Because You're Mine - Colleen Coble

Genre:  Christian Fiction; Suspense

Pages:  336

Publishing Date:  January 10, 2017

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Alanna has been plagued by tragedy. So it should come as no surprise that in the beauty that surrounds Charleston, all is not as it seems.
When her husband is killed by a car bomb while their band is on tour in Charleston, Alanna doesn’t know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but the one thing she knows for sure is that she can’t lose the last piece of Liam she has left.
Their manager offers her a marriage of convenience to gain her U.S. citizenship and allow her to escape her father-in-law’s control. It seems like the perfect solution . . . but her doubts begin almost as soon as she arrives at Barry’s family home, a decaying mansion surrounded by swamp.
To make matters worse, Liam’s best friend survived the car bomb. She’s never really liked Jesse and now she can’t seem to get away from him. When he takes Liam’s place in their band, it’s almost more than she can bear.
But then things start happening. Things that could easily cost Alanna her life—or the life of her unborn child. Are they merely coincidences? Or is there something much more sinister at work?


My Thoughts:
I received an email from the publisher inviting me to review this book via NetGalley.   I have had Colleen Coble on my radar for awhile but had yet to read any of her books.  So I took this opportunity.

I was looking forward to a good suspense book.  In that way, I was disappointed.  The book was very light on actual suspense…I knew what had really happened and whodunit pretty much from the get go.  Still, it was interesting to see how Coble got her characters to the same point. 

The dialogue took some getting used to as several characters and even some of the narrative was written in Irish brogue.  I think the characters were engaging but could have used more dimension and introspection.  They seemed to jump and react solely based on what was happening in their environments without any real thought to what else could be going on.

The book had a pretty even pace.  I was never lost nor did the story seem to drag.  I also appreciated the epilogue at the end to bring some closure. 

There are supernatural elements both of God and of banshee.  The author is not pushy in her approach.  Alanna, in particular, seems to be a lot like I can tend to be in my God relationship:  turning to Him when things are bad, and I don’t know what more to do in and of myself.  I think in that way, she was very true to life.  Or maybe just to my life and flaws. 

I read very little to offend a conservative reader.  The mentions of a banshee might turn off some; I took it more in a superstition kind of way.  Also, Jesse was a character of questionable morals at times – mentions of drinking and an assault.  However, nothing was explicit in any way.

Some of the characters and story lines were dropped mid-way.  Like Barry’s nanny.  I would have liked to hear more of her story.  And Grady’s.  But I do understand they weren’t central to the main tale. 

Again, while I didn’t find the story to be suspenseful at all, it was an interesting read.

3 stars out of 5.  It was okay.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Victoria - Daisy Goodwin

Victoria by Daisy Goodwin
Genre:  Historical Fiction; Royalty
Pages:  352
Publishing Date:  November 22, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In 1837, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria – sheltered, small in stature, and female – became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Many thought it was preposterous: Alexandrina — Drina to her family — had always been tightly controlled by her mother and her household, and was surely too unprepossessing to hold the throne. Yet from the moment William IV died, the young Queen startled everyone: abandoning her hated first name in favor of Victoria; insisting, for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother; resolute about meeting with her ministers alone.

One of those ministers, Lord Melbourne, became Victoria’s private secretary. Perhaps he might have become more than that, except everyone argued she was destined to marry her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. But Victoria had met Albert as a child and found him stiff and critical: surely the last man she would want for a husband.


My Thoughts:

I received an email about this book from NetGalley.  The cover was gorgeous, and I pretty much love anything to do with royalty – historical, contemporary, whatever.  The fact that the author has also written the screenplay for the PBS series coming January 2017…well, that’s just a bonus.

Despite living in England for a few of my middle grade years, I don’t have as strong a grasp on British history as I would like.  And I went into this book not knowing a lot about Queen Victoria…although I could picture the older her in my head.  So I didn’t have a lot of historical expectations in my head.  Just story expectations.  Daisy Goodwin did not disappoint. 

She can tell a great story.  I was drawn in from page one.  This book was infinitely readable.  I read it on my Kindle as we were traveling over the holidays.  I’ve started feeling carsick when reading on a device in the car.  But that didn’t matter.  I read this book straight through the nausea and headache. 

Goodwin paints young Victoria as an impetuous, headstrong girl.  Which is completely understandable giving her cloistered upbringing.  This book covers Queen Victoria’s 18^th and 19^th years.  Her learning of her position and role in the British government; navigating social expectations and hierarchy; and, really, still becoming herself.  Those figures around her were also interesting and complex.

I think the story covered these years of Victoria in adequate detail.  It didn’t bog down yet also didn’t go so quickly I ever felt lost. 

It is said that Goodwin pulled from Victoria’s own diaries for some of her material.  As I said before, I’m not a history expert.  So if there are historical discrepancies, I didn’t catch them.  But it seemed as if the author’s research was more than adequate to me.

A great read, and I’m looking forward to the coming PBS series.  Oh, and I’m going to go add all of Daisy Goodwin’s other books to my To Be Read list.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The Best of Us - Sarah Pekkanen

The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen

Genre:  Women’s Fiction

Pages:  335

Publishing Date:  January 1, 2013



Synopsis from Goodreads:

Following a once-in-a-lifetime invitation, a group of old college friends leap at the chance to bring their husbands for a week’s vacation at a private villa in Jamaica to celebrate a former classmates' thirty-fifth birthday.
All four women are desperate for a break and this seems like a perfect opportunity. Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie needs to escape from the shattering news about an illness that runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her husband an unforgettable birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks that have already formed in their new marriage.
The week begins idyllically, filled with languorous days and late nights of drinking and laughter. But as a hurricane approaches the island, turmoil builds, forcing each woman to re-evaluate everything she’s known about the others—and herself.


My Thoughts:
My book club book for November. 

I had read a previous book by Pekkanen (The Best of Me) that I recall enjoying.  So I was looking forward to this read, and the story certainly was engaging. 

This is a book of friendships and secrets and love.  While these friends are away on a dream vacation, both the best and the worst are revealed.  None of the secrets were especially shattering, most were predictable.  Still, the characters were engaging even though there wasn’t a lot of character change through the book.  I related to Tina and her life, although I only have two young kiddos at home. I can understand the all-demanding nature of being at home with them.  So it was nice to see her get a break. 

I will say that Savannah as a character completely annoyed me.  I could have done entirely without her and her drama.  And the fact that her actions never had consequences…annoying as well.

I liked most of the story although there was a scene or two towards the end that I felt was over the top and impractical.  But I definitely kept turning the pages throughout to confirm where it was all going. 

There was a lot of drinking, some swearing, and some sexual innuendo.  All of those things knock the book down a star in my estimation.

However, the characters and fantasy plot made for a fun read overall.

Shakespeare Update

Will this year never end?!?!  Shakespeare is a beast. 

I have to average a work every 5 days in order to finish up all of Shakespeare's works by December 31st. 

The last couple have been fairly enjoyable.  I'm reading Cymbeline now and liking it more than I've enjoyed many that I've read.  I'm thinking I'm not a tragedy person for sure.  I have a more comedic leaning when it comes to Shakespeare.

However, I continue to be amazed at how prevalent Shakespeare is in our culture as far as references, words lifted from his works, etc.  He is absolutely all over the place.  And on Jeopardy a lot too. 

A Portrait of Emily Price - Katherine Reay

A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

Genre:  Fiction; Contemporary; Chick Lit

Pages:  368

Publishing Date:  November 1, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.
But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.
Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.
Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?



My Thoughts:
I have read and enjoyed Katherine Reay’s previous books, so I made sure I requested an ARC from NetGalley. 

This book was different from Reay’s previous books in that it departed from literary ties and delved more into the art world.  I think that is the main reason it took me awhile to engage in the books and with the characters.  The art world is not something I am familiar with.  Or Italian, for that matter; and there was quite a bit of Italian sprinkled throughout. 

I appreciated the characters.  Emily and Ben share a connection.  While their whirlwind love story is quite fairytale, it is sweet.  I actually would like to see a follow-on book about Ben’s brother.  He was a dynamic supporting character who captured my attention.  I would like to see how his story continues.   

The story was fairly predictable, but I think that’s what a reader respects from this genre.  It’s what keeps us coming back. 

There is a deeper theme exploring the layers people have and restoration – of family, relationships, and self.  It wasn’t preachy though. 

I really have no content warnings.  There was quite a bit of wine drinking.  However, I chalked that up to Italian culture since so much of the book revolves around food and customs of Italy. 

It was a good book.  Not my favorite of hers, but I don’t regret the hours (and one late night) I spent turning the virtual pages. 

A Royal Christmas Wedding - Rachel Hauck

A Royal Christmas Wedding by Rachel Hauck
(Royal Wedding Series #4)

Genre:  Christian fiction, romance

Pages:  240 pages

Publishing Date:  October 18, 2015

Synopsis from Goodreads:
It’s been five years since Avery Truitt and Prince Colin of Brighton Kingdom fell in love. But he broke her heart with no explanation.
Fast forward to present day, and Colin is Brighton’s most eligible bachelor now that cousin Stephen has married. When Avery’s father dies of a heart attack, she puts her life on hold and returns home to St. Simons Island, Georgia, to help Mama with the family restaurant. But Mama misses Avery’s sister Susanna, who lives four thousand miles away in Brighton Kingdom—and is expecting her first child. So Mama insists she and Avery spend the Christmas season in Brighton.
Colin and Avery are going to see each other a lot while she’s visiting. But she can’t forget the way he hurt her, and he didn’t expect his feelings to still be so strong.
Avery is torn between considering a future in Brighton and taking a coaching job in Georgia, and Colin is finally pushed to pursue what he really wants. Is it too late to convince Avery that she is his true love? And even if he does, will she make it to the chapel on Christmas Day to give him her heart?


My Thoughts:

I have read the previous three books in Rachel Hauck’s Royal Wedding Series.  I’ll admit, I’m fairly obsessed with royalty and the idea of fairy tale perfect matches.  So when I learned she had a new book in the series, I requested an ARC from NetGalley.

Unfortunately, I didn’t fall in love with this book.  It was, probably, my least favorite of the series – a couple of which I enjoyed.  I gave it 2 stars (“It was okay.”) on Goodreads but is more of a 1.5 in my evaluation. 

Avery and Colin have a past.  In a whirlwind courtship when Avery was 17, they fell deeply and madly in love.  Then Colin cancelled on attending her prom and ceased all communication…for five years.  Then the holiday season suddenly throws them back together in daily contact via their respective families.  The whole premise is if they rekindle their love.  Which, of course they do.  It’s a Christian romance book.  So it’s more a question of how they do. 

I enjoyed revisiting with Susanna from a previous book.  A few other characters make mentions or brief appearances.  But this book definitely has Avery and Colin as the focus – which is how it should be in this genre.  And they drove me crazy.  How adamant Avery was that she was over him when speaking to others but kept talking to herself about how much she was still in love with him.  How they (Colin mostly) continued to get into the same situations to cause doubt and angst. 

My angst with the book was how quickly all of it happened.  Granted, Colin and Avery had a relationship five years previous.  However, five years have passed.  Haven’t they both changed?  Don’t they want to at least sort of get to know who they each are now – especially since everything that goes wrong Avery assumes Colin is just the same as he’d been.    I would have liked a slower pace for the romance (re)development. 

I did struggle some, too, with knowing who was talking.  Many times, I didn’t know who had which lines of dialogue.  That was frustrating.  Perhaps it is an issue just with the ebook copy I had.    There were also some discrepancies in the text.  Minor things, but there nonetheless.

All that being said, this book is still a good read for those in a mood for ooey gooey emotional romance free of sex.  While it didn’t keep me up at night turning pages, it was still a sweet story most enjoyed by those who like some fluff in their reading.  So probably just perfect for a Christmas book. 

The Wife, the Maid, & the Mistress - Ariel Lawhon

The Wife, the Maid & the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Genre:  historical fiction, mystery

Pages:  304

Publishing Date:  January 14, 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One summer night in 1930, Judge Joseph Crater steps into a New York City cab and is never heard from again. Behind this great man are three women, each with her own tale to tell: Stella, his fashionable wife, the picture of propriety; Maria, their steadfast maid, indebted to the judge; and Ritzi, his showgirl mistress, willing to seize any chance to break out of the chorus line.
As the twisted truth emerges, Ariel Lawhon’s wickedly entertaining debut mystery transports us into the smoky jazz clubs, the seedy backstage dressing rooms, and the shadowy streets beneath the Art Deco skyline.

My Thoughts:

This was the book my book club chose for October.  I don’t remember who suggested it or any compelling arguments for it.  We just compile a list and take votes.  It’s very democratic like that.  I had heard of the author and her website SheReads.org though.  And I think have even listened to her on a podcast.

Anyway, starting the book I was not convinced that I was going to like it. There was a lot going on and I wasn’t finding the characters initially engaging.  But then…

About a quarter of the way in I was hooked.  I didn’t want to put the book down.  My workouts at the Y shifted from classes to walking the treadmill so I could read more. 

Stella…Maria…Ritzi – oh my!   Those three ladies drew me in.  Maria probably more than the other two.  I could feel her.  I think they were each very well-drawn and nuanced.

And just the era – I learned a thing or two.  There was definitely a lot of corruption and a seedier side to life represented. 

The twists and revelations were the best part though.  I didn’t see a lot of it coming – something I really love in a book because it tends to be rare.  Looking back, I can see the hints…sort of.

There are some trigger warnings.  We’re talking showgirls and mistresses and drinking – a lot of drinking.  Violence – but more alluded to than graphically described. 

I’m glad I stuck it out and got past the beginning.  The last 4 pages make it so worth the read.  I also appreciated the author’s note at the end that detailed some true information about the people involved in the story versus the parts she created.