Like many of Loren's readers, I'm a big fan of Evan, Jace and Andre, so I was happy to read this novella about them. I adored reading more of their stLike many of Loren's readers, I'm a big fan of Evan, Jace and Andre, so I was happy to read this novella about them. I adored reading more of their story, but I admit I wasn't too jazzed about the subject matter of their angst. I know that's oddly vague, but I don't want to give away what the main conflict in the book is. This particular topic is just something that holds less than zero interest for me, so reading about it was zzzzzzzz for me. But, it made for a happy ending for the three of them, and that's a good thing.
I've skipped around in the series so far, and now I'm going to start at the beginning :)
Merged review:
Like many of Loren's readers, I'm a big fan of Evan, Jace and Andre, so I was happy to read this novella about them. I adored reading more of their story, but I admit I wasn't too jazzed about the subject matter of their angst. I know that's oddly vague, but I don't want to give away what the main conflict in the book is. This particular topic is just something that holds less than zero interest for me, so reading about it was zzzzzzzz for me. But, it made for a happy ending for the three of them, and that's a good thing.
I've skipped around in the series so far, and now I'm going to start at the beginning :)...more
This was definitely my least-favorite book in this series, and not just for one reason, but for several small reasons that add up.
**** Some spoilers bThis was definitely my least-favorite book in this series, and not just for one reason, but for several small reasons that add up.
**** Some spoilers below ***
This book was extremely boring in different places, particularly the middle. I don't need to read page after page of Diana reading tarot cards (also, she's an oracle now?).
There were so many odd things thrown in that didn't seem to amount to anything or to really have a purpose; the love potion, the owl, the naked people in the forest, the "Elsewhere", the memory jars, and now they're using wands and there are fairies?
There were also too many living people to keep track of, and also ghosts - but it seems some of these people were previously notable in other parts of the series, but there was nothing to help me remember what their significance was (like Janet, or Tally (who?) or Thomas Lloyd (again, who?)).
Also, now Sarah is someone who is vilified, when she was loved and revered before? And Meg was supposed to be this sinister person, but turns out she wasn't really? And we were supposed to fear the twins' evaluation from the Congregation, but it turned out to be a nothing-burger? It was just all so weird, and didn't seem to go anywhere. I did like the last little bit when Diana was in Venice, but that was only 72 hours and we were back to the boring witch homestead in the U.S.
This book made me realize that what I like best about this series is the interplay between the vampires, the witches, and the daemons. This book focuses mostly on the witches, and I didn't like it. I wanted more of Matthew, Ysabeau, Marcus, Gallowglass, and the others. I definitely missed that passionate connection between Matthew and Diana, which was notably absent here.
This book seems to be setting up for another in the series, and I just hope the next one is more interesting, less all-over-the-place, and focuses more on the vampires. ...more
This short story is essentially the epilogue for "28 Summers".
We catch up with all the main characters, back once again on Nantucket for Labor Day - This short story is essentially the epilogue for "28 Summers".
We catch up with all the main characters, back once again on Nantucket for Labor Day - but this time without Mallory. It was good to see what happened next with them, and for the most part, I felt each of their paths were fitting.
But then I got to the last page and was livid with how Jake's story ended. What an absolute cop-out, and definitely NOT the path he should be going down. He deserves so much more. Boo.
I've read so many of Hilderbrand's novels, and while some of them seem a bit formulaic, I've been pleasantly surprised that there are others, like thiI've read so many of Hilderbrand's novels, and while some of them seem a bit formulaic, I've been pleasantly surprised that there are others, like this one, that have a completely different format and method of telling the story.
There are several reviews that express vehement dislike of this novel because of the subject matter, which at its core could be boiled down to infidelty. Others say this novel is anti-marriage and full of marriage-bashing. I look at it differently; love is complicated, and so is marriage. There are a host of complexities in any relationship, and decisions are impacted by feelings, commitments, fears, insecurities, selfishness, selflessness, and many many more internal and external factors. I can argue that this book is actually about fidelity, in many ways - just not the way someone would traditionally define it.
I actually really liked the premise of the story, it was unusual and spurred some introspection; how would you have reacted if in the same position? It's easy to judge from the outside, but you don't really know how you would've handled it if it was you. As we learned more about Jake and Mallory over the years, both their flaws and deep love for each other were exposed. I didn't love all the other sub-characters, and definitely didn't understand why any of them made certain decisions - but that made them human.
As usual, Nantucket itself is one of the characters in this novel, and having been there, I always love picturing the different places that are mentioned. It always feels like summer to read a Hilderbrand novel, and I love that.
The ending of the novel is sad - but at the beginning, you knew it was going to be. I had many questions about what happened next, and wanted an epilogue - but fortunately the short story "The Sixth Wedding" (which I read right after this one) answered many of them....more
**spoiler alert** This novel was good, but not great.
I usually enjoy dual-timeline stories, but in this case, I had zero interest in Rainey's story b**spoiler alert** This novel was good, but not great.
I usually enjoy dual-timeline stories, but in this case, I had zero interest in Rainey's story because she had no personality. Evie's story was more compelling, but it was just such a slow burn (really slow) to get to the revelations in the story, where we could learn more about Evie and what happened to her. Then just when we were getting some answers, the book ends. I absolutely hate when books end without answering questions, and in this case there were a few different plot points that were left hanging. Just to name a few -- What the rest of Harding's story? Why did she leave her parents, lie about her name and background, and essentially run away? Why she was involved in the black market? What was the truth about where the money came from? What happened to the money in the end?
It also irritated me that the entire story was predicated on the letters - and what for? Evie wrote them, she knew what was in them, so what was the big deal? She never even got to give them to Alby, so again, what was the point?
I also feel like there was a huge miss in not talking more about why Evie's parents essentially abandoned her for most of her life, never giving her any of the love and attention she so desired. We find out at the end, but it was essentially one paragraph. If Evie was so emotionally scarred by the lack of love and attention from her parents, why did she essentially do the same thing to her own daughter?
Also, I don't like kids/babies, and don't enjoy stories that revolve so much around them - so I skimmed most of the parts related to that.
Overall, this book was just missing a lot in terms of story structure and details. I know many people loved it, but I just didn't. ...more
I have enjoyed many of this authors other books, and I especially love the novels that are set in Greece. I've been to Ke3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
I have enjoyed many of this authors other books, and I especially love the novels that are set in Greece. I've been to Kefalonia, and can attest that it's a beautiful island, which is much different than many of the other Greek islands. I could absolutely be onboard with inheriting a villa on the island, so that part of the story was definitely swoon-worthy.
I can't really put my finger on why I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would. It's definitely not the setting or the descriptions of the scrumptious Greek food, nor the boistrous yet lovable Greeks she meets there. I think part of it is that I wasn't interested in Xanthe's life as a stage actress, so I skimmed everything related to that. I also was a bit irritated with how long it took to find out why Xanthe's Mom had completely divorced herself from her Greek life and her Greek family, and why she was so angry with her father and Agatha -- and then when we did finally find out why, it was like "that's it?". Not that the reason wasn't bad, but that was enough to cut off all ties with all your friends and family on the island and never return? It seemed a little unnecessarily overdramatic.
When I saw the direction the ending was going, I was admittedly a little upset, as it seemed pretty unrealistic that the person involved would uproot their life like they did -- but then after the progression of their lives was explained, it made a little more sense, and I was happy with the way it turned out.
Overall, this was another lovely bit of escapism from Frost, and as always, I look forward to the next. ...more
This book had such potential. The premise was intruiging, the title interesting, and the cover beautiful. It's **spoiler alert** 2.5 rounded up to 3.
This book had such potential. The premise was intruiging, the title interesting, and the cover beautiful. It's sad it was all such a let-down.
The book started out good, there were a lot of clues to unravel and I couldn't wait for the reveal. Except there really was no big reveal, and even worse, there were FAR too many unanswered questions. That's my absolute pet peeve and a sure-fire way to get me to hate a book. Here are just a few:
- What was in the other envelope Alexander gave her, regarding who was vying for her land? Why introduce that detail, but not give the answer? - What part did Rebecca have in that fraudulent behavior? And Tony was also involved, but Samir had no reaction to that when he was told? - What in the world was the big deal about Samir's first novel? - Why was nothing ever discussed/determined about all the panitings that were the exact same size, in a rainbow pattern? What did that all mean? Were some of them copies, or were they real? - What happened with the Restoration Diva show? Did they continue filming? Did it help raise money or interest? - What happened with Rosemere in general? Was it saved? What happened to the estate? - How exactly was Samir's aunt killed? We know Olivia's uncle tried to burn her body, but how did he kill her, and why? - Who was Olivia's father, and why did her Mom keep it a secret? - What was the deal with the black and white cat?
This book really needed a couple more chapters to explain all of this, or at a minimum, an epilogue to wrap it up. If it was a question of trying to keep the book to a certain page/word count, I would've preferred way fewer details about Samir's hair and body, and less discussion about all the food being cooked/eaten. In fact, I'd have been good if the entire romance was completely omitted, as it did nothing for me but take up time. Instead of trying to make this a romance, it would've been better suited as a mystery/general fiction.
I really wanted to like this book, but I turned the last page being VERY frustrated at the lack of answers, so that left a bad taste in my mouth and therefore did not enjoy the book as a whole and will not be recommending it to others. ...more
I have enjoyed most of Kate Quinn's novels, and was really excited to try this one, as it seemed like it would be a little different than what she usuI have enjoyed most of Kate Quinn's novels, and was really excited to try this one, as it seemed like it would be a little different than what she usually writes. I'm sad to say that it was pretty lackluster. I'm not sure if it was due to the subject matter, or the dual writing, but it just wasn't great for me.
The first half of the story was so slow, and there was too much detail in some parts - and the last half was too fast, and felt more like a quick summary of what happened.
I enjoyed the camaraderie between the main female characters, and the strengths they each showed. But they just didn't have enough character development individually for me to really feel like I knew them or to root for them.
It was interesting to read the Author's Note at the end, to see what inspired this novel, and to learn about the pieces that were true.
Overall, this was worth a read - just not one of my favorites. ...more
This book was a mess, and I'm shocked it's gotten so many good reviews. Honestly, the author, editor, and publisher should be ashamed.
First of all, thThis book was a mess, and I'm shocked it's gotten so many good reviews. Honestly, the author, editor, and publisher should be ashamed.
First of all, the online synopsis for this novel is both inconsistent across platforms and flat-out incorrect. It says the main character is Morag McGinty (it's actually MacIntyre), and that her boyfriend is Tim (he's actually Hayden) and that they met in flight school (he was actually an HR consultant for the airline). It's just sloppy, why would you not fix that before publication?
Second of all, anyone who has any experience at all in the aviation industry would know that the vast majority of the details the author gives about being a pilot for a commercial airline are laughable and completely wrong. I understand creative liberties, but if you're going to write about something you obviously know nothing about, do a bit of basic research first. I'm a retired airline employee and the wife of an airline pilot, and these are my favorite errors in this novel: - The author calls Morag's grandpa's aircraft a Cessna Twin Otter - it's actually a de Havilland, Cessna has nothing to do with that aircraft. - A First Officer is not just "there if they need me" - they're a fully trained pilot who generally alternates flying the aircraft with the Captain on each leg of a trip (some instances differ, based on aircraft type and routing) - Almost no actual pilot would ever call it "second chair" - it's usually "right seat" or just "FO" for First Officer. - When Morag "fancies getting some time on long haul", she then says "it's a different airline", but then later HR approves her "transfer to long haul". None of this is how it actually happens. - Further, when she actually does make the move, she qualifies for an Airbus 380 by flying one single time in a Boeing 777 simulator, and without any weeks of classroom/ground school training. This is again not remotely how this works. These are completely different aircraft with different training programs and different simulators. - The author says a 777 holds 472 "souls", which is far too many. While it could theoretically hold around 400, most airlines have about 300-350 passengers in a typical 3-class configuration on a B777. - It's not a "cumulus nimbus" cloud, it's cumulonimbus.
You may say I'm nitpicking these details, but they're just sloppy, and they gave the novel so little credibility for me. Five minutes of Googling could've provided the real answers for some of these - and consulting with an actual pilot could've helped with others.
Finally, the plot. It had potential, but Morag herself is completely unlikeable and it was hard to root for her at all. And with all the unneccesary sub-plots, we didn't get to her and Gregor getting to know each other until too late in the novel. At that point, it just became two very different people magically falling in love, which is stupid.
Overall, this novel was just not great and all the errors made it worse. ...more
I thought this book was going to be one of those fictional, light, travel-related, escapism novels - and while it had some of those elements, it was rI thought this book was going to be one of those fictional, light, travel-related, escapism novels - and while it had some of those elements, it was really more of a non-fiction memoir. The author's note at the beginning states that this is essentially a memoir about a period in her life, with certain aspects of the story fictionalized. This didn't actually impact my enjoyment of the book, but it changed my viewpoint when reading it.
This is a short book, it only took me about 3 hours to read it. Most of the story is pretty fast-paced, such that in some places, she completely skips from one city or country to another on the same page, without even a real transition. I enjoyed reading about what it was like to be a TEFL teacher in a rural town in Greece, even though some of the aspects in the classroom narrative dragged a bit. I also enjoyed reading about parts of Greece that she visited which I've also been to, such as Arachova, Delphi, Santorini, Piraeus, and various parts of Athens. I've even eaten at one of the restaurants she mentions, Tzítzikas & Mérmigas (side note: the author incorrectly translates the name, saying that a tzitzika is a grasshopper, when it's actually a cicada. Tzitzikas & Mermigas' name comes from Aesop's tale of the cicada and the ant). I'm not sure why she didn't name the village that she lived in or the one she worked in - it wasn't too difficult to figure out that the fomer was Livadia, which has Krya Park that she mentions numerous times. She also had a missed opportunity to expound more on her visit to Santorini, a place that many people will never visit and would probably like to read about - but it received only a few paragraphs.
I think the biggest downside to this book is that it's just not that exciting. With the exception of Kaliopi, none of the characters are all that interesting. And while the culture and the scenery are interesting, they're just not described all that well, to make you feel more immersed in it all. There was also a definite lack of structure to the book, in terms of storytelling, and there were several typos that should've been caught.
Overall, this wasn't a bad book, but there are definitely better ones out there if you're looking for a travel memoir. ...more
I enjoyed 'When We Were Mermaids' by this author, so thought I'd give this one a try based on the ratings. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, but I enjoyed 'When We Were Mermaids' by this author, so thought I'd give this one a try based on the ratings. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, but a couple minor points prevent me from giving it a 5-star rating.
The premise of the story is good, and the characters are fairly well-developed. The two main characters of Phoebe and Suze were actually not my favorite. I thought Ben and Joel were more interesting, and each had such great qualities. The drama between the girls was actually a bit over the top to the point of being annoying. These girls love each other enough to call each other sisters, but their petty jealousies really got old. Keeping those secrets for 40 years was also very odd, and I feel like somehow the truth would've been revealed long ago. Also, you're really trying to tell me that Suze didn't try to look him up on the internet all those years, despite not knowing if he wanted her to? Not very realistic.
The alternating POVs and timelines were a little more confusing than necessary. I understand the reason for it, to prevent revealing the secrets until the right time. But the changes from 1st person to 3rd person didn't flow well, and I think it's really odd that the letters and diary entries from when the girls were young didn't have a full year on the date, it just showed 19--. Why? That's just weird.
The setting on the Oregon coast deserves a mention, as it felt like a character itself, and definitely helped with the overall feel of the book. The cover of the book is also beautiful.
I definitely enjoyed this book, but am not going to consider it a grand slam. I'll probably look into more books by this author. ...more
This is the second in the series, and I had hoped it would grab me such that I'd want to read the rest of the series -- but it just didn't. The characThis is the second in the series, and I had hoped it would grab me such that I'd want to read the rest of the series -- but it just didn't. The characters were too boring, the dialogue way too elementary, and too many grammar or other writing errors (e.g., on one page, David is drinking a coffee -- and two pages later, it becomes tea). Sadly, I won't be continuing the series....more
This is the first in a series, and it's more like a short story in terms of length (it took about 2.5-3 hours to read). The story is fairly brief, givThis is the first in a series, and it's more like a short story in terms of length (it took about 2.5-3 hours to read). The story is fairly brief, giving us an introduction to some key characters and a bit of a description of the magic these witches can perform, and sort of how it's done. It's a little nebulous to me at this point, but I think maybe the next book(s) in the series will expand on it. The writing is a little elementary, but it was interesting enough such that I'll read at least one more in the series to see if it hooks me. ...more
This was a fast, light read - it took me about 3 hours to finish this. I picked this up because of the Outlander references, and while there wasn't asThis was a fast, light read - it took me about 3 hours to finish this. I picked this up because of the Outlander references, and while there wasn't as much focus on that as I had expected, there was enough fan service to make it fun. The story otherwise was the usual chick-lit in that it was mostly mindless and completely unrealistic, but I enjoyed the characters and the setting in Scotland nonetheless. A good piece of fluff. ...more
I've read almost all books by this author and have enjoyed pretty much all of them. They're light and easy to read, but they also tend to have real-liI've read almost all books by this author and have enjoyed pretty much all of them. They're light and easy to read, but they also tend to have real-life emotions and struggles. Toss in an exotic locale, and it's a nice recipe for a bit of escapism.
I've been to Iceland before, albeit not in winter, so was able to picture many of the areas mentioned in this book. It was interesting to read about the beauty (and danger) of exploring the country in the harsh winter months. Setting the book at Christmastime seemed very fitting, and I was happy that the author included my most favorite Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (Yule Book Flood).
The characters were interesting, for the most part, and the emotional drama was mostly relatable. It did drag a bit, and I was a little tired of being in Molly's head after a while, but I was happy to see how she pulled out of it. I thought the ending could've been fleshed out a bit more, instead of just making it an Epilogue, but it was still good.
Overall, a fitting book to read just before Christmas, and I'll continue to look for new books by this author. ...more
I wasn't really sure what genre this book would fit in when I picked it up. After reading it, it's definitely not romance, and not escapism -2.5 stars
I wasn't really sure what genre this book would fit in when I picked it up. After reading it, it's definitely not romance, and not escapism - so it's mostly just a fictional novel.
I've been around Croatia and even to Korcula, so I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the island and surrounding areas. I could also appreciate the aspect of the story where Antonia needed a change in her life, took some chances, worked through her discomfort, learned new things, and as a result, she grew as a person. Reading about the impacts of the war in Yugoslavia in the 90's was also a different take from my normal WWII-era books, and while not 'enjoyable', so to speak, it was informative.
And yet, this book still didn't work well for me. I think it was the writing style, which just wasn't all that captivating, and the pace of the story, which was so slow. I found myself skimming through many sections, just to get to the point.
I may be in the minority, but this novel just wasn't that great for me....more
I've seen all the Men in Kilts episodes and have read all the accompanying books that Sam and Graham have written (together and individually), and I'mI've seen all the Men in Kilts episodes and have read all the accompanying books that Sam and Graham have written (together and individually), and I'm sad to say this one was my least favorite. I had hoped for a lot more insight into the New Zealand show, which being only 4 episodes, was very rushed and didn't seem to show a fraction of what they actually did during their time there. Sadly, this book only filled in those gaps a little bit.
I realize the purpose of this book is probably more to tie the 'clan' aspect into their travels like they did with the Scotland book, but the historical bits were really boring to me, despite the (forced) sarcasm and humor that was tied in. Speaking of forced - the humor throughout this book really felt fake. I know that Sam and Graham like to tease each other a lot, but it just became a bit much and felt like the constant ribbing was trying to add humor that wasn't naturally there.
I enjoyed the photos at the back of the book, and wished there was more insight into those activities.
This book had so much promise, with such a seemingly interesting premise. But it fell flat for me in so many ways.
There were too many storyl2.5 stars
This book had so much promise, with such a seemingly interesting premise. But it fell flat for me in so many ways.
There were too many storylines going on, and the flow from one to the other wasn't great. Different timelines and POVs are okay, but it just didn't work here. There were pieces that could've been left out (Armand, Lyndon, Jane, even Martha's brother). All of that just made the story unnecessarily complicated. I would've preferred for the story to focus on the core characters of Opaline and Martha, and the curiosity shop/bookshop. The shop was seriously the most interesting part (other than Madame Bowden), and it didn't get enough attention, time in the story, or description.
I also sincerely detest when major pieces of a story are left unanswered. I don't want to use my imagination to come up with answers or an ending, I want the author to tell me. So I'm pretty irritated that after all that, we have no idea who Madame Bowden actually was (if she was real at all), or what happened with the manuscript (beyond what was in the Epilogue), or what happened with Opaline, or what Martha's hang-up was with books and/or education, or why Martha's Mom was a self-imposed mute, or how exactly Martha's husband met his demise (especially if Madame Bowden wasn't real), and I could go on. I also think the two different characters who learned about the abandonment/adoption in their family was really oddly placed and not well-explained as to how it impacts the story.
The magical realism in the story was fine, and I actually wish that it was fleshed out a bit more. The rest of the novel just didn't work for me.
I really enjoyed Lavender House, and wanted to see where Andy would take his newfound detective agency - so this sequel is fu3.5 stars rounded up to 4
I really enjoyed Lavender House, and wanted to see where Andy would take his newfound detective agency - so this sequel is fulfilling that.
The mystery to be solved in this novel wasn't quite as compelling for me as the one in Lavender House, but I still enjoyed seeing how Andy worked through it and solved it. I love the noir settings in the Bay Area, in terms of both time and place. It was nice to get to know Andy's past a bit better, and see him move forward with his personal life, now that he's feeling a bit more secure in his new place (literally and emotionally). The author does a nice job of weaving in some poignant LGBT history, which gives the novel depth and emotion.
I hope there will be another in this series, as I feel like we're getting a bit more invested in the characters, so I'd like to see what happens next. ...more
I'm actually quite surprised this book has gotten so many 4 and 5 star reviews, because I thought this was absolutely the worst in the series. I'm beiI'm actually quite surprised this book has gotten so many 4 and 5 star reviews, because I thought this was absolutely the worst in the series. I'm being generous by giving it 3 stars.
I've read all the novels in the Strike series, so of course I got this one as soon as it came out. I enjoyed the first three books in this series, but now the four after it were plagued with the same issues for me. The biggest issues are that the book is TOO LONG, and there are TOO MANY CHARACTERS! There were a few things I did like, though, so to make it easier, I'll list out my pros and cons. Some spoilers below.
CONS - The book is way too long. Why are editors afraid to do their job with decorated authors? This book could've been half the size and still been effective. - There are sooo many typos, missing words, and grammatical mistakes. If I caught them all reading it just once, why didn't the copy-editors? - There are far too many characters. This always drives me insane when reading a novel. I had no idea who some of the people were when they were mentioned later in the story. - The sub-plots were boring and just took up unnecessary space. I understand the need to show that the agency has other work and other employees, but I would much prefer each novel focused ONLY on the case at hand. - I absolutely hated the topic of the cult. This is the first book in this series that made me feel physically and emotionally repulsed when reading about the transgressions of the 'bad guys'. I suppose the author did a good job in depicting a cult, but I was just so vile. I hated every page where Robin was in the farm and couldn't wait for her to get out.
PROS - I liked seeing the more health-conscious side of Strike. Former novels have had so much focus on his poor health and the impact of such on his leg, so it was nice that there was less of a focus on his physical challenges, because he's taking care of himself better now. - One of the best parts of the book were when Robin was reunited with Strike outside the farm (I actually cried a bit, and loved the intuition of her knowing he was there, and deep care shown after). I would've liked to have seen more of that kind of intimacy between them. - The other best part of the book was the last page - which infuriatingly leaves us on yet another cliff-hanger regarding Strike and Robin. But, at least he's finally said how he feels about her -- or, rather, he's strongly suggested it. - I liked getting to know Pat a bit better, and would like to see more of her in future novels. - I'm sorry to say, but I'm glad Charlotte is gone. I was sick of the same crap she pulled, on a constant basis.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book. I did enjoy the (limited) interplay with Strike and Robin, but that's about it. I really do like JKR's writing style, and think she's a gifted storyteller. I just really really wish these books were half the size, and with way fewer characters. Sometimes less is more! I'll be anticipating the next book in the series to find out what happens. I still hold out hope that eventually Strike and Robin will realize they're meant to be together....more
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