June 2009 Roundup

Books Finished: 14

Favorite June Book:

Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan

Pockets-to-let Lucian Beaumont is looking for investors to fund an archaeological dig on his land that may lead to a long-lost Roman treasure. Unfortunately, nobody is interested except bluestocking Daisy Drake - whose family is basically the Capulets to Lucian's Montagues. But the story is far from heavy - there are phallic lamps, naughty artifacts and lessons in seduction. A great lighthearted read - I'm looking forward to finding others written by Bryan!

A link to the trailer & an excerpt on the author's website. The first chapter here definitely got me hooked!

Interested? Purchase at Amazon or IndieBound

Author Encounters:

Christine Blevins left me a comment on Librarything for my review of her excellent American Revolution historical The Tory Widow (link is to my review). She asked me not to give up on the hero Jack just yet. Apparently Tory is the first in a projected trilogy, so Jack has some time to grow up and come into his own. I really enjoyed The Tory Widow, so I'll be giving the next book a shot!

Purchase on Amazon or IndieBound!

Emily Listfield left a very nice comment on my review of her new novel Best Intentions. Best Intentions is part women's fiction (deeper than what is usually called chicklit) and suspense. I found it moving and emotionally engaging. That coupled with a murder plot line that left me guessing made for an engrossing read. Check it out!

Purchase on Amazon or IndieBound!

Books Read:

1. Palace Circle - Rebecca Dean

2. Cathy's Book - Sean Stewart & Jordan Weisman

3. The Widow - Carla Neggers

4. Never After - Rebecca Lickiss

5. Vexing the Viscount - Emily Bryan

6. Best Intentions - Emily Listfield

7. A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy - Charlotte Greig

8. In Mozart's Shadow - Carolyn Meyer

9. The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns - Elizabeth Leiknes

10. The Rake's Unconventional Mistress - Juliet Landon

11. The Indifferent Stars Above - Daniel James Brown

12. Cathy's Key - Sean Stewart & Jordan Weisman

13. The Zero Game - Brad Meltzer

14. The Family He Wanted - Karen Sandler

In Mozart's Shadow - Carolyn Meyer

*** 1/2 - Nannerl's life is a sad one - like all of the Mozarts' really. But it certainly makes for an interesting story of thwarted love, ambition and jealousy - plus, a deep affection, of course. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Mozart himself (though there are historical restrictions).

Nannerl Mozart was considered a musical prodigy - until her genius little brother, Wolfgang, took over the limelight. While Nannerl still loves to play and perform, her career slowly falls by the wayside and she sinks deeper and deeper into Mozart's shadow.

Nannerl's story was emotionally interesting - her attempts at gaining independence from her domineering father, but her dependency on familial affection and approval are likely to resonate well with early teens. Her love of music and thwarted ambition are well-portrayed and the most interesting parts of the novel. Given that the hook of the novel is Wolfgang, it would have been nice to see more of his career as he grew up - and his continued relationship with Nannerl. That said, the historical evidence probably suggests that the bond between the siblings grew weaker as they grew apart in adolescence.

The life of Nannerl Mozart was a sad one despite her early successes: thwarted love, thwarted career, and a life spent largely isolated from others - but Carolyn Meyer manages to show us an inner strength and a means of escape from her troubles through music. I loved the descriptions of music as a symbol of the Mozart's siblings affection as well as its use as a necessary emotional outlet. It certainly made me wish I knew how to play an instrument to provide that kind of catharsis.

I really enjoy reading about the lives and works of artists. I've recently branched out into reading about musicians, but it's more difficult for me as I've had relatively little exposure to music (either playing it or listening to anything classical). Because of that, I would have liked to have had a specific piece highlighted as having special significance for Nannerl - something I could have sought out and related to the story. If someone with greater Mozart knowledge has a suggestion, please let me know!

I would classify this book as middle-grade - it covers quite a long time span with key scenes in detail, but I think the emotions portrayed and the amount of emotional depth in the story are most likely to appeal to younger teens rather than older teens.

Interested in other opinions?

Becky's Book Reviews

Rebecca's Book Blog

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy - Charlotte Greig

*** 1/2 - I'm not a big fan of philosophy in general, but this actually made me think about it in a way that seemed relevant to me. This was an interesting take on the difficulties of coming of age and taking control of one's life.

I received a free copy of this book for review.

Susannah is a philosophy student at Sussex University in the 1970's and she feels quite content with her antique dealer 'grown up' boyfriend. Except, of course, that she has to wake herself up by screaming her head off every morning. Things become more complicated when Susannah starts an affair with her tutorial partner Rob and even worse when she discovers her unexpected pregnancy. To sort out her dilemma, Susannah turns to Kierkegaard and Heidegger (among others) to help her.

I'm not a huge fan of philosophy - partially, I'm sure, due to my philosophy professor in college who insisted on turning Hamlet into a completely unactable philosophical text (he also thought the Mel Gibson movie was the best version...) and forced me to watch Fight Club and then attempted to discuss it with far too much enthusiasm. Philosophy as a whole tends to irritate me as rather pointless (for my way of living at any rate), but I have a particular grudge against Kierkegaard (and Abraham, for that matter). I'm not sure I ever understood the entire knight of faith stuff, but I was always angry at him for denigrating Hamlet.

So - it was with a bit of trepidation that I picked up Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy. I needn't have worried. Ms. Greig clearly loves philosophy - as does her main character, but Susannah grapples with it in the context of her everyday life. She talks about passages that particularly resonate with her, but she really becomes a philosopher when she begins attempting to apply the ideas of these philosopher to her own particular dilemma. And because of this, I think I comprehend the ideas presented better than I ever did in my own class.

Really, this isn't as much a novel about philosophy so much as a novel about a girl looking for help wherever she can find it. When doctors, professors and friends can't grant her the kind of insight or assistance she's looking for, Susannah turns to philosophy - and more importantly to herself. Over the course of the novel, Susannah learns to rely on herself and to make her own decisions rather than simply accepting what others have in store for her [in that way, this reminded me a bit of the Julia Roberts movie Runaway Bride]. Far from taking the easy route (either way), she makes the brave choice of actually considering the options available to her and ultimately coming to the difficult decision. And her thought process really had me glued to the page.

This wasn't quite my era - I know absolutely nothing about the 70s being too young to have experienced them (even on TV), so I'm sure I missed a lot of the cultural evocations that will probably resonate with other readers. But I enjoyed my guided tour through philosophy and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another of Greig's novels!

Interested in other opinions?

Literate Housewife

Book-a-Rama

Two Times the Fun

Best Intentions - Emily Listfield

*** 1/2 - A meaningful book about love, trust, and betrayal - this is much deeper than your usual 'chicklit' fare. And I think it hit one too many sore spots for me to enjoy as much as I probably would have under other circumstances. Best Intentions very ability to strike those sore spots, though, is a testament to the writing and the emotional honesty of the novel.

I received a free copy of this book for review.

Lisa Barkley's world is turning inexorably upside-down. The economic downturn is putting both her and her husband's jobs at risk and jeopardizes the elite private school her two pre-teen daughters are attending. Her marriage with Sam seems to be falling apart - though lack of effort, through lack of trust. And when an old college friend shows up in town, even Lisa's best friend can no longer be relied on for comfort. As Lisa nears forty, everything from her career to her relationships seems to be on a self-destruction course.

Despite the dire plot summary, this isn't a melodramatic novel filled with doom. It's about very real and everyday pressures that pile up. Career stress, a cracking relationship with both friends and significant others, friends in destructive relationships, the added worries of motherhood (though I know nothing about the last). And although the specifics of her life were quite foreign to me, I nonetheless felt a kinship with the narrator - I, too, know what it feels like to have nothing to hang on to but good intentions gone astray. And that's where this novel was a clear success.

I was definitely engaged with Lisa and her life; I was rooting for her to succeed every step of the way. I sympathized with her heartache and her worries, with her desire to have someone else take care of her when the going got tough - and with her misery when that sort of protection wasn't forthcoming. At times I was too engaged with the story for my own comfort - but I was always drawn back to it. Because all of us have to find a way to live with uncertainty, and I hoped to maybe draw a clue or two from Lisa's predicament. Whether I have or not remains to be seen, but I certainly feel less alone now. And sometimes that's just what I need.

Interested in other opinions?

Book, Line and Sinker

S. Krishna's Reviews

She Is Too Fond of Books

Cathy's Book - Sean Stewart & Jordan Weisman

***- So the format is undoubtedly cool - especially the interactive bits with phone numbers and websites. I also really liked the pen and ink drawings throughout the text. As for the story - it's entertaining forbidden teenage love and adventure with a paranormal twist and a cliffhanger ending. I'll definitely be moving on to the sequel soon!

I received a free copy of this book for review.

High school senior and artist Cathy is having a rough life - she's struggling with school, a troubled relationship with her mother, and her boyfriend just dumped her for no apparent reason - plus she now has a strange mark on her arm. Unwilling to quietly accept Victor leaving, Cathy goes to his house in San Francisco. But instead of finding Victor, she discovers a curious message that she can't help but investigate.

In a lot of ways Cathy's Book reminded me of a paranormal Princess Diaries (and I mean that comparison in a good way)- girl obsessing over boy, the self-deprecating journal entries, IM chats - but here it's taken to the next level. There are lovely drawings to illustrate the narrative and a 'packet' with gorgeous watercolors and other 'evidence' that Cathy discovers. The format was really intriguing and beautifully done. I've always liked 'scrapbook' style stories - they just feel so... authentic. Like you're actually peeking at someone else's life in all its messy hodgepodge. Or maybe like you're assembling a case. It's always appealed to me, so that was a big bonus of Cathy's Book. As to the interactive aspects - they didn't do all that much for me as I tend to do my reading when I'm 'unconnected'. That said, I think the phone numbers and websites will probably appeal more to the target audience of teens.

The story is fun - filled with school and friendship woes on top of the mystery. I enjoyed the parts set in San Francisco proper - I may only have visited briefly, but I remember the Musee Mecaniques well. I loved the part where Cathy sneaks her way into Victor's lab, she shows ingenuity even in the face of hilarious mishaps. I'm still not sure how I feel about the Grand Secret, but I hope that will sort itself out in the next few books. And the story is certainly addictive enough that I want to find out what happens to Victor, Cathy and Emma (probably my favorite character - she's hilarious).

This is a light fun paranormal read (not nearly so much brooding as The Sparkly Vampire Book, thank goodness). I thought it captured the 'I'm going crazy' feeling of adolescence, some of the foolhardy throwing oneself into trouble and even its obsessions, but in an amusing way. It's certainly a fun way to pass an afternoon!

Interested? Check out the Website

TeenReads

Shooting Stars Mag

The Book Bag

Lit Bites

Every Thing About Books

Palace Circle - Rebecca Dean

*** - This is very light historical fiction; more of a family saga than any examination of the historical time period. I enjoyed it as a quick read, but I would have preferred if more time had been spent with each of the main characters.

I received a free copy of this book for review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.

Headstrong and beautiful Delia Chandler from Virginia marries aristocratic Viscount Ivor Conisborough right before WWI breaks out. But Delia's fairy-tale marriage is merely a convenience, and her husband continues to carry on the affairs so commonplace among the palace circle. When Conisborough becomes an adviser to the Egyptian king, his two daughters Petronella and Davina become embroiled in their own love affairs - hindered by politics and their parents' romantic entanglements.

I think the most obvious characteristic of Rebecca Dean's Palace Circle is the fact that it's light. It doesn't do much to evoke the misery of looming WWI, the destruction and fear that was wrought or the terror of WWII. Even the seething revolution in Egypt barely registers even on the more politically conscious Davina. So if you approach this looking for historical insight, I suggest you look elsewhere. Despite name-dropping Wallis Simpson and Winston Churchill, Palace Circle is far more a family melodrama set in the early 20th century than a historical novel.

There is plenty of bed hopping, tragic romance doomed from the outset (or maybe not). I enjoyed watching the drama unfold, but it seemed that whenever I got thoroughly engrossed in one character's story, the narrative would switch to a different perspective. Especially the first time, I found the abrupt switch disconcerting. I would have rather seen only three 'parts' and gotten more about each of the main characters.

I also would have enjoyed seeing more of Delia's struggle to make her way in society. It seemed like she went from a 'green' girl with no knowledge of how British society worked to an overnight sensation. Surely her emotional distress at discovering her husband's unfaithfulness would have taken longer to get over - and while reading about people's histrionic sadness isn't as much fun, it would have made her character ring more true.

As for Delia's daughters - well, I know we can't decide who we fall in love with, but I just couldn't help but think that Davina in particular could have done better...

Ultimately, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this as a summer beach read, but I don't think it will stay with me.

Interested in other opinions?

A Reader's Respite

Raging Bibliomania

Medieval Bookworm

Fyrefly's Book Blog

Pudgy Penguin's Perusals

Reading and Ruminations

Aurelia - Anne Osterlund

**** - Really enjoyed seeing Aurelia's touch with the common people - and her intelligence and ability to govern well (if only someone would let her). The sense of isolation, boredom and frustration will appeal greatly to teenagers and had the added bonus of being subtle enough not to be irritating to older readers.

Aurelia, the crown princess of Tyralt, has been the unwitting target of several assassination attempts. To keep her safe and unconcerned, her father tries to keep her in the dark as to the danger to her life - and calls her childhood classmate Robert back from his family's self-imposed exile to watch over her. While Robert and Aurelia begin to explore their deepening relationship, they must also act quickly to untangle the web of intrigue and discover who is out to kill Aurelia.

There's a distinct fairy tale feel to Aurelia - the crown princess has to struggle with poisoned goblets, an icy step-mother, and overprotective guards. I enjoyed watching her slip down to the docks to talk with an old sailor, and it was certainly fun to see the masquerades of Carnival. The writing is just sumptuous enough to bring home Aurelia's life of privilege without overburdening the reader - or distracting from the palpable isolation that characterizes Aurelia's protected existence.

Aurelia herself is a treat. She's headstrong (sometimes foolishly so), but intelligent and cares deeply for the people she will one day rule. I enjoyed watching her relationship with Robert reawaken after their separation - the scene on the bridge where they first show their vulnerable sides is a lovely, touching reminder of the beauty and perils of trusting someone else. And Robert is certainly trustworthy - patient, strong, and committed to protecting Aurelia without caging her. What more could a strong-willed girl want?

The charming characters and the fast-paced action plot (especially at the end) make Aurelia a great read, and a gripping one. Personally, I would have enjoyed a bit more flirtatious banter between the leads, but I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Tamora Pierce's works or fairy-tale retellings (even though that's not quite what this is).

Interested in other opinions?

Presenting Lenore

Reviewer Anonymous

Booktalk and More...

Tiny Little Reading Room

Vexing the Viscount - Emily Bryan

**** - I love funny romances. Romantic comedies have always been more my thing than brooding dramatic love stories full of angst and heartache (ok, I have a soft spot for melodramatic heartache, too, but more so if there are funny bits). So when I ran across this excerpt (scroll past the video) on Emily Bryan's website, I knew I had to own Vexing the Viscount. We have archaeology, a bluestocking heroine, and a phallic-shaped lamp! What more could you ask for?

Ever since his father's ill-advised financial scheme bankrupted him and a number of the aristocracy, Lucian Beaumont's family has had pockets to let. Determined to restore the family estates and reputation, Lucian hopes to follow clues found during an archaeological dig to a long-lost Roman treasure. Unfortunately, no one is interested in funding him - aside from the bluestocking Daisy Drake, who has a keen interest in the naughtier antiquities being brought to light. But no matter how intriguing he finds Daisy, Lucian is not about to accept help from the family his father blames for his ruin. But he just might accept help from her alter-ego, the alluring Parisian courtesan Blanche La Tour who offers him (book-learned) lessons in seduction.

I have a weakness for bluestocking heroines. Also for archaeology. So the meet-cute at the beginning while Daisy is examining an interestingly shaped lamp had me completely hooked. I think that's still my favorite scene. I love moments of humor in my romances, and this definitely made me giggle.

As for Lucian - I enjoy virgin heroes, so I found that to be a nice touch, and I really liked him puzzling out the Daisy-Blanche connection. But I would have liked it more had there been more instances of him asking Blanche for advice on how to win Daisy over. And I wish the (very steamy and highly readable) love scenes had been a bit less... smooth. After all, neither participant is supposed to have any real-world experience. So while I didn't mind the fact that their connection downright sizzled, it would have been nice to see a little insecurity or vulnerability, even a little awkwardness. Still, the way the love scenes built on each other made my toes curl.

It was also very touching to see Lucian make himself so vulnerable to Daisy at the inn. During the action-oriented ending, though, I did feel that the resolution to their emotional problems came a bit easy. (I told you I liked a bit of melodrama...).

The final verdict? I liked the funny moments with the naughty archaeology, the history between the two characters, and the steamy scenes. I enjoyed the scenes set in Roman times (though the subject matter was difficult at times), and the puzzle solving. This is certainly an author I'll be reading again when I feel like a light-hearted romance. (And considering Distracting the Duchess has to do with a female artist mistaking the hero for her nude model? I'm so there!).

Interested in other opinions?

Lusty Reader

Love Romance Passion

Booklorn

The Good, The Bad, The Unread

Some great author interviews at:

Lust In Time

Risky Regencies

Never After - Rebecca Lickiss

*** 1/2 - A fun fractured fairy tale chock full of princess tests and misguided curses. I loved the hoyden-ish Lady Vevila and her desire to make her own destiny. I did think the wrap-up was a bit abrupt, though.

Prince Althelstan is in search of a bride. His father has decreed that only a princess will do, and princesses are scarce in the surrounding kingdoms. In fact, he knows of ony two - his overly adventurous cousin Vevila, and two-year-old Princess Caryl - neither is an appealing matrimonial candidate. So Althelstan follows an old folktale to an enchanted castle -only to find three sleeping princes, a fairy godmother overly fond of curses, money-grubbing and Shakespeare-spouting wizards, and Rumpelstiltskin in a mixed-up hodge-podge of fairy tales.

Never After is a fun read with some very entertaining twists on well-known fairy tales. I enjoyed the cantankerous Urticacea who put me in mind of a less-mad Madame Mimm from Disney's Sword in the Stone. And I really loved Vevila's common-sense approach to solving certain fairy-tale dilemmas which was funny and refreshing. And, honestly, how could you not like a story that involves a wizard who can speak only in Shakespeare?

There were some rough spots - I liked the way the courtship of Vevila was going, but I thought it ended rather abruptly and unsatisfactorily. It also would have been nice to have Jaquenetta give Althelstan more of a run for his money (on page). On the whole, though Rebecca Lickiss' Never After was highly enjoyable as a breezy, light-hearted comedy of errors based around fractured fairy tales and ending in the obligatory happily (hopefully) ever after.

Interested in other opinions?

Twisted Kingdom

SF Site

Crescent Blues Book Reviews

Outside of a Dog

Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 - Andrea White

**** - I love dystopias if they're done well. This one really worked for me. I grew to understand the characters (even if some of them annoyed me), and I believed the set-up. Tele-school AND Historical Survivor sound remarkably realistic to me. Definitely worth a read.

In the year 2083, school past the age of 14 is based on a toss of the dice - or being rich enough to afford it, of course. For those unlucky enough to lose their Toss, life seems bleak indeed - until an episode of Historical Survivor (part of teleschool) offers 5 kids a chance at a scholarship if they reenact Robert Scott's doomed 1912 expedition to the South Pole. But Historical Survivor is very dangerous - and if 5 grown men couldn't escape death, what chance do 5 misfit teenagers have?

This story really gripped me - the five kids each have clearly drawn individual personalities, and they all grew on me. Robert is the 'leader' with mechanical experience, but he rubs others the wrong way with his arrogance. Billy is great with maps and navigation, but he lied about his cold-weather expertise. Plus his mind is on the ratings, not on helping his teammates. Polly is book-smart with a photographic memory and an astonishing, but sometimes debilitating, empathy for the Scott explorers. Grace is an Inupiat Eskimo with a way with animals, but all her knowledge comes from tribal lore - she's lived in Arizona her whole life. And Andrew? Andrew just doesn't want to be a screw-up anymore.

It was great to watch the kids struggle with the elements, unruly animals and each other rather than having one of those insta-bonding experiences. Instead their combined experiences slowly forms a real and believable bond. I grew to care about all of the characters, and I really enjoyed the scenes set in the studio as well. The message at the end was both heartening and fitting. White really pulled it off with Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083.

I haven't read The Hunger Games, so I don't know how this measures up to the YA dystopia everyone's talking about. But I really enjoyed this one, and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

Interested in other opinions?

Traci's Book Bag

The Widow - Carla Neggers

*** 1/2 - I've been shying away from romance lately due to personal problems, but this was a really nice way to ease back into one of my favorite genres. The mystery was nice and twisty, and the romance, while definitely there, was more secondary. I enjoyed the read.

Seven years ago, Abigail Browning was blissfully newly-wed. Four days later, her husband was dead - shot by someone he knew in his boyhood home on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. In those seven years, Abigail has become a fine homicide detective - and she's as determined as ever to solve the mystery of who killed her husband. Especially since someone keeps making eerie anonymous calls.

Although this was published by a Harlequin imprint, the focus is primarily on Abigail solving the mystery of her husband's death and coming to terms with her grief. Everyone is hiding something, and trying to ferret out everyone's secrets has become second nature to Abby. The focus on the thriller aspects of the story doesn't mean that the love story is neglected, though. There is a certain rightness in how the romance between Owen and Abigail just clicks into place.

Their feelings have slowly been growing over the last seven years despite grief and distance, and when they finally acknowledge how they feel, things just spring into place for them. It wasn't fairy-tale simple, but they also didn't have to overcome a ton of internal conflict or issues - that wasn't the point of the story. And I was glad of it. They were just happy together - and that's pretty much what I needed to read just now. A simple relationship.

As to the mystery, I thought it was nicely done. It wasn't overly telegraphed, I didn't figure it out. But looking back there was background laid for it. I might have caught on had I been trying harder. I wasn't surprised by the culprit (though the motivation threw me), it all fit together. All in all, I thought it was a good suspenseful read, I loved the Search and Rescue angle and wish it had featured a little more.

Drood - Dan Simmons

*** 1/2 - This book is huge and rather daunting. I approached it with some wariness since I'm not terribly fond of Dickens, but its creepy Gothic subject matter and unreliable narrator were perfect for a foggy, rainy London spring, so I soon found myself drawn into it. I still think it was too long - the end drags quite a bit. But I also discovered a lot about Victorian London and two of her foremost writers.

I received a free review copy of this book.

Drood is told from the point of view of Gothic mystery writer Wilkie Collins, whose increasing reliance on laudanum and whose history of hallucinations render him a decidedly unreliable narrator. Collins works a great deal with his friend and in-law Charles Dickens and finds himself jealously peering out from his shadow. But after a terrible train accident, the Inimitable Dickens becomes less and less like his old self - he is convinced that he has encountered a vicious hissing ghoul of a character named Drood who inhabits the subterranean sewers of London and leads a complete and savage Underworld. And Drood has plans for Dickens...

I'm going to go ahead and confess that I don't much care for Dickens. I haven't read Collins (though now I'm eager to read The Moonstone). Drood is very much a literary thriller, and I probably would have gotten more out of it if I were more knowledgable about the main characters' works. But my lack of familiarity didn't keep the story from creeping me out during its rambles through the seamy slums of London, nor did it keep me from enjoying seeing the more human side of Dickens. Though seen from the deteriorating and jealous perspective of Collins, some of his criticisms of The Inimitable and his writing really echoed how I felt about it much of the time. It truly made Dickens seem like a real live character - as the author very well might have been rather than a fawning homage that I feared a bit.

As the narrative progresses, Wilkie sinks ever deeper into his paranoid delusions, and it becomes increasingly difficult to determine what is merely his imagination and what threats are real. I really enjoyed the buildup to their expeditions into the Underworld and Collins increasing suspicions of Dickens. But once Drood's sinister plan involving Dickens was unveiled, and Collins threw himself into attempting to out-sell his rival and 'friend' I couldn't help but feel that the story dragged.

The verdict? It's quite a commitment, but I enjoyed it although I'm not so familiar with Dickens. I'd recommend it if you like Dickens, Collins, and creepy unreliable narrators.

Interested in other opinions?

Book Smugglers

Kittling: Books

Medieval Bookworm

The Tory Widow - Christine Blevins

**** - Dare I admit it? I may be American... but if I had been around during the American Revolution, I would probably have been a Tory. So I really looked forward to seeing the Revolution portrayed from the point of view of a Tory sympathizer. And while Anne harbors revolutionary tendencies, Blevins did a good job of portraying both the humanity and the cruelty of both sides of the conflict.

I received a free copy of this for review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

New York City in 1775 is on the brink of war with the British and widow Anne Merrick struggles to keep her dead husband's printing press profitable by continuing his work publishing Tory pamphlets. But it is a dangerous time to be a Loyalist in the city - those that are discovered by the Liberty Boys are tarred and feathered, or worse. When a gang of rebels ransack her shop, Anne finds herself face to face with the handsome Patriot Jack Hampton. But can she forgive him for putting his cause above her livelihood?

The Tory Widow is the story of a determined young widow trying to survive in war-torn New York as it changes hands between the British and the Patriots. With each change she is forced to change her 'cover', reassess her political beliefs and her relationship with both Jack and her brother David. Blevins does a great job of capturing the political fervor running high, the criminals taking advantage of chaos, and the way many people simply can't afford strong political convictions - especially in wartime. The constant need to adapt, as well as the constant fear of being caught 'on the wrong side' are real strong suits of the novel.

There is also a strong current of romance throughout the book, though I didn't find this as successful as the historical aspects. While I really enjoyed the secondary romance, I could never find myself really warming to Jack. He did several things (very in keeping with his political convictions) that I found downright despicable, and he never seemed to apologize or re-evaluate his adherence to the cause in light of his affection for Anne. I have real problems sympathizing with people who put their 'cause' before their families and loved ones. So while I understood Anne's attraction to Jack (he has charmingly cheeky moments), I kept on thinking that she could do better.

So what's the take-away? As a historical novel, this is great. I found it very evocative of the time, and I loved hearing about the printing press, the cafe, and Jack's adventures in sabotage. Plus there's a bit at the end that reminded me of The Scarlet Pimpernel (and that just HAS to be good, right?). But the romantic pairing just wasn't for me.

Interested in other opinions?

Medieval Bookworm

Historical Tapestery (guest post on revolutions)

Devourer of Books (and guest post by the author)

Bookworm's Dinner

Passages to the Past

Literate Housewife

Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff

Darling Jim - Christian Moerk

*** 1/2 - An interesting story and a well-written one, but it was a touch too 'literary' for my tastes. I never really understood WHY anyone was acting the way they were. And I didn't really feel emotional satisfaction at the resolution of the story and the 'Jim situation'.

I received a free review copy of Darling Jim from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

The story begins with three deaths - two sisters and their aunt are found dead in their suburban home, locked in a vicious struggle amongst themselves. A young mailman, Niall, finds a diary explaining part of their story and how their deaths are linked to the arrival of a travelling Irish storyteller whose macabre tales intertwine with his life and theirs. Sucked into the story, Niall sets off on a quest to discover how the story ends - both theirs and his own.

I'm not sure I was quite the right audience for this book. I like a good psychological thriller, but here the emphasis is far more on the literary rather than the suspense. The book is about the odd draw of dangerous 'darling' Jim and how it works its destructive magic on family ties. In that sense its a book about dangerous, unhealthy and even unwanted attraction and even obsession. Part of my problem, I think, was that I didn't really 'feel' Jim's attraction. I didn't see it. And his supposedly spell-binding stories were just...kind of weird rather than magnetic on the page. I just wasn't convinced by the 'ties' between Jim's stories and his real life, either.

I know this can be a problem. I knew a guy once who told utterly ridiculous stories. Something no one would believe. Except that when you were there with him, he somehow shut off everything that measured credibility. But it would never work on paper. And I'm not sure Jim works on paper, either. To me, he came across as pretty ordinary bad news. Well, make that REALLY bad news. But I wasn't convinced as to the seductive draw - and that was the whole key to the story.

To add to that, despite Jim's being absolutely horrible - I didn't think he got his comeuppance. At least not real comeuppance, and that left me feeling unsatisfied. I wanted there to be more of a vindication.

So if you're looking for a thriller or a crime novel, Darling Jim may not be your cup of tea.

But if something more character-driven and literary is your style? You may very well enjoy this story.

Interested in other opinions?

A Work in Progress

Girls Just Reading

Raging Bibliomania

Bookopolis

Scene of the Blog feature!

I'm excited to tell you that I'm being featured on Cathy's Scene of the Blog today!

Cathy is posting a picture of my blogging space (at least until a few weeks ago) and some of my comments about how/when/where my blogging gets done. I'll be wandering by to answer any questions or comments, and it would be great if you dropped by to check it out.