Book Review: At Her Majesty’s Request An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter dean Meyers


Sarah Forbes Bonetta was an African princess whose parents were murdered by enemy warriors. A British naval officer rescued her and brought her to England, where she became the protege of Queen Victoria herself.

This is a good story about the relationships of a culture. It is a childrens book and small but it is informative and enjoyable to read. As an adult it was a fast read but I did enjoy it very much and it is a good look at some history that is not commonly known and talked about. I would put this on your fast read pile.

Book Review: Angry Housewives eating bon bons by Lorna Landvik


The women of Freesia Court are convinced that there is nothing good coffee, delectable desserts, and a strong shoulder can’t fix. Laughter is the glue that holds them together—the foundation of a book group they call AHEB (Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons), an unofficial “club” that becomes much more. It becomes a lifeline. Holding on through forty eventful years, there’s Faith, a lonely mother of twins who harbors a terrible secret that has condemned her to living a lie; big, beautiful Audrey, the resident sex queen who knows that with good posture and an attitude you can get away with anything; Merit, the shy doctor’s wife with the face of an angel and the private hell of an abusive husband; Kari, a wise woman with a wonderful laugh who knows the greatest gifts appear after life’s fiercest storms; and finally, Slip, a tiny spitfire of a woman who isn’t afraid to look trouble straight in the eye.

This stalwart group of friends depicts a special slice of American life, of stay-at-home days and new careers, of children and grandchildren, of bold beginnings and second chances, in which the power of forgiveness, understanding, and the perfectly timed giggle fit is the CPR that mends broken hearts and shattered dreams.

The first thing I have to say about Angry Housewives eating Bon Bon’s is that it made me homesick, but in a good way. This book is based in Minnesota and I knew the places they talked about. When a street was mentioned, or a building many of them I knew even though the book was started out before I was born it still felt like home. This is a good read and it kept me entertained this group of friends is the kind of friends I want around for me as I get older.
That is not say there are not some slow parts of this book, there are a few of the chapters are not really needed and dragged on a bit, but for the most part it was a good read and set up in a unique way. The chapters revolved around the book clubs choices in books and what happened during the time when they were set for that book, what a great approach! If you want just a good read to cuddle up with and have a laugh with some characters that are not perfect but real and human this is a great book to settle in with.

Book Review: A Little bit Wicked by Victoria Alexander


Who will be the last unmarried man standing?

No man in his right mind would want to get married, but every duke, earl, and viscount knows that a fellow must do his duty in the end. So four of London’s most desirable gentlemen make a wager—the prize going to the one who remains unwed the longest.

Gideon Pearsall, Viscount Warton, thinks he has a fair shot at winning. After all, he’s managed to enjoy the favors of many a lady while resisting the parson’s noose. Even when he’s stopped dead in his tracks by the most scandalous woman in all of London—Judith, Lady Chester—he vows to have her bedded but never wedded.

Beautiful, and more than a little bit naughty, Judith has always kept herself within the bounds of respectability, even while playing by her own rules. And the experience has taught her to avoid marriage. She has no desire to resist Warton’s hot kisses, and his tempting touch is impossible to ignore.

But soon both Judith and Gideon can’t help but wonder . . . is it possible to be a little bit wicked and still follow your heart?

Well I was so hopeful as it had been a while since I read a historical romance, and sadly this book let me down. I really cannot think of too much to say for a review because the book is just not that memorable. The banter between the two main players is lack luster and not that entertaining. It is not witty and over all the book just fell flat, I had hope but alas it’s painfully obvious not much fun.

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert


In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want–husband, country home, successful career–but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence

I wanted to like this book so much I really did, sadly it just fell flat. The chapter or “book” of Italy was the only part I really found myself enjoying. It was fun and witty and had some great jokes, but as I got into more of the book I had to say it was because it was Italy and not the writer.

Over all this is not a book I enjoyed, of course others have and will, but for me I just found the writer to be a nit wit and I found myself wanting to say GET OVER IT at some points and GROW UP at others. Mean of me perhaps, but well if you put it down for all the world to see your asking for their thoughts.

Book Review: Death Piled Hard by W. Patrick Lang


When Claude Devereux’s brother, Patrick, is killed at the Battle of Gettysburg, he’s devastated.But there is little time for grief. Devereux, a Confederate spy, has worked his way behind enemy lines in the North to become a prominent adviser to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. If General Robert Lee and his comrades in the South have any chance of succeeding in beating the Union, Devereux knows that he must keep his cover at all costs. So he steers clear of danger even when he doesn?t want to do so.One of Devereux?s main tasks is to find out more about General Ulysses Grant, who has come to Washington to assume command of the Union army. The general is about to lead his troops on the Overland Campaign, a series of battles through the heart of Virginia.Devereux must do all that he can to stop Grant in his tracks and help the South win its independence in Death Piled Hard.

In this second of a trilogy (which I honestly did not know when I started) we gain insight into the powerful internal and external forces that threaten to tear Claude Devereux asunder. As a Confederate spy he is well and truly lodged in the heart of the Northern war machine, but he wishes fervently to return to the command of his beloved 17th Virginia Infantry regiment. Claude is a newly named Colonel of US Volunteers, a gray man in a blue uniform, and his heart is full of hate. As he goes to join Grant’s Headquarters before the Battle of the Wilderness, the pressures are intense.

This author knows the Civil War, but more important, he knows WAR. The battle scenes are violent, and nearly poetic in their terribleness. A modern reader looks back through the window of foreknowledge and marvels at the inevitability of Grant’s arrival as General-in-Chief. The battle of attrition is on, but the elegant Bobby Lee has moves left.

These books are as close to a time machine as we now can achieve. I will be getting the FIRST one and The Third ASAP.

Book Review: Mr. Maybe by Jane Green


To Libby Mason, Mr. Right has always meant Mr. Rich. A twenty-seven-year-old publicist, she’s barely able to afford her fashionable and fabulous lifestyle, and often has to foot the bill for dates with Struggling Writer Nick, a sexy but perpetually strapped-for-cash guy she’s dating (no commitments–really). So when Ed, Britain’s wealthiest but stodgiest bachelor, enters the picture, her idea of the fairy-tale romance is turned on its head. Libby soon finds herself weighing the advantages of Nick’s sexual prowess and tender heart against Ed’s luxurious lifestyle and unlimited retail therapy. But when the diamond shopping commences, Libby is forced to realize that the time for “maybe” is up



It is no secret that I like Jane Green, she is one of the authors that after reading the first book of hers I promptly picked up as many of the others as I could get my hands on to try to complete the collection. Mr. Maybe for me was not her best work. It was not a bad book but it just did not seem to have the usual flair that I have come to expect when reading a Jane Green.

There are several points in the book where it just seems to drag on and there are things that just do not seem to be needed. Libby Mason as a character, well I felt I could not connect with her much. She is very superficial, and a bit over dramatic and there are most assuredly times where I want to swat her upside the head. I even found myself wishing her best friend in the book Jules would do just that.

Now with the negative parts said, I did still enjoy the book overall. It was not a waste of my reading time and it did have some great parts. Nick was by far my favorite character, at first I was not sure I would like him as he was being played up as a kind of wastrel but overall he was the brightest spot in the list of characters in this book, he is witty, funny and not a wastrel but a creative mind who may not have taken the best route to what he wants but he got it in the end.

Book Review: Duchess A novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott


A historical novel based on the life of the lady-in-waiting who helped bring James II to the throne of England.

Brimming with the intrigue and sensuality of one of history’s most decadent courts, Duchess brings to vivid life the story of an unforgettable woman who determines her own destiny-outspoken, outrageous, but most of all true to herself and her heart.

In 1673, as a penniless twelve-year-old, Sarah Jennings arrived at the bawdy Restoration Court of Charles II. Armed with a potent combination of charm, beauty, and intelligence, she prospered. Not only did Sarah win the trust of the future Queen Anne, but she managed to protect her virtue and reputation, marrying the one man as ambitious as she was: the dashing young soldier John Churchill. Over the next forty years, Sarah would amass an immense personal fortune, help make her husband a national hero, and help bring a new king to the throne.

My first thought in this review is once again this book did not take me so long to complete because I didn’t like it but purely I started reading it while starting a new job, and working on a move. Bad timing to read any book to be sure.

Duchess is a good account and tail of Sarah Churchill; many may ask well who is Sarah Churchill? Well that is a fantastic question; Sarah Churchill was a relatively commonly born girl who went into the service of the Duchess Mary Beatrice, whose husband was Duke James who became the deposed King James. For a more modern who’s who Sarah Churchill is the great great etc. Grandmother of Sir Winston Churchill.

This book is full of the things you would expect to find at court, intrigue, back biting, gossip rumors love and war. It is a fantastic following of this family rises and falls through their time in trying to better their circumstances by playing the courtly games and working hard. Susan Holloway Scott once again delivers a fantastic novel of historical play. Is it 100% accurate no, but then no work of fiction is. It is however as accurate as it is going to get and a good read. This one goes on my must read list.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling


Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling’s spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart–such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increa… more »singly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review–to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling’s fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry–bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero’s mission–not just in Harry’s quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man–and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore’s warning about making the choice between “what is right and what is easy,” and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling’s skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix’s flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience

What is there to say about the Deathly Hallows it was a good story, a fitting ending in all honesty. Anyone who knows me knows I have not been wildly fanatic about Harry Potter but I was looking forward to this book and in all honesty I was not disappointed. The start of the book was a bit slow, but it did pick up.
We once again follow Harry and his Gang through twists and turns and all leading up to the battle against Voldermort. Certain chapters fell flat as if perhaps the writer had run out of something on that topic to say, but others were gripping and held you riveted. I won’t spoil the ending in case there are others like me who are behind on the Harry Potter train, but regardless of what some say I do not think it fell flat, I believe the ending was just right. The tension was so epic through a great deal of the book and the large battle even more so especially as you tally up the loses, and they were many. The ending was like a release of the tension and keeping the character intact. Well done and a good ending.

Book Review: The Vanishing act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell


In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital, where she has been locked away for over sixty years. Iris’ grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’ face. Esme has been labeled harmless; sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But Esme is still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit? Maggie O’Farrell’s intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth will haunt readers long past its final page

Iris Lockhart is going about life, minding her own business and trying not to think about the fact that she is in love with her step-brother when *bam*: she finds out she has a great-aunt that she’s never heard of who’s been locked up in an asylum for the last sixty years. Iris feels compelled to take Aunt Esme under her wing and the novel goes on to reveal the events that led to Esme’s lockup while Iris tries to sort out her own life.

Wasn’t too crazy about this one. The book vacillates between Iris’s life and what happened to Esme that led her to lockup in the nuthouse. It took a while to figure out that the random stream-of-consciousness passages were coming from an addle-pated grandmother and that added to the bit of confusion over the rapidly changing points of view in the novel.

Nor was the (adopted, step, whatever) brother/sister-being-in-love-thing working for us. Yes, we understand they weren’t blood related. It was still creepy in a V.C. Andrews kind of way.

O’Farrell did a nice job of conveying the terrible conditions that existed (and still do, to some extent) asylums during the early 20th-century, but she didn’t play enough to this strength. It was one of those novels that could have been great, but fell flat, although we admit the ending was pretty sharp. Ultimately, it needed more One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest quality to really work.

Kinda meh on this one. Don’t rush out today to buy it…perhaps a library checkout would be better because it does have a pretty snappy ending.

Book Review: Mine Til Midnight by Lisa Kleypas


When an unexpected inheritance elevates her family to the ranks of the aristocracy, Amelia Hathaway discovers that tending to her younger sisters and wayward brother was easy compared to navigating the intricacies of the ton. Even more challenging: the attraction she feels for the tall, dark, and dangerously handsome Cam Rohan.

Wealthy beyond most men’s dreams, Cam has tired of society’s petty restrictions and longs to return to his “uncivilized” Gypsy roots. When the delectable Amelia appeals to him for help, he intends to offer only friendship—but intentions are no match for the desire that blindsides them both. But can a man who spurns tradition be tempted into that most time-honored arrangement: marriage? Life in London society is about to get a whole lot hotter

What is there to say about Mine until Midnight, this is a hot little book. It is of course a bodice ripper at the core; you can tell that by the cover I am sure. However it is a bodice ripper with more to it. Dealing with prejudice of the Gypsy kind in England, a brother who is grieving so much for his lost fiancé that he forgets about his own family.

Along with the budding romance between the handsome Cam and the semi prudish Amelia you can see some more budding things between other characters. This book was a fun romp with some hot scenes. It has been a while since I read a straight up bodice ripper and this one did not disappoint. I admit they are a guilty pleasure for me, but when I can read one that has more meat to it I am very happy. This book fulfills that, it even gets a little bit into the supernatural with a haunting. Not too shabby for a romance right? If you like some fun romps with meat on their bones this is a good book for you.

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