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Category: Family Saga

Review: Calico Joe by John Grisham

[ 6 ] May 11, 2012

Reviewed by Jennifer Rasmussen

Paul Tracey is on a quest to amend a wrong his father, a pitcher for the NY Mets, committed against one of baseball’s greats, a young up-and-coming rookie for the Chicago Cubs, Joe Castle “Calico Joe”.

In true Grisham fashion, the book opens with an incredibly in-depth accounting of Joe Castle’s first few rookie games, and Paul’s hero-worship of this superstar. The opening stories are so factual and detail-rich I had to have my baseball-geek husband translate a few of them, but then the story kicks into high gear as Grisham reveals the relationship–and life-changing event–between Joe Castle and his father. From that point on, I couldn’t put it down.

Grisham has a fantastic way of making the characters come alive and intertwines the events with an artistic flair. This allowed me to effortlessly switch between the flashbacks of how the events unfolded when Paul was young and Paul’s journey to right them as a grown man.

I have a glancing knowledge of baseball, and for anyone who’s not a major follower of baseball, I will caution you that the first chapter may be difficult to follow, but worth sticking it out. Once the relationship between Paul’s father and Joe is revealed, baseball knowledge is no longer necessary. I understand why Grisham layered the details of Joe’s first few games, and baseball geeks will love it, but Calico Joe is really a book about people, forgiveness and relationships.

Calico Joe is a fantastic read for Grisham fans, baseball fans, and anyone looking for a light, quick drama.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of Calico Joe!

Jen Greyson writes supernatural thrillers and corporate training guides and tries not to mix the two. You can find her free ebook, How to Build a Writing Platform that Works: The New Path to Publishing, at her website, http://TheSurvivalMama.com.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Doubleday. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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Review: Empress of the Seven Hills by Kate Quinn

[ 2 ] April 19, 2012

Reviewed by Colleen Turner

Corruption, honor, war, love, loyalty, power…these topics and many more are tackled in Empress of the Seven Hills, the newest novel of Rome by Kate Quinn. You hear the term “action packed” used to describe many books but this is one of the few times I have actually read a book and thought it fit. Tipping the scales at 500 pages it was hard to put down as the excitement and intrigue just kept going, resulting in a cliff hanger ending that left me seething about having to wait to find out what happens next.

The story is told in alternating narratives between four very compelling characters – Sabina, a much loved senator’s daughter with a determination all her own; Vix, the gruff ex-gladiator returning to Rome to conquer the city that nearly killed him as a child; Titus, a young nobleman from a respected family that is honest and practical and longs for nothing more than an uneventful life; and Plotina, the plotting, nasty wife of Emperor Trajan that will stop at nothing to see her protégé, Hadrian, become Emperor after her husband. Each character has a very distinct voice that helps the reader get into their frame of mind, whether that is a wonderful self-deprecating humor (as with Titus) or a delusional fantasy world (as with Plotina). The one thing that seems to unite all of these characters is their individual determination to have the life and future they want, regardless of what others around them have planned.

Sabina wants nothing more than to be free to travel the world and do what she wishes. She is the daughter of a respected nobleman, however, and therefore is a prime asset on the marriage market. Titus is her youngest suitor and, despite his love for Sabina, they are destined to become nothing more than lifelong friends. Plotina plots to marry Sabina to Hadrian, her cold and calculating favorite, in the hopes that the love and familial bonds between Sabina and Emperor Trajan will lead to Hadrian being named as the heir to the throne. While Sabina does not love Hadrian, his apparent yearning to see the world makes him seem as good a choice as any and she agrees to his proposal. Vix, a guard in the senator’s home and Sabina’s lover, is angered by the match and decides to launch a career in the military and make a name for himself to rival his past. As their lives advance, twining together and moving apart throughout, they all seem set on the paths they’ve chosen. That is until Emperor Trajan dies and their lives change in an instant. Now all of them with face new challenges and their futures are anything but clear.

I am so excited to see where these characters will be going in the next installment. My favorite character by far was Titus and the new romance he begins to develop towards the end of Empress of the Seven Hills has me itching to read more. Kate Quinn is definitely an author I will be keeping an eye on and I am excited to go back and read her previous two novels, Mistress of Rome and Daughters of Rome.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Check out Kate Quinn’s guest post

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 Berkley Trade. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Tuesday Night Miracles by Kris Radish

[ 2 ] April 18, 2012

Reviewed by Claudia Robinson

“These are not easy assignments, but I know you are up to the task. Keep an open heart, try not to worry about what anyone else might think, and please be honest. This journey is all about self-discovery or rediscovery, but I know you have already figured that out. Right?” – Dr. Bayer

Dr. Olivia Bayer has a new assignment, actually, she has four. Four very angry, emotionally charged, unhappy to be assigned, assignments. Kit, the only girl in a family of five, tired of being belittled and bullied, Grace, a hard working single mother with a gay daughter and one eager to rebel at the drop of a hat, Jane, a wealthy, but currently unemployed, real estate agent, struggling with her new society status and Leah, a domestic violence victim with two young children about to start a new life.

All four women have one thing in common. They’re all unwilling, court mandated participants in Dr. Bayer’s Tuesday night, anger management course. Kit beat her brother with a broken wine bottle, Grace rear ended, repeatedly, the back of her daughter’s boyfriend’s car, Jane’s stilettos were used as weapons against her boss’ head and Leah, abhorrent of violence, raised her hands on her young children. One time incident, or accidental, it doesn’t matter, each woman has to pay penance in Dr. Bayer’s class until which time as the good doctor feels each woman has successfully completed her assignments.

From the onset, it appears the women will all fail. Inattentive, surly and, well, angry, none of the women seem to understand or grasp the severity of their actions and Dr. Bayer is certain she will be signing their jail sentence papers, as opposed to completion forms, at the end of the course. Determined to help the women, Olivia gets creative. With the quasi-blessing of her superior, Olivia creates assignments that involve hiking, comedy clubs, working out, pedicures, bowling, archery and the likes. All things the women, under any other circumstances, would never do, let alone think of. Taking their individual needs and personalities in to account, Olivia formulates a healing process that will first force the women to see themselves, as others do, and find the source of their anger.

What ensues, is a story filled with emotional overload, remorse, sadness, love and loss. Turmoil fuses with repentance, anger with laughter, and together, the four women, guided by their competent (but worried) doctor, begin the slow, painful journey back to themselves, before the anger took control.

Readers are given an intimate view of each of the character’s lives and what led up to their one moment of violence. There is heartache and open wounds that are laid bare for all to share. There is jealousy, intimidation, relationships are tested and pushed past the breaking point, while others are formed, new, fresh and unlike anything ever experienced before. These women are so varied and unique that any reader can find one to relate to and that sudden click in empathy opens up the possibility that at any given time, any one of us, could do something similar.

Edgy, very deep and utterly charming, Tuesday Night Miracles is the perfect read for a rainy night, cup of hot chocolate and a fluffy blanket. A nice combination of sweet and sour, Tuesday Night Miracles is basically chick lit gone wild. Good fun from start to finish.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Also by Kris Radish: Hearts on a String

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 Kelley and Hall Book Publicity. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Butterfly’s Child by Angela Davis-Gardner

[ 52 ] April 17, 2012

Please join Angela Davis-Gardner, author of Butterfly’s Child, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours! 

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy below.

Reviewed by Vera Pereskokova 

Three-year-old Benji is the product of a love affair between a geisha, Cio-Cio (Butterfly), and a U.S. Naval Officer, Frank Pinkerton. Benji has never met his father since Pinkerton left Japan before his birth and is not even aware of his existence.

When Pinkerton finally returns to Nagasaki after a three year absence, Benji is taken away from everything and everyone he has ever known, bound for the U.S. with Pinkerton and his young American wife, Kate. The couple lives on a farm in rural Illinois and to save themselves the embarrassment, they tell everyone that Benji is an orphan they found on their trip – albeit a blond one with a resemblance to Frank.

As he grows up, Benji struggles to adapt to his new surroundings and to find acceptance – not only with his peers but even within his own “adopted” family. When the secret behind his lineage is finally brought to light, it rocks the already dysfunctional family, but also affords Benji the trip he has dreamed of since he was brought to the U.S. – one that takes him back to Nagasaki and reveals the truth behind his mother’s tragic fate.

Just like Madame Butterfly before it, Butterfly’s Child is a tragic tale, but it’s one that will keep you turning pages in hopes of a better future for Benji. It’s a tale of love gone wrong, and of an innocent child caught up in the thoughtless actions of adults around him. Pinkerton was a young man on the prowl when he met Cio-Cio and was thrust into fatherhood when he least expected it. Kate is longing to have a child of her own and is forced to care for a young boy who only reminds her of her husband’s big love. And while most adults – Pinkerton, his mother, and Kate – are at times very unlikable, Davis-Gardner’s skillful writing also makes it easy to see things from their perspective.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Dial Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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Blog Tour: The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot

[ 2 ] March 13, 2012

Please join Sophie Perinot, author of The Sister Queens, as she tours the blogosphere with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours!

Reviewed by Sara Drake

Once upon a time, two sisters grew up to marry kings, rulers of rival nations. This may sound like the beginning of a fairy tale but it’s actually a page from history. Sophie Perinot takes the history of these two sisters, their husbands, and their nations and spins a delightful historical novel. Taking place in thirteenth century Europe, The Sister Queens explores the themes of love and family against a backdrop of war, religion, and politics.

Louis IX of France marries the teenager Marguerite. A few years later, Henry III of England marries her sister, Eleanor. The two sisters have different personalities and their lives take them down different paths. Marguerite finds herself married to a religious zealot and mama’s boy (are you allowed to call a king a mama’s boy?). Her struggles to find a place in her husband’s heart start with a silent struggle with her mother-in-law and lead to crusading (literally) against the infidel. Meanwhile, her sister finds true love (with her husband) but faces a nobility frequently at war with their king.

I enjoyed Perinot’s well-written tale. The characters and especially the relationship between the sisters came alive. I truly enjoyed Perinot’s depiction of Marguerite’s life and environment. She gave the French court an amazing depth with her descriptions, allowing it to spring from the pages.

Unfortunately, the English court did not have that same depth and I found myself struggling to get a good feel for the dynamics there. I know that it is much easier to find detailed accounts of Louis IX then Henry III. In fact, many of the sources from the time period offer delightful details of the individual quirks at Louis IX’s court. I just found myself longing for more details of Henry III’s court and the personalities that Eleanor interacts with throughout the novel.

I had trouble following the political strife throughout The Sister Queens. Why did English barons fight with Henry III? What role did Simon de Montfort play? Why did Henry fight France? While I know the historians’ answers to these questions, I struggled to follow the motivations as presented within the novel. The real details tend to be very dry and boring and I can understand not dwelling on them. I just wanted more details in this regard to help follow the action in the book.

Despite these two issues, I found myself sucked into the story and could not put the book down.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Learn more about Sophie Perinot and The Sister Queens

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Sara Drake has been an avid reader since a young age. She has both a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and a Master’s in History.

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

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Review: Three Maids for a Crown by Ella March Chase

[ 4 ] January 27, 2012

Reviewed by Shannon Hopkins

The Lady Jane Grey is quite possibly one of the most tragic figures in the English royal lineage: at fifteen, she was declared King Edward’s successor to the English throne in an attempt to keep Mary Tudor from succeeding to the throne and reinstituting Catholic rule. Jane’s nine days as heir apparent are recognized as the shortest reign by an English monarch, but there is far more to the story of the Greys than Jane’s fateful visit to the Tower of London.

In Three Maids for a Crown, Ella March Chase weaves a brilliant story of love, ambition and betrayal, about three sisters who became pawns in a game larger than they could begin to understand. Their tandem narration paints a moving picture of the ties that bind, and the desires that can tear worlds apart.

Jane is a quiet, pious girl who finds strength in her faith. She goes into her wedding day with a sense of dread and distaste for her new husband, as yet unaware that her parents have set her up to take a kingdom. When her father and father-in-law press the ring of state into her hands, she is swept into a whirlwind in which she is declared queen and then a traitor when her cousin Mary comes to claim the crown. Despite a promise that she will be safe from reprisal, danger nonetheless looms when the queen chooses Prince Philip of Spain as her husband.

Katherine is as unlike her sister as night and day. She is radiant on the morning of their double wedding, dizzy in love with her new husband and eager to start their life together. Like Jane, though, she has no idea that her marriage is part of a carefully coordinated plan between three of the most powerful families in England. When Mary takes the throne instead, Katherine loses her husband, her father, her sister, and her hope – and gains center stage in the intrigue still swirling about her family. She becomes a lady in waiting at her cousin’s court, and very nearly becomes Mary’s heir; however, when Elizabeth ascends the throne instead, Katherine becomes a threat to be eliminated.

Mary, the youngest Grey sister, bears witness to the treacherous paths her sisters are forced to follow. Stunted, deformed, and uncharacteristically blunt for a medieval lady, Mary is often dismissed to the fringes – where she finds that being invisible has its benefits. She observes and learns secrets of planned campaigns and attacks, but her best efforts cannot stop the chain of events that has been set in motion. Still, hope and love remain for Mary to find even when she has lost her sisters, her cousin and, it seems, everything else worth holding on to.

Chase’s beautiful prose brings both hope and tragedy to life in a story that is well-known but little understood. Each of the sisters tells her part of the story in a back-and-forth that flows smoothly even over the roughness of tragedy and heartbreak, and reminds the reader of the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Shannon lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her fiancé and a room full of books that she peruses when she isn’t trolling Apartment Therapy for new decorating ideas. In her free time she enjoys maintaining her blog, The Writer’s Closet, planning her wedding, and baking tasty gluten-free treats.

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

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Review: Paris Noire by Francine Thomas Howard

[ 6 ] October 27, 2011

Reviewed by Shannon Hopkins

It is August 25, 1944, and Paris has been liberated from her German occupiers. The city reawakens in a frenzy of joyful celebration and anticipation of a bright new future. But the liberation of Paris will change the Brillard family more than any of them can imagine when they face that morning. While Christophe and his sister Collette join the throng of revelers below, maman Marie-Therèse watches and worries, and wonders what will come of them all. So opens Francine Thomas Howard’s Paris Noire, a moving story about love and loss set in the streets of post-war Paris.

Christophe collides with the beautiful Genvieve on the Champs-Elysees; sensing an immediate connection, he seeks her out and the two fall in love as they rediscover the sights of the city. However, Christophe grows suspicious as they continue to meet in secret. A jolting revelation, a tearful half-truth and an unexpected arrival put their budding relationship and Christophe’s life in jeopardy, and threaten to destroy his hopes for the future.

American expatriate and singer Glovia Johnson holds court in her apartment and her club, where she entertained the Nazi occupiers and collected many secrets to pass on to the Resistance. Now that Paris is free again, she has reconvened her parties of fellow expat writers, artists, and a company of black American soldiers serving with the liberation effort. Marie-Therèse finds herself unexpectedly at home in this circle, and even more unexpectedly the object of an American lieutenant’s admiration. For more years than she can remember she has been a strong and devoted mother, but she has never truly known how it feels to be seen as a woman. Can she embrace those feelings, and what Monsieur Lieutenant has to offer, or will she throw everything away to save her family?

There is far more than entangling love stories to make Paris Noire a must-read, however. Howard’s look at the American noir expatriate community in Paris is a refreshing perspective on a well-known historical period, and Marie-Therèse’s ongoing personal struggle with issues of race and bloodline affect her opinions and those of her children in interesting ways. That personal journey is critical to the story, and it is possible to trace her changes of heart as new experiences define the importance of color in her mind.

Howard’s writing style also keeps the reader from easily setting Paris Noire down. The prose is straightforward and plain, and infused with a rhythmic cadence that flows from Marie-Therèse’s native Martinique patois and the easy speech of the American expats. Though some authors’ great thoughts sink under the weight of heavy words, Howard’s thoughts soar off of the page.

Paris Noire is not a romance, or a thriller, or a historical drama. It is not a comedy or a tragedy, or a portrait of the black Parisian – well, it is not simply any of these things. It is all of these things, and so much more. I am already looking forward to picking it up for another read.

Rating: 4/5

Shannon lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her fianc é and a room full of books that she peruses when she isn’t trolling Apartment Therapy for new decorating ideas. In her free time she enjoys maintaining her blog, The Writer’s Closet, planning her wedding, and baking tasty gluten-free treats.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Little Bird Publicity. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Sense and Sensibility (Insight Edition) by Jane Austen

[ 5 ] October 22, 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

In the introduction to the Sense and Sensibility (Insight Editions) Julie Klassen writes: “Jane Austen is more popular now than during her lifetime nearly two hundred years ago.” Earlier this week I went to Barnes & Noble. Sure enough, there was an end cap in the fiction section covered with retellings and sequels to Austen’s beloved novels. Austen’s influence can even be found in the popular paranormal genre; Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) and Jane Austen both appear as vampires in two such books. The Insight Edition, published by Bethany House Publishers, offers a newly packaged look at the original story of Sense and Sensibility, with a few fun surprises in store.

I’ll be honest with you. Up until this week, Sense and Sensibility was the only Jane Austen novel I had not yet read. Without this new edition of the beloved classic, it’s more than likely I never would have made it through. A few months ago, I attempted to read it from beginning to end, but gave up less than a third of the way into the story. I was baffled. If I can read Pride and Prejudice in two days flat, then why was I having so much trouble with Sense and Sensibility? Like in other novels, Austen writes about marrying for love and/or money, first impressions, and differences in class.

Sense and Sensibility is the story of the Marianne and Elinor Dashwood. They are the late Mr. Dashwood’s children from his second marriage. At the time of his death, he asks his son Henry to care for youngest three daughters and his new widow. However, Henry’s wife has his ear and persuades him to give them less income annually than the promise he made to his father. Marianne and Elinor can only hope to preserve their future by making smart matches.

Bold and romantic Marianne has her sights set on the charming Mr. Willoughby, and sensible and logical Elinor has fallen for Edward Ferrars. Neither gentleman is what he seems, and both girls soon suffer from a broken heart. The loss of Mr. Willoughby prolongs Marianne’s sickness, and Elinor silently suffers through Edward’s upcoming nuptials with Lucy Steele. Just as it seems all hope is lost for a happy ending, Marianne opens her heart to a new love, and Elinor learns that things are not exactly as they seem.

This annotated edition of Sense and Sensibility enhanced a story I already knew through the 1995 Kate Winslet/Emma Thompson feature film. The editors provided trivia about the movie, ranked their favorite characters and least favorite characters, offered facts about Jane Austen and the Regency period, and provided definitions of difficult words. Whether Sense and Sensibility is an old favorite or a new-to-you text, this is the edition you should read. Lovingly put together by some of Austen’s biggest fans, the Insight Edition will earn a slot on your bookshelf.

Rating: 5/5

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

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

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