Wednesday Review - June 29, 2017

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan
4 stars



James, a high-powered and charming British government official has just been discovered in an affair with a younger employee.  His wife, Sophie, is devastated yet steadfast but as the information behind the affair turn darker, she is pulled into their past life as Oxford students and the evolution of her relationship with James.  This book provides a heartbreaking glimpse of acquaintance rape and how difficult it is to recover from and how hard it is to prosecute in the courts.  I enjoyed the back and forth between 1990's Oxford and current day London and the glimpse of privileged life behind the scenes.  I did find it a bit repetitive at times, especially the lawyer, Kate's, section and to be honest I think it could have been a stronger book without James's perspective altogether.  Overall, though, I read this quickly and thought it provided a thought-provoking plot in an entertaining way.  I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

New York Love Story - June 26, 2017

White Fur by Jardine Libaire
4 stars



Elise is a stubborn, street-smart girl running away from her life in the housing projects and trying to start over.  Jamey is a Yale student born into a wealthy family whose standards are more important than actual feelings.  They live next door to each other and enter a romance fraught with insecurities, revulsion, and desire.  As their feelings for each other deepens so does the trouble it causes for Jamey and his family.  Set against the grittiness of 1980's New York City, this novel is an in-depth character study of two people from very different backgrounds that fight against the odds to find love.  It took me a while to get used to the author's overuse of simile but once I did, I became very involved in the story.  I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. 

Midweek Reviews - June 21, 2017

The Dead Lands by Benjamin Percy
4 stars



In an apocalyptic future, residents of St. Louis are secreted behind a wall and believe they are the only society still alive, until a young, strange woman appears and leaves hints to a better place.  Most of this novel is dark, dark, so it took me a long time to finish.  On the cover, Stephen King is quoted as saying "Good God, what a tale" and I definitely agree with that statement.  This is a sweeping story, and even though it uses familiar apocalyptic ideas, it feels epic in scope.  I really enjoyed the writing and will definitely look for more books by this author.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



How to Bewilder a Lord by Ally Bradfield
Non-rated



I have decided not to rate this book because even though I did like the story overall, I think that I would have enjoyed it much more had I read the prior book in the series.  I believe that the main characters actually meet and interact in the previous book and I think that would have made a big difference in my reading experience.  So, while this is a good historical romance, I would definitely recommend reading this series in order.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Missionary Life - June 15, 2017

Dangerous Territories by Amy Peterson
4 stars



I've always had an interest in the lives of people who choose to go to the most difficult countries, and this book definitely provides that.  Amy was a graduate student signed up to teach English in an unnamed country (but which could be narrowed down with some geographical references) with a Christian missionary organization.  She has what she believes to be a wonderful, religious experience, only to find out later that things actually fell apart.   The descriptions and writing are beautiful and her story brings up a lot of really great points about evangelism and missionary work.  She delves quite a bit into her own spirituality and references biblical passages, which I found comforting but may not be for everyone.  Overall, I not only enjoyed this book but also took something away from the reading experience.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Bookish Teen Romance - June 14, 2017

Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira\
3.5 stars



This is an incredibly cute romance about sixteen year old Phoebe, who prefers the world of her teen fantasy books to anything real life has to offer.  She has a group of close friends who always try to pull her out of fiction land and into reality, even if it means a little matchmaking.  Dev is the charming theatre geek who may or may not have a crush on Phoebe and with a little help from her fictional heroines, she may just figure it out.  This is pure fluffy goodness and perfect for those of us who were a little too much like Phoebe as teenagers.  Much of the material is fairly innocent and would probably be okay reading for the younger side of the YA spectrum.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Historical Romance Round-Up Part 2 (Published January-June 2017) -

A Counterfeit Heart by K.C. Bateman
4.5 stars






Richard has been searching for an infamous French forger for years, until Sabine turns up at his home late one night and claims to be the very forger he has been chasing.  After coming to terms with the fact that the Frenchman is actually a beautiful woman, Richard decides to use her for his own purposes.  This has everything that I want in a historical romance; a strong and intelligent heroine, feisty dialogue and great chemistry.   I read this one without reading the prior books in the series but will now go back and read those as well.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 




Lord of Pleasure by Erica Ridley
4 stars








Michael is know as the lord of pleasure.  His caricature is constantly in the papers with his supposed scandalous exploits and his friend mercilessly tease him for his rakish reputation.  Camellia is the oldest of three sisters and has done whatever she can to protect her good reputation.  An arranged marriage to an older man has her throwing away her scruples and attending masquerades where she meets the dashing Lord X and starts an intense romance.  The plot is fantastic and the characters are incredibly interesting.  The chemistry between the two characters is somewhat hit or miss depending on whether they are anonymous at the masquerade or bickering in real life which affects the overall romance a little.  Overall, though, I have liked both books in this series and look forward to future books.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 























Wed to a Spy by Sharon Cullen
4 stars






Sharon Cullen is becoming a very dependable source of historical romance for me.  I have yet to be disappointed with one of books and this is no exception.  Taking place during Tudor times in the Scottish court of Queen Mary, two people sent to spy on the queen are forced to wed even though it doesn't at all fit into their plans.  Also, their is a plot in the works to assassinate Queen Mary's key advisor and throw the court into chaos.  What I love most about this author's work, is that she develops interesting plots alongside the romance, which makes it a joy to read.  She does tend to write shorter books, and in this case the story may have benefited from more, but overall this is another great start to a series.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday Review - June 2, 2017

So Much a Part of You by Polly Dugan
4 stars





This is a collection of related stories about a group of people who meet in college and are connected in a multitude of ways.  I don't often enjoy short story collections, but when I do they are exactly like this one.  I related to these stories in many ways and I thought that the characters and the ways in which we see them at different points in their lives are realistic and really well written.  Besides the inclusion of one story that felt out of place, I think this is one of the better short story collections that I have read in recent years.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.