Review: Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (October 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402237510
ISBN-13: 978-1402237515



From the publisher:

"Living in a small town like Channings Hill, there are some people you just can’t avoid, no matter how much you really, really want to. When Cleo’s job throws her into constant contact with her childhood nemesis, Johnny LaVenture, she can’t leave the past behind. But for someone she’d rather have nothing to do with, Johnny is impossible to ignore… Then shocking discoveries of past scandals, unrequited loves, old grudges, and not-so-ex-wives throw Cleo’s family and friends into chaos. And as always, you can count on Jill Mansell to have a lively cast of secondary characters that try to steal the show! Life in sleepy Channings Hill may be about to get very complicated, but it’s definitely never been more exciting."

My thoughts: In Take a Chance on Me, Jill Mansell introduces us to some really fun characters: Cleo, who drives a limo for a living has been searching for the perfect man for ages and thinks's she's found him. Or has she? Now that her old crush is back in town things can get very interesting and her new man, Will, may go the way of the dodo but not for the reasons you might think.

Cleo's next door neighbor and friend, Ash, is a very popular sparkling wit on the radio but in person, he can be shy and retiring. It was so much fun to read about all his antics especially when the new pub cook catches his eye. Unfortunately, someone else has caught her eye. Another ingredient in the romantic pot to add some spice to Channings Hill.

And what chick-lit plot would be complete without some family drama? That would be Cleo's older sister, Abby, who's been happily married to Tom for years when her life is thrown into an emotional maelstrom. It seems Tom has some secrets of his own. Of course Cleo has to get involved in all this and when feelings start to run rampant Cleo is flummoxed as to how to get her sister Abby to move on and more importantly to move out!

I just loved Jill Mansell's previous books and this one was no exception. Mansell's unique and witty style of writing brings her characters to life like no other. By the end of the story, I felt like the characters were dear friends. The descriptions of the setting are so well done and so appealing, that I find myself wishing I could visit or live there. Sheer escapism  for those times you want to indulge in some fun, light-hearted reading. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review: Holly's Inbox : Scandal in the City by Holly Denham

Holly's Inbox : Scandal in the City(Sourcebooks Casablanca; ISBN:
978-1-4114-7;
$14.99; August 2010)

Holly's inbox provides unguarded access to heroine Holly, making her realistic and relatable, as you can picture yourself in her shoes, obsessing over how to phrase a message or waiting for a response. Author Bill Surie has created a novel that reads like the personal correspondence of a woman who is navigating her new relationship with her boyfriend and gossip at the office, with each snippet of information revealed through Holly's frequent exchanges with her best friends, her well-meaning but delusional parents, shifty brother and Internet-savvy grandmother.

Holly works in reception at a London investment bank and seems to spend most of her day composing e-mails to friends, family and her boyfriend, Toby. Occasionally, work intrudes and Holly must deal with the demands of her job. Through her e-mails and the subsequent replies from various people, we learn about Holly's quirky family, the day to day grind of working and her boyfriend Toby who also works in the bank. Seems that their relationship is floundering a bit and Holly and her friends Jason, Trisha and Aisha think that Toby might be harboring a secret. Is he having an affair? Why does he keep making trips to France?

When Holly is promoted to manager, she only has 30 days to prove herself. Holly does an excellent job but an unfortunate mix-up just before the end of the probation period sends Holly and the bank into a tailspin. Her at- work-nemesis, Tanya, tries to make Holly's life hell but Holly does manage to get her own sweet revenge.

About half way through the book started to flag for me and began sounding repetitive but then the author threw a few twists in that perked up my interest. Even though it is 523 pages long, it reads up quickly in the e-mail format. While I didn't love the book, I did like it, especially the nice neat ending. An easy read if you're looking for something extremely light and frothy with a comedic feel to it. 3***

About the author :

Holly Denham is the pen name for Bill Surie, who is the owner of a placement service for receptionists and secretaries in London, a direct inspiration for Holly’s Inbox. He started the Holly's Inbox website as a place to serialize his first novel, which became an overnight sensation.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review: Roseflower Creek by Jackie Lee Miles

From the publisher: Thus begins the story of Lori Jean, whose short life and early death are woven into this worldly-wise novel set in the rural South of the 1950s. Told from the point of view of ten-year-old Lori Jean, a sensitive dreamer of a child who longs for a "normal" family, Roseflower Creek boldly explores the dynamics of a dysfunctional Southern family. Abandoned by her father when she was five years old, her world consists of a weak-willed mother and an alcoholic step-father who can't—or won't—keep a steady job. Yet Lori Jean is filled with the curiosity and hope common to all children.

After Lori Jean's step-father, Ray, begins attending AA meetings, he seems like a changed man, and Lori Jean begins to think that finally she and her mama are going to experience some long-overdo happiness—to be a real family and "git ourselves one of them futures, just like regular folks." But when Ray returns to his former ways and Lori Jean uncovers his secret, everything begins to spin out of control and she pays the ultimate price for what she knows.

My Thoughts:

I wanted to like this one a lot. Really, I did. Unfortunately, I found it slow going. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it even though I usually love southern lit or maybe it was the dialect the narrator used or the fact that none of the characters grabbed me or even the predictability of the plot. Granted it was a sad story, and the characters had pitiful lives but a lot of that was due to their own choices for which I had no sympathy.

Roseflower Creek is a short read, a litany of one tragic event after another, but at the end of it, all I felt was depressed. This is just how the book made me feel, please make your own judgements. One thing I did like is that Miles evoked the atmosphere of a small Georgia town quite well. 2**

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review: Farm Fatale by Wendy Holden

From the publisher: The must-have novel from smash UK bestseller Wendy Holden! Cash-strapped Rosie and her boyfriend Mark are city folk longing for a country cottage. Rampantly nouveaux-riches Samantha and Guy are also searching for rustic bliss—a mansion complete with all the fancy trappings. The village of Eight Mile Bottom seems quiet enough, despite a nosy postman, a reclusive rock star, a glamorous Bond Girl, and a ghost with a knife in its back. But there are unexpected thrills in the hills, and the two couples are soon swept up in various romantic entanglements, mix-ups, slip-ups, and unlikely seductions in their search for ever-greener pastures.

My Thoughts : What seemed like a good idea at the time to Rosie, illustrator, and Samantha, actress wannabe, didn't sit too well with their respective mates. In fact Rosie's boyfriend, Mark, only agreed to go after he got a newpaper column based on moving to the country. Samantha's husband Guy, didn't have much say. He was in the throes of a heart attack when Samantha decided the move from crowded city to bucolic countryside would help move her into the limelight.

The grass is always greener on the other side might sound good as a platitude but in real life, that's not usually the case as these characters find out the hard way. Thinking that writing a column about moving to the country would be as easy as falling off a log, Mark finds nothing suits him as subjects for a column even though Rosie comes up with numerous clever ideas. How can a man write when there are so many distractions - such as the screaming horde of children living next door with their marijuana hazed parents or the perpetual screech of tires and banging of front doors from the nosy postman who has to visit each house and pass on everyone else's business.

Rosie has her own set of problems to deal with. Not being too fond of the adverse changes in Mark's personality, Rosie begins to question whether the relationship is what she really wants. When things get out of hand at a neighboring party, Rosie is faced with a few new professional challenges and personal choices that might just be right for her. Is the cute but falling down cottage in the countryside still the place to be? Is Mark still her dream man?

Holden's sense of humor, keen observational skills and sharp, satiric wit really appeal to me; she can come up with characters who are just so full of themselves and find humorous ways to give them their comeuppance. If you think you've got the end to this one figured out- think again! Holden manages to throw in a real twist at the end.

Farm Fatale had me snickering on page two and the trend continued to the finale. Is this great Literature? No! A fun, sheer escapism read? You betcha! As with Holden's Beautiful People, I enjoyed this one immensely. 4****

Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (July 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402237162
ISBN-13: 978-1402237164

For more info on Wendy Holden, please visit her website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you, Danielle!

Review: Wild Irish Sea by Loucinda McGary

From the publisher: "Amber O’Neill knows something is wrong when her twin brother summoning her through the telepathic ability they’ve shared since they were young and rushes to the Ireland to find and save him from the danger she feels in his calling, before it’s too late. Amber enlists the aid of recovering alcoholic and former police inspector Kevin Hennessey, who wants nothing to do with the beautiful American telling him a wild story about murder and danger… But the wildness of the sea, the magical legend of a lost selkie prince, and their own desperate efforts to find and save her missing brother bring them together on levels neither one could ever have imagined. "

My thoughts:

Once again Loucinda McGary managed to mentally transport me to Ireland entertaining me along the way with a little bit of romance, mixed in with a few dangerous characters and some magical elements. Let's just say I'll never look at a seal again with the same feelings. Are they really seals? Some of it may have been a stretch of the imagination, but it still made for a fun story.

I really liked the strong main characters along with the minor ones. The side plot thread of attempted murder, smugglers and dirty police just added to the intensity of the story. It may have been chilly and rainy in Ireland but anywhere near Amber and Kevin, it was hot and sultry! McGary is definitely a "show me," not a "tell me," type of writer.

Despite the book having one of "those" covers, I did enjoy it. Honestly, the cover would have grabbed me just with the spume beating against the rocks and the thatched cottage in the background. I guess it's supposed to denote hot and steamy. All in all, another perfect, summer beach read. 3.5**

If you like this genre of book set in Ireland, you can see my review of Loucinda's book, Wild Sight.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you, Danielle!

Giveaway: The Pearls of the Stoneman by Edward Mooney Jr.

From the publisher: The Pearls of the Stone Man is an inspirational novel with plot elements that touch both older and younger generations. Main characters Joseph and Anne Marino are rare. They’re still in love after 53 years of marriage and with little time left, Joseph’s priority becomes finishing the stone wall that Anne requested years ago – a special reminder from her childhood.

Needing the help of someone younger, Joseph turns to his son, estranged for five years, in hopes of rebuilding a severed relationship as well as the wall. Two teenagers also come to Joseph’s aide, and he to theirs, as they all work to finish Joseph’s promise to Anne.

The Pearls of the Stone Man was written in the town in which the book is set: Pine Mountain, California. The settings in the novel are real locations and Edward takes groups of readers there regularly.

Edward filmed 5 short video vignettes highlighting the real settings of The Pearls of the Stone Man. You can watch # 4, The Stone Wall here:

Edward filmed 5 short video vignettes highlighting the real settings of The Pearls of the Stone Man. Check them out at: http://www.edwardmooney.com/pearls-author-visit.htm or,

Episode 1: The Letter
Episode 2: The Marino Home
Episode 3: The Forest
Episode 4: The Stone Wall
Episode 5: The Village

Sourcebooks is allowing me to give away 3 copies of this wonderful book.
Just leave a comment with your thoughts on one of the videos. Please include an e-mail address .

+3 Bonus entries can be earned by posting about the contest, tweeting or putting a link in your sidebar.
Open to residents of US & Canada
Deadline is June 23rd at 5PM

Good luck!

Show Me 5 Saturday: The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Show Me 5 Saturday, a meme started by Alipet813, will give each blogger an opportunity to give a brief description of a book they have read or reviewed during the week. It will work like this: Each Saturday you will post the answer to these questions:

1. Title of book: The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

2. Words to describe the book: YA novel

3. Location or characters you met:

• Mia Gordon: 16 year old Georgia girl vacationing at her cousins' beach house, Wind Song, in the Hamptons for the summer with her parents and younger sister Eva. Mia has been looking forward to spending a lot of time on the beach and re-bonding with her cousin Corrine whom she hasn't seen for 3 summers. She can't wait to discuss how her boyfriend Jake just dumped her. Three years is a lot of time in teen hood and when Mia arrives at the beach house, she is amazed at the change in her cousins Corrine and Beth. Okay, so she was never too close to Beth and neither was Corrine but now they seem joined at the hip and both have an attitude that worries Mia. Not that Mia is overly straight-laced, but she can't see the point in getting drunk and experimenting in drugs. Mia begins to feel like the country rube beside her two cousins and their wordly wise, sophisticated so called friends.
• Corrine: once Mia's closest cousin and confidante but now in three short years she has become a very jaded and over indulged 16 year old. To Mia's consternation, Corrine is now a girl who likes to party hearty, hang out with some shallow dubious characters and doesn't seem to have too much time for Mia. Occasionally, she tries to be the girl she once was but those incidences are short lived. Mia is truly concerned for her especially after she witnesses Corrines actions during a beach party. Where did Corrine's ambition to be a ballerina go? Or was that really her mother's ambition? She was a truly gifted dancer and now she is throwing all that to the wind to be Miss-oh-so- sophisticated. Everything to Corrine is "tedious" or so she tells Mia.
• Simon: teen self -proclaimed artist living in the rental house besides Wind Song. Simon is not too much the party type since his previous summer's humiliation with one of Corrine's friends. When he first sees Mia, he notices she is not like her superficial cousins. He likes to spend time on the beach at night and so does Mia. Simon teaches Mia that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and to live in the moment is not such a bad thing. These two, with their common love of the ocean and swimming, begin a real friendship, memories of which will stay with Mia for years to come.

4. Things you liked/disliked about the book:

• I really liked Mia as narrator. She has an authentic voice in her perspective. As a character, Mia is endearing. I liked the way she showed her feelings and thoughts about what was going on with her cousins. At times she envies them and wants to be one of the "in" crowd and yet she truly doesn't want to be like them. Such conflict! Howells does a terriffic job in getting that angst across to the reader. I think any teen can easily identify with these feelings.
• Howells managed to put me in the scene very early on and it was easy to feel Mia's sense of anticpation before arriving in the Hamptons and her sense of disappointment at how things really turned out.
• Mia's and Corrine's relationship with their mothers was very well done. Mia felt her mother didn't understand her true nature, wanting her to be something she wasn't going to be; a thin, social butterfly. I'm sure many teens could easily relate to that age old conflict.
• Friendships, relationships, loves lost and found, self-esteem, coming of age and learning that life is a balance of both the beautiful and the not so beautiful are just a few of the well developed themes in the book.

5. Stars or less for your rating: 4**** For a debut novel, this one is excellently done. I have not read too many books in the YA category but I thought this one was very enjoyable, easily read and had a lot of great insight into teenagers' perceptions of themselves and the world around them. The story flowed easily with very believable dialogue and characters in an interesting plot that kept me turning the pages. No dry spots here at all! Highly recommended.

About the author: Amanda Howells has always lived near the sea. She grew up on a small bay on the Atlantic ocean, spent summer weekends in the Hamptons while a college student in New york City, and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. She is a veteran ghostwriter of such bestselling series as Sweet Valley High and Fearless, and this is her first original YA novel.

Note: This book has numerous possibilities for discussion and would be a good selection for a bookclub or to be read by mothers and daughters together.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks. Thanks, Carrie!

Teaser Tuesday/review: A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading and asks you to:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share 2 "teaser"sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser.
4. Please avoid spoilers


This week's teaser comes from A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware. Don't miss my review after the teaser. Fabulous book!

Product ISBN: 9781402222702
Price: $15.99
Publication Date: June 2010

" However, in one corner of her mind she chewed on the fact that, undeniably, she and Luke were confronted with a daunting number of decisions and concerns. And lurking behind everything was the matter of secret bookcases and uninvited eighteenth-century ancestors materializing in and around the estate when least expected. It was a situation best left unexplored, yet it always lingered on the edge of Blythe's thoughts."

From the publisher: "All the romance of the beautiful Cornish coast and a wealth of local color add richness to a story that crosses the centuries…. When a Hollywood scandal leaves her life and her marriage in ruins, Blythe Stowe escapes to the wild coast of Cornwall and a cottage by the sea. There she finds herself both physically drawn to her handsome neighbor, Lucas Teague, and literally drawn into a haunting 200-year old love story as an elaborate family tree on his study wall sends her rushing back into the past. As Blythe struggles to make sense of what is happening and discovers family secrets that have been long concealed, she realizes Lucas holds the key to both her past and her future… "

My thoughts : I . . . loved this book! Loved it!! It has so many elements that appeal to me in a story. First off, the fabulous setting of Cornwall in a stone cottage overlooking the sea.I could picture that cottage and surroundings as if I were watching a movie. *Sigh*, such beautifully descriptive writing! Add in a woman who is trying to re-invent the rest of her life after a nasty ever- so-public hollywood divorce and a lonely widower in the manor house just a little way up the path. A kindly housekeeper, a broken hearted little boy still grieving for his mom, secret bookcases, family ties, second wife wannabes, mysteries, flashbacks to the late 1700's, a little bit of Cornish smuggling references and the possibility of some reincarnation made this a book I had a very hard time to put down.

It was almost as if I opened the book and was magically sucked into the pages while I walked every step with the characters. I could feel Blythe's anger and heartbreak at her ex-husband and sister who betrayed her with their flagrant affair. I definitely enjoyed her journey of finding herself and some family ties in Cornwall where she rented Painter's Cottage from the young and handsome widower, Lucas Teague. I felt the same sense of bewildered amazement as I was hurtled back in time with Blythe where she discovered some family secrets through some very unconventional means.

Ware has written a book with some of the most endearing characters I have read in a long time. The addition of some despicable characters just serves to heighten the tension in the story. With the use of short flashbacks, Ware takes present day Blythe back the late 1700's to tell the story of her name sake Blythe Barton. The similarities to some of the events in both Blythes' lives are eerie and disquieting but Ware makes a wonderful story of both of them. With very smooth transitions from present to past I found I liked both time frames equally. This book had me emotionally immersed in the story from page one and didn't let go until the last sentence. A 5 ***** read for sure and one I will be savoring for quite some time.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks. Thank you, Danielle, for a most enjoyable read.

Review: Uncertain Magic by Laura Kinsale

Product ISBN: 9781402237027

Price: $9.99
Publication Date: May 2010

(A re-issue, originally published in 1987)

From the publisher: "Rumors of ruined maidens, coldblooded duels, swindles, and murder swirl around the impoverished 'Devil Earl.' But Faelan Savigar hides an even darker secret. Roderica Delamore longs for a normal life but fears she'll end up mad or suicidal like the forebears from whom she inherited her "gift" of sensing others thoughts and emotions. As the two find their way to each other against all odds, Roddy's growing love for Faelen may end up saving him or destroying her… A breathtaking historical romance filled with poignancy, darkness, love, and an unexpected twist of Gaelic magic…"

My Thoughts :

Nineteen year old Rodrica Delamore has a gift; she can read the minds of others. Unfortunately, Roddy deems it a curse. What she wants is to be normal and to eventually marry and have a family. She thinks no one would marry her if they know she could read their mind.

When she meets Faelan Savigar, Lord Iveragh, at a fair, she can not get any feelings from him. She thinks he would make an ideal husband. Roddy gets her father to agree even though no one else considers Faelan suitable and others are appalled due to his reputation as a ladies man and possibly a murderer. Supposedly he killed his own father when he was only ten years old. The marriage Roddy thought would be one of convenience; she would get a home and family and he would get the money he so desperately needed. What Roddy didn't count on was falling deeply in love with him. He touched her heart and soul in ways she never thought possible. After the honeymoon, Faelan shows Roddy a dark side that she had never seen before. Which is the real Faelan? Maybe some of the rumors about him are true and Roddy may not be the only one with a secret in her nature.

Faelan moves them to Ireland to his old family home that is a burnt out shell. Good thing Roddy has a lot of money because Faelan has a plan. But the best laid plans often go awry. During this time, Roddy and Faelan suffer a rough patch in the marriage due to their own stubborn pride and failure to communicate. This was when the story hit a slow point for me. I just wanted to shake these two and tell them to speak honestly with each other and a lot of this foolishness would have been avoided.

This was a time of much unrest in Ireland with the Iveragh lands bearing the brunt of English brutality and senseless destruction. The parts of the story of rebellion rang very true to me and I did enjoy the historical fiction very much.

Kinsale weaves a tale of two people with deeply passionate natures either for family or each other. Unfortunately, some of it really was a stretch of the imagination. The fey parts of the book were not developed enough. Faelan's dark moods, inability to remember what happened when his father died and Roddy's odd disappearance for a few days with no memory of being gone tested my belief in the story. These elements could have been better tied up sooner in the book. The story started out with much promise, sort of fizzled in the middle except for the historical parts, and ended quite predictably. The romance part of the story was repetitive and sometimes the characters aggravated me. An okay read but certainly not stellar. 2.5**

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review: Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell

Paperback; 416 pages

Language: English

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

May 1st 2010
ISBN-13-978-1402237508

From the publisher: " Rumor Has It sizzles with internationally bestselling Mansell's signature fresh sense of humor, poignancy, and happy ending with a twist… Newly single Tilly Cole impulsively moves to a small town, only to find she's arrived in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue, and rampant rivalry for the most desirable man—Jack Lucas, whose reputation is beyond bad. Tilly has no intention of becoming another notch on his bedpost. But she finds the thoughtful, caring guy she comes to value as a friend doesn't seem to fit the town's playboy image. Should she listen to her friends or her heart? Is Tilly being mature and sensible—or running away from the love of her life?"

My Thoughts: Such a fun read! Okay, so Tilly is not heartbroken that her boyfriend Gavin has left her but she is in a predicament. It will be hard to pay the rent on their pricey London flat without his half. While on a spur-of-the-moment visit to her best friend Erin in the small town of Roxborough, she answers an ad for a girl-Friday and talks herself into an immediate interview. The man running the ad is Max Dineen, a successful interior decorator, who needs help with his 13 year old spirited daughter Lou and anything else that needs doing. The three of them hit it off right away. She's hired and goes back to London to pack.

Tilly moves to the small town where it seems everyone knows everybody else's business and they are not afraid to let their opinions be known or let truth get in the way of a good story. When Max introduces her to Jack Lucas she is smitten at first glance. It seems Jack is a bit of a lad and has quite the reputation. Or so the gossip goes anyway, but when he takes Tilly out he doesn't make any untoward moves. This makes Tilly wonder if it is just her or is his reputation overblown. Through a lot of attemps on Jack's part to impress Tilly, she just is too afraid to admit that she has fallen for him because she thinks he is commitment challenged. And of course there is that reputation to worry about . . . .but finally Tilly gets the brilliant idea for a way to ferret out the truth. Now if it will only work!

Meanwhile, Tilly's best friend Erin has her own romantic challenges to work out. She got seriously involved with Fergus months after he left his wife Stella. The problem with Stella, besides her acting like a crazy woman, is she finds it hard to believe Fergus would actually leave her. How could he? She is so fantastic! Do you think Stella has an ego problem? Stella makes it her mission to make Erin's life miserable. Stella's cat Bing isn't the only one with claws!

Rumor Has It is just such a delightful book with many more plot threads to enchant fans of romantic comedy. I was immersed in the story right away and I especially liked Mansell's humorous style of writing. Her characters seemed so real to me. I loved all their shenanigans, their insecurities and illusions and their way of coping with life in general. The pace was quick, the dialogue was witty and the action kept me turning the pages almost non-stop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jill Mansell is an internationally bestselling author, with over 4 million copies sold. She has written 20 women’s fiction novels with multi-generational appeal, Mansell’s cheeky writing style is loved by fans both here and abroad and has been compared to Sex & the City and Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Jill’s books have been consistently shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance. She was recently ranked #60 on The Guardian’s 100 Top Bestselling Authors of the decade. Rumor Has It was ranked at #50 on The Bookseller.com’s Top 100 Bestselling UK Titles of 2009.
Jill currently lives in Bristol, England, with her partner and their children, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marveling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review: The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Product ISBN: 9781402238154 Sourcebooks

Publication Date: April 2010

Originally published by Sphere 1980

From the publisher:

The first book in the epic bestselling Morland Dynasty series which spans from the Wars of the Roses to Queen Victoria's long reign, where war and famine, peace and plenty, love and loyalty, greed and envy spread the lines of the family throughout the country—into the courts of kings and the salons of the Regency, onto the battlefields of Culloden and the Crimea and beyond.

In The Founding, seeking power and prestige, grim, ambitious Yorkshireman Edward Morland arranges a marriage between his meek son Robert and spirited Eleanor, young ward of the influential Beaufort family. Eleanor is not only appalled at being forced to marry a mere "sheep farmer," but is secretly in love with Richard, Duke of York. Yet, in time, this apparently ill-matched union becomes both passionate and tender, the foundation of the Morland Dynasty, and sustains them through bloody civil war which so often divides families, sets neighbor against neighbor, and brings tragedy close to home.

My thoughts :

Despite being well connected and brought up as a gentlewoman, the orphaned 18 year old Eleanor Courtney had no dowry or expectations. When her guardian, Lord Edmund Beaufort, arranged a marriage for her, Eleanor was not too pleased especially since she harbored a secret passion for Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Beaufort arranged a marriage with Robert Morland, meek and mild son of a sheep farmer. Other than the fact that Robert had been brought up as a gentleman, his father was a stubborn and coarse man. Morland had plenty of money but what he lacked was connection to class. The titled Beaufort had plenty of connections but he needed cash to carry on in the War of the Roses. Ah, a match made in heaven!

I was sucked in immediately to see how the two conflicting personalities of Eleanor and Robert would mesh. When the two were wed and began their life together, tensions ran high as Eleanor was not afraid to defy her father-in-law and make demands; something her husband Robert would never dare to do himself but he admired Eleanor for having the backbone to do so. Robert was very much in love with Eleanor right from the start but it took many years and the birth of many children before Eleanor began to feel any real love for Robert. Business wise, the two were well matched; in other words, Eleanor came up with wise and profitable business decisions and convinced Robert to go along with them. If it weren't for Eleanor, Robert would have been stuck in neutral as far as the sheepfarming business went.

Along with running a successful farm and building a large family dynasty to carry on, the Morlands were always very involved in political goings-on. They were staunch Yorkists and contributed to the cause with both money and men, sometimes to their detriment. I'm not that well up on British history but I liked the way this plot thread was woven into the story. It wasn't just a boring recitation of facts. I thought the characters really came to life although a few battle scenes were enough for me. I was more interested in the family saga side of the book.

Over the course of the book's 52 year time span, Eleanor lived to see the death of many loved ones, wars, prosperity, peace, unrest and backstabbing change in rulers on the throne. Through it all, she was always in charge and presented a stalwart, hard-working front and sometimes with a most dictatorial and stubborn nature. There were times I cheered Eleanor on and at times I was very disappointed in her "my word is law, live with it" decisions; particularly in the case of her daughter Isabelle.

Even though there were many characters, Harrod-Eagles gave them varied personalities that worked well throughout the story. I just wish there weren't so many characters with the same names. Sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight. The majority of them were well fleshed out and I was invested in the book enough to want to see what happened to them all. It was interesting to see through descriptions that took me back centuries to the mid 1400's and gave me a birds eye view of how people lived, worked and thought back then - makes me glad I didn't. Overall, I did enjoy this beautifully written fictionalized account of the Morland family. Would I read the other 33 books in the series? Probably not but I certainly would be inclined to read the next one. 4****

About the author: (from the back cover) Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born in Shepherd's Bush in London. The birth of the Morland Dynasty series enabled her to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four. Harrod-Eagles still lives in London and has a husband and three children, and apart from writing her passions are music, horses, wine, architecture, and the English countryside.

Note: Harrod-Eagles is also the author of the Bill Slider police proceduals, a contemporary series I have greatly enjoyed.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you so much Danielle. The Sourcebooks link will take you to their page on The Founding where you can read an excerpt of the book.

Review: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

From the publisher:

Wendy Holden's ninth novel blissfully returns to the witty, unputdownable style of her best-loved early bestsellers, featuring the trademark Holden wit that prompted the Daily Mail to say: "Thank God for Wendy Holden." A fabulous romantic romp revolving around the adventures of a struggling actress, a fame-crazed former film star, and a down-to-earth nanny, Beautiful People jets to London, Hollywood, and Italy at a frenzied pace. Holden crafts a tale wicked in its observations yet bouyant at its heart: a masterful return to the swashbuckling verve her adoring fans devour. A confection that's made for summer reading.

My Thoughts: "Unputdownable" is definitely the right word. Once I started this delightful romantic comedy, I couldn't put it down. It's like one giant game of musical chairs with players leaving their own element to succeed in another player's element; Darcy, the dedicated Shakespearian actress who jets to Hollywood to audition for a part in a Star Wars type movie while Belle, the Hollywood bimbo, flies to London to try to repair her slipping image with some real stage experience. Belle just happens to try out for a role in a production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens and succeeds! How , you ask, well you will just have to read the twist in this plot thread to see! Let's just say it's not your typical Shakespeare production.

The action ramps up in Italy when the movie production begins and other characters holiday in the same town. A lot of situations come to a head while characters search for fame, fortune and love in a tumultuous manner. There are some well deserved come-uppances, some soul-searching questions and answers along with plenty of romance.

Occasionally predictable but this reader didn't mind one bit; I was having too much fun with these characters. Of course, there were some characters who sometimes I just wanted to reach into the pages and slap! When I can easily get a running mental image in my head of all the characters, their surroundings and actions, then I know the author has done a good job.

Holden's wit is rapier sharp and her keen observational sense of the comedic is spot on. I had never read Wendy's books before but now I am a dedicated fan. This story tugged at my heartstrings, tickled my funny bone and just plain delighted me at every turn of the page. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review: Sealed With A Ring by Mary Margaret Daughtridge

From the publisher: Sealed With a Ring follows medic Davy Graziano, sidelined after being wounded in action. He meets ambitious and beautiful JJ Caruthers, who has her own motives to quickly find a military husband that will be away on tour and never around. Davy surprised himself by accepting JJ's proposal, but soon after their marriage of convenience ceremony, they suddenly realize they're both falling fast for one another! Can the savvy business woman and dutiful military man put their rising passions aside, or can they find a formula to fall in love?

JJ had put her heart and soul into the family's car business and now her grandfather threatens to sell it if JJ is not married within a year. Not wanting to let go of the business and let down all Caruthers's employees, JJ plots to make a marriage of convenience. When her friend jokingly advises her to marry a Seal as they are rarely home, JJ thinks that is a good idea. A year ago at a wedding, JJ had met a navy Seal named David. The two shared an impetuous night of passion but the next morning went their separate ways.

When she runs into David at a get together, JJ proposes to him and he accepts. David is more than willing to marry JJ but he has some stipulations of his own if he goes through with the deal. What does he want? He wants her! He wants a real marriage. But can he convince JJ of that? The funny thing is she starts to fall for David and he for her but trying to get past the negotiations and dealing with the reality of David's injuries and his desire to resume his military duty is another thing.

Daughtridge spins a true love story that is not without its ups and downs. After a lot of painful heart searching, JJ learns a lot about herself and her grandfather while David comes to a few realizations of his own. Trying to get past their stubborness, they all finally learn what is truly important and that is one aspect of the book I liked; the characters were not portrayed in perpetual hold. They all showed some emotional growth.

Although I found the book to be a tad predictable at times, I certainly enjoyed the story. A few of the sex scenes were a little prolonged but that is just my personal opinion. Some readers will find they really like the play by play steamy action. Sealed With a Ring is not just a fluffy romance; there are a few interesting tidbits about traumatic brain injury along with post traumatic stress disorder. With a Vietnam veteran and Navy Seals woven into the story, the tale becomes all that more believable. For contemporary romance fans, this one is sure to be a winner.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you, Danielle!

Review: They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer

From the publisher: One heir after another turns up dead…

Silas Kane's sixtieth birthday party is marred by argument and dissension amongst his family, and then the next morning, Kane is found dead. The coroner's verdict of death by misadventure would seem to confirm that Silas accidentally lost his way in the fog. But then his heir is shot, and threats are made against the next in line to inherit his fortune. The redoubtable Superintendent Hannasyde is called in to investigate. All clues point to an apparently innocuous eighty-year-old woman, but as the Inspector delves further into the case, he discovers that nothing is quite as it seems…

My thoughts:

If you like British manor house mysteries, you are in luck with this reprint of Heyer's, They Found Him Dead. It's the classic set up - large extended family gathering where we meet a variety of characters; some nice, some not so nice and one or two that are downright obnoxious! A little bit of back and forth bickering and some spats amongst family sets the tone for the mystery. The large estate set on the cliffs, the 1930's time frame and the pea soup fog certainly create the perfect ambiance. But when young Timothy wildly proclaims it's the perfect night for a murder, he is looked on askance. Who would be murdered? Most importantly, why would someone commit such a heinous crime? What would they gain?

Heyer gives readers enough suspects and motives to keep them guessing all through out the book. Inspector Hannasyde certainly has his work cut out for him sifting through clues and interrogating suspects time and time again but time is of the essence as the third in line to the family business and fortune has some narrow misses. Is someone out to get him too or are these murderous attempts just red herrings?

This was a very enjoyable read for me. Several things I really liked about the book are the time frame and the myriad of characters so deftly described as Heyer brings her characters to life on the page with all their distinct personalities, weaknesses, strengths and loyalties. An intriguing whodunnit as well as a fun read. Highly recommended for mystery fans. 4****

Georgette Heyer is also the author of Death In The Stocks reviewed here.

The late Georgette Heyer was a very private woman. Her historical novels have charmed and delighted millions of readers for decades, though she rarely reached out to the public to discuss her works or private life. She was born in Wimbledon in August 1902. She wrote her first novel, The Black Moth, at the age of seventeen to amuse her convalescent brother; it was published in 1921 and became an instant success.

Heyer published 56 books over the next 53 years, until her death from lung cancer in 1974. Heyer's large volume of works included Regency romances, mysteries and historical fiction. Known as the Queen of Regency romance, Heyer was legendary for her research, historical accuracy and her extraordinary plots and characterizations. Her last book, My Lord John, was published posthumously in 1975. She was married to George Ronald Rougier, a barrister, and they had one son, Richard

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you so much, Danielle.

Review: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

February 1st 2010 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published 2010)
details
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
setting
Herefordshire, 1824 (United Kingdom)
isbn
1402237014 (isbn13: 9781402237010)

From the publisher: "Lessons in French is a sweet tale of a reconnected childhood love, separated for years because of society and family expectations. Everyone loves a sweeping love story—complete with a shy wallflower learning what’s she capable of because of the devilishly dashing and fiendishly French Duc de Monceaux, still pining away for her after all those years apart…"

My Thoughts: At 18 years of age, Lady Callista Taillfaire was in love with Trevelyn D'Augustin and he with her. Unfortunately, her father did not approve and when he found them together in a state of semi undress, he whipped Trev and hustled his daughter into the house. Trev immediately took off for France and now after nine years he is back.

In the years Trev was away Callista managed to get engaged three times only to have her suitors renege for one flimsy excuse after another. This certainly didn't help our heroine's self esteem. She just assumed she was plain and that even her considerable fortune was not enough to entice a man to marry her. She has been contented raising her cattle, in particular her prize bull Hubert. Fate being what it is, all that is about to change.

When she runs into Trev at a dance she feels as if he had never left; her heart starts to race and her senses reel. Despite these feelings she tells him she has no intention of marrying. No more humiliation for our Lady Callista! The two are thrown together numerous times as Callista stops by to help Trev care for his ailing mother. Secretly, Trev's mother plots to get the two together even though Callista has got herself engaged again to the first man who jilted her.

With a lot of ups and downs and quite a few hilarious shenanigans, the two of them finally realize they were meant for each other; but it takes some near misses with the law and some hijinks at the local livestock show to move things along.

A lot of the scenarios may have been predictable but they were so charmingly written with such witty dialogue, this reader didn't mind at all. Along with the lighthearted frivolity there is a lot of chemistry between Trev and Callista. They are two characters who are so easy to like and root for. I really liked a lot of the supporting cast also, especially Trev's mother with her fractured English and her sense of humor. All in all, a delightfully fun read. 4****

Laura's beautiful website that can be found here.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you, Danielle!

Teaser Tuesday: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser"sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser.
4. Please avoid spoilers!

Teaser is from Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale.

"She ought to tell him to stop. But she didn't precisely wish him to stop. She rather wished to fall right back in love with him, like a veritable ninnyhammer, and believe against all fact and reason that he meant what he said."

Don't you just love the word ninnyhammer? Review of this delightful romance will be posted at the end of the week.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Thank you, Danielle.!