Book description available via Amazon.
This is not a book I would have picked up on my own, but it was highly recommended in a number of places, so I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is wow - what an emotional rollercoaster! In some ways it felt more like a historical fiction novel than a historical romance, partly because the author provided so much historical detail and also partly because the second half of the book focused so closely on the hero and his journey back to the heroine after he leaves her to seek his fortune so they can be married. The heroine is missing from the story for quite a while, but the author does go back and update the reader on what she's been doing while the hero has been gone. The hero is a deeply wounded and flawed individual, which is certainly understandable given the circumstances of his childhood and history of abuse, not to mention what he goes through after being washed overboard during a storm at sea. By the end of the book, Gabriel, the hero, has gone through so many changes and experienced so much growth that he almost seems like a different person.
The main reason I can't give this book 5 stars is that I thought the problems between the hero and heroine were worked out far too easily in the end. Sarah, the heroine, is almost too perfect and too understanding of Gabriel's struggles. I believe in the power of love and forgiveness as much as anyone, but I still think her relatively easy/calm acceptance of Gabriel's abandonment is unrealistic, even given her knowledge of the struggles he had already experienced in his life. I would have liked to see him grovel a bit more before she forgave him and moved on with their life together.
One thing I especially liked about this book is that so much of it is told from the hero's point of view, which is unusual because most romances are told from the heroine's point of view. The book was unusual in other ways, such as the fact that the vast majority of it took place outside London, and even outside of England. It was very refreshing to read something that doesn't focus on the typical round of parties and balls during the London Season!
Overall, I did enjoy this book and found it to be an engrossing read. I look forward to reading more books by Judith James in the near future!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Can you read more than one book at once?
A poster on one of the romance boards I sometimes visit posted an interesting question today: Can you read more than one book at once? If so, do you have problems keeping the stories straight?
For me, it's more unusual to NOT be reading more than one book at a time. I usually read at least 2 books at once - most of the time it's actually more like 3 or 4. I always have at least one hard copy book and one ebook going at a time, plus sometimes an audio book if I come across something interesting that I can borrow from the library. I don't usually have a problem keeping the stories straight since I try to choose different genres/time periods to read at once (ie. one mystery or romantic suspense, one historical romance or historical fiction novel, and one contemporary chick lit or romance novel). If there's one book that particularly catches my interest, I'll stick with that one as much as possible. Otherwise, I'll choose what to read depending on the situation. If I'm at home, I try to read the DTB. If I'm in the car, it's the audio book. If I'm bored at work or have some free time while I'm out and about, it's the Kindle book since I can read it on my phone even if I don't have my Kindle with me.
What are your thoughts?
For me, it's more unusual to NOT be reading more than one book at a time. I usually read at least 2 books at once - most of the time it's actually more like 3 or 4. I always have at least one hard copy book and one ebook going at a time, plus sometimes an audio book if I come across something interesting that I can borrow from the library. I don't usually have a problem keeping the stories straight since I try to choose different genres/time periods to read at once (ie. one mystery or romantic suspense, one historical romance or historical fiction novel, and one contemporary chick lit or romance novel). If there's one book that particularly catches my interest, I'll stick with that one as much as possible. Otherwise, I'll choose what to read depending on the situation. If I'm at home, I try to read the DTB. If I'm in the car, it's the audio book. If I'm bored at work or have some free time while I'm out and about, it's the Kindle book since I can read it on my phone even if I don't have my Kindle with me.
What are your thoughts?
A-Z Author Challenge 2011 - Round 1
Back in January, I decided to participate in a reading challenge on one of the romance message boards I sometimes visit. The challenge was to read one book for each letter of the alphabet, using the first letter in the author's first and last name to determine the letter it represented. Difficult letters like Q were allowed to be found anywhere in the author's name, not just at the beginning.
Participants have a whole year in which to finish the challenge, which seems like a lot of time to me since it works out to about 2 weeks per book. Despite being a pretty fast reader and having ample time to finish each book, at first I thought that it would take me all year to finish the challenge because I tend to be a "mood" reader. I had a feeling that I wouldn't do a good job of sticking to my list because the ones I had picked might not fit with what I felt like reading when I got around to that letter. To my surprise, I managed to finish my list in about 4 months. I found the challenge to be very enjoyable because it forced me to vary my reading and find new authors for some of the letters, so I didn't get stuck in a rut and keep reading the same thing over and over. I still chose to read some books that weren't on my list, and I also switched out books for some of the letters because I found something more appealing than what I had originally planned to read, but the planner in me was very excited about having my reading all planned out in advance. :-) That way I didn't agonize over which book to choose and waste time that I could be using to actually read!
In case anyone actually stumbles across this blog and is interested, here is my completed list:
A - Adele Ashworth - My Darling Caroline - 2/13/2011
B - Celeste Bradley - Desperately Seeking a Duke - 2/26/2011
C - Allison Chase - Most Eagerly Yours - 1/14/2011
D - Jude Deveraux - Forever - 3/22/2011
E - Eileen Dreyer - Never a Gentleman - 4/3/2011
F - Jane Feather - A Wicked Gentleman - 3/9/2011
G - Julie Garwood - Sizzle - 2/18/2011
H - Diane Haeger -The Queen's Rival - 3/30/2011
I - Eva Ibbotson - A Countess Below Stairs - 1/30/2011
J - Judith James - Broken Wing (NOOK) - 4/16/2011
K - Carla Kelly - The Admiral's Penniless Bride (KINDLE) - 4/23/2011
L - Julie Anne Long - The Runaway Duke - 3/13/2011
M - Laurel McKee - Countess of Scandal - 3/20/2011
N - Linda Needham - Marry the Man Today - 3/18/2011
O - Olivia Drake - Seducing the Heiress - 1/25/2011
P - Mary Jo Putney - The Bargain (NOOK) - 4/10/2011
Q - Amanda Quick - Scandal - 4/8/2011
R - Maya Rodale - A Groom of One's Own - 2/15/2011
S - Susan Holloway Scott - The Countess and the King - 2/6/2011
T - Elizabeth Thornton - The Marriage Trap - 3/2/2011
U - Lisa Unger - Beautiful Lies - 4/27/2011
V - Virginia Henley - Unmasked - 5/3/2011
W - Wendy Markham - The Best Gift - 2/22/2011
X - Cathy Maxwell - You and No Other - 4/17/2011
Y - Rebecca York - Royal Lockdown (KINDLE) - 1/28/2011
Z - Laura Zigman - Her (KINDLE) - 2/2/2011
I enjoyed the challenge so much that I've decided to try and do it twice more before the end of the year. I'm already working on my second list, which I'll post soon. I may post reviews of some of the books, too. Who knows - this is a new blog, so I don't know exactly what I may feel like writing yet!
Participants have a whole year in which to finish the challenge, which seems like a lot of time to me since it works out to about 2 weeks per book. Despite being a pretty fast reader and having ample time to finish each book, at first I thought that it would take me all year to finish the challenge because I tend to be a "mood" reader. I had a feeling that I wouldn't do a good job of sticking to my list because the ones I had picked might not fit with what I felt like reading when I got around to that letter. To my surprise, I managed to finish my list in about 4 months. I found the challenge to be very enjoyable because it forced me to vary my reading and find new authors for some of the letters, so I didn't get stuck in a rut and keep reading the same thing over and over. I still chose to read some books that weren't on my list, and I also switched out books for some of the letters because I found something more appealing than what I had originally planned to read, but the planner in me was very excited about having my reading all planned out in advance. :-) That way I didn't agonize over which book to choose and waste time that I could be using to actually read!
In case anyone actually stumbles across this blog and is interested, here is my completed list:
A - Adele Ashworth - My Darling Caroline - 2/13/2011
B - Celeste Bradley - Desperately Seeking a Duke - 2/26/2011
C - Allison Chase - Most Eagerly Yours - 1/14/2011
D - Jude Deveraux - Forever - 3/22/2011
E - Eileen Dreyer - Never a Gentleman - 4/3/2011
F - Jane Feather - A Wicked Gentleman - 3/9/2011
G - Julie Garwood - Sizzle - 2/18/2011
H - Diane Haeger -The Queen's Rival - 3/30/2011
I - Eva Ibbotson - A Countess Below Stairs - 1/30/2011
J - Judith James - Broken Wing (NOOK) - 4/16/2011
K - Carla Kelly - The Admiral's Penniless Bride (KINDLE) - 4/23/2011
L - Julie Anne Long - The Runaway Duke - 3/13/2011
M - Laurel McKee - Countess of Scandal - 3/20/2011
N - Linda Needham - Marry the Man Today - 3/18/2011
O - Olivia Drake - Seducing the Heiress - 1/25/2011
P - Mary Jo Putney - The Bargain (NOOK) - 4/10/2011
Q - Amanda Quick - Scandal - 4/8/2011
R - Maya Rodale - A Groom of One's Own - 2/15/2011
S - Susan Holloway Scott - The Countess and the King - 2/6/2011
T - Elizabeth Thornton - The Marriage Trap - 3/2/2011
U - Lisa Unger - Beautiful Lies - 4/27/2011
V - Virginia Henley - Unmasked - 5/3/2011
W - Wendy Markham - The Best Gift - 2/22/2011
X - Cathy Maxwell - You and No Other - 4/17/2011
Y - Rebecca York - Royal Lockdown (KINDLE) - 1/28/2011
Z - Laura Zigman - Her (KINDLE) - 2/2/2011
I enjoyed the challenge so much that I've decided to try and do it twice more before the end of the year. I'm already working on my second list, which I'll post soon. I may post reviews of some of the books, too. Who knows - this is a new blog, so I don't know exactly what I may feel like writing yet!
"The Valcourt Heiress" by Catherine Coulter - 2 Stars (***SPOILERS***)
Book description available via Amazon.
I think this will be the last Catherine Coulter book I pick up. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I bothered to finish this one. I've always hated Coulter's contemporary FBI series (couldn't even finish the first one I tried), but her historicals used to be very good. However, this book was mostly boring and far-fetched. IMO, the heroine definitely suffered from "too stupid to live" syndrome. In the beginning, she decides to run away even though she has no idea where she is going to go, no ready funds and limited skills to protect herself. After she is kidnapped (what a surprise), the hero rescues her (though he thinks she is a young boy at the time). Instead of accepting the protection he offers, she hides in the woods until he and his men leave because she doesn't trust him. Despite that, she follows him to his castle and decides to pretend that she has lived there all along. She starts wearing dresses again and decides that because she can read, write, and make lists, she will become the castle steward. This book takes place in the 13th century - how many female stewards would there have been then? Probably very few, if any. Also, is list-making all that useful of a skill? Apparently the author thinks it is because the hero, heroine, and Queen of England are all held up as examples of good list makers. Coulter talks about list making a LOT - that's probably one of the reasons I found the book to be so boring. The hero and heroine are both weirdly obsessed with soap, too, which is another thing that seems odd for the time period. Didn't people in the Middle Ages think frequent bathing caused death? The witchcraft plot with the heroine's mother was unbelievable and kind of stupid too. There were a number of other plot twists that seemed to come out of left field, which made it very hard to get into the story.
Aside from the general stupidity and seeming anachronisms, I was particularly bothered by the scene where the heroine loses her virginity because she essentially rapes the hero. Certainly he was not awake to give consent when she flung herself on top of him! Even after he wakes up and it's already too late to undo what has happened, there are a couple of times he says no. Then, all of a sudden when the heroine wants to stop because she's in pain, he wants to keep going. He later describes it as one of the best sexual experiences of his life. Are we supposed to believe that rape is okay just because the man is the victim?
It didn't help that I listened to the audio version of this book and found the narrator to be EXTREMELY irritating. I think she was trying to sound "posh" so she pronounced some words oddly and had an annoying habit of rolling her r's at the end of a word. I wish she would have just spoken normally - her regular speaking voice is quite nice, and I probably would have enjoyed listening to it more had she not jarred me out of the story every time she said something strange.
Overall, I'm generously giving this book 2 stars because I liked a few of the characters and there were a couple of amusing scenes. For the most part, though, I would not recommend this book.
I think this will be the last Catherine Coulter book I pick up. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I bothered to finish this one. I've always hated Coulter's contemporary FBI series (couldn't even finish the first one I tried), but her historicals used to be very good. However, this book was mostly boring and far-fetched. IMO, the heroine definitely suffered from "too stupid to live" syndrome. In the beginning, she decides to run away even though she has no idea where she is going to go, no ready funds and limited skills to protect herself. After she is kidnapped (what a surprise), the hero rescues her (though he thinks she is a young boy at the time). Instead of accepting the protection he offers, she hides in the woods until he and his men leave because she doesn't trust him. Despite that, she follows him to his castle and decides to pretend that she has lived there all along. She starts wearing dresses again and decides that because she can read, write, and make lists, she will become the castle steward. This book takes place in the 13th century - how many female stewards would there have been then? Probably very few, if any. Also, is list-making all that useful of a skill? Apparently the author thinks it is because the hero, heroine, and Queen of England are all held up as examples of good list makers. Coulter talks about list making a LOT - that's probably one of the reasons I found the book to be so boring. The hero and heroine are both weirdly obsessed with soap, too, which is another thing that seems odd for the time period. Didn't people in the Middle Ages think frequent bathing caused death? The witchcraft plot with the heroine's mother was unbelievable and kind of stupid too. There were a number of other plot twists that seemed to come out of left field, which made it very hard to get into the story.
Aside from the general stupidity and seeming anachronisms, I was particularly bothered by the scene where the heroine loses her virginity because she essentially rapes the hero. Certainly he was not awake to give consent when she flung herself on top of him! Even after he wakes up and it's already too late to undo what has happened, there are a couple of times he says no. Then, all of a sudden when the heroine wants to stop because she's in pain, he wants to keep going. He later describes it as one of the best sexual experiences of his life. Are we supposed to believe that rape is okay just because the man is the victim?
It didn't help that I listened to the audio version of this book and found the narrator to be EXTREMELY irritating. I think she was trying to sound "posh" so she pronounced some words oddly and had an annoying habit of rolling her r's at the end of a word. I wish she would have just spoken normally - her regular speaking voice is quite nice, and I probably would have enjoyed listening to it more had she not jarred me out of the story every time she said something strange.
Overall, I'm generously giving this book 2 stars because I liked a few of the characters and there were a couple of amusing scenes. For the most part, though, I would not recommend this book.
"If You Were Here" by Jen Lancaster - 5 Stars
Book description available via Amazon.
I have to admit that I was worried when Jen Lancaster announced she was moving from writing non-fiction to writing fiction. I was afraid that her particular brand of humor might not transfer well to fiction, or that the story wouldn't be well developed because she was so focused on making her readers laugh. However, I was VERY pleasantly surprised by her first attempt at fiction. This book made me laugh out loud just like her previous non-fiction works, but it also had a nice message to go along with the humor. I'm so happy that everything worked out for Mac and Mia, as well as their various friends, in the end. I highly recommend picking up this book if you're looking for a good laugh. Fair warning, though: you may develop an uncontrollable urge to watch "Sixteen Candles" as soon as you finish it! :-)
I have to admit that I was worried when Jen Lancaster announced she was moving from writing non-fiction to writing fiction. I was afraid that her particular brand of humor might not transfer well to fiction, or that the story wouldn't be well developed because she was so focused on making her readers laugh. However, I was VERY pleasantly surprised by her first attempt at fiction. This book made me laugh out loud just like her previous non-fiction works, but it also had a nice message to go along with the humor. I'm so happy that everything worked out for Mac and Mia, as well as their various friends, in the end. I highly recommend picking up this book if you're looking for a good laugh. Fair warning, though: you may develop an uncontrollable urge to watch "Sixteen Candles" as soon as you finish it! :-)
"An Affair without End" by Candace Camp - 4 Stars (***SPOILERS***)
Book description available via Amazon.
Based on some of the other reviews I've read, it seems like I'm in the minority, but I thought this book was a bit slow to start. However, I'm glad I stuck with it because it improved A LOT as I continued reading. In fact, I read most of the second half in one sitting because I didn't want to put the book down! I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Oliver and Vivian, but the secondary romance between Oliver's cousin Camellia and Vivian's brother Gregory almost stole the show. I really liked Gregory - he had some of the best lines in the book, especially during the scene when he encounters Camellia sneaking out of Oliver's house to meet her stepfather. The mystery of who was behind the jewel thefts was well developed, and I was completely fooled about who the villain was right up until the moment of reveal. Overall, while I may not have enjoyed this book as much as the first two in the trilogy, it was still an engrossing read and nice conclusion to the series. I have yet to be disappointed by a Candace Camp novel, and this was no exception. I look forward to seeing what she plans to write about next!
Based on some of the other reviews I've read, it seems like I'm in the minority, but I thought this book was a bit slow to start. However, I'm glad I stuck with it because it improved A LOT as I continued reading. In fact, I read most of the second half in one sitting because I didn't want to put the book down! I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Oliver and Vivian, but the secondary romance between Oliver's cousin Camellia and Vivian's brother Gregory almost stole the show. I really liked Gregory - he had some of the best lines in the book, especially during the scene when he encounters Camellia sneaking out of Oliver's house to meet her stepfather. The mystery of who was behind the jewel thefts was well developed, and I was completely fooled about who the villain was right up until the moment of reveal. Overall, while I may not have enjoyed this book as much as the first two in the trilogy, it was still an engrossing read and nice conclusion to the series. I have yet to be disappointed by a Candace Camp novel, and this was no exception. I look forward to seeing what she plans to write about next!
"Skipping a Beat" by Sarah Pekkanen - 4 Stars (***SPOILERS***)
Book description available via Amazon.
This could have been a GREAT book, but for some reason the middle felt like it dragged. That might be because some of the focus shifted away from Michael and Julia to Isabelle's unexpected reunion with the daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. Isabelle's story was interesting, and I could see the parallels between it and Michael and Julia's story, but it felt like it should have been explored in another book instead of completely playing out in this one. The first line of Chapter 1 really grabbed me, so I expected to be enthralled throughout the book. Instead, I found myself picking up and finishing another book before going back to finish this one. While there were some big surprises (Julia's affair and her mother's death come to mind), I found parts of the book to be rather predictable. For example, I was sure that Michael would end up dying anyway, although how he died was a surprise to me. I also predicted that Julia would be pregnant by the end of the book.
I wish we could have gotten inside Michael's head a bit more to better understand what he was thinking and feeling. On one hand, I liked the first person narration because it made it easy to empathize with Julia and feel her confusion in the wake of Michael's near death experience. However, it made it a lot more difficult to understand Michael's motivations. I think I would have preferred a third person narrator, who could have explained both characters' motivations more effectively, or perhaps alternating first person narration (one chapter from Julia's perspective, then the next from Michael's perspective).
Despite its flaws, "Skipping a Beat" was a very good book, especially for a relatively new author, and it felt true to life. It's easy to see how Michael and Julia's marriage reached the breaking point. Sadly, it's a story that I've heard many times in real life.
This could have been a GREAT book, but for some reason the middle felt like it dragged. That might be because some of the focus shifted away from Michael and Julia to Isabelle's unexpected reunion with the daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. Isabelle's story was interesting, and I could see the parallels between it and Michael and Julia's story, but it felt like it should have been explored in another book instead of completely playing out in this one. The first line of Chapter 1 really grabbed me, so I expected to be enthralled throughout the book. Instead, I found myself picking up and finishing another book before going back to finish this one. While there were some big surprises (Julia's affair and her mother's death come to mind), I found parts of the book to be rather predictable. For example, I was sure that Michael would end up dying anyway, although how he died was a surprise to me. I also predicted that Julia would be pregnant by the end of the book.
I wish we could have gotten inside Michael's head a bit more to better understand what he was thinking and feeling. On one hand, I liked the first person narration because it made it easy to empathize with Julia and feel her confusion in the wake of Michael's near death experience. However, it made it a lot more difficult to understand Michael's motivations. I think I would have preferred a third person narrator, who could have explained both characters' motivations more effectively, or perhaps alternating first person narration (one chapter from Julia's perspective, then the next from Michael's perspective).
Despite its flaws, "Skipping a Beat" was a very good book, especially for a relatively new author, and it felt true to life. It's easy to see how Michael and Julia's marriage reached the breaking point. Sadly, it's a story that I've heard many times in real life.
Welcome to my blog!
Hello there and welcome to my new blog! Truthfully, most of what I post here is not intended to be shared with anyone - at least, not at this point in time. However, keeping a blog will be a great way for me to keep track of what I'm reading and my thoughts on each book. If you've stumbled across this blog and have an interest in discussing any of what I've read, please feel free to comment. While I don't expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable comments.
As stated, this blog is more for me than for anyone else. However, if you do take the time to read it, I hope it will help you find some good reading material and steer clear of books that aren't worth your time.
My favorite genres are romance (mainly historical, but I've discovered some good contemporary authors recently), historical fiction, mysteries (mostly "cozies" - I'm not a big fan of blood!), romantic suspense, women's fiction/chick lit, humor, and whatever else strikes my fancy! I have over 2,000 unread books and ebooks currently on my shelves (hence the "Groaning Shelves" in the blog's URL), so I have quite a bit of reading ahead of me.
Thanks again for stopping by!
As stated, this blog is more for me than for anyone else. However, if you do take the time to read it, I hope it will help you find some good reading material and steer clear of books that aren't worth your time.
My favorite genres are romance (mainly historical, but I've discovered some good contemporary authors recently), historical fiction, mysteries (mostly "cozies" - I'm not a big fan of blood!), romantic suspense, women's fiction/chick lit, humor, and whatever else strikes my fancy! I have over 2,000 unread books and ebooks currently on my shelves (hence the "Groaning Shelves" in the blog's URL), so I have quite a bit of reading ahead of me.
Thanks again for stopping by!
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