Weekend Reading - August 29, 2016

And I Darken by Kirsten White
4 stars



It is the fifteenth century and in the kingdom of Wallachia, two children are sent to the Sultan of the Ottoman empire to ensure peace.  Lada is not the typical fifteenth century girl and chafes against all of the expected norms.  She learns to fight like a soldier and strategize like a prince.  Radu grew up a weakling and only learned to excel in court by using his natural grace and charm.  These two alternating perspectives offer a fascinating look into a different time and place.  This is different from any YA series that I have seen.  The main characters are well developed and their relationships complex.  There was some angsty romance that I just didn't think fit with the storyline but it ended well and as long as the author follows along the path she has laid out, it should be a good series to follow.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mid-Week Review - August 25, 2016

Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith
Publication Date - September 13, 2016
3 stars



Jude tried to get away from California by spending the summer on the East Coast but she is unexpectedly called back when her best friend, Maggie, is found dead of an apparent suicide.  Jude doesn't believe that her friend committed suicide and is determined to prove otherwise while also dealing with a sticky home situation.  This was so close to a season of Veronica Mars that I even read the narrators voice in my head as Kristen Bell.  The problem is that there isn't a lot of substance here and while I kept reading in order to unravel the mystery, I didn't feel any sort of connection to the characters or the story.  So, I categorize this as a good beach read but it definitely didn't blow me away.  I received this book from Penguin's First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review. 

Cold Future - August 23, 2016

The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jennie Fagan
4 stars



It is the year 2020 and as the artic ice melts due to global warming, the temperatures began to drop and the coldest winter on record is expected.  Stella and her mother, Constance, live in an isolated caravan park in the northern reaches of Scotland.  Stella recently accepted her life as a girl, after being known to her small community as a boy her entire life.  Her survivalist mother has the skills to survive this ice age if her romantic entanglements don't get in the way.  Dylan has recently moved into his deceased mother's caravan and is learning to deal with his grief after the rapid loss of his beloved grandmother and mother.  These three individuals are thrown together as they try to stay warm and help Stella become who she is supposed to be.  This book is an intriguing mix of speculative fiction and relevant issues and while slow at times, make for a compelling look at a not-too-unbelievable future.  I received this book from the LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review. 

Quick Romance Round Up - August 20, 2016

Travel and multiple life changes have caused me to delve into my favorite comfort genre, romance.  Here is a round up of those book that I have read in the previous two weeks.


A Duke to Remember by Kelly Bowen
5 stars



This another outstanding addition to the Season for Scandal series following a group of people working for Chegarre & Associates, a business that deals mainly with the unsavory side of the peerage by handling all aspects of scandal.  Elise, an actress and master of disguise, has been hired by a young woman to find her missing brother, assumed dead and in line to be the next duke.  Noah Ellery thinks he has successfully escaped his past to live a quiet country life amongst friends who don't ask him too many questions.  When he witnesses a courageous act by a beautiful woman dressed as a man, his quiet life starts to unravel.  I can't praise the two books in this series enough.  Like the first, this one contains incredibly well thought out characters, witty dialogue and a romance worth rooting for.   I am already salivating for the next in the series which follows Elise's brother and there is at least one other character that I simply cannot wait to read more about.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 



The Earl's Wager by Rebecca Thomas
3 stars



Will Sutton is still recovering from his late Father's horrible financial decisions and while he has repaid all debts, he is now looking to expand his prestige and improve his reputation through a race horses.  He makes what he thinks is a wise wager by agreeing to help his brother-in-law's American ward navigate London society and find a suitable husband in exchange for a prize horse.  Of course Will and the headstrong American, Georgia, feel a strong attraction towards each other.  This book has a My Fair Lady feel that is an interesting plot device and one that I found entertaining.  I did have a problem with the heroine whose actions and behavior were of one much younger than she was supposed to be which I found to be somewhat annoying.  Also, the horse racing aspect didn't really appeal to me.  Overall, this book had entertaining moments even though it had some issues with writing and characters.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



When a Marquis Chooses a Bride by Ella Quinn
Publication Date - August 30, 2016
3.5 stars



When I first started this book, I was incredibly interested in the premise and especially the character of Dominic, the Marquis of Merton.  A complete stick-in-the-mud, stuck in his ways, arrogant man, he has made a list of suitable wives.  A list that in no way would ever include Dorothea Stern, but when he runs into her trying to save a puppy in the park, he falls immediately under her spell.  My honest opinion is that I liked the idea a little bit more than the execution.  Dominic felt like an original character with so many flaws, you wonder how anyone could love him.  I looked forward to witnessing his transformation.  Unfortunately the plot moved really slow and some of the scenes were somewhat absurd.  Overall, I enjoyed this book and since I read so many historical romances I am excited when new types of characters are portrayed, however my high hopes during the first quarter of the book were kind of quelled as I kept reading.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts
3.5 stars



School sprit leader, Mandy, has been in love with her friend Gus since their friendship started in Kindergarten but he has a tendency to hook up with other girls.  Caleb Torres tries to keep to the outside of the school scene, preferring to keep to himself so it is to Mandy's surprise when he suggests they pretend to be dating in order to make Gus jealous and make his ex-girlfriend stalker go away.  This is a pretty simple young adult romance but it is completely sweet with likable characters and a fun plot.  I'm obviously far above the right age for a book such as this, but I did enjoy it and it was a perfect book to read during a stressful week.  I will say the ending was pretty absurd, which is why I didn't give it a full four stars, however, I enjoyed reading it.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Vacation is Over (Some Quick Reviews) - August 14, 2016

Don't Tell Me You're Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella
4 stars




Based on true events, this book follows Samia Yusuf Omar, a Somalian woman who ran in the Beijing Olympics.  As an eight year old girl in a war-torn country, she decides that she is going to win a gold medal and her best friend, Ali, will be her coach.  She continues to run as the situation in Somalia gets worse and worse and the strictures on women get more strict.  She is able to participate in the Beijing games and is cheered on as she takes last place.  Both disappointed and galvanized by her performance, she decides the only way to become a better runner is to leave her country behind.  This is a heart-wrenching story that is especially interesting to read with the current Olympics on in the background.  The odds that Samia had stacked against her are insurmountable but she kept training and chasing her dreams.  The writing of this book is a bit simplistic and staccato which may just be how it translates, but that in no way takes anything away from this remarkable story.  I received an ARC of this book from Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.


The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne
4 stars



This is the third in the series that I have read and this author continues to tell romantic and passionate stories with likable, but flawed, characters.  Mena is escaping a horribly abusive marriage that ended with a stint in a mental hospital.  She ends up as a governess to a Scottish nobleman's children who is also known as the Demon Highlander.  He has a violent past and a complicated family tree and is overwhelmed by his feelings for the English governess.  I enjoyed this story and the characters.  Mena is especially well-written and while Liam is at times overly angsty, he is also very easy to root for.  The book also introduces Liam's brother, Gavin, who will not be the hero of the next book but I can't wait for his book to be released.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pre-Vacation Wrap-Up - August 1, 2016

The Trap by Melanie Raabe
4 stars



Linda Conrad, renowned German author, has not left her house in twelve years after witnessing the brutal murder of her sister.  With little contact with the outside world, she has created her own isolated existence.  One day while watching the news, she sees the man she believes murdered her sister and begins to set in motion a trap in order to finally put an end to the whole event.  This is very strange book that is told from the perspective of a woman who spends most of her life alone which means that it takes place in her head and it is not always clear what is real.  There are also excerpts from the book that she is writing, which details the moments before and after her sister's death.  I am not sure this can really be compared to any other of the popular thrillers that I have read which is why I like it so much.  That said, I also found it claustrophobic and the narrator is often frustrating and while that is in keeping with the theme of the book, it also made it hard to pick up sometimes.  Overall, I really enjoyed this for its uniqueness amongst other thrillers.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


You'll Grow Out Of It by Jessi Klein
4 stars



Jessi Klein is a stand up comedian and writer for comedies such as Inside Amy Schumer.  This book is formatted very similarly to other humor writing by women comedians with different chapters highlighting different episodes of her life, starting with childhood and ending with her recent fertility struggles.  I actually found this book highly relatable and very funny. She faces her insecurities head on and actually offers great insight into relationships and beauty that I wholeheartedly agreed with.  I recommend this as something just as good as anything by Mindy Kaling, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.