Christmas at Harrington's

 

I believe I got Christmas at Harrington's from the free library earlier this year. I knew I was saving it for Christmas time. One of the best parts is that the story was to the point but still held tender hearted moments. I actually miss books being around this length, not every book needs to be a five hundred page plus beast filled with non needed fluff. 

Lena is eager for a new start after being released from prison for a crime she did not commit. Trusting the advocate to have set her up with a chance at a new life Lena blindly gets on a bus and finds herself in a small town where she hopes to forget her past. 

The story is complete and leaves a feel good on your heart. It does have a plot but not much fluff and despite their being several characters I felt like I got to know all of them. A delightful Christmas story and I see why it is a classic. 

The Senator's Wife

 

I really do not know why I stick with books I do not like but for some reason I managed to read all of The Senator's Wife.

Sloane is worried about her his replacement surgery and how the foundation she runs will cope without her to be at the helm. Her husband, a powerful senator, suggests a home aide who can help her with her recovery and working with the foundation while she recovers for six weeks. All is going well until Sloane just does not get better, instead she continues to get worse. 

A great premise and for a bit I was thrown off who the cuprite was but the majority of the book was fluff that did not move the story forward. The last handful of chapters was where the suspense kicked in and when things got interesting. 

The Spare Room

 

I have no clue what I was thinking when I stuck with The Spare Room. Interesting concept but horrible execution. 

Kelly needs an escape from her relationship after having a fight with her fiancé. Luckily for her a friend from high school has rekindled their friendship and invites her to join her and her husband at their mansion. Soon Kelly and her cat arrive at the mansion and it is like a dream. Having to quarantine is a not fun but being able to do it in a mansion with a pool, library, and wine cellar makes it a bit more bearable. All is not as it seems though and suddenly Kelly finds herself trapped in a mansion with two people she cannot trust and if she it not careful she will disappear just like their last houseguest. 

Great premise, a pandemic and a loves spat forcing someone to stay with essentially strangers. I am not really why this was marketed as thriller since the thriller part was non existent for most of the story except for the last handful of chapters. The characters were consistent with their personality  and their faults but I found I did not like any of them at all nor do I care about them. All in all was a boring read for me with constant parts repeating and a highly unbelievable ending. 

The Hawthorne Legacy

 

After finishing The Inheritance Games I made a special trip to the bookstore to buy The Hawthorne Legacy. 

Avery is learning that pretty much everything is a game in the Hawthorne's life and that it is a way for them to cope with having been raised being wealthy beyond belief. No longer in disbelief about her newly inherited lifestyle Avery instead focuses on her relationships with the Hawthorne family and their acquaintances. Parts of the story seem unbelievable and I am not sure if it because the Hawthorne's are so rich or just the author taking liberties.

I was not as invested in The Hawthorne Legacy as I was The Inheritance Games, I hate love triangles especially when I like all the characters. Parts were so slow and did not seem to drive the main story forward. For the game being Zander's it did not seem like he was really part of the story. Instead Jameson was the main Hawthorne present. I will not go so far as to say the story suffers second book syndrome since it was not a chore to read it but I easily put it down to do chores or other things. 

A note: I just moved to a new place so that is also taking a lot of my time away from reading. I read the story in about five days it just feels like it took me a lot longer to read. 

The Inheritance Games

 

I have been torn on The Inheritance Games for awhile. Having heard back and forth about whether or not it was a good story or just gimmicky left me wondering if I should spend my hard earned cash on it. Finally I gave in and bought the book because waiting list for the library had 356 people on it. 

Avery is just a smart girl who knows the way to get ahead in life is through her education. Determined to make the most of her last year of high school Avery is doing all she can to work, study, and avoid her sister's abusive boyfriend. Suddenly she is thrust into a world of the rich when her presence is requested at the reading of an eccentric billionaire's will. Unable to resist the game or the mysterious Hawthorne brothers Avery decides to play along and find the truth. 

Despite liking the storyline over all I had a few issues with the side parts of the story. While sometimes Avery seems super mature for her age other times she seems like a much younger kid which I was fine with but it did get hard keeping up with her switching personalities at times. My biggest issue was the lazy writing at times, such as saying "and me" instead of "and I" but that is more on the editor I suppose. The last problem I had was the way the color of the Hawthorne brothers skin was described. It was confusing and I am still not sure of the skin color of each brother. No clue was provided as the the skin color of any of the other characters which was also frustrating. I picked up the second book today and have already read a few chapters of The Hawthorne Legacy. 

Someone We Know

 

I just seem to be on a thriller/mystery era at the moment. Since the last one let me down I went back to comfortable and familiar Shari Lapena. Someone We Know kept me guessing at every turn. 

A young woman is found dead in the truck of a car that was sank into a lake. Soon the police learn her name is Amanda and everyone from her husband to endless barrage of lovers is as suspect. As the two detectives on the case navigate the twists and turns of who killed Amanda they soon learn no one is as they seem and everyone has secrets. 

My biggest issues with Someone We Know is that it ended like the book would be a series but it is not. I do not want to give spoilers but I was hoping that something mentioned at least twice that I recall would have had more of a set in stone ending instead of leaving it up to the readers imagination on what it could have been. Despite that Mrs. Lapena's writing remains consistent, she has a style all her own. Like usual if I see any more work by Mrs. Lapena I would not hesitate to try reading it. 

The Girl Who Vanished

 

The Girl Who Vanished had such an exciting premises but I had to force myself to keep reading. The story started out with a bang then just slowed to a snails pace.

Despite the story jumping around I was able to keep track of all the characters easily. Other then struggling a bit with some of the British English I pretty much figured out everything including the big mystery fairly early in the story. Really I should have just skipped ahead and read the ending to see that I was correct in my assumption. 

Hotel Magnifique

 

I had no intention of finishing Hotel Magnifique so quickly or read the majority of the story in one day however circumstances changed and it was it was the only thing I had to do while sitting in the ER for five hours. 

Jani is an interesting character, fiercely loyal to her sister she dreams of a better life for the both of them. One of the more endearing things for me about Jani is she never ever stopped asking questions or demanding answers even when she should not have. Since I am information driven I loved that aspect of Jani and could easily relate to her always opening her mouth to demand an answer. 

The writing was smooth and transitioned easily between aspects of the hotel. I loved the word building and the magical aspects of the hotel described. Despite enjoying that part I do feel like a huge hole was in the plot of the story and that more could have been done with the enchantments of the hotel. While a stand alone that did finish nicely I want more of the story. I want to see Jani with Bel more, maybe a novella with them. 

Sometimes I Lie

 

I have read another book by Alice Feeney and enjoyed it so I figured I would give Sometimes I Lie a chance. 

Normally I do not like books that jump around from different point of time, I tend to get lost in the story. This is now the case with Sometimes I Lie, every transition was clear and concise. I like how each chapter had a date and time so I clearly knew what was being happening and when. Amber despite being in a coma still came across as as strong character with quirks, feelings, and regrets. I loved that about her, it made her feel so real. Like the other story I read the mystery started out slow but then wham the twists and turns kept coming nonstop. I was not able to figure out everything coming and that made me enjoy the story all the more. 

The End of Her

 

I have not felt like searching for books to read so I keep going back to familiar authors. Shari Lapena has been keeping me entertained with several of her books lately. Sadly I could not get into The End of Her. While I did finish the story I found it repetitive and it ended on another mystery which was frustrating. 

Stephanie has a happy life with her young twins and devoted husband. All that changes when a woman from her husband's past shows up declaring he killed his first wife and unborn child. Refusing to give into her demands of money Stephanie tries to navigate the confusing mess her life has become.

As I said before the story is super repetitive it, it goes on and on about how sleep deprived Stephanie is and the other characters constantly repeat their actions. It got tedious and boring quickly. I did finish the story hoping for a great ending but it was mediocre at best. 

The Lipstick Bureau

 

I do not recall where I got The Lipstick Bureau from but I have liked other stories loosely based on history previously so I figured I would give it a try. 

While the story jumps between several points of view I feel like the story was mainly told from Niki's point of view and she is the one I felt had the most sense of completion with her story. Since Niki is based loosely on a real woman it is really hard to critique any actions she made because it was a real person's choice but I do not feel that Mrs. Gable convened who Niki was as a person overly well. Despite being a fan of breaking the rules constantly and enjoying smoking Niki did not come off as a strong character who was well rounded and developed. 

I did managed to finish the book without skimming so I will say it is a fair read. I do appreciate the consistency in the chapter length, saying whose point of view it was at the start of the chapter, and being clear when transitions were being made between time periods. 

Everyone Here is Lying

 

With all that is going on in my life I need a good distraction and Shari Lapena is providing that. Everyone Here is Lying had me reading way past my bedtime most nights.

Avery is a difficult child and tries both her parents patience but when her father gets so mad at her he strikes her so hard she hits the floor people start to suspect he may have done more. Avery is missing and the quiet town is horrified to learn a nine year girl was snatched off the street in her middle class neighborhood. Unsure who is telling the truth and who is lying the detective on the case are determined to find Avery no matter what. 

Once again I had no clue who was responsible for making Avery disappear, the twists and turns kept me guessing along with all the detectives. I do wish that the characters were more fleshed out though lost of them and I felt like I knew none of them. 

Not A Happy Family

 

Not a Happy Family is by an author I have enjoyed in the past so I stuck with the story to the end. I did not care for this story at all, I kept waiting for hints about the investigation but seemed to never get any. I literally had no clue who the killer was until it was revealed. Personally not enough closure to the mystery was provided at the end for me either. 

Murdered and rich with angry kids and a housekeeper who loves the kids more then herself leaves detectives with a perplexing case. Who killed the Mr. and Mrs. Merton? With every suspect having a motive and every one of them willing to lie the story contains plenty of twists and turns leaving the reader guessing.

Personally I did not enjoy Not A Happy Family, the writing style was not to my taste. However the mystery was solved with a solid reason why things occurred the way they did. 

Seduction of a Highlands Lass

 

I do not know where I got Seduction of a Highland Lass just that it was in my old bedroom at my grandparents house when I was visiting and I had nothing else to read. 

If you are looking for a steamy romance where the men tell the women what to do this is that. While it does try to show that women have some say in the matters of their lives it is very little. Lots of steamy scenes and not a book I would say is for anyone under 18 years of age. 

The history was sketchy at times but overall I did like the story and it took my mind off the many stresses I have in my life at the moment. 

You Shouldn't Have Come Here

 

I actually saw You Shouldn't Have Come Here as a book on booktok reposted on facebook so I wanted to give it a try. 

Grace is going on vacation and wants a quiet get away where she can enjoy nature and read. However something about the seemingly perfect ranch is off but Grace cannot figure out what. With a small town a few miles away full of a vast array of characters who seems to lack social skills Grace finally puts it down to a small town not used to visitors. Determined to enjoy her time on vacation reading and doing yoga she just focuses on nature. However all the changes when the local sheriff shows up looking for a missing girl who was suppose to have stayed at the ranch before she arrived.

What a ride, so many twists, turns, and moments where I was second guessing myself. I did not see the ending coming and I was happy for that. Now I did have some major questions left over after the book ended but I do not think I will ever get an answer to them just something I will have to come to terms with. I like the writing enough to read more work by Jeneva Rose. 

The Perfect Marriage

 

The Perfect Marriage was available to check out immediately on the e-library so I decided to give it a try. 

Adam is living the dream, he has it all, a work acholic wife who supports his lavish life style, a home away from home in the form of a vacation home his wife bought him to continue his writing, and a mistress. As he enjoys spending time at the second home and the rendezvous with his mistress everything is perfect until the police show up at his door demanding to know why a homicide victim is in the bed of his vacation home. Horrified and heartbroken at the lose of his mistress Adam suddenly realizes his is the number one suspect. Unsure what to do he turns to the only person he can his wife Sarah who is a hot shot defense attorney. With one chance at proving he is innocent Adam places all his hope that Sarah will forgive his indiscretions. 

The writing style is fast paced with little room for fluff. I really enjoyed how each chapter was pushing the story line along introducing new characters or information about what really happened to the mistress. While many characters were introduced they were built up enough I got a good feel for them but none of them stole the spotlight from Adam and Sarah. I do plan on reading more novels by Jeneva Rose.

An Unwanted Guest

 

This is the second book I have read by Shari Lapena and if I had not read one of her books previously I would not have stuck with An Unwanted Guest. It starts so slow. Lots of different characters and a bunch of chapters was spent introducing them before the murder happened. 

Slow start with several new characters introduced quickly. I mixed up some of the male characters at times and had to pause to think of who each one was several times while reading. 

Compared to The Couple Next Door I did not really enjoy An Unwanted Guest the pacing was too slow and the mystery really hard to put together in parts since the reader lacked a lot of information.

Fast Girls

Fast Girls was in the local free library so I figured I would give it a chance.

I liked reading about the different girls but I do feel like the white girls had their story told more then the African American girls which was disappointing.

The "politics" of the racing did not appeal to me that much. I would have rather had more on the girls then the coaches worrying about how it would look having a diverse group of women racing.

Since the story was told from several different points of view it jumped between women but I never got confused or lost on whose part of the story the book was on. The writing was smooth and alright, not too many cliffhangers that left me wanting to read just one more chapter before bed.

The Wedding Promise

 

The Wedding Promise is the second book in the Angel Island series. 

Liza is slowly learning how to run and inn and how expensive it to can be to maintain a historic building. As she continues to renovate the rooms and update the many parts of the inn a young woman visits begging her to host a wedding. Unsure what to say Liza explains the inn is not up to hosting a large wedding and she thinks it best to pass on the opportunity. However the young woman refuses to give up and Liza soon finds herself learning how to host a wedding while continuing to update the inn.

A slow paced story with light hearted moments and exactly what I need with my mental state right now. The writing continues to be consistent and the characters hold true to who they are. I like that the island seems to just fix problems for people and makes the reader believe miracles can happen. I do plan on continuing the series I just have to catch up on some other library books I have checked out first. 

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

 

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart was in the local free library.

Alice knows a life of fear and pain but strong love from her mother. Unable to protect her mother Alice learns to tread softly and keep her father happy above all else. Soon Alice is torn from the only home she knows and sent to live on a flower farm with her Grandmother June where she hopes her life will change for the better. 

I do not like to do reviews on books I do not enjoy. It felt like the overall theme was just sadness and the happy parts of Alice's life were just skimmed over like they did not matter. The writing was nothing special and Alice did not really seem to grow in any way despite the story taking place over her childhood and young adult life. 

Death by Didgeridoo

 

This is the first time I have reviewed a book twice but Death by Dedgeridoo is worth it. 

Jamie Quinn is a divorce attorney and has taken some time off after the death of her mother. Trying to find herself she is thrown into the deep end of criminal law when he cousin is accused of murder. What I like about Jamie is that she is just a normal person who wants to make sure that the wrong person is not sent to prison for murder. Add in moments of light humor and you have a nice cozy read.

Barbara is consentient in her writing, the story line flows smoothly and all the characters have quirks. One other thing I enjoy is the chapters are all similar in length making the reading session more enjoyable. 

The Inn at Angel Island

 

The Inn at Angel Island came out of a free library. I thought it was the first book I had read by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer but apparently I read a Christmas story by Mr. Kinkade years ago. 

Liza just wants to sell her aunt's old inn and get back to her fancy job in the city but as she drives up to the run down inn memories come flooding back. As one issue after another arises with the inn Liza considers here life and what she really wants. 

The story is slow moving with little action more like a comfort story which is what my mind and heart needed at this time. Even though it is a series the story does wrap up nicely and you get closure on the big questions that were raised during the plot of The Inn at Angel Island. 

Wild Orchid: A Retelling of the "Ballard of Mulan"

 

Wild Orchid is the first retelling of the Ballard of Mulan I have read and it was exactly what I expected it to be. 

Mulan longs to follow her heart and be who she wants to be not what society wants her to be. Lucky for her that is allowed to some extent since her father is off at war and servants are raising her. Unable to have her wild heart tamed with a female's education of sewing and keeping house Mulan convinces her best friend to teach her to read, write, archery, swordsmanship, and how to ride a horse. This serves her well when she decides to forge her own destiny. 

The story is friendly for children since it does not go into details about the brutality of war or intimate moments. The story reads smooth and quickly. No parts were confusing or really deep writing but it was entertaining. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

 

I do not recall where I got The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but I figured I needed a break from mysteries for awhile.

While not sure what to expect I did not really enjoy the story after the first two marriages. Evelyn is ruthless and willing to do what it takes to get to Hollywood and get her chance at becoming a movie star. I liked that part her doing what it took no matter what to rise to the top. Once she got to the top the story took a distract turn that I felt was boring. This left me highly disappointed in around three fourths of the story it just felt repetitive and like Evelyn really gained nothing for fame from her last five marriages. 

Despite transiting between the past and present I never was confused what time period it was or if it was about Evelyn's life or Monique's life. The writing was fine the story just got boring for me and it became a chore to finish reading it around husband number four. 

Verity

 

I was playing around learning how to use Libby when I saw Verity was available. Have heard a lot about Colleen Hoover but not having read one of her stories I decided to give it a try. 

Lowen is trying to figure out how she is going to make her finances work when her agent is approached asking her to finish a book series for a popular author who had a car accident. Unable to believe her good luck Lowen quickly accepts the assignment and is soon in over her head as she wades through the boxes of documents in the authors home office hoping to find an outline or even basic ideas for the authors seventh book. 

I was not sure what to expect from Verity since the title is just name of a character in the story. My major complaint is that the story had far too many adult scenes and I get why that was important but it does make me wonder if all of Hoover's books are like that. The writing was smooth and I never struggled with any of the transitions. Despite having several side characters I really only felt like Lowen was the character I got to know and she was a bit needy at times which annoyed me. Lowen's big terrible secret was sort of boring and never really explained fully just glossed over which was frustrating since it seemed to bother Lowen a lot. While I liked the overall plot line of Verity I am not sure I will seek out further work by Colleen Hoover. 

Apples Never Fall

 

I was pretty sure I had read something by Liane Moriarty before and when I saw Apples Never Fall was available in the E-library I checked it out. 

Joy is missing and despite a text of gibberish no one knows where she is or even if she is alive. Her four children want to believe their father is innocent but he does not seem overly concerned that his wife is gone and fresh scratches are on his face. 

This story was a hot mess. I thought I was reading a mystery about what happened to a wife who suddenly disappeared with a husband not willing to talk about the day she disappeared. Instead I got a story about four adults who are complaining about their life and never take accountability for their actions. It was so boring I quickly skimmed parts to pick up the key points of the story. 

Girl, Forgotten

 

The first book I checked out on the Libby app and no where did I see Girl, Forgotten was the second book in a series. 

Emily is pregnant and unsure how, having no memory of the event she decides to investigate and attempt to figure out who could be the father of her child. Soon though she is asking the wrong questions and ends up barely clinging to life in a dumpster. Sadly Emily does not make it but her child does and years later a freshly initiated Marshall has reason to figure out who killed Emily and fathered her child. 

Andrea just wants to forget her father and that he is in prison but suddenly his past comes back to haunt her. Having graduated as a full fledged Marshall Andrea is shocked she is being given an assignment protecting a judge. Determined to do her best she is floored when she learns the assignment takes place with an unsolved murder and the town her father grew up in. 

Since I knew nothing about what Clay had done to Andrea and her mother I was in the dark about that it was never explained but mentioned a few times. I did not really feel a connection to Andrea but I did Emily. I skimmed a lot of parts just taking in the main parts of this story and nothing from the previous story. The writing was okay it switched between the past and present every chapter. 

The Year My Sister Got Lucky

 

Since I have not learned how to use Libby yet I choose a random book in my Nook library. I believe The Year My Sister Got Lucky is an old Free Friday book. 

Everything was told from the younger sisters point of view and boy was Katya (or Katie) annoying as heck. While I understand she is a fourteen year old girl all she did was complain. It was clear Katie was majorly jealous of her older sister, Michaela, and her talent at ballet. If only she could think about someone else and their personal struggles maybe she would have been more relatable. 

While I did not like the personality of Katya I did enjoy how the writing was consistent, it went smoothly and never had hiccups that left me confused. Besides Michaela all the other characters felt one dimensional and more like an after thought which was disappointing. I wanted to see Katya get closer to people besides Micaela. It was nice to take a break from all the mysteries I have been reading lately. 

The Shadow House

 

I really struggled with The Shadow House despite it having been on my reading list. It took me to almost the end of the story to realize some was being told from a current time and some from the past. The overall story made way more sense when that finally clicked for me. A date of the chapter that switched to the past would have been nice. 

Alex was so annoying she just complained all the time about her toddler crying a lot and her teenage son being moody. The story moved super slow and I fell asleep several time trying to read. I did end up skimming some paragraphs that seemed to add nothing to the story. Just not a mystery that clicked for me overall. 

The Nanny Diaries

 

I wanted a lighter read after finishing Dawnlands so I choose The Nanny Diaries. 

While the story held my attention enough to keep reading I was pretty bored with the overall plot line. Mom's who want their kids to be seen never heard and locked away when they do not want to show them off. Expecting a young child to be perfect all the time and not explore like kids want to just seemed so unrealistic. My other issue was the main character's name was not revealed until around page two hundred. I thought it was a disrespectful thing calling her Nanny and not her name but maybe it was a nickname? Add in a misbehaving child that just wants attention from his parents and you have an odd mix of a story with sad yet funny moments. 

The House in the Pines

 

The House in the Pines was a book I randomly choose from the local e-library. I should have known the Reese's Book Club would make it not to my liking.

The story jumped around a lot and was super confusing since the transitions were not clear at all. The "mystery" was loosely held together and never fully answered. I kept waiting for ALL the murders to be explained. Nothing was explained with the killer's family life beyond horrible abuse. Maya was annoying and whined about everything. Large parts of the story did not seem to add to plot line at all and I just skimmed those. Absolutely nothing was resolved at the end and it felt like the story just stopped. 

Dawnlands

 

I won an advanced reader copy of Dawnlands in November of 2022 and just not finished it. This is one dense read but a wonderful read with well rounded characters. 

While I have not read the first two books in the series I was not lost as to what is going on but I did major in history which was helpful for keeping the nobles and royals in order. I loved how each character was their own but woven into a full story that kept me wanting to turn pages. One of the best thing is that Mrs. Gregory always includes a date and location so I never once got lost as to where the story was moving to. All the transitions were seamless and well articulated.

I loved the Livia she is such a conniving thing and I could totally picture the wheels in her head turning as she thought out every issue well in advance to make things in her favor. No matter if it is her son, lover, friends, the queen, or husband Livia will do what it takes to get ahead in the game of court. Without a doubt she was my favorite character. 

The inclusion of a female Indian was interesting as well. I really wish that more of her people with their rich customs was mentioned but I understand that is was not the right story for that. Rowan was my second favorite character. 

Like usual Mrs. Gregory writes about strong female characters that are molded into the time period perfectly. She is a master at painting a well rounded picture that clearly takes lots of research, a wonderful editor, and many hours of outlining the flow of the writing. 

The Secrets We Share

 

The Secrets We Share was randomly chosen from the local library. I could not sleep last night due to how warm it was so I stayed up and finished the second half of the story in one sitting. 

This is a hard review to write since everything jumped around so much and so many different characters points of views. I ma not even sure who the main character was since it felt like no one character dominated the story. Layers of mysteries were intertwined to make the story work including mysteries from the past. I did figure out who the main "criminal" was around the sixty percent mark. I am not sure if I am getting better at solving mysteries or just choosing stories where it is more obvious. 

All in all a nice read that distracted my mind from the heat. 

How to Sell a Haunted House

 

I really have no clue why my sleep deprived mind choose How to Sell A Haunted House since I do not like horror stories. Good thing I found the "horror" humorous and was not even slightly scared. 

Warning spoilers ahead. 

Louise is happy with her life except for the drama caused by her parents favoring her irresponsible younger brother whom they baby. Despite that she focuses on raising her daughter and being the best single parent she is able to. All that changes when her brother calls to inform her that both her parents have died in a car accident. Horrified at both of them being gone Louise quickly bundles her daughter off to his father so she can fly home and help deal with the estate. 

I was expecting jump scares of things not making sense and a normal house. The house was far from normal and considering it was full of creepy dolls and odd looking puppets it was very obvious that one of the dolls or puppets was behind the "haunting." Personally I have never had a fear of dolls coming alive to kill me so maybe that is why the story did not scare me in the slightest. The writing was super fluffy with far too much time spent on naming each puppet or doll individually. The injuries were not believable, like getting bite to the bone by a dog on the ankle then still able to get up and run. Deep scratches but the hospital not tending to that. Just seemed out of whack with what would really happen in reality. 

The Crown

 

The Crown is the fifth and final book in The Selection series. I am so glad to be done with the series, parts of it were painful to read and the story was drawn out way too much. 

Sadly Eadlyn did not get more bearable and continued to behave like a spoiled brat. I really wanted her to mature and become into her own instead of just demanding people conform to her every whim. Everything was super predictable about her as well, she made all the same mistakes over and over. Did not care for anyone else but herself. Ignored good advice from her family and was willing to use anyone she could to get what she wanted.

Like the last story the writing stayed consistent with Eadlyn's character. The story was way too drawn out though with minor problems being blown up into major problems. It made no sense and was just drama. At least no love triangle was in this story.

 

Wanted: Perfect Partner is one of Debbie Macomber's early works. I really like the slapstick humor and light nature of Mrs. Macomber's early work.

Meg is perfectly happy with life of running a bookstore and being a single mom to her teenage daughter. Lindsey has other ideas for her mother though and decides to put a personal in the newspaper finding her mother a date without telling her. Somehow the teen talks her mother into meeting a man she has been corresponding with and a whirlwind of trouble soon follows. 

Nancy is determined to play matchmaker for her bachelor elder brother. Instead of admitting she is searching for love for him Nancy just sets Steve up on a blind date. Not wanting to hurt the woman's feelings by not showing up he goes to explain everything. Soon though he finds himself tugged into Meg's life whether or not he wants that. 

This is a short story less then two hundred pages but it is complete. Some small character development but mainly laughs that kept me reading. 

The Heir

 

I had hoped I would continue to like The Selection series with The Heir but I should have stopped once America's story ended. 

Eadlyn is one of the most annoying, bratty, spoiled, and rude characters I have ever read. I will give this she is consistent and does not have moments of breaking protocol on how horrible she is in the story. Most of the time I just want to shake her and tell her to stop being such a brat. Despite that I do realize she has a heavy burden on her shoulders, becoming the first ruling queen of a country that has had male rulers since it was found. Also it does not help that everyone spoils her, maybe if she was not so pampered she would have a chance at a more normal life. 

The writing held through the same as the selection and it was nice to see the story told from the point of the person choosing. I feel like I know none of the boys most of the story focused on Eadlyn going poor me why do I have to do this and people should just love me. Just for the sake of finishing the series I will stick with the story and see if the library has The Crown available to borrow. 

 

Like many other people I did Kickstarter for Mr. Sanderson's four secret books. Tress of the Emerald Sea was the first book released. 

I believe I have read some of the novels in the cosmere universe but I do tend to struggle with them. I am not really sure why since I do enjoy Mr. Sanderson's story telling. Tress's story was no exception, at times I struggled and had to step away from the story. 

One of my favorite overall things is the chapters had titles, I love chapter titles. I also appreciated how the chapter titles font color changed as the story progressed. 

Despite being part of the Cosmere Universe Tress's story is stand alone. I really like Tress, she showed a lot of growth and clearly did not want to conform to the social norms of the time. Despite this I do see Tress as coming off as too powerful and overcoming things easily at times. Yet every time an obstacle occurred Tress continued to make the same mistake of trying to tackle it herself despite having friends who were eager to help her. 

It is clear that Mr. Sanderson is not big on writing love stories and this was partly a love story. I do like that he tried and thought of keeping a fairy tale feeling despite adding in some twists of his own. At times the story did drag on and I struggled to continue to reading. 

 

All the Pretty People was last week's Free Friday and I love a good mystery so I gave it at try. 

Willow has never been the same since her best friend disappeared one summer while her family was vacationing on an exclusive island. Terrified the same fate would bestow one of her daughters Willow's parents bundled them all up and quickly left the island never to return until ten years later when her youngest daughter decides to get married on the island. 

The main character, Willow, was not my favorite she felt so flat. Her sister goes missing and she manages to stay calm enough to investigate despite having no formal training and supposed PTSD from the disappearance of her best friend years earlier. Drake the other main character lost his sister and gave up the will to live except for finding her. He is described as angry and dangerous but never comes off that way.

Despite the lacking main characters I like the mystery with all the twists and turns as information was slowly revealed. I had a guess between two people at the end on who the killer was and while I did guess right for one of them I appreciate not being able to figure it out easily. 

69 Million Things I Hate About You

 

69 Million Things I Hate About You was a Free Friday recently so I decided to give it a try. It is an easy read and I pretty much read it in two sittings. 

Parts of the book were unbelievable, immature, but flat out funny. Kiersten hates being perfect for her boss but needs the job. Upon learning she has a windfall of money coming in she decides to pay her boss back with some well deserved pranks. Most of the pranks are immature but funny. I did laugh a lot at the antics in the book. If you are easily offended this is not a story for you and it could be triggering for people who have dealt with sexual harassment in the work force in the past. 

Amazing Agent Luna Vol 3

 

I am glad I continued on with Amazing Agent Luna since the third manga is where the story really picked up for me.

A bit more sure of herself at school Luna is really coming out as her own character. Readers were finally treated to a bit of Luna's early years and how Control felt about situations inside the facility where Luna grew up. As Luna is growing more into her own person she must learn to make hard choices and this becomes very apparent as Luna is forced to choose between her mission and her conscious at one point.

Of course the story ended on a cliff hanger and volume 4 is not free on the Nook. I still do not like the manga enough to buy it. After checking the local library I was sad to see they do not have volume 4 but with more digging I found an omnibus that is volume 4 and 5 combined so I ordered that. 

Amazing Agent Luna Vol 2

 

The second manga in the Amazing Agent Luna series was also free on Nook so I read it last night. 

Despite not being the biggest fan of the first manga I like the second manga more which is unusual since I find second books of any sort to usually be lacking. While we know Luna was developed in a test tube we know little to nothing about her handler Control so this was the back story for Control. Lots more humor and believable moments overall. A slight air of mystery still remains with the "bad guy" in the series. 

The third manga was also free on Nook so I have it downloaded to read next. Still not a manga I would pay for.

Amazing Agent Luna

 

I could not sleep last night so I decided to give a random book on my Nook a try, it has been years since I read a manage and Amazing Agent Luna was free so I decided to give it a try. 

This was not the best manga I have read but it did have a clear story line. I like the humor mixed in with the serious moments. The drawing was alright and I did enjoy the little moments of the artists and writers adding in comics about making Luna. It is not a manga I would have considered buying I just do not consider the story line unique enough. 

All in a fast read but average manga. 

Duck for Cover & Other Tales A Collection of Short Stories

 

Mrs. Venkatraman was kind enough to give me a copy of Duck For Cover and Other Tales A Collection of Short Stories for free. 

Normally short stories are not my style but I was pleasantly surprised by most the stories in Duck for Cover. Not every story was my favorite but all were interesting enough I read them and every one had a wonderful lesson. 

Several times I found myself laughing or relating to the situation at hand. Also the story was fully complete which is nice. Far too often I read collections of short stories and wonder was going on, how the story ended properly, or just could not even figure out if it was a short story or a preview for a novel. 

*Receiving a free copy had no impact on my review

Christmas by the Book

 

Christmas by the Book was in the local free library and the cover looked so cute I could not resist grabbing it. 

I expected a lot more from the story, it felt like it was drawn out and not really thought out too well. Honestly if I had not been stuck in a dr's office with nothing else to read I most likely would not have finished it. Despite me not liking it the characters were really thought out and each one had a sense of being their own person. Maybe it had to do with transitioning from being a children's writer to adult fiction but Ryan is not a write I would seek out again. 

Five Fortunes

 

I was provided a copy of Five Fortunes from Mrs. Venkatraman. It is a young adult story that is stand alone.

Despite having five main characters and side characters each girl is presented with a clear personality that makes it easy to tell them apart. One of the best parts is that each chapter has a title, it has become so rare for author's to include that but really adds a lot to the story for the reader in my opinion. One hundred percent the story was driven by teenage antics and not by romance which I strongly approve of. More stories need to show that it is okay to enjoy being a teen and hanging out with friends. At times the girls did feel a bit stereotypical but that is alright since it makes it easier for girls this age in ways, I know at that age I had a category I considered myself to be in. 

The only moment where I struggled a little bit was the very start, is felt a bit like the first couple pages were a sample of the writing of what was going to happen. It was not until I finished a couple chapters I realized the story went from the girls about to get their fortunes to skipping over that part and the girls having their fortunes.

Consistent writing with a lovely flow and words that are appropriate for a young teen. At parts I laughed out loud at the story and other parts wondered how all the fortunes would play out for each girl. Another major bonus is the chapters were consistent in length so it does not mess with the pace of reading. 

All in all a delightful read that I see young teens enjoying and not being overly intimated by since it is shorter in length but in no way lacking in a nicely well rounded story. 

*being gifted the story in no way affects my review

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The One

 

The One is the third book in The Selection series. Originally I thought the series was just three books and some novellas but it looks like it is five books. I may continue the series since I felt like The One did not answer all the questions I had. 

America is finally willing to fight for Maxon and trying to decide the best way to do it. Scared to death to give her heart fully to a man dating three other girls America struggles to figure out Maxon's feelings while maintaining truth to who she is. If she will just bend to the will of the king and be obedient the king will accept her but she will be giving up who she really is in the process. 

Since this was a harem story I expected lots of love triangles and girl drama. That is what I got. If you looking for a deep story with lots of world building, twists, turns, and character development The Selection series is not for you. I would consider it more of a guilty pleasure read without the adult scenes. Most likely I will continue the series. 

The Elite

 

The Elite is the second book in The Selection series. 

Things are heating up with 29 girls having been sent home and America still cannot decide which boy she wants. Determined to buy herself as much time as possible America goes all out doing her best to disrupt the order in the castle. Wanting Maxon to step out of his comfort zone she quickly comes up with a devastating plan to ruin her chances at staying in the selection. 

At times I thought I saw America growing as a person but then she seemed to shrink back into herself like she was doubting what she was doing which was frustrating. The other characters stay pretty much shadows since they are not fleshed out much. I wish you got to know more about the girls and not just one or two. I get 35 was a lot to write about but 6 is a much more manageable number. Despite that I do still want to read The One.

The Selection

 

I had put off reading The Selection for years because people told me it was not good. Really I should not have listened to any of them the story is exactly what I expected it to be a love triangle with shallow characters. 

America is not interested in entering the lottery to try to compete against other girls and have the prince choose her to be his bride. Instead her heart lies back at home with a boy who is a caste below her. Unable to forget her previous love American is torn when she realizes how normal the prince is. 

Not much to say about the plot line since it is pretty basic but it kept me reading. My only issue was with so many girls you really only got to know America, most of the other girls were mentioned in passing. I am hoping that will change since less girls remain in the competition for The Elite. 

Kill for Love

 

Kill for Love is the fifth and final book in the Emily Swanson series and like the previous ones I bought it since all three libraries I have a card to did not have it. It is my least favorite of the series which is a shame since I enjoyed the series a good deal.

Emily is visiting a college friend when she learns the younger sister of her friend is a suspect in a murder. Soon you learn that the girl was present at the murder but like usual more to the story. For some reason all the previous things Emily has learned and the people she has made friends with are pretty much forgotten. A whole new cast is introduced for some reason and Emily just fumbles around forgetting she has solid friends who have helped her out in the past with cases.

I did not like the ending at all, it was rushed and did not feel complete. Just like the story stopped then jumped into the future which made no sense. Full closure on the story was not provided and that was frustrating then it was set up for what may be a spin off series. I do not really know, at this point I do not care to look farther into the series to try to figure things out.