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Category: Literature & Fiction

Review: The Dirt by Lori Culwell

[ 2 ] March 1, 2012

Reviewed by April Kirkland

The Dirt is a written from Lucy Whitley’s perspective. Lucy is a frizzy-haired science nerd constantly overlooked by her family and tortured by her older sister Sloane, the head of a secret group called the PGs. Although, it looks like Lucy’s life is about to get better. Her dad is getting remarried and she gets to go away to boarding school in Connecticut, far away from the cruelty of the PGs and the constant desert gossip about the Whitley family scandal. That is, until an unexpected guest from the past shows up at the wedding and turns everything upside down.

Suddenly, Sloane is playing nice and gives Lucy a makeover so that she too can join the PGs. Lucy decides to go undercover and agrees, but can she keep herself from getting sucked into their glamorous lifestyle? Should she trust Sloane?

The Dirt was full of surprises. It had a little bit of something for everyone: family, humor, drama, and mystery. I found myself rooting for Lucy, loving to hate Sloane, and curious about what was in store next for the Whitley family. The characters are relatable and Lori Culwell’s writing – from the perspective of a teenage girl – was very engaging.

The Dirt was quite the page turner and at times very unpredictable. I think anyone who enjoys YA novels will love this book….. no matter what clique you yourself belong to.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Also by Lori Culwell: Hollywood Car Wash

April is a stay at home mom and wife. She lives in a small county in Alabama famous for its peaches. She loves to write poetry, read, and paint, and is also an aspiring author.

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

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Review: Losing Beauty by Johanna Garth

[ 3 ] February 29, 2012

Reviewed by Claudia Robinson

“Hell, looking the way she did, she could have been raising money to hogtie small children and he still would have fallen for her. They all would have. But it was more than that. There was something radiant about her that made you want to look away at the same time. It was like she managed to illuminate the part of them–well-hidden beneath layers of adolescent bravado–that throbbed with a suppressed desire to be better than they had been up to this point in their short lives.” – Aaron’s description of Persey.

Persephone Campbell has a unique gift. One look in to her beautiful eyes and every dark, deep, secret a person harbors, spills forth, unbidden and unchecked. Her gaze is like a truth serum, and from as early on as Persey can remember, people have been sharing their secrets with her. Distancing herself from people, burying herself in books, being aloof has saved her some of the discomfort such a talent can bring, but some people in her life are determined to be and stay, a part of her world, despite all resistance.

Haden is the God of the Underworld, the keeper of souls, good and evil. Inhabiting the bodies of people who have made deals with him, he manages to walk the earth among humans, imbibing in life, in the essence of their beings, bringing interludes of respite from the lonely existence being a God requires. The minute he sets eyes upon the beautiful Persey, Haden’s world is turned inside out, and he vows, no matter the price, to make her his Queen in the Underworld.

Aaron is the schoolmate that earns Persey’s trust and eventual love. Determined to protect her from everything and anything, he breaks through her resistance and earns her heart. The price of his love comes at a cost neither him, nor Persey understand, until too late.

Daniel is the young lawyer with a unique gift of his own. Being able to read between the lines, hearing what’s not said as opposed to what is, has allowed him to move quickly up the ranks in his law firm. Unfortunately, the talent also ruins any hope for longterm relationships, stripping each one of it’s newness, it’s surprise, like reading a book from the end to the front. Resigned to never have a real relationship, he finds himself intrigued and obsessed with the firm’s newest hire, the young, beautiful Persey, who is the first and only, to be immune to his gift.

Losing Beauty, by Johanna Garth, brings these four souls together in a book that blurs the line between mythology and modern day times effortlessly and seductively. Good and evil battle for victory in a familiar setting with completely unique weapons and fleshed out characters. Utterly captivating, spellbinding, Losing Beauty is so fresh and different, offering such a new spin on an old story, that the reader can’t help but be consumed by the emotions and desires of each character.

Garth unveils human nature in all it’s true colors exquisitely. Alternately and simultaneously sensuous, erotic, sexy, dark, demented and brilliant, the first in what is to be the Persephone Series, delivers a one-two punch that will leave mythology and love story fans alike, hungry for more.

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 Johanna Garth. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour: At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill

[ 3 ] February 28, 2012

Please join Anne Barnhill, author of At the Mercy of the Queen, as she tours the blogosphere with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours!

Reviewed by Colleen Turner

When Margaret “Madge” Shelton’s first cousin, Anne Boleyn, marries Henry VIII, their family’s prospects begin to rise on the tide of the King’s affections. Madge is sent to court as a lady in waiting to the new queen in hopes of helping Anne keep her balance on the precarious throne until she can give the king a son and heir, at which time Anne and her family’s influence over the king will be secure. As she works to serve the queen to the best of her abilities, Madge finds herself keeping two suitors at bay: one is Henry Norris, a conceited, lecherous man who has worked his friendship with the king to become betrothed, against her wishes, to Madge; the other is Arthur Brandon, bastard son of the Duke of Suffolk, a man below her station and one the king and her family would never approve her to marry. She soon finds she cannot fight her feelings for Arthur any longer and they both long to find a way to be together.

While Madge is discovering young love, good King Henry’s affection for his queen has begun to waiver. Anne knows she must do something drastic to renew Henry’s passion for her, allowing her the time and means to have a son. When the King begins to look elsewhere to satisfy his desires, Anne asks Madge to make the ultimate sacrifice: to seduce the king and become his mistress while also working to turn him back to his wife. She also promises that, if Madge can accomplish this, she will use her influence with the King to break Madge’s betrothal to Norris, leaving her open to seek a marriage elsewhere.

Does Madge’s affection for the Queen and her wish to marry Arthur overpower the sin of adultery? And what guarantee does she have that the Queen will be able to accomplish what she says?

As Anne continues to fall out of favor with the King more is put on the line than Madge’s marriage prospects. The very lives of the Queen and everyone supporting her, including Madge and her friends, is threatened and the various factions of the court must brace themselves to see which way the King’s favor, and destruction, will turn.

Anne Clinard Barnhill, author of At the Mercy of the Queen, breathes new life into the much told story of Henry VIII and his second wife by presenting it from a fresh new perspective. This story is heavily pro-Anne and presents her as kind, pious and concerned for the welfare of her English subjects, even as they fail to love her. While the writing makes it effortless to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the court, I found the relationship between Arthur and Madge hard to become invested in, especially given how the book ends. Adding him to the storyline seemed unnecessary at times and appears to be one of the main ways the author veered from true history.

That being said, I enjoyed seeing the court from a more minor character’s perspective and experiencing the quick shifts, from the glorious highs to the perilous lows, that one experienced in this court of vipers.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

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 and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by St. Martin’s Griffin. 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: Shelly’s Second Chance by Hope Chandler & L.B. Swan

[ 4 ] February 24, 2012

Reviewed by Rachel Mann

Shelly’s Second Chance, by Hope Chandler and L.B. Swan, is the first in a series with an interesting premise: The Wish Granters books follow two recently dead individuals, Joe and Alanna, who find themselves stuck in a place called Transition. Transition is some kind of in-between place that’s neither heaven nor hell. In order to move past Transition, they have to do several things, including returning to earth to help different women receive their wishes. The process of helping others, it seems, will also help them. They don’t remember much about their lives back on earth, and they have to figure out their pasts in order to fix their own mistakes. They have a guide to help them through this process, “Morgan,” but his instructions are deliberately vague.

Although there are some neat touches, like the question of what people drink in Transition or an ongoing debate about whether Alanna and Joe could return to earth and live again, ultimately, I regret to say, I found it difficult to remain invested in the story. Part of my difficulty stemmed from finding typographical errors (for example, a conversation that loses track of which character is speaking when), which can be pretty distracting.

I also found it difficult to remain invested in Shelly, the human being Alanna and Joe are helping. Shelly has a gambling problem and a tortured relationship with her fiancé Ben; she keeps lying to the second because of the first. Joe and Alanna show up and try to help her, which involves taking her to Vegas and witnessing a health scare (mild spoilers only). Yet, there’s no mystery about Shelly (as there is about Joe and Alanna) and it’s hard, especially at the beginning of the book, to see what she likes so much about Ben. It’s more interesting to consider Joe and Alanna’s backstories, which are slowly being fleshed out, but never at the expense of Shelly’s own story. We have to wait for the next book in the series to find out more about these two main characters.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ 

Rachel, who has a Ph.D. in English, is a freelance writer/editor and a voracious reader. You can talk to her about books at http://twitter.com/writehandmann.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by the authors. 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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Blog Tour: The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

[ 10 ] February 23, 2012

Please join Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

Reviewed by Christen Krumm

After the death of her parents, Gemma Hardy is taken in by her uncle who moves her from her homeland of Iceland to Scotland. After her beloved uncle dies, Gemma realizes the burden she is to her aunt and cousins — who want nothing to do with her. When Gemma receives a working scholarship to Claypoole school, she thinks that her luck has finally turned and her dreams have been answered. However, when she gets to Claypoole she discovers that she is little more then hired help.

When the school is forced to close years later, Gemma finds a job as a nanny to a ragamuffin who is an orphan living with her uncle. Gemma moves to the remote island and begins to teach and tame the wild Nell. When her mysterious employer, Mr. Sinclair, comes home from business, Gemma is instantly smitten — as is Mr. Sinclair. They quickly decide to be married, but when Mr. Sinclair’s smokey past is brought to light, will Gemma’s new found happiness be snatched from her grasp once again?

A re-telling of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, this enchanting new story as told by Margot Livesey is sure to please. I remember reading Jane Eyre in high school. There was something special and magical about that book that has stuck with me through the years. Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a brilliant re-telling of this magical book that takes place in the 1960s Scotland.

Livesey has a way with words that make you want to savor each and every page. I was heartbroken at the treatment of Gemma, much like I was heartbroken of the treatment of Jane. I rejoiced at her new found independence and cried with her when she discovered her Mr. Sinclair was not all she had hoped him to be. Even though at 464 pages it may seem to be a little overbearing, Livesey’s writing makes the pages fly by. Eloquently written, The Flight of Gemma Hardy is the book to read for 2012.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Christen graduated from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith with a BA in English. She’s a coffee drinking stay at home mom by day and a freelance writer/editor by night. She currently resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter and is excited to welcome a son in August.

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

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