Review: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philippa is about to marry an earl, and she is concerned about more secretive matters of marriage. She turns to one of her brother-in-law's associates for help. Cross has many secrets, of course he does there wouldn't be a story if he didn't, and he does not want to become entangled with Lady Philippa. However, that is exactly what happens. I'm enjoying this series immensely. It is set in a gaming hell in London, and polite society women like Pippa don't know what they are getting into when they enter the Angle uninvited. Or maybe that do.

Again this was very enjoyable, and the romantic tension was worth every minute.

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Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Growing up I reads a few of Diana Wynne Jones' other novels, but I had not read this one. I love the anime movie that was made from the book, and when I picked up the book hoped that I would not regret reading this. I was surprised to find that the movie and the book were different enough that I could enjoy them both.

I would have loved this book if I had read it when I was in middle school. As an adult it was very good and worth reading. It just didn't have the depth and complexity I expected.

If you like the movie this book is worth giving a go. It is a light and enjoyable read.

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Review: Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With any historical fictions novel you go in knowing what will happen. Although this was a maritime tragedy I knew nothing about going into this book. I enjoyed this book, but I wasn't connected to the characters enough to care about the ending. I'm glad I read the novel, because I learned a little more about WWII of which I was previously unaware.

We have four different narrators, and the only one I had any strong feelings about was Alfred. I didn't like him at all. Joana, Florian, and Emilia were likable but they didn't have a pull that would have made me feel strongly one way or another about what happened to them. Don't get me wrong, I liked the novel. I just thought it could have been better.

Given the setting this could have been a real tear jerker, but it wasn't. I was surprised. I wanted to care enough about the characters to cry but I didn't. This book has it's place and it is well written. I just thought it would have been better if the characters were a little more relatable.

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Review: Romancing the Duke

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This novel was fun. Izzy Goodnight is down on her luck when she inherits a castle from a lover of her father's stories. When she arrives at the castle she has a ferret and the clothes on her back. Her determination to stay at the castle even when the Duke living there wants to kick her out leads to a fun romance.

I enjoyed relationship between Ransom and Izzy. It doesn't start out as romantic but as a struggle between two very strong willed individuals. This story was more than I expected it to be. I expected a silly light read, and it was silly and light but it was more than that. The characters had depth, and they grew as the story did.

I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.

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Review: A Rogue by Any Other Name

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was funny, sweet, and dangerous. It had all the elements for a good romance. There were problems with the book, but I found I was willing to forgive them because I really liked our main characters Penelope and Bourne.

The first line of this novel made me laugh, "The eight of diamonds ruined him." and I found myself laughing throughout the novel. Yes, this was a romance and there were lovely moments of pleasure, but it was also funny. I really appreciated that, and will be reading the rest in the series.

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Review: Red Queen

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did not expect this book to take the direction it did. It felt dystopian to me but I'm not sure if it was. I'd like to know how there are two colors of blood silver and red. It is just a given in the story but it seems like something important that wasn't addressed. Maybe it will be in the rest of the series.

I really liked the characters. Mare was stubborn, and didn't give up when she was taken from her world and thrown into the world of the Silvers. Cal held my interest because I never know what to expect from him. This was because Mare didn't know either. I did like their relationship.

This book almost had a love square. (Is that even a thing when there is only one girl?) I won't say more than that, but where normally this would have bothered me in a novel I did not find it annoying in this story.

Overall, the characters were enjoyable and the story was engaging. I did think the book left a lot of questions, but I guess that is why it is part of a series. I will be continuing the series.

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Review: The Trouble with Dukes

The Trouble with Dukes by Grace Burrowes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book I've read by Grace Burrowes, so I'm not familiar with the characters in this novel, but many of them have been in her past books. This book was an enjoyable read. Yes, it had a predictable ending, but I wouldn't have been happy if the main characters hadn't ended up together.

Hamish, the Duke of Murdoch, and Megan Windham were characters that I enjoyed spending a book with. Hamish is haunted by his time in the war and has not fully moved on. However, after meeting Megan he finds himself fighting a different kind of battle. I found the comparison of the London season to a war amusing. This book had the romance and the passion that I like, but it wasn't over the top. I'll be looking for more books by the author.

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Review: The Forbidden Wish

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story has magic and a lamp but it is not the story you know of Aladdin. I'm glad it was different from the original story. I felt the back story added a lot to why Zahra, the jinni, was who she was and why she was found in an abandoned city full of jewels. I always thought that was strange. Why was the jinni's lamp there, and why was the city cursed? Now I have an answer.

Aladdin and Zahra had an attraction that I believed. Zahra is an interesting narrator. She is telling the story to the previous owner of the lamp and it takes a while to realize what that means. I don't think I can say much more about the story without giving anything away. I would recommend this novel, and I'm looking forward to the next.

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Review: Scrappy Little Nobody

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a collection a essays, sometimes very short, detailing Anna Kendrick's life as an actress. I enjoyed it and liked hearing her read the audio version. It was at times very funny. I do think this is a case where the audio is better than the written because her interpretation of the writing adds so much to the essays that I would not have gotten from the just text version.

If you like Anna Kendrick, as an actress, you should check out this audiobook. It gives you an idea of how she became who she is today. I really enjoyed it.

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Review: Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying I wasn't sure how I felt about the cover of this book it didn't really do anything for me, but having read the book I find that I love the cover.

This book was more than I expected it to be. It was like Beauty and the Beast, so I had a pretty good idea how the story was going to end. Sometimes knowing the ending is not a bad thing and for me knowing the ending made this story stronger.

For the first few chapters the story did not interest me. Once Nyx gets to the castle and meets her husband Ignifex, the Gentle Lord, or the Lord of Bargains things get more interesting. This novel has a love triangle between Nyx, Ignifex, and Shade (the shadow prince). I found I didn't mind the love triangle as much as I might have in other books.

The book creates a magical world and I found I wouldn't have minded spending time there. The characters were interesting and I didn't want the story to end. I wanted to spend more time with the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

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Review: Magic Bites

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. The book was largely a summary of events rather than showing us the action as it happened. The story was in present tense, but the action scenes didn't feel tense to me. I never formed an attachment to the characters, and for the majority of the novel there was only Kate. I think that may have been part of what I struggled with, there just weren't enough characters and Kate was interesting but I didn't really feel an attachment to her. That doesn't bode well when it is a first person narrative.

Overall, it wasn't a bad book, and it was growing on my by the end. However, I didn't really feel like there was enough there to make me want to come back to the other books in this series. What it did have going for it was a very easy read, just not as gripping as I like. Maybe I'll be convinced otherwise, but this book just didn't make enough of an impression to convince me the others are worth reading.

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Review: A Noble Masquerade

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was really enjoying this novel up until page 150 when the main characters suddenly got replaced with characters almost exactly like them but that had suddenly developed religious zeal. For the main character Lady Miranda it felt out of character to me. It didn't feel quite right for Ryland either.

If religion had been part of the book from the start or if it had been less important to the characters in the last half I would have felt differently.

Here is the thing I liked the characters, story, and the setting for the first half of the book. The second half just felt like I got hit over the head with religion and the plot did not feel as tight. If the second half had been as good as the first this would have been a four star rating.

I really wish I had liked this book more but I can't because of the inconsistency of the second half of the novel.

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Review: Rebel of the Sands

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started a little slow. I should clarify that, and say it was really the first chapter that was slow. I was not drawn into the story immediately. It took a while to grow on me. At first if felt a bit like a Western with an odd religious (maybe Middle Eastern) vibe. Once I started seeing more of the fantasy and getting to know the characters a little more i was able to enjoy it.

The characters were strong and they developed and grew during the story. Amani starts the story as a smart talking gunslinger. Are there any gunslingers that are start talking? As she learns about the world outside of Dustwalk, she becomes stronger. Jin who saves her from Dustwalk doesn't develop quite as much as a character but he does grow.

What I appreciated most about this book was that it surprised me. There was a reveal that I did not see coming. I can't say anything more without spoilers, but I suggest reading because it isn't often a book surprises me.

The story had magic, mythical, creatures, and an interesting history. The characters were vibrant and the romantic tension between our main characters was just right.

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Review: Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure about this book when I started it. Maybe a little to masculine for me. I'm not sure exactly but I didn't really care for the lowReds that are essentially slave labor. They didn't think for themselves or if they did it was a death sentence. That aspect reminded me a little of The Hunger Games. The game between houses also was a little Hunger Games or Harry Potter.

After Eo dies, the book picked up and I enjoyed it a lot more. The world building on the surface of Mars was intriguing as was the society. I'm glad I don't live in this society. Your hair color reflects your status in life. An interesting way of deciding society and in someways true of our society.

The characters in this book were developed and real which I really liked. I wanted to be more surprised than I was by the ending, but it was still a good ending. There were only a few twists that really surprised me. However, I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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Review: Spice & Wolf, Vol. 2

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 2 by Isuna Hasekura
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second volume in the series picks up where the first left off. However, good fortune does not last, and Lawrence and Holo find themselves in a bit of a predicament.

I liked this novel more than the first. Holo is endearing, and her childlike behavior depth to her wisdom when she shares it. The relationship between the characters is growing slowly and I like that slow change. I'm looking forward to continuing this series of light novels.

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Review: Truly Madly Guilty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what I was going to think about this book. The BBQ was drawn out for the entire book. It was interspersed with the present where we saw the consequences of the day, but didn't yet know what had happened.

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to finish it at first because I don't like Erika. Her behavior and thinking patterns did not sit well with me. However, it switched to the perspective of others at the BBQ and then I was able to connect with the story a little more. I liked Tiffany the best of all the narrators. She felt the most human to be I guess.

My biggest reason for not liking the book more was that the ending seemed to neat, and I didn't care for that.

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Review: The Star-Touched Queen

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure about this book when I started it. It had the potential to be another princess who should have been ruler but wasn't a man possibility. However, I was glad that wasn't the case. I enjoyed the mythology that was used in this world. This is a fantasy world, but you can feel Indian mythology and the role it plays in the story. I really enjoy that in books, a touch from our world's history.

Maya is born under stars that foretell dark things in her future. As a result she is blamed for deaths in the palace, and she is ostracized. This would not have been interesting if not for her father who does not believe in the dark reading and wants to use her to end the war between kingdoms. It is after this that things begin to shift into fantasy and they got more interesting. When she is picking her husband another man appears and offers himself as an option. She takes that option and enters the Otherworld.

The Otherworld is from stories Maya told to her half sister and she is amazed by it. This story is full of secrets. I recommend it, and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

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Review: Doon

Doon by Carey Corp
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Within the first chapter I found a typo. That about made me stop reading. I was also a little annoyed by the stereo types of Scottish.

Did anyone else think Outlander when they were reading this? Jamie being the love interest in both books. It was different no time travel. Just travel to a separated world, but it was still so close.

I can't say I really liked any of the characters as much as I should have. Kenna complaining about her looks was enough to make me dislike her a little bit. Veronica might have been okay, but she needed to stop worrying and share. Before the story gets to Doon, it drags. The thing that saved this from a one star rating was the part in Doon an the kissing. I'm not sure I'll be looking for the next in the series. This looked good from the description but it just didn't work as well as I had hoped.

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Review: Breath Of Earth

Breath Of Earth by Beth Cato
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the steampunk historical fantasy setting. Having it set in San Fransisco right before the earthquake of 1906 lent to the fantasy and magic of the story. I liked the characters but not as much as I wish I could have. Ingrid was a little hung up in her looks and being a woman in a world dominated by men. I know she was that way because she was ignored by the men around her, but it bothered me a bit. The story was both magical and historical and for me it just didn't blend. I enjoyed the book a lot. It just felt a little like something was missing.

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Review: The Storyspinner

The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an easy read and I enjoyed the story. I think I might have enjoyed it more if the there had not been so many points of view. It was hard to get to know the characters since it jumped every chapter. I ended up really liking it by the end because I'd gotten to know the characters by that point.

In the group of Keepers that narrated, I liked Pira and her brother Jacaré. They were very different people, but even though there was friction between them you could see they cared. I think I would have liked Leão but I was only starting to get a feel for his character when the book ended.

For human narrators only Johanna and Rafi narrated enough for me to get a feel for them as characters. I liked them both and felt some attachment for Johanna.

The biggest reason I'm not giving this a higher rating is because I didn't get a chance to really bond with the characters since the perspective kept changing. I did really like the story and I'll be reading the next.

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Review: Illuminae

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

At first, I didn't think I was going to care much for this book. It is not your typical narrative. It is a collection of files that for a narrative of sorts.

Kady and Ezra escape from an illegal mining facility on a remote planet only to find themselves being chased and forced to speak to each other when they had recently broken up. I thought this would really annoy but I ended up liking their weird relationship.

I also was surprised to find I really liked AIDAN the artificial intelligence on the warship. Past science fiction novels that include an AI as a main character fell a bit short for me. I think the combination of places our information came from helped me see the AI in a different way and one I could enjoy.

I'm glad I gave this book a chance because I almost stopped reading it on page 15. I really enjoyed it.

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Review: The Shattered Court

The Shattered Court by M.J. Scott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice quick read for the weekend. It was exactly what I was looking for: adventure, magic, sex, lust, kissing, and danger.

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Review: At the Edge of the Orchard

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is not a light read. The book is depressing in its portrayal of relationships and people in general.

I enjoyed the second half of this novel more than the first. I wasn't sure I was going to finish it at first. Then it started growing on me. I did not care for Sadie or James Goodenough. They were both mean and vindictive. I preferred their son Robert, so when the narrative switched to his perspective I found the story more engaging.

I enjoyed this book more than the last novel by Chevalier. It still wasn't as good as The Virgin Blue or Girl with a Pearl Earring. Her more recent books felt formulaic to me. This one move away from formula a little which is why I liked it more.

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Review: And I Darken

And I Darken by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I expected this book to be fantasy, but it was more historical fiction. I still enjoyed it a lot. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did considering I was looking for a fantasy novel. One thing I really appreciated about this book was that Lada our main character was not a beauty and no one disputed they fact. She was not secretly pretty like so many young adult female characters. She was who she was an that did not include beauty. That didn't mean she was without power as a woman it just was where her power came from. I'd gotten tired of the "I'm so plain, but really I'm not plain but pretty," in young adult novels that when this novel didn't have that I was very pleased. All of the characters were human and that was nice. I recommend this book.

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Review: Wildwood

Wildwood by Colin Meloy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was enjoyable at times and boring others. It was not a book I wanted to read straight through but one I was happy to put down and only picked back up because it was convenient.

I liked the premise for the story, but I think it feel short of its potential.

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Review: Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1 by Isuna Hasekura
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I watched the anime years ago and loved it. It took me a while but I finally got around to reading the first light novel. I'm so happy I did. I liked that it had economics included in the story. Lawrence a traveling merchant is our narrator and when he travels through a village during the harvest ceremony the harvest God Holo sneaks into his wagon. Holo, the Wisewolf, is just so fun. She is both old and wise and young and silly. I can't wait to read more about Lawrence and Holo.

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Review: The Queen of the Tearling

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended by a librarian, who thought I might enjoy it based on other books I was checking out. Most of the time the librarians talk with me about books I'm returning so I was a little surprised to get the recommendation without asking. It was a good recommendation for me. I enjoyed the novel and I'm looking forward to the next book.

I really liked Kelsea was an interesting character. I really enjoyed her when she hadn't seen herself in a mirror and started pining over her lack of looks. Before she was shown her reflection she seemed content with who she was and I appreciated that. However, she did become a little obsessed with her looks and others looks and that irked me. I'm hoping that she gets beyond that and is able to just be a kick ass heroine.

I did enjoy the book, and am looking forward to the next. So many questions about the magic in this most apocalyptic world that were unanswered.

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