Book Review: Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister by Gregory Maguire

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty … and what curses accompanied Cinderella’s looks?

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris’s path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household — and the treacherous truth of her former life.

This was an interesting read for me. I liked a lot of things about it the different take on things, and the wicked kind of flavor too it. However there were some things that I did not like about it as well, the flow was not as good as I had hoped mostly. So how did I feel about this book? Overall it was just kind of a meh feeling. I did not love it I did not hate it. Was a decent read but not one I can rave about.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough. Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

I have personally always loved reading books that carry on the Jane Austen themes especially Mr. Darcy so of course I had high hopes for this book and read. Luckily My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White does not let a reader down. It is a fun and modern romp in the land of Austen. If you like good, fun romance with that typical Mr. Darcy type leading man you are going to enjoy this book, yes some of it is a little predictable because it follows a format but the book is well written.

Overall this is just a cute and enjoyable read. Sometimes you may want to swat the main Lady Elizabeth but really I can not name a single romantic character I have not wanted to do the same for. If you like romance, and you love Jane Austen I would give My. Own Mr. Darcy a read it is a fast fun one.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory

Philippa Gregory presents the first of a new series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses.

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

The war of the roses has always been something that I enjoy reading about. How a family so powerful for so long came down to nothing but bitter war. Philipa Gregory does another good job with this one and I enjoy how she chose to write the characters. The history is good for the major plot points but of course because it is historical fiction she does take some liberties but I found that they worked well within the story.

Overall this one goes in the I am happy I read it category. If you are a war of the roses fan this is one to go with for sure. If you don’t know much about the era you may still enjoy it but might not understand it *as much*. This is a good start to the cousins war series.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Yip/Tuck (Pampered Pets Mystery #4) by Sparkle Abbey

A killer has been unleashed.
Book Three in the bestselling Pampered Pets Mystery Series

One of Laguna Beach’s best-known plastic surgeons may need a new leash on life. Unless he’s just taking a very long nap on the bench outside Melinda Langston’s Bow Wow Boutique . . .

This was a short, fun and enjoyable read for me. It was actually the first book I have read by this author, and I plan now to go back and read the other books in the series. I really enjoyed this as a cozy it was fast, fun and I finished it really fast. If you are new to the cozy mystery genre I think this would be a good place for you to start. If you are not new you are going to enjoy it anyways. I think I smiled the whole way through this one if that gives you any idea of the fun I had while reading it.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire…

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay

In this second book of the Cleopatra’s Daughter Series we see Selene start to really come into her own. Once she is married and away from the Evil Octavian (I won’t even start on what he did to her on her wedding night) she starts to find her own way. She reveals in the power she has as a Queen to make peoples lives easier, she has a beautiful Daughter with her Brother Helios (modern minds don’t judge this was common in Egypt) and her magic really is coming to itself as well.

I loved this book and can not wait to read more. Of course I have my personal wishes and wants whenever I read a book from this era (more Antony!) but truly this was a well written story. There is not much really known historically about Selene besides her parents and she was a Queen in her own right. So it is interesting to watch the path she walks, eagerly towards getting Egypt back in the name of her Mother, but is that really what she wants?

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Scandalous Lord, Rebellious Miss by Deb Marlowe

The Wicked Lord DayleCharles Alden, Viscount Dayle, is intent on reform, having misspent his youth on hard living, soft women and outrageous pranks. Forced by circumstance to hold a title he never wanted, he’s determined to live up to his noble name.

The Unconventional Miss Westby

Sophie Westby is the last woman who should attract his interest. And yet she comforts his battered spirit, captivates his wary mind and tempts him with her exotic beauty. But the reformed rake cannot cause another scandal–can he?

This book is exactly what you would think it should be, a typical formatted bodice ripper. Reformed Rake, lovely Lady and in the end they fall in love. Moreover I positively love this book for being what it should be. While it follows the formula that you see in bodice ripper books it is still unique and so enjoyable. There were times I wanted to clout both characters around the ear and say “COME ON NOW YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO BE TOGETHER”. I love that Sophie is who she is and does not apologize for it and I positively love how Charles goes about declaring himself in the end. That made me smile the most in this book. If you want a fast and enjoyable read I would say pick up this book it was such fun.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Dragonwich

Who Will Dare to Face the Dragonwitch?

Submissive to her father’s will, Lady Leta of Aiven travels far to meet a prospective husband she neither knows nor loves–Lord Alistair, future king of the North Country.

But within the walls of Gaheris Castle, all is not right. Vicious night terrors plague Lord Alistair to the brink of insanity. Whispers rise from the family crypt. The reclusive castle Chronicler, Leta’s tutor and friend, possesses a secret so dangerous it could cost his life and topple the North Country into civil war.

And far away in a hidden kingdom, a fire burns atop the Temple of the Sacred Flame. Acolytes and priestesses serve their goddess to the limits of their lives and deaths. No one is safe while the Dragonwitch searches for the sword that slew her twice…and for the one person who can wield it.

I was not aware that this was part of a series when I signed up for the tour, but I am so glad that it is. I am now going to go back and read the others. That said Dragonwich can stand on it’s own feet and is a book apart. The story is deep and entrancing and takes you on an adventure as you flip through each page. There were moments when I thought I had it all figured out, and then I was shown that I really did not know anything at all. This is one of the better Fantasy reads that I have read all summer.

Tour Giveaway

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My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Goddess Chronicle (Canongate Myths #13)

From internationally bestselling crime writer Natsuo Kirino comes a mythical feminist noir about family secrets, broken loyalties, and the search from truth in a deceitful world.

In a place like no other, on a mystical island in the shape of tear drop, two sisters are born into a family of oracles. Kamikuu is admired far and wide for her otherworldly beauty; small and headstrong Namima learns to live in her sister’s shadow. On her sixth birthday, Kamikuu is chosen to become the next Oracle, serving the realm of light, while Namima is forced to serve the realm of darkness—destined to spend eternity guiding the spirits of the deceased to the underworld.

As the sisters serve opposite fates, Namima embarks on a journey that takes her from the experience of first love to the aftermath of scalding betrayal. Caught in an elaborate web of treachery, she travels between the land of the living and the Realm of the Dead, seeking vengeance and closure.

At the heart of this exquisitely dark tale, Kirino masterfully reimagines the ancient Japanese creation myth of Izanami and Izanaki. A provocative, fantastical saga, The Goddess Chronicle tells a sumptuous story of sex, murder, gods and goddesses, and bittersweet revenge

Oh I wanted to love this book instead I only liked it. I can not complain with how it was written, or the plot and how everything was presented all of that was well done. To me there just seemed to be a little something missing, and I think that happens when you can not read the book in the original language. I think something just comes off as missing and a little bit try. That is how I felt about this one anyways. I would still recommend it to people to at least give it a try, you might not feel anything was missing like I did.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #2)

Harold Gaynor offers Anita Blake a million dollars to raise a 300-year-old zombie. Knowing it means a human sacrifice will be necessary, Anita turns him down. But when dead bodies start turning up, she realizes that someone else has raised Harold’s zombie–and that the zombie is a killer. Anita pits her power against the zombie and the voodoo priestess who controls it.

In The Laughing Corpse Anita will learn that there are some secrets better left buried-and some people better off dead..

So we see an increase to 4 gems from the second Anita Blake book for me that will please a friend of mine.

Anita spends the whole of the book swimming in Alligators as she says and the danger is ramped up even more. This time however the danger does not come from Vampires, granted Jean Claude could be a danger but he is far to cute and rather fancies her so don’t think we have to much to worry about there at the moment. No the danger is from Vodoo and Zombies! Now I am not on the whole Zombie band wagon and Zombie Apocalypse and all of that, but I like a well written plot involving dark magic and boy there was some dark magic going on in this one. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this was a nice fun read, and when Anita fully embraces her power over the dead well, watch out everybody. She knows how to command her Zombies and even gets the attention of the “undead” as well. I will be looking forward to the next read in this series, maybe she will put on some heels again!

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

This was an impulse get from the library and turned to be out one of those, backfires of when I think a cover looks cool. Boy was I wrong. This book was complete and utter drivel I wanted to hide it so that no one would check it out again, but then I did not want to have to pay the fee for a lost book. So it went back. The plot is not original at all not one iota Two people fall in love only one is not a person yada yada.

The other reason besides the utter drivel? Well Angel from heaven gets drunk and contemplates sex before marriage. Nuff said. Hey everyone knows I am a Pagan but I was raised Catholic and I know the rules. So unless we are going the Loki and Bartleby route knock it OFF. Like seriously.

Gave it two gems (stars) for the cover.

My Gemstone Rating:

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