them is how they go from arch enemies to want to be together.

This might sound unfair and often I felt that with so many books, not just those by this author, things always reach a point where the step from enemies to lovers is so cheesy or unrealistic but here, since they talk and explain themselves to the other person, just like any adult should do, I still miss some more drama and spontaneity in how they just can't help but be attracted, This is what I felt was missing; this step of falling in love seemed to be a little too stilted for what I expected.

That aside, this story was easy to read, fluid and I wanted to know what happened next. not because there was a lot to imagine out of what was predictable, but because I liked the characters and wanted to see what they would do next. The secondary characters were quite intriguing and I see the next book in this series features Dominic's sister, which is good but her love interest isn't the one I would have thought of, so it will be interesting to see how the author develops this and which role the couple from this book might have.

Regarding the grumpy theme, as one can imagine, after a while Dominic isn't as grumpy but he certainly doesn't lose his more serious personality in most situations, even if he mellows a little while near Sylvie or with those he comes to care about. I should also leave a note for the amazing bakery suggestions and content in this book, which have certainly made me want to eat chocolate and cakes while reading...

Everything considered, this was a good book, had all the elements I thought we would have but at the same time there was a small perpetual feel to the author's work and this not being her very best, for me it was a little hard to miss.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Rena Rossner - The Sisters of the Winter Wood

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.
But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.
Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...
The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

Comment: Time for another TBR Challenge post! For February, the theme is fairy tale, which does allow for many interpretations. I picked a book which is based on fairy tales and reads like one. Added to it, the inspiration comes from Russian or Ukrainian and Jewish tradition, which aren't subjects I usually tend to look for, so I was curious about what I could learn.

In this story we meet sisters Liba and Laya, who live in an Ukrainian village more or less near the border with Moldova. They live in a Jewish community with their parents and although there are problems from time to time, they have had a pretty normal life. Things change when sudden news on their father's family warn the family their grandfather is dying. The parents decide to leave but the girls will stay behind, for the travel might not be safe. Right before they do, both girls learn a secret about their parents and what it will mean for themselves. While this is scary and the time isn't the best to be unaware of what could happen, the girls stay behind anyway. Their worries might not be bigger than the expected but everything changes when a group of strangers comes to the village and Laya seems to easily fall into their spell...

First of all, the cover is gorgeous. I got the paperback edition and the black and gold tones are classic for a reason and that immediately made me imagine whimsical and intricate little details. At the end of the book, the author also included some glossary for Ukrainian and Yiddish terms, as well as some sayings. I think it was nice but I admit I struggled to imagine the sounds in my head. There are also notes on why she decided to write this book, on her own family being a big inspiration for the Jewish content. I found all these things to be interesting additions.

The plot is quite simple and reminded me of better known fairy tales from European tradition, which often seem quite similar for all countries, even if with some differences and adaptations. Two sisters who can change into an animal form have to protect themselves and the village from harm, but how does the "enemy" influence some people so easily... all these secrets and suggestions as things move along felt captivating and while I wanted to guess what was going on, some details were still surprising when explained. Most of the time, the story was engrossing.

However, this didn't fully work out for me for a simple reason: there's a lot of talk which seemed to be centered in the same things, a lot of repetitive situations and conversations and I imagine this was to build up the sense of worry and forbearing but it turned out to be slightly unappealing for it seemed to go nowhere. 

Another detail which I found incredibly unrealistic was how long it took for the sisters to talk about they had learned right before their parents left. I know the idea was maintain this sense of hazardous indecision but it annoyed me a lot because their relationship was or of close sisters or of adversaries and while teenagers everywhere certainly are inconstant sometimes, I was in doubt on where exactly the author wanted to put these two: as sisters who love each other and would die to protect the other or as obvious adversaries in how to deal with bad influence coming their way.

I also think there were too many things left unsaid, unexplained. I get it that if one thinks of fairy tales some issues just don't have to be solved or explained properly: part of the fun and the mystery is to keep things in the air, enticing. At the same time, though, I expected some logic to help the sisters understand things more quickly. I felt there was too much time spent dealing with symptoms and not enough understanding them, which, of course, led to some misunderstandings and wrong moves and this only delayed the action and the resolution of everything.

In the end, I felt we weren't given enough closure on what happened, on all the weird and "magical" aspects the sisters dove into when the parents left. There are too many things unsolved and I don't think this was in that sense of  being an ambiguous end so "imagine whatever", but more in the "no idea what to say, so no explanation necessary". It's a pity because I liked the scenes described, I liked the writing as a whole and the evocative style the author had. The execution, however...

I think the focus was a bit too much on the girl's age and what it meant. I kind of wish they had been older, so that the secondary elements, such as the difficulties the villages had, the danger of massacres going around them, the whole family abilities and what it meant in terms of relationships would have had more importance. Even the villains, when we discover whys and hows felt under done. Therefore, this was OK and had interesting elements, but didn't win me over completely.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Gena Showalter - The Darkest Destiny

Forsaken. Deathless. A monster in every way. Mostly, Brochan is determined. He craves what fate promised him—the woman who will help him conquer a heavenly kingdom. He will stop at nothing to win her.
Viola, Keeper of the demon of Narcissism, lives for a single purpose—treating herself and her pet to the best life possible. But a crazed warrior is now appearing everywhere she ventures, ruining her fun…. tempting her beyond reason and keeping her at a razor-edge of desire.
Though legions of males have attempted to win her, all have failed. Somehow, this rampaging beast is tearing down her walls, one by one, claiming he owns her heart and her very destiny. To be with him, however, she must defeat the only force strong enough to destroy her—love.

Comment: 2022 is in full swing and before we know it, it's already time for the first TBR challenge post of the year. Usually, in January the theme is to read something short and while the switch to the "quickie" prompt could signify anything else, it's still the way I chose to see it. Therefore, I picked a book which wasn't too long, namely the latest installment in the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter.

In this latest story, we finally have the HEA of Viola, a secondary character carrying the demon of Narcisism, whose presence in several previous books makes her a good candidate to close another loose thread. Viola has had a rough time in her life and having a demon isn't helping, especially because of what it demands of her and what makes her do to others. One day, one of her actions causes Brochan, a fallen angel, to want revenge on his brother and he starts pursuing Viola, although he sometimes can't say it's to put pressure on her or to simply admire her, for he feels she could be someone special for him. But both have secrets they don't want the other one to find out... if only they could stay away from each other...

If there is one obvious positive aspect of this story for me is precisely the fact it was a quick read. I've been reading this series for years and of course long series tend to leave a mark, there are always characters we like more, one gets used to the world building and the character's relationships...all this to say perhaps it's me but I just don't feel the same eagerness to read these books as I once did. I can't tell if it's the fact the story has taking so long or that the writing no longer seduces me, but this one was a little bit of a chore to read.

Although this is a short read, we know the main characters from previous stories. This should have helped to give the reader a better understanding of their personalities, mostly Viola's, and their connection should have been easier and quicker to develop. Sadly, I must say I didn't have this vibe and it felt they were a couple because one had to exist and if not these characters, others might have done the job, I kind of missed some more...organic reasoning for this couple to reach their HEA now.

It's been long since the overall plot captivated me and looking at the books in order, some were better than others for me, but I started having this feeling things weren't as urgent anymore, and the stories were just being told because. The focus of this novella in Viola and Brochan works well enough but I still don't have any opinion on them, as I often did about other characters, even before their book was up, and Viola showed up enough for this to be an expectation.

I think that, for me, one reason why is the fact I wasn't convinced enough of Viola's need for redemption or happiness or whatever one might think of it. We are told about her past, why she has certain attitudes, how the demon influences her but deep down I struggled to like her and I still doubt I'll remember much about her in the future. Brochan is a classical hero in the series, brooding, carrying the weight or his own world but unable to resist Viola. I kind of wish their roles had been a bit more complex, like it felt in some of the early books.

As time and books go by, I think some the allure of those expectations and emotions has been disappearing for me. It comes to mind my experience with G.A.Aiken's dragon series, when the first books were practically perfect and the last ones no longer worked out. As with what I feel regarding this series, so do mrs Showalter's books now feel as if she is trying too hard to portray sassy and independent and «bad ass» heroines with all the violence and cunning but without the vulnerability and the empathy to make them humble when necessary. Of course, it's just a personal impression....

I can't say if this means giving up on the series but it's true perhaps it would be time for it to be concluded...  To summarize, reading this novella was a duty, yes, but I have to confess part of me is glad I did it, for it's better to get something done than to postpone until it no longer appeals. I wish Viola and Brochan's story had had more development, that might make them more likable as a couple, but I suppose after a while it will stop mattering anyway.

Grade: 5/10

Signing up for the TBR Challenge 2022

Another year ahead and I'm once more joining the challenge hosted by Wendy, the Super Librarian.

Here is the link for her blog: https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/

And for the post where she explains all:

https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbr-challenge-2022.html

Still, I'm leaving the same information here as well :)

Image belongs to Wendy!

What is the #TBRChallenge?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: once a month pull a dormant book out of your TBR pile and read it. On the 3rd Wednesday of the month, talk about that book.

Participation is as easy as being on social media!

If you're on social media all you need to do is use the #TBRChallenge hashtag - there's no need to sign-up and your participation can vary throughout the year.

You can use this hashtag on any day, at any time - but we're still going to concentrate on the 3rd Wednesday of every month to kick our commentary into high gear.

The idea is to have at least one day a month where we can always count on there being book chatter.

Want to let your blogging freak flag fly? If you have a blog and want to post TBR commentary there, drop me a comment on this post with a link to your blog or hit me up on Twitter. I like to post links to the various blogs on my TBR Challenge page so those who follow along can start following you.

Sound good? Of course it does! So what are the themes for 2022? So glad you asked!

January 19 - Quickie
February 16 - Fairy Tale
March 16 - Grumpy
April 20 - Location, Location, Location
May 18 - Tales of Old
June 15 - After the War
July 20 - Vintage
August 17 - Blue Collar
September 21 - Animals
October 19 - Flirting with Danger
November 16 - Lies
December 21 - Festive

Here's to a potentially hopefully good year of reading, not only regarding the challenge, but in general.

Happy reading!