Author: Ambrosia

January Challenge Update

- Ambrosia 1 Comment

So far so good for January and I am more than on track with my challenges. It is always a nice feeling to feel like your ahead of the 8 ball. At the time of posting I am at 8 books for the year and that puts me 4 books ahead of schedule. I have started reading another longer one as well by Anne Easter Smith.

So while we see where I am at for the over all challenge where does that leave me for the genre ones? Here we go..

I have read 5 of 25 for the Historical Fiction Challenge:

1. The Forgotten Queen by D.L Bogdan
2. A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith
3. Mistress for the Crown by Isolde Martyn
4.The Season by Sarah MacLean
5. The Notorious Lady Anne by Sharon Cullen

I have touched on 1 of 8 for my Immortal challenge making that 1 in the Angels & Demons category. I do have a vampire read coming up on my “schedule” to put another mark in that category.

1.Covet by J.R. Ward

I have read one book towards 6 for my Animal Challenge of the year. I tend to get in an animal mood more in Spring, not sure why that is.

1.Noor by Milton C. Toby

For the ebook challenge I am proud of myself and am doing well. I have read 4 out of 10 for that one!

1. The Forgotten Queen by D.L Bogdan
2. Front page Fatality by Lyndee Walker
3.Mistress for the Crown by Isolde Martyn
4.The Notorious Lady Anne by Sharon Cullen

And my TBR pile challenge has been a little bit light because I have been enjoying some library reads or the lovely pre release books I have been getting. But I still made a dent and read 2 out of 20.

1. Covet by J.R. Ward
2. The Season by Sarah MacLean

So there we have it there is the update. Not bad for one month of reading. Lets hope I can keep up the nice pace for the year! Not only that but keep on enjoying the books as I have been.

Booking Through Thursday 1/31/13

- Ambrosia 9 Comments

It has been a while since I have done this MEME but since I am bringing back the Meme’s it is time to do this one as well. If your only here for the reviews..sorry scroll on down *wink*

This one is Hosted at the Booking through Thursday Blog.

This week it is asked:

Do you lend your books? Are any out on loan right now? Do you have any that have been loaned to you? Do you put a time limit on these? Do you think people should make an effort to read the loaned book quickly?

In general I do not lend out books, because I have a history of not getting them back. That said once in a while I will go ahead and lend one out. I have one lent out right now and it has been out for about 4 months. I suspect I won’t get it back too. I do feel that if you borrow a book from one especially if they let you know that it is one they have not read yet you should be timely about reading and returning. I mean the library has limits too right?

Book Review: The Notorious Lady Anne by Sharon Cullen

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Release Date: Feb 11th 2013

From rising romance star Sharon Cullen comes a tale of the fiery passion between a noble naval officer and a female pirate that’s as tempestuous and as unpredictable as the sea.

Nicholas Addison, celebrated captain of the Blackwell Shipping Fleet, has agreed to take Mrs. Emmaline Sutherland aboard the Pride and ferry the raven-haired beauty across the Atlantic on what he imagines will be a routine trip. But when the ship is attacked by pirates, the seemingly innocent passenger is revealed to be none other than the infamous marauder Lady Anne, whose name strikes fear in the hearts of sailors everywhere—and whose seductive wiles commandeers Nicholas’s affections.

Lady Anne, a legend of the high seas, has spent the last eleven years plotting revenge against her father, the owner of Blackwell Shipping. She’s targeted the Pride in hopes of plundering its captain’s company secrets. But beneath her fierce courage and bitter determination, Anne has the delicate heart of a woman—a heart that cannot help falling for Nicholas. Now Anne must make a difficult choice: bring down Blackwell or surrender to love.

Ahoy Matey! Sharon Cullen sweeps us into the swash buckling tale of revenge and pirates. Not only that but we get a nice gander at a handsome man who is of course a Captain of a ship. What more can you ask for in a book? Nicholas Addison is a man from a noble family, honorable and one who loves the sea. Emmaline or Lady Anne is a woman of many contradictions a Lady Pirate who has not been touched by a man in an intimate way, whose life is based around taking revenge. So what happens when these two forces meet? A great deal.

Overall I really did enjoy The Notorious Lady Anne as a read. It was fast, adventurous and had some nice romance that makes a bodice ripper good. However there were parts for me that dragged a little bit and parts that to me came off as predictable. There could have been another twist or two to really make things different and stand out as a truly unique read. However with my negative aspects expressed on this read I did still enjoy it.

If your someone who likes a nice fast read with pirates and romance this is a nice book to fit the bill. While it is not one that I would shout from the roof tops that you must read it, I also feel it is not one to be left on the shelf. The prose is well done and the characters are likeable. Even when Captain Addison was in what I call his “snit” I really enjoyed him. He was not being angry or upset because he was being a jerk, but his sense of honor had been impugned upon. So if your looking for a speedy read with good characters this would be a good one for you.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Season by Sarah MacLean

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Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued — in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex’s heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year’s season begins!

Welcome to the glittery world of the ton. Step into the lives of three girls as they make their first season of London’s best and brightest in search of a husband. Lady Alexandra, Lady Vivian and Lady Eleanor have been best friends for as long as they can remember and that does not change now. Sarah MacLean did not leave us wanting in the male department either from Alexandra’s three brothers, to Lord Blackmoor and even the impish Lord Stanhope.

I enjoyed The Season and found it a fast and enjoyable read. It was not the best book of the year and some of the plot was pretty easy to figure out early in, but since it is geared at a younger audience I would expect that and don’t hold that against the book.

Sarah MacLean made some very enjoyable characters in The Season and I found myself smiling a lot at the actions of the three friends. The situations that they found themselves in are situations that I think I would find myself in, or at least I picture I would do if I was in the time period. It was a light read even with some of the serious themes within it. There is a mystery of whom killed Gavin Lord Blackmoor’s Father and a good portion of the book is focused on that. The descriptions of the balls are well done and I could picture myself among the glittery ton and enjoying the waltz with a Mr. Darcy like gentleman.

My Gemstone Rating:

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WWW Wens 1/30/13

- Ambrosia 2 Comments

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently I am reading… This one a bit of bodice ripping. Nothing wrong with that right?

I just finished The Season my review will be up shortly. It was a good read not the best ever but I enjoyed it.

And next up will be the one that came in from the library yesterday

Posted in WWW

Teaser Tuesday 1/29/13

- Ambrosia 2 Comments

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Blackmoor cut in, his question appearing to all as casual curiousity.”Has she told you that something is bothering her?” Nick shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. ~ The Season by Sarah MacLean pg. 151

Musing Monday 1/28/13

- Ambrosia 4 Comments

Musing Monday is hosted over at Should Be Reading.

 

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.

I have started a new habit. Whether that be because of busy time or because I have picked up on a fellow friends OCD about sorting things I am not sure. My latest reading habit is making first a stack of my hard copy books, then a list of my Kindle books that I will be reading next. I have the next 12 or so books sorted out. Now that is not to say I won’t change my mind and go with a different book if I feel like it, but there it is they are sorted.

One good thing about this new sorting is since I am doing blog tours again on a regular basis it is helping me keep my tours sorted. I also have those placed on a google calendar to make sure that I have the reviews scheduled and ready to go in time.

The Sunday Salon 1/27/13

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Hello again Sunday. Another week and here we have the last Sunday in the Month of January. This month has gone by rather quickly don’t you think? On the reading front this has been a very good week for me. I read three books and enjoyed each one of them. All of them were very different from one another too. I love when you can get in a swing of books that you devour and really enjoy deeply.

The first was Front Page Fatality by LynDee Walker

Then there was Covet by J.R Ward

and finally what I finished yesterday Mistress to the Crown Isolde Martyn

Not a bad week! This week I may not get as much of a chance to read as many books but of course that also will depend on how fast I manage to read them. Sometimes I am faster then others it just always depends. In other good news I finally got my copy of Lily of the Nile too! It took me two orders to get it but I did get it, even if the package was beat up the book arrived alright. For all the trouble I went through to get the book I hope it is a good one.

Book Review: Mistress to the Crown Isolde Martyn

- Ambrosia 1 Comment

Release Date: Feb 1st 2013

The day Lord Hastings came into her husband’s store, Elizabeth saw the opportunity she had waited twelve years for — a way to separate herself once and for all from her dull, impotent husband, William Shore. The handsome stranger presented not only the chance to partake in the dance of desire, but legal counsel to annul her 12-year marriage.

She did not, however, foresee her introduction to the King of England, nor her future at his side…and in his bed. From this unlikely alliance, Elizabeth is granted severance from Shore, and finds herself flourishing in the radiance of the King’s admiration. But she soon finds that her new position comes at a terrible price — her family has shunned her, the people of London have labelled her a harlot and the Queen’s family want her to burn in Hell.

So long as King Edward and Lord Hastings stay close, Elizabeth is safe. However, her beloved Ned falls ill and Lord Hastings falls out of favour.

Can Elizabeth’s wiles keep her out of trouble? Or will they lead her to further trouble…and the hangman’s noose?

Mistress to the crown takes us once again into an England that is on the cusp of the Tudor reign placing us into the stories of the Last Plantagenet King’s. Elizabeth Shore is a good and dutiful Wife who has a husband who can not preform the duties he is meant to. While she is wistful for a child and very unhappy in her marriage she remains faithful, all until Lord Hastings Chamberlain to the King arrives in her shop one day and sets her world on it’s head.

First she becomes a lover to Lord Hastings, learning that the art of being in bed is indeed a pleasure. However after they are barged in upon by a man dressed in messengers clothing but with the air of something else Elizabeth’s life changes further. It is later when the messenger summons her under the name of Lord Hastings that she finds out he is indeed King Edward.

Isolde Martyn has done a fantastic job in bringing these characters to life. It is never easy to be a King’s Mistress and they are often painted as little more than grasping harlots. In truth they are often little more than what they are painted as. However Elizabeth Shore is brought to life as a very human character. While I did not like her in the first chapter when she was young and seeking an annulment I think she was a normal girl of her age. When we come upon her later and she is indeed an independent woman who is dealing with a situation no one would like I warmed to her.

We see growth within Elizabeth with each turn of the page, and to say that King Edward was a charmer is putting it lightly. However he was a King and we see his human side as well, from his fits of temper to his moments of deep sadness in which he seeks comfort. Over all this makes for a very real and human book that engages you to the characters. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction readers especially those who like the War of the Roses time period. The history is well presented and the facts that have been filled in because we do not know them seem to stay true to what we do know.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Booking Through Thursday 1/24/13

- Ambrosia 3 Comments

It has been a while since I have done this MEME but since I am bringing back the Meme’s it is time to do this one as well. If your only here for the reviews..sorry scroll on down *wink*

This one is Hosted at the Booking through Thursday Blog.

This week it is asked:


Do you ever try to pair music with the book you’re reading? Play the movie soundtrack while reading the original book? Find mood music that fits with your story?

I do sometimes pair music with the books I am reading. I do this in a couple of different ways really. I love music so sometimes I will get distracted by it if I am not that fully focused on a book. That aside sometimes when I am relating to a character I will put a soundtrack to them. Songs I think fit them a theme song or something for the situation. I did that recently with Covet as I was reading each character got a theme song.

If I am reading a book that has been made into a movie sometimes I will listen to the sound track. I know when I read Les Mis I had the soundtrack going. How could you not? It is one of those ones that just screams for that. Sometimes I just have music on in the background softly and I find without knowing that it fits what I am reading. Moods can go with moods sometimes when you don’t even notice it.

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