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Category: Contemporary

Blog Tour: The King’s Agent by Donna Russo Morin

[ 5 ] March 8, 2012

Please join Donna Russo Morin, author of The King’s Agent, as she tours the blogosphere with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours!

Reviewed by Colleen Turner

Florence in the 1520s finds the Medici family in power. Pope Clement VII is bestowing his own administration and giving little power to the citizens who long for the reestablishment of a Republican body of government. With Charles VIII of Spain and Francois I of France again battling for Italian lands, many, including Battista della Palla, hope the French can help bring about their independence. The French King has made it clear to Battista, his art agent, that the people of Florence can rely on his help if Battista, in turn, collects for him what great works of art he desires.

Battista is glad to do the King’s bidding, at whatever costs, if it will ultimately mean some peace and independence for his people. But when the King sends Battista an urgent letter, stating he must find the ultimate artifact that will guarantee power beyond all others to the man who wields it, he gives little clue as to how Battista will acquire it. As Battista and his band of loyal men dig deeper they discover they must go on a quest for the relic, using the words of Dante and the artistic images of Giotto as their guide.

The men are confident their search must start at the Palazzo of Mantua but Battista soon finds himself under attack by the guards. When a mysterious woman comes to his rescue, whisking him to the safety of the woods, he is grateful but wary of her assistance. When she discovers a scroll Battista pilfered from the Palazzo, she promises to assist him on his adventure, as long as he takes her with him.

Aurelia has spent her life sheltered as the warden of the Marquess of Mantua and longs for freedom and independence to see what life can bring beyond the walls of the Palazzo. When she finds Battista injured and desperate she realizes he is her way of escape. In his current state he won’t have room for complaint and he might find her of use in his search.

Aurelia soon ingratiates herself in the band of brothers and jumps right in as they find the three places they must venture to for the pieces of Giotto’s triptych: they must travel to “Hell” at the hedonistic Palazzo Prato, through “Purgatory” in the grottos of the Ciociaria mountains and finally to the “Heaven” that awaits them at the heights of the Castello della Dragonara. But Battista continues to wonder how much he can trust Aurelia’s help as she seems to know more about their search than she lets on. And as Aurelia continues on their adventure, she must indeed decide how much of herself to reveal to Battista. As they grow closer together the ultimate price looms near and Aurelia must finally reveal who she really is, something that will change everything they have come this far to discover.

I found this book to be a true gem. The King’s Agent mixes heavy doses of history with mysticism, adventure and romance. The writing is beautiful and, while it is not an easy or fast read, I found myself taking my time and relishing the beautiful language. There are many components to the story so the reader needs to pay attention and really use their wits to stay present in the story. While I really enjoyed the mystical aspect I can see how some sticklers of history might find this aspect to venture a little too far outside their comfort zone. As I am always happy to find new twists to history and historical fiction I loved it.

For those who love lyrical writing and a story that tests the reader along with the characters The King’s Agent is a must read. For readers who are looking for a fast touch of history or one that stays within well traveled roads, this might not be for you.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Also by Donna Russo Morin: To Serve a King

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Colleen lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband, son, their dog Oliver and their fish Finn. When not working or taking care of her family she has her nose stuck in a book (and, let’s face it, often when she is working or taking care of her family as well). Nothing excites her more than discovering a new author to obsess over or a hidden jewel of a book to worship.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Kensington Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

[ 9 ] March 6, 2012

Reviewed by Claudia Robinson

“He learned that the wing beats of a swallowtail butterfly sounded brighter than those of a monarch; the the leaves of a mulberry tree rustled differently in the wind from those of the guava; that the chomping of a wood worm was not to be confused with that of a caterpillar; that the rubbing of hind legs was distinct from fly to fly. It was a whole new alphabet.” – Tin Win’s observations of his surroundings with Mi Mi’s help.

There are love stories and there are love stories. The kind that make us ache with jealously and longing, the kind that supersede emotion and time and the challenges and obstacles of distance, culture and personal limitations. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, by Jan-Philipp Sendker is just that. Pure, brilliant, moving, tender and so absolutely different and perfect, you won’t leave the house, a room, without book in hand, for fear of missing an opportunity to turn the page and delve in to the love story between a blind boy, Tin Win, and young girl named Mi Mi, who can’t walk.

Set in Burma, the story unfolds, told to us by the old man U Ba. Julia Win has left the comfort of New York city in an effort to follow her missing Father’s footsteps and perhaps unearth the mystery behind his disappearance from her and her Mother’s lives so long ago. Julia’s discovery of a love letter to a woman other than her Mother, leads her to the small village named Kalaw in search of answers. When an old man named U Ba seems to know more about her than she knows about herself, Julia finds herself entrusting her life and the story of her past, to him. Slowly and painstakingly, U Ba unfolds a love story of two souls, entwined forever by their love, that has Julia doubting if she even knew who her Father really was.

A tale of undying love between Tin Win, blind and raised and tutored by Monks, and Mi Mi, born with deformed feet, forced to crawl through life, and yet so beautiful and so full of grace, she is revered and loved by all. With Mi Mi’s help, Tin Win learns that sight is not just something seen by the eyes, but felt with the soul, heard with the ears, discovered with the heart. Together, the two young people immerse themselves in to self-discovery, their own and that of each other and find themselves two halves of a whole. Soul-mates in the truest and purest sense of the word. When a rich Uncle, eager to appease his Karmic debtors, sends for his nephew, the two are separated for over 50 years, and yet, as Julia quickly finds out, never lose faith or love in the time apart.

Through the tale of her Father’s story Julia begins to find her own heart and the definitions of success, love and life are radically altered through each passage of the story U Ba shares with her. In The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, the reader is offered an exquisitely woven tapestry of cultures, emotions, sensations and lessons that will leave a lasting impression and a newfound faith and respect of love and it’s ability to transcend anything and everything. Absolute perfection.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Claudia lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband and two children.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Other Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Losing Clementine by Ashley Ream

[ 4 ] March 6, 2012

Reviewed by Joanne Reynolds

Clementine Pritchard is a young accomplished artist whose goal is to end her own life in 30 days. She is in the process of cleaning up her life in slow measures so that her family and friends have nothing to worry about after her demise.

Clementine is single and shares her home with her rescued cat, Chuckles, but has, by all accounts, lived a full life. She dates occasionally; her encounters with her ex-husband, friends and neighbors made me laugh, cry, hate her and love her at the same time. She is very methodical about tidying things up in her own mind, so that nothing is left for others to concern themselves about.

She has proceeded to fire people, tried to find a new home for her cat, finish undone laundry, sell her furniture and household items. Her will is done and papers are settled for her survivors.

While readers may decide that there is only one possible ending to Losing Clementine, there are a lot of things that Clementine learns about her life that might not have been learned had she stayed on her everyday path. Ashley Ream has written this character with such dimension that you can’t help but turn the page to find out the next foible or crisis to occur! Suicide is always a touchy subject and is not usually dealt with in such a charming way. I really came to love Clementine and her quirky personality and felt her heartache and the need to put things behind her in an orderly fashion.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Check out Ashley Ream’s guest post here

Joanne has always been an avid reader and loves the ability to lose herself in someone else’s life for the time that it takes to read about it. She has a huge admiration for authors and the worlds that they create for us. She enjoys reading to her granddaughters and hopes that they take up the love of reading.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by William Morrow Paperbacks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

[ 9 ] March 5, 2012

Reviewed by Claudia Robinson

“Here’s what I hate. I hate that it doesn’t matter if we see each other. There’s still this connection, between me and him because we were both in the car. Like in arithmetic. Because of the accident, we’re not just separate numbers. When you add us up, you always have to carry the one.” – Alice to Carmen, Carry the One, Carol Anshaw

Carmen’s wedding to Matt in the summer of 1983 became a night no one would ever forget, but not for conventional or obvious reasons as befitting what should be, for all involved, one of the most beautiful days, ever. Instead, the memory of that night will be carried by a select few guests, for the rest of their lives, as the night their world’s were turned upside down and inside out, when Carmen’s sister Alice and her lover, Maude, Nick, Carmen’s brother and his girlfriend Olivia, and Tom, the budding rock star, intoxicated on excitement, each other, booze and drugs, hit and killed a young girl with their car on their way home.

Carry the One is a heartbreakingly honest story about five individuals, their connection to this one horrible night, over the span of 25 years, and it’s devastating effect on their lives, relationships and mental health. Intricate, detailed, poignant and complicated, this is a book that seems innocent and naive at first, only to bloom and unfold in to a display of such raw and intimate emotion and candidness, one almost feels intrusive, reading about each person’s struggles through the years.

Carmen’s divorce, childrearing woes and political agendas, Alice’s artistic endeavors to keep the dead girl alive and her continually tragic affairs with mercurial and cruel females, Tom’s narcissistic denial, Nick’s substance abuse and Olivia’s endeavor to reintegrate herself in to the real world after being incarcerated for being the driver that fateful night, are all displayed for the reader to explore, as they attempt to maneuver through their lives, ever shadowed and stained by the death of one young girl. The cause and effect of the night prompts choices, directs decisions, motivates passions and twists lives in to endings and beginnings that, perhaps, or perhaps not, may have been different under another lot cast.

Beautiful, haunting, and what could – under the pen of another hand – have been a darker, disturbing tale, Carry the One, in Anshaw’s, becomes, instead a masterpiece that is almost simplistic in nature, tinged with bittersweet humor, completely hypnotic, and utterly tragic. Anshaw’s characters explode between the pages, their emotions, their fears, their vulnerabilities, their relationship endeavors and failures, their search for peace, forgiveness, or both, weave through, under and over one other, delivering a hearty, full bodied read.

Seductive and unique, Carry the One is not a book you’ll put down, or forget any time soon.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Claudia lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband and two children.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds

[ 2 ] March 3, 2012

Reviewed by Kathie Smith

Only one person, Callie Anne Benton, knows the identity of the bones uncovered at the old drive-in. This unexpected discovery leads Callie Anne back to the days of her twelfth summer. That summer, she lived with her parents in a house at the edge of Starlite Drive-in, free to spend her days and nights exploring and observing the world around her.

The focus of her summer quickly becomes Charlie Memphis, a wanderer hired as a handyman to help at the drive-in. Callie Anne and her mother are immediately taken with him; however, her father, who has been the Manager of Starlite Drive-In for many years, remains unimpressed by his charm. Circumstances surrounding Charlie’s appearance force Callie Anne to see her parents, both individually and as a couple, more clearly than ever before and to question the stability of her family life.

The secrets kept by those around her are further complicated by information she believes to be evidence of a dark past. Caught between the innocence of youth and the complexity of adult relationships, Callie Anne finds her loyalties being tested and divided as she struggles to make sense of all she has learned.

Marjorie Reynolds writes with a depth and clarity that can allow a reader to become immersed enough to feel almost as though Callie Anne’s past is a part of their own. It is actually because this part of the book is so engrossing that the bones discovered 30 years later are all but forgotten with the introduction to the 12 year-old Callie Anne. The mystery is a background plot that would not be missed aside from being a vehicle into Callie Anne’s past.

Callie Anne’s memories of the summer of 1956 hold enough treasures to keep readers revisiting The Starlite Drive-in long after the last page. It is a story of discovery, heartbreak and hope. Readers are in for a treat with this vividly depicted stroll down memory lane.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Kathie is a writer, wife, mother and volunteer living in the beautiful Appalachian mountains. Her passion for the written word is fulfilled by creating her own fictional work, freelancing, acting as an adviser to another author, and reading with her six year old daughter.

Review copies were provided free of any obligation by William Morrow Paperbacks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay

[ 6 ] February 28, 2012

Reviewed by Alysia George

Even people we think we know very well have secrets that we may be quite surprised by if we were ever to discover them. We’re typically so busy with everyday activities and conversations that sometimes the deeper, soul-baring talks just don’t happen as often or as thoroughly as they should. If they do happen, maybe there are some secrets so well-hidden and sacred that even our dearest loved ones choose to keep them from us for their own very personal reasons.

When Chelsea Enright, the main character in More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay, is faced with the passing of her beloved grandmother, a meeting with the old woman’s attorney changes her life. While still grieving for a woman who deeply impacted her life, Chelsea finds that her grandmother had some posthumous surprises in store for her.

First Chelsea learns that she has inherited a cottage that she has only been vaguely aware of, but that no one in her family has visited for decades. Although her first instinct is to sell the old place sight unseen, the lawyer also gives her a letter that leads Chelsea to visit the cottage in the Adirondacks and ultimately spend a life-changing summer there. Not only does she discover secrets that her grandmother never shared with anyone in her lifetime, she also meets a neighbor who will have a huge impact on her own life.

As I was reading More Than Words Can Say, I found myself flipping to the cover more than once to reaffirm that it was indeed written by a man. It is beautifully written, and almost flowery and feminine. I shouldn’t hold such expectations, but it wasn’t what I would expect from a male author. The main characters seem almost too good and honest to be true, which made the story slightly unrealistic to me. Although, on the other hand, it was refreshing to like the characters so much and to agree with their decisions. The setting in New York’s Adirondacks region made me want to plan a vacation there, at a lovely lakefront cottage.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Alysia lives in Metro Detroit with her husband and four children. She writes about family life, parenting issues, and other things of interest to her on her blog, Michigal.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by William Morrow Paperbacks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Secrets by Freya North

[ 2 ] February 25, 2012

Reviewed by Alysia George

Most people don’t share all aspects of their lives upon meeting someone new. Some are more private than others, but where is the fine line between not sharing personal information and keeping secrets? There often comes a point when new friends are getting to know each other and might wonder whether it’s time to disclose some personal history that is generally kept private. Sometimes figuring out the right time can be tricky, but if the window passes without sharing the pertinent information, problems could arise in the relationship.

Tess and Joe, the main characters in Secrets, by Freya North, each have their fair share of secrets when they first meet. Joe places an ad looking for a house sitter and Tess is the one to arrive at his country estate; Tess is ready to leave her city life behind and start fresh. They are perfect strangers and surely they are not required to tell each other everything. But as they get to know each other, first becoming friends and then playing with the possibility of something more, it becomes clear that there are certain things they should really know about each other. But the longer they put off sharing their secrets, the harder it is to do so without hurting each other.

For the most part, the secrets Tess and Joe are hiding are revealed to the reader as they share them with each other. This makes for compelling reading. The characters are likeable and the story is believable, but some of the secrets have a rather contrived feel to them. And I’m not entirely sure I like the ending, as Joe seems to get away with quite a bit more than he should. I love the vernacular of Brit Lit and enjoyed the development of the story, and would recommend Secrets as a quick, light read.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Alysia lives in Metro Detroit with her husband and four children. She writes about family life, parenting issues, and other things of interest to her on her blog, Michigal.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Sourcebooks Landmark. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton

[ 4 ] February 24, 2012

Reviewed by Meg Massey

In this modern-day adaptation of Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy is a wealthy business owner and philanthropist, and Elizabeth Bennet is a doctor working in Vietnam. Obsessive compulsive Darcy travels to Vietnam to support friends that are adopting a child from the region. When his friend Charles Bingley is hurt in an accident, he encounters Dr. Bennet in the Emergency Room. Just as it was in Austen’s novel, misconceptions abound; upon meeting Darcy, Dr. Bennet is appalled by his rude behavior, and believes that he and Charles are lovers. And though he knows Elizabeth’s first impression of him was less-than-fantastic, Darcy soon finds himself daydreaming about the beautiful dark-haired doctor, and wanting to know her more.

Darcy also worries that his obsessive compulsive tendencies will be a turn-off to the lovely young doctor, but soon finds that Elizabeth understands him in a way he never thought possible. Once initial misconceptions are cleared up, the sparks begin to fly between the two of them. Elizabeth must decide if she is willing to make a leap and change the course of her life to be with him. And when she discovers the many women from his past, will she be able to forgive him, or will it be the end of their relationship?

In Compulsively Mr. Darcy, author Nina Benneton has created a deliciously modern tale featuring our favorite characters from the novel. Lady Catherine becomes Aunt Catherine, and is just as overly involved in Darcy’s romantic future in this book as she was in Pride and Prejudice. The ill, quiet Anne of Pride and Prejudice is transformed into a conniving step-cousin that is obsessed with Darcy, and cousin Richard is a playboy who doesn’t trust Anne.

This novel does contain language and sexual content, and for that reason alone it may not be for everyone. While I enjoyed the modernization of these classic characters, I found myself a little surprised by some of the situations in which they found themselves. In all fairness, I think I’m too much a fan of the characters as they were originally written, and I sometimes have a hard time getting into more modern story lines. That said, this novel is certainly a different approach (I certainly don’t think I’ve read another Austen-esque novel that begins in Vietnam!), making this an interesting read for any fan of Austen-inspired fiction.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Sourcebooks Landmark. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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