Saturday, November 30, 2013

REVIEW: Penelope by Anya Wylde

Title: Penelope (Fairweather Sisters #1)
Author: Anya Wylde
Publisher: Smashwords
Publication Date: January, 2013
Genre: Historical Romance

Description: Penelope Fairweather from rural Finnshire arrives in London with a hopeful heart. The dowager invites her for a season to catch a husband. Unfortunately Penelope's rustic finesse is as delicate as a fat bear ripping apart a honeycomb infested with buzzing bees. Fake moustaches, highwaymen, pickpockets, and a devilishly handsome duke follow.

My Thoughts: I really enjoy this author's writing style and voice. I usually have a hard time with this time period because sometimes the characters are just too rigid and proper. They don't know how to relax. Ms. Wylde takes these characters and gives them spirit and personality while maintaining the image this time period is known for. I thought Penelope was enchanting and was rooting for her the minute she arrived. She's a hot mess but you can't help but be on her side. How many heroines keep a goat as a pet?

I had a hard time warming up to the Duke. I found him to be rude and arrogant, stiff-necked and never cracking a smile. So, I guess you could say he fit right in to the environment. I enjoyed watching his transformation to a decent human being and I especially enjoyed seeing his mother and sister stand up to him at every opportunity.

Besides Penelope, my favorite character has to be Madame, the cross-dressing modiste. This character was a riot and definitely is not what she appears.

My Final Verdict: If you are a fan of Anya Wylde, you will enjoy this book for its vibrant characters that leap off the page and near side-splitting humor throughout the story. If you have not read anything by Anya Wylde, I highly recommend you start. Penelope is a great choice to begin.


New Additions To The TBR Pile In November

More new arrivals made an appearance this month...

Title: Caught by Harlan Coben
Description: 17-year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.

Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate-and nationally televised-sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined.

In a novel that challenges as much as it thrills, filled with the astonishing tension and unseen suburban machinations that have become Coben's trademark, Caught tells the story of a missing girl, the community stunned by her loss, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can't trust her own instincts about this story-or the motives of the people around her.

Title: Ireland: Mythical, Magical and Mystical by Christy Nicholas
Description: Do you find yourself drawn to the magic of the Emerald Isle? Would you like to see places beyond the typical tourist traps? Come, join me on a journey through the mists of legend, into the hidden places of mystery. Immerse yourself in the legends and myths, the history that has made this island precious in the hearts and minds of millions. Along with the tales and history, there is practical information on planning your trip, budgeting your costs, and finding the best places to while away the magical hours of your holiday.

The Mythical Facet – History and Myth-tery
The Magical Facet – The Fair Folk
The Mystical Facet – Gods and Saints
The Personal Facet – Friendly Folk
The Musical Facet – A Song and Dance
The Stunning Facet – Photo opportunities
The Tasty Facet – Irish Fare
The Practical Facet – How do I…?
The Frugal Facet – Budgets, Discounts, and Deals
The Hidden Facet – Undiscovered Places

Title: The Racketeer by John Grisham
Description: Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered.

Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five.


Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday . . .

Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller.

Monday, November 25, 2013

REVIEW: So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White

Title: So Pretty It Hurts (Bailey Weggins Mystery #6)
Author: Kate White
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: March, 2012
Genre: Mystery

Description: Bailey Weggins, the Manhattan-based thirty something true-crime journalist, is in a good place. She's enjoying her regular gig at Buzz, a leading celebrity magazine, getting freelance work, and hoping her first book will garner attention. In the love department, she's finally back in the game with her recently-turned-exclusive boyfriend, Beau Regan.

When Beau heads out of town one early December weekend, Bailey accepts an invitation from her office friend Jessie to a music mogul's house in the country, hoping for a fun, relaxing getaway. But a weird tension settles over the houseguests--a glamorous crowd that includes the famously thin supermodel Devon Barr. An impending snowstorm only adds to the unease. So when Devon's lifeless body is found in her bed, Bailey immediately suspects foul play: she can't stop thinking of the day before, when a frightened Devon shivered in the woods and pleaded, "I have to get out of here. . . . It's not safe for me."

When Bailey starts to nose around, she finds herself a moving target--running closer to the truth and straight into danger. With her trademark irreverent wit, Bailey is a heroine who keeps us laughing while on the edge of our seats. New and longtime fans alike will devour this eagerly awaited mystery.

My Thoughts: I have enjoyed the Bailey Weggins series and I was really happy to see a new release. Bailey is a character that I relate to easily. She is very likeable and people seem to naturally gravitate toward her. The only problem I have with Bailey is she sometimes takes foolish risks to get to the truth. She has had so many near death attacks but she doesn’t arm herself or otherwise take precautions.

Even with the risks Bailey takes, I still enjoyed the story and I was way off-base with the identity of the killer. It’s a good thing I don’t make a living as a detective or a private investigator because I am so clueless with these things but I immensely enjoyed the ride. There is an interesting twist at the very end of the story that threw me for a loop but was a fitting end.

I am looking forward to the next Bailey Weggins adventure. This story left a few open threads involving Bailey’s writing career and her relationship with Beau. I am undecided if Beau is the best man for Bailey but I am curious to see where she goes from here.

My Final Verdict: If you are looking for a mystery with some minor romance and a few intriguing surprises, I highly recommend the Bailey Weggins series. Though a lot of people have no problem reading them as stand-alone stories, I recommend reading the series in order. So Pretty It Hurts is the sixth book in the series and I hope will not be the last.


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

REVIEW: IRELAND: Mythical, Magical, Mystical: A Guide to Hidden Ireland by Christy Nicholas

Title: IRELAND: Mythical, Magical, Mystical: A Guide to Hidden Ireland
Author: Christy Nicholas
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Publication Date: June, 2013
Genre: Travel

Description: Do you find yourself drawn to the magic of the Emerald Isle? Would you like to see places beyond the typical tourist traps? Come, join me on a journey through the mists of legend, into the hidden places of mystery. Immerse yourself in the legends and myths, the history that has made this island precious in the hearts and minds of millions. Along with the tales and history, there is practical information on planning your trip, budgeting your costs, and finding the best places to while away the magical hours of your holiday.

The Mythical Facet – History and Myth-tery
The Magical Facet – The Fair Folk
The Mystical Facet – Gods and Saints
The Personal Facet – Friendly Folk
The Musical Facet – A Song and Dance
The Stunning Facet – Photo opportunities
The Tasty Facet – Irish Fare
The Practical Facet – How do I…?
The Frugal Facet – Budgets, Discounts, and Deals
The Hidden Facet – Undiscovered Places

My Thoughts: Ireland is on my bucket list of ideal places for a vacation. The great thing about this book is that not only has the author been to Ireland several times, this book gave me a wonderful sense of what going to Ireland looks and feels like. Ms. Nicholas does an amazing job of transporting the reader to the Emerald Isle with her vivid descriptions of not just the history of this magical country, but their mythology and her personal experiences.

Not only does this book prepare the traveler for what to expect while visiting, but it goes one step further and gives excellent recommendations for the many sites to visit to include local businesses to give the tourist a sense of fitting in.

My Final Verdict: If you are planning on visiting Ireland, I highly recommend this book as an excellent resource before your trip. The knowledge you will gain about Ireland will be beneficial and enable you to get the most out of your trip.


Monday, November 11, 2013

REVIEW: Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts

Title: Genuine Lies
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: August, 1991
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Description: A book to die for...

Eve Benedict is the last of the movie goddesses, a smoky-voiced sex symbol with two Oscars, four ex-husbands, and a legion of lovers to her name. There is no secret, no scandal she doesn't know. Now Eve has decided to write her memoirs--no holds barred. All Hollywood begs her not to. But Eve has her reasons....

Julia Summers is the biographer Eve has handpicked to tell her story. Transported from her quiet life in Connecticut to glitzy Beverly Hills, Julia hates the limelight but loves her work--and the home it built for the ten-year-old son she's raising alone. How can she refuse this chance of a lifetime?

But Eve's elegantly sexy stepson, Paul Winthrop, will challenge Eve's determination to tell her story--and Julia's resolve to guard her heart. And as Julia learns just how far Eve's enemies will go to keep her book from publication, she also discovers that Eve has one last, dark secret to share. It is one that will change Julia's life--and could cut it brutally short.

My Thoughts: Although this story was very predictable without many surprises, I still enjoyed it. I think this story is a good choice for any fan of Nora Roberts or for someone who isn’t familiar with her work.

Julia and Eve were exceptional characters and I liked both of them immediately. It took me a little longer to warm up to Paul, but once I did, I thought he was perfect for Julia and her son.

I really enjoyed the premise of a celebrity movie star deciding to write her memoirs and the secrets she plans to reveal are jaw-dropping and some of the characters would do anything to keep those secrets buried.

My Final Verdict: If you are looking for a good story with interesting characters, romance, suspense and mystery, then I recommend this story to provide the perfect choice.


Friday, November 01, 2013

New Additions To The TBR Pile In October

Unfortunately, the departure of the summer heat did not inspire me to dive into my reading pile, but two new additions found their way in...


Sisteria by Sue Margolis

Description: If Beverly Littlestone knew what was good for her, she would steer clear of her sister Naomi, who's just got in touch after a five-year silence. Hasn't Beverly got enough to contend with --- like her husband Melvin, invariably engaged in a lunatic scheme with "failure" written all over it in mile-high neon. Or her daughter Natalie, for whom PMT means Permanent Menstrual Tension.

But Beverly can't say no to her sister --- and Naomi's self-serving plans are going to launch her out of suburbia and into a whole new world of drama and desire...

So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White

Description: Bailey Weggins, the Manhattan-based thirtysomething true-crime journalist, is in a good place. She's enjoying her regular gig at Buzz, a leading celebrity magazine, getting freelance work, and hoping her first book will garner attention. In the love department, she's finally back in the game with her recently-turned-exclusive boyfriend, Beau Regan. When Beau heads out of town one early December weekend, Bailey accepts an invitation from her office friend Jessie to a music mogul's house in the country, hoping for a fun, relaxing getaway. But a weird tension settles over the houseguests—a glamorous crowd that includes the famously thin supermodel Devon Barr. An impending snowstorm only adds to the unease.

So when Devon's lifeless body is found in her bed, Bailey immediately suspects foul play: she can't stop thinking of the day before, when a frightened Devon shivered in the woods and pleaded, "I have to get out of here. . . . It's not safe for me." When Bailey starts to nose around, she finds herself a moving target—running closer to the truth and straight into danger.

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me

My photo
I am not a professional reviewer, but I love to read and share my opinions on my reading with others who are interested. I work full time but my ideal perfect day would be to curl up with a good book. The majority of the books I review here are from my private collection and my reviews are provided purely for entertainment purposes. I receive no compensation whatsoever for sharing my thoughts and review on any book. If you would like me to review your book, please email me at sharalsbooks@yahoo.com Happy Reading! :o)