Book Review: The Lost Husband: A Novel by Katherine Center

Dear Libby, It occurs to me that you and your two children have been living with your mother for—Dear Lord!—two whole years, and I’m writing to see if you’d like to be rescued.

The letter comes out of the blue, and just in time for Libby Moran, who—after the sudden death of her husband, Danny—went to stay with her hypercritical mother. Now her crazy Aunt Jean has offered Libby an escape: a job and a place to live on her farm in the Texas Hill Country. Before she can talk herself out of it, Libby is packing the minivan, grabbing the kids, and hitting the road.

Life on Aunt Jean’s goat farm is both more wonderful and more mysterious than Libby could have imagined. Beyond the animals and the strenuous work, there is quiet—deep, country quiet. But there is also a shaggy, gruff (though purportedly handsome, under all that hair) farm manager with a tragic home life, a formerly famous feed-store clerk who claims she can contact Danny “on the other side,” and the eccentric aunt Libby never really knew but who turns out to be exactly what she’s been looking for. And despite everything she’s lost, Libby soon realizes how much more she’s found. She hasn’t just traded one kind of crazy for another: She may actually have found the place to bring her little family—and herself—back to life.

This was a really good book and to be honest while I was eager to read it I did not think that I would like it and connect with it as well as I did. But you could not help but feel sucked in by the cast of characters. You had the annoying and selfish Mom Marsha, Libby the paranoid but learning to live again, her kids who were just some great kids but had some issues too. Crazy but fantastic and fun Aunt Jean and of course the “Hot Farmer” the handsome O’Connor. I have to say perhaps my favorite character was indeed O’connor. He is so loyal, interesting and just how he really does not only help Libby but help himself.

The read was emotional. It takes you up and down and then up again and really is a story about finding oneself after tragedy. How do you come around when you have lost someone so very important in your life? I would recommend this one to read it is a good book.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Emperor The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of a man who would become the most powerful ruler on earth: Julius Caesar.
On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive family-and his adoptive brother-will be the most powerful force in his life.
As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art of combat-under the tutelage of one of Rome’s most fearsome gladiators-Rome itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldier’s proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win.
The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflict-a conflict that will set Roman against Roman…and put their friendship to the ultimate test.
Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrasts-from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction.

First thing you have to keep in mind when your reading this series, it does take some creative license. Second thing to keep in mind is that while we all know about Caesar’s later life we do not know as much about his young life. Now with my official I am a history buff and generally freak out about these things warning.

This is one of the few books that end up on my keeper shelf that are fiction. The Gates of Rome is one of the best written books of Ancient Rome there is. The characters come alive and leap off the page. You can smell the dirty streets and feel the bruises that come from practicing and then further along. I love seeing the shape that Caesar begins to take as he is a young man, we can see how he is going to become the great General that he becomes.

Brutus is almost likeable in this first book. I am not much of a Brutus fan anyone who knows me knows that, but in this book he is nearly likeable. There are moments when you feel bad for him, moments when you smile at his friendship with Young Gaius and moments where you can see what is going to happen coming clear as day. Overall this book gets a thumbs up must read from me.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Letters to Katie by Kathleen Fuller

Everything changed between them the first time he called her Katie.

Katherine Yoder has loved Johnny Mullet since they were children, but he never actively returned her affections. Like so many things in their world, he assumes Katherine will always be there. Once his horse farm is a success, then he will court her in earnest.

For several weeks, Katherine has been plagued by severe headaches and dizziness. While resting at home, Johnny unexpectedly visits, but when dizziness strikes, she loses consciousness. She awakens hours later in a hospital bed, unable to remember how she got there.

Seeing Katherine injured and vulnerable stirs something in Johnny, and his guilt compels him to spend time with her while she heals. Soon his heart begins to stir with questions: Does she even remember why he’d come to her house that day?

As Katherine struggles to recall recent memories of Johnny, a surprise visitor arrives in her already unsteady world a man named Isaac who claims they had been writing letters to each other, even considering marriage, before her illness.

With two men vying for her attention and her memory still elusive, Katherine has never felt so divided. The answer may lie behind a door she never considered opening.

This was a really nice and easy read that was enjoyable. I have not read the other two books in the series so I felt a little bit lost in that sense on some issues but for the most part I could follow along. It was what I come to expect when reading a story with a little bit of romance based in the Amish community. Wholesome, good and an enjoyable read. If your a fan of the genre I would recommend this one. It is family friendly.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley


A thrilling, chilling reimagining of the story of the most famous woman in history.

Once there was a queen of Egypt…a queen who became through magic something else…

The year is 30 BC. Octavian Caesar and his massed legions are poised to enter Alexandria. A messenger informs Egypt’s queen, Cleopatra, that her beloved Mark Antony has died by his own hand. Desperate to save her kingdom, resurrect her husband and protect all she holds dear, Cleopatra turns to the gods for help. Ignoring the warnings of those around her, she summons Sekhmet, goddess of death and destruction, and strikes a mortal bargain. And not even the wisest of Egypt’s scholars could have predicted what would follow…

For, in return for Antony’s soul, Sekhmet demands something in return: Cleopatra herself. And so Egypt’s queen is possessed. She becomes an immortal, shape-shifting, not-quite-human manifestation of a deity who seeks to destroy the world. Fighting to preserve something of her humanity, Cleopatra pursues Octavian back to Rome: she desires revenge, she yearns for her children…and she craves human blood.

It is a journey that will take her from the tombs of the Pharaohs to the great amphitheatres of imperial Rome and on, to Hell itself where, it seems, the fate of the world will finally be decided.

Blending authentic historical fiction and the darkest of fantasy, Queen of Kings is a spectacular and spellbinding feat of the imagination that fans of Neil Gaiman, Diana Gabaldon, George R.R. Martin, Patricia Briggs, Philippa Gregory, and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator won’t want to miss.

Alright this book has me all conflicted and irate and I may have to go back and read it at a later date when I can separate myself a little bit better. Or maybe the book just was not nearly as good as I had hoped it would be there was so much hope for it. Queen of Kings has all the right stuff, Ancient love story, Ancient battles and Ancient Magic. So why does it flop?

First of all it jumps around to much. WAY to much. You get the story through way to many pairs of eyes and characters and you can simply not feel connected to any of them. Secondly there really is not much of Cleopatra for a book that was supposed to be about her. Then for me the biggest botch of them all was how many times they brought Antony back and then shoved him back into the land of the dead. Antony is by far the historical person I most enjoy, I even call myself a fan girl. It is hard enough to always read of his death the way it is said to have happened. But to endure it several times? It is to much. The first time is when Cleopatra makes her deal with the Lion Goddess of Old for his Soul. Antony is brought back and he lives and begins to heal under her hands, sadly before he can fully recover he is killed again with a sword skewer. I mean really..similar things happen again and again with his shade and such.

I will try this one again maybe next year. For now it is a two star.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Widow of Gettysburg by: Jocelyn Green

For all who have suffered great loss of heart, home, health or family; true home and genuine lasting love can be found.

When a horrific battle rips through Gettysburg, the farm of Union widow Liberty Holloway is disfigured into a Confederate field hospital, bringing her face to face with unspeakable suffering-and a Confederate scout who awakens her long dormant heart.

But when the scout doesn’t die she discovers he isn’t who he claims to be .

While Liberty’s future crumbles as her home is destroyed, the past comes rushing back to Bella, a former slave and Liberty’s hired help, when she finds herself surrounded by Southern soldiers, one of whom knows the secret that would place Liberty in danger if revealed.

In the wake of shattered homes and bodies, Liberty and Bella struggle to pick up the pieces the battle has left behind. Will Liberty be defined by the tragedy in her life, or will she find a way to triumph over it?

The Civil war was a trying time for all of those involved in it. Liberty is a widow who thought she would be able to move forward with her life with her plan and after the war. Sadly that does not happen for her. I did enjoy this book although parts of it dragged a little bit and a few times I just wanted to shake a few of the charters. Overall though it was a very enjoyable book. I feel if your someone who enjoys historical titles you will enjoy this one.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: One more kiss by Mary S. Blayney


Release Date: April 30th 2013

Mary Blayney, the acclaimed author of Courtesan’s Kiss, returns to the Pennistan family with this new historical romance—the delectable story of a free-spirited beauty with no interest in marriage who gets more than she bargained for when a seductive kiss leads to the possibility of love.

Dispatched by their ambitious father to snag a titled husband, Beatrice Brent and her twin sister, Cecilia, attend a house party with an array of eligible gentlemen. Defiantly ignoring her father’s wishes, Beatrice flirts shamelessly with Lord Jessup Pennistan, a gamer with scandal in his past—and the one man her father has warned her against. But when flirting goes too far, Beatrice suddenly finds herself engaged and, worse, estranged from her family. Though convinced that her fianc�’s wicked ways will bring nothing but heartache, Beatrice is powerless against Jess’s masterful seduction and the anticipated delights of the marriage bed.

A gambling man who has lost more than his family is willing to forgive him for, Jess quickly realizes that compromising Beatrice was the best mistake he ever made. But to keep her he must right the wrongs of the past, reclaim his lost fortunes, and place the boldest wager of his life. For now he has everything to win . . . and everything to lose.

Well the first thing that came to my mind when I started reading this book was that I am going to need to go back and read the other 4! When I got it I did not know it was part of a series. At any rate it really does actually stand alone very well and you can get a good feel of the characters without having to worry about having missed to much of the past interactions.

Jess is by far my favorite character. A loyal, heroic and wonderful cut of a regency man who has a bad wrap because he allowed his reputation to take a hit to help a childhood friend. The twins are also enjoyable and boy little Cecelia turns into something I would not expect at the very end. A great fun and entertaining read. It is fast and fun!

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers…

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene’s parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother’s dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

So those who know me best will know why I both loved..and tossed this book across the room several times (yes I mean you melda, Legolas..ect).

I am firmly Pro Antony and Cleopatra and Anti Octavian and I love to read about this period in time it feels like going home to me. Stephanie Dray introduces us to the children of Antony and Cleopatra just after Antony has killed himself and Cleopatra is not yet dead. An emotional ride by any stretch of things. We see this book and the events that happen through Selene’s eyes, she struggles, she blames her parents, she blames herself all of those things you would expect. But she does have her twin Helios and her younger brother to give her some sense of family still left. A sense of purpose.

I really did enjoy the book it got many of the historical facts completely correct down to the golden chains they were marched through the streets of Rome in. Many of the Egyptian traditions are spot on and everything. There is of course creative license taken on some parts. We can not possibly know what happened completely in those years because the winners write the stories not those who lost. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the next book in the series. Hopefully there will be less Octavian so I can more than happily give it a five. I know terrible reason to give this one a four but that is how much I truly dislike the guy. I do strongly recommend this read.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Table for Seven by Whitney Gaskell

Release Date April 23rd 2013

A warm and witty novel about friendship, fine dining, and learning that life doesn’t always turn out quite how we expect it to—perfect for fans of Barbara O’Neal and Nancy Thayer

On New Year’s Eve, Fran and Will Parrish host a dinner party, serving their friends a gourmet feast. The night is such a success that the group decides to form a monthly dinner party club. But what starts as an excuse to enjoy the company of fellow foodies ends up having lasting repercussions on each member of the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club.

Fran and Will face the possibility that their comfortable marriage may not be as infallible as they once thought. Audrey has to figure out how to move on and start a new life after the untimely death of her young husband. Perfectionist Jaime suspects that her husband, Mark, might be having an affair. Coop, a flirtatious bachelor who never commits to a third date, is blindsided when he falls in love for the first time. Leland, a widower, is a wise counselor and firm believer that bacon makes everything taste better.

Over the course of a year, against a backdrop of mouthwatering meals, relationships are forged, marriages are tested, and the members of the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club find their lives forever changed.

Table for Seven was a great read that took you into the lives of the Table for Seven Club. What starts out as just a fun new years eve dinner turns into a monthly event and ends up changing the lives of everyone involved. Each one of the characters has something that you love about them and something that you did not like to much. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Coop! This is a book I would recommend for those who want a real life, well written book that will make them emotional. You will laugh, you will cry..you will feel when reading table for seven.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Plantagenets The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

Release Date: April 18th 2013

“Outstanding . . . A thrilling history of royal intrigues, violent skullduggery and brutal warfare.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore

The first Plantagenet king inherited a blood-soaked kingdom from the Normans and transformed it into an empire stretched at its peak from Scotland to Jerusalem. In this epic history, Dan Jones vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world. We meet the captivating Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice queen and the most famous woman in Christendom; her son, Richard the Lionheart, who fought Saladin in the Third Crusade; and King John, a tyrant who was forced to sign Magna Carta, which formed the basis of our own Bill of Rights. This is the era of chivalry, of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar, the Black Death, the founding of Parliament, the Black Prince, and the Hundred Year’s War. It will appeal as much to readers of Tudor history as to fans of Game of Thrones.

I fully admit to having gone geek wild when I saw this book and was so glad to get a chance to review it through net gallery. I love the Plantagenet’s and follow the history pretty closely. Those who know me of course know my favorite of the brood is The Black Prince, Edward. This book was a fantastic read and the history was spot on. You can tell that a lot of research went into the book and all of the information is presented in a way that will appeal to even someone who is not a major historian. It is not dry or drab at all. The only thing that for me kept it from being a perfect 5 gem was that I really wanted more on The Black Prince and his family line. I know they are not the most infamous of the Plantagenets but still they did a lot of things. A great read though really.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Replacing Gentry by Julie N. Ford

When Marlie attends a cadaver ball at Vanderbilt Medical School, she did not expect to actually see any cadavers. Or, that a strange apparition would issue her such a chilling message. Despite the cadaver’s warning, a year later Marlie is married to Tennessee State Senator, Daniel Cannon, and living in a plantation-style mansion with two step sons. Add to the mix her growing suspicion that something is amiss with the death of Daniel’s first wife, Gentry, and newlywed Marlie is definitely in over her pretty Yankee head.

What begins as an innocent inquiry into her new husband’s clouded past, ends with Marlie facing a dangerous conspiracy. A modern twist on the classic Gothic romance novels like Rebecca and Jane Eyre, Replacing Gentry follows Marlie’s precarious journey as she seeks to learn the truth about the man she married.

Replacing gentry has a little bit of everything, ghosts, romance, swearing, mystery and more. Over all I found the book enjoyable and an entertaining book to read. However because of all the different things loaded into it I did find a few times I was a little overwhelmed. I think if a few of the things had been paired down I would have been able to call it a 5 gem review. That said it still gets 4 gemstones and so is still a very readable book that I think would appeal to many readers.

Marlie is a character that many people can relate too. If you can handle several things coming at you at once and stick out the little bit of a slow start your really going to enjoy Replacing Gentry.

My Gemstone Rating:

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