Book Reviews

REVIEW:  Captive Prince, Volumes 1 and 2, by S.U. Pacat

REVIEW: Captive Prince, Volumes 1 and 2, by S.U. Pacat

Dear Ms. Pacat, I thought about reviewing the two volumes of Captive Prince separately, but came to the conclusion that since they are two parts of the same story and absolutely must be read in order, this made no sense. I understand that there will be a third volume out in 2014, and I will(…)

REVIEW:  Home to Laura by Mary Sullivan

REVIEW: Home to Laura by Mary Sullivan

Dear Ms. Sullivan: Let’s file this under “setups matter” or at least they do to me.  Nick was an absent husband and absent father, doing all he can to make more and more money. His ex father in law and owner of the business that Nick runs comes to him and tells him that Emily,(…)

REVIEW:  Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

REVIEW: Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

Dear Ms. Stewart: Among my first and most beloved romantic novels are the novels of Mary Stewart. Although probably best known for the Merlin fantasy trilogy, I first discovered the romantic suspense novels. When I saw that at least one was being rereleased I quickly asked to review, despite the fact that it was a(…)

REVIEW:  Unremembered by Jessica Brody

REVIEW: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Dear Ms. Brody, The premise of your novel, Unremembered, piqued my interest. My reading tastes have been shifting again and I’m feeling the desire to read more thrillers. Bonus points if they have a supernatural or science fiction bent. The mystery of an amnesiac girl trying to regain her memories and figure out her identity(…)

REVIEW:  Reckless by S.C. Stephens

REVIEW: Reckless by S.C. Stephens

Dear Ms. Stephens: This book seemed like it was written for the fans rather than an organic story of its own.  Clocking in at over 400 pages, Reckless, takes the reader into Kellin and Kiera’s happy ever after.  They’ve not grown much from previous books.  Kiera is still beset with agonizing uncertainty over Kellin’s fidelity(…)

REVIEW:  Love’s Revenge by Monica Burns

REVIEW: Love’s Revenge by Monica Burns

The bitch had done her work well the day she’d convinced Baron Townsend that Quentin was the father of her bastard child. It had set Townsend off in a wild frenzy to avenge his youngest daughter’s so-called honor. Almost overnight, the man had set out to take from Quentin as much of the Devlyn fortune(…)

REVIEW:  The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift

REVIEW: The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift

Dear Ms. Swift: I find myself drawn to Restoration-era novels even though I haven’t found one I really love yet. I blame my years-ago late-night viewing of Forever Amber. The blurb for The Gilded Lily stated that it is “set in a London of atmospheric coffee houses, gilded mansions, and shady pawnshops hidden from rich(…)

REVIEW:  Maybe This Time by Joan Kilby

REVIEW: Maybe This Time by Joan Kilby

Dear Ms. Kilby: When I was growing up, every kid on the playground knew the perfect chant to embarrass some poor boy and girl. “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage.” Still, it was–and still is–the stereotypical dream of many girls and boys. The idea that marriage and(…)

REVIEW:  The Conquest of Lady Cassandra by Madeline Hunter

REVIEW: The Conquest of Lady Cassandra by Madeline Hunter

Dear Ms. Hunter: During this book I had a little Hunter epiphany.  I’ve really struggled with the past few books, but the quality of your writing has not declined but my response to the books have not been as enthusiastic as they used to be.  And on the surface, all your books should appeal to(…)

REVIEW:  Also Known As by Robin Benway

REVIEW: Also Known As by Robin Benway

Dear Ms. Benway, I’m very fond of novels about teenage spies and grifters. But while I get a steady grifter fix from series like Holly Black’s Curseworker trilogy or Ally Carter’s Heist Society series, there’s a definite lack of YA spies. So when your novel appeared on my radar, I snapped it up. Maggie Silver(…)

REVIEW:  Thrown By A Curve by Jaci Burton

REVIEW: Thrown By A Curve by Jaci Burton

Dear Ms. Burton: Just last baseball season, I finally became seduced by the sport after watching the Washington Nationals’ (Go Nats!) improbable run into the post season. The Nationals’ star pitcher had reconstructive elbow surgery almost two years ago now, so the set-up for Thrown by a Curve interested me. Garrett Scott is a star(…)

GUEST REVIEW: To Touch the Stars by Jeremy Pack

GUEST REVIEW: To Touch the Stars by Jeremy Pack

Blurb: For happenstance news correspondent Tait Williams and newly minted astronaut Nicholas Sullivan, 1966 is a year of beginnings. Idealistic Tait dreams of changing the world with his pen, and Nick has his sights set on the moon. With the Apollo program in full swing, Nick is on the fast track to his dreams—even as(…)

REVIEW:  Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

REVIEW: Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Dear Ms. Smith, I greatly enjoyed your YA historical novel, Flygirl, in which a young African American woman passes for white in order to join the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. I loved Ida Mae’s story, so when I saw that you had a new book out, a YA dystopian set(…)

REVIEW:  Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James

REVIEW: Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James

Dear Ms. St. James: I didn’t read, although I always intended to, your first book The Haunting of Maddy Clare. Janine included it in a reading roundup. Janine commented that one of the stand out parts of the book was how atmospheric it is. I found the same to be true with An Inquiry into(…)

REVIEW:  After the End by Bonnie Dee

REVIEW: After the End by Bonnie Dee

Dear Ms. Dee: This was a book recommended to me after I expressed interest in post apocalyptic books, an interest stoked by the writing of Kylie Scott. “After the End” is a more plot driven, cinematic book and because of that, not as engaging. However, for those who like fast paced action with some human(…)