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Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Princess in Practice (Rosewood Chronicles #2) in Books
Oct 2, 2020
From Connie Glynn comes the second book of the Rosewood Chronicles - Princess in Practice, and it is the adventure of a lifetime that we all have been waiting for. If you thought Undercover Princess was amazing - you will definitely love its sequel.
''Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.''
The story continues where it left off, with Ellie, Lottie and Jamie settling after the adventurous ending and getting ready for their second year in Rosewood. With the new school year starting, their enemies are on the rise again, plotting their new actions, and Lottie and Jamie are more than ready to protect their princess.
But as always, things are not as easy as they seem, and they never suspect that danger will be so close to them, now more than ever.
I loved that Lottie has her moment with her old best friend, when she visits the hometown, and tells him all about the princess world. It was soothing to know that she still cares about him, and always will, despite their lives being very different now.
Throughout the book, we don't see any romantic scenes, but we do have a lot of subtle talks about them. I really loved the romance between Anastacia and Saskia. Maybe not the romance itself actually, because to be honest, as much as I love the author, she doesn't have a skill set for writing romance. What I did love, was the dedication of the couple to stay together and what Saskia would do and sacrifice, just for the person she loves.
I was very upset with the author trying so hard to make Lottie and Ellie a couple. Yes, we know lesbian relationships are against the rules in the kingdom and Ellie's father would be furious to find out. But Lottie had such a nice slow-burn romance going with Jamie, getting to know him and all. They even reminded me of Dimitri and Rose from Vampire Academy. They have a thing, and the author ruined it with trying to convince me Lottie likes girls. Well, I am not convinced. I already have my favourite girl couple, and it's not Lottie and Ellie.
Princess in Practice was a better-written book than Undercover Princess in my opinion.
If I had to choose though, I would still prefer the first book, because of the whole set up. The friendship stories were better and even the villains were better in the previous book.
The villains we had in this book were plain, without a character, and I simply did not care about any of them. Even that last chapter, with the mysterious leader that stands behind everything, all I could feel was - MEH!
When it comes to the friendship, and the wider team that helps these three main characters, we didn't really get to know them much more than we did from the previous book. My favourite was and will stay Raphael, who always makes me laugh.
''What? Why don't I get to be a plus-one?'' Raphael maned, putting.
''Because, Raphael,'' Anastacia mocked, ''you're not a trained bodyguards, nor are you a princess.''
To conclude, I loved reading Princess in Practice. It had a nice overall story and it was very easy to read. I will definitely be waiting for the third book to come out and will be desperate to read it! A great book during the summer period for sure. If you love princesses - that is :)
''Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.''
The story continues where it left off, with Ellie, Lottie and Jamie settling after the adventurous ending and getting ready for their second year in Rosewood. With the new school year starting, their enemies are on the rise again, plotting their new actions, and Lottie and Jamie are more than ready to protect their princess.
But as always, things are not as easy as they seem, and they never suspect that danger will be so close to them, now more than ever.
I loved that Lottie has her moment with her old best friend, when she visits the hometown, and tells him all about the princess world. It was soothing to know that she still cares about him, and always will, despite their lives being very different now.
Throughout the book, we don't see any romantic scenes, but we do have a lot of subtle talks about them. I really loved the romance between Anastacia and Saskia. Maybe not the romance itself actually, because to be honest, as much as I love the author, she doesn't have a skill set for writing romance. What I did love, was the dedication of the couple to stay together and what Saskia would do and sacrifice, just for the person she loves.
I was very upset with the author trying so hard to make Lottie and Ellie a couple. Yes, we know lesbian relationships are against the rules in the kingdom and Ellie's father would be furious to find out. But Lottie had such a nice slow-burn romance going with Jamie, getting to know him and all. They even reminded me of Dimitri and Rose from Vampire Academy. They have a thing, and the author ruined it with trying to convince me Lottie likes girls. Well, I am not convinced. I already have my favourite girl couple, and it's not Lottie and Ellie.
Princess in Practice was a better-written book than Undercover Princess in my opinion.
If I had to choose though, I would still prefer the first book, because of the whole set up. The friendship stories were better and even the villains were better in the previous book.
The villains we had in this book were plain, without a character, and I simply did not care about any of them. Even that last chapter, with the mysterious leader that stands behind everything, all I could feel was - MEH!
When it comes to the friendship, and the wider team that helps these three main characters, we didn't really get to know them much more than we did from the previous book. My favourite was and will stay Raphael, who always makes me laugh.
''What? Why don't I get to be a plus-one?'' Raphael maned, putting.
''Because, Raphael,'' Anastacia mocked, ''you're not a trained bodyguards, nor are you a princess.''
To conclude, I loved reading Princess in Practice. It had a nice overall story and it was very easy to read. I will definitely be waiting for the third book to come out and will be desperate to read it! A great book during the summer period for sure. If you love princesses - that is :)
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Heart Of A King: The Loves Of Solomon in Books
Apr 30, 2019
When it comes to Biblical Fiction, I’ve said it before, I am a picky reader. Only a select few can truly take a Biblical story, keep it true to the Bible and add in in the fictional elements and make it come to life. Jill Eileen Smith is one of those authors. She has been a long time favorite author of mine and will forever be one. So, when I got the chance to read The Heart Of A King, I jumped on it. I was not disappointed!
Her characters, once again, are chiseled beautifully. Full of depth and emotion. Every emotion they felt became mine while I read this. I fell in love with Solomon and didn’t want his story to end. The love he had for our God, the love he had for his wives, was beautifully portrayed in the words of Smith’s writing.
With tenderness and hopefulness, this story will wrap you up and put you in the center of a time, that is only read about in the Bible, of a time many have forgotten to remember. The rich historic detail is vivid and captivating and Smith has once again managed to make me fall in love with yet another amazing book. This is beyond 5 star worthy and I hope you, too, will fall in love with the story of Solomon and his loves.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Her characters, once again, are chiseled beautifully. Full of depth and emotion. Every emotion they felt became mine while I read this. I fell in love with Solomon and didn’t want his story to end. The love he had for our God, the love he had for his wives, was beautifully portrayed in the words of Smith’s writing.
With tenderness and hopefulness, this story will wrap you up and put you in the center of a time, that is only read about in the Bible, of a time many have forgotten to remember. The rich historic detail is vivid and captivating and Smith has once again managed to make me fall in love with yet another amazing book. This is beyond 5 star worthy and I hope you, too, will fall in love with the story of Solomon and his loves.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Baby Doll in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Firstly Id like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read this book.
<b><i>BABY DOLL is the most tense thriller you will read this year.</b></i> no it isnt.
<b>1.5 stars</b>
I was looking forward to giving this a read, it sounded like an exciting thriller; woman escapes from her captor and now shes trying to rebuild her life and future. But it doesnt really start out that way everything kind of falls into place for Lily in the first few pages and so you think, is this going to be as exciting as I first hoped? Well the answer to that is no, its not.
Its all very over the top. <i>Every single thing</i> Abby & Lily do is grossly OTT. I mean I dont personally know how I, or my family would react if something like this happened but it all seems very overplayed, cliche and cheesy.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/MGmnFOZRFRo4w/giphy.gif"; width="370" height="220" alt="yaaaawn"/>
Its also a bit ridiculous, not the kidnapping and abuse, of course <b>thats</b> not, but everything else is. The town seems raving mad, no wonder no one noticed a psychopath in their midst! I mean for one, this town needs to sort out its police force, theyre <b>so</b> unprofessional! <spoiler>Sleeping around and beating people to a pulp. Stupid. <b>PLUS</b> Why were they unable to get Abby off of Rick when she was stabbing him? It felt like they were all just standing around and watching her until they thought, OK thatll do now.</spoiler>
I dont think Overton did a particularly good job at portraying the characters. They all seemed very wooden and lifeless. I found them all to be extremely childish, shallow and very selfish and so couldnt connect with any of them. They also felt completely fake, like the things they did and said were not something you could imagine a real person doing or saying. We were supposed to empathise with Lily but it just wasnt possible for me, she was cold and boring and I think the multiple POVs was a bad call on Overtons part because it means we cant spend that time getting to know the character and instead have to put up with everyone else's junk <i>(cough cough the mother's affair cough cough)</i> that we dont care about, which disconnects us entirely from the story. I would go so far as to say I felt this story was more about idiotic Abby than it was about boring ol Lily. We also couldnt attach to Lily because this book moved so ridiculously fast! I couldnt keep up, whats the rush?
I dont think this was very well written either, it all seemed very rushed. Also, why was Eve called Eve one minute and Mom the next? And why couldnt Abby call Mr Hanson by his actual name? We get it, he was your teacher, but youre an adult now, with a kid and this man ruined your sister's life, would you really be calling him Mr Hanson all the time. It was like I was reading the POV of a 6 year old.
I admit the twist was quite a shock and I hadnt seen <i>that</i> particular ending coming about, but I still thought it was a bit silly, hence the extra half a star I gave the book. <spoiler>Can we please note that this (the murder) is like the 5th time in the book when Abby does something for Lily but really shes just being selfish and doing it for herself because she cant get a fucking grip.</spoiler>
Too "family drama" for me. I wanted a fast paced thriller not some sappy, emotional love story. This book was supposed to focus on the broken Lily rebuilding her life with her loving family surrounding her, but instead turned into a ridiculous love triangle story that I couldnt care less about. Give me more of Ricks POV if you must, <b>anything to get me away from twin sisters fighting over one stupid man.</b> Abby was so fucking annoying when it came to Wes, she was so desperately needy for him all the while putting on a stupid I-dont-need-you front. Deal with it Abby, you love him and he loves you, <b>just fucking deal with it.</b>
In the end I skipped the last 10 pages or so, I was done with this book when I was 20% the way through Maybe this would be a good book for people who are into chick-lit/women's fiction - whatever that means, but its not my cup of tea.
<b><i>BABY DOLL is the most tense thriller you will read this year.</b></i> no it isnt.
<b>1.5 stars</b>
I was looking forward to giving this a read, it sounded like an exciting thriller; woman escapes from her captor and now shes trying to rebuild her life and future. But it doesnt really start out that way everything kind of falls into place for Lily in the first few pages and so you think, is this going to be as exciting as I first hoped? Well the answer to that is no, its not.
Its all very over the top. <i>Every single thing</i> Abby & Lily do is grossly OTT. I mean I dont personally know how I, or my family would react if something like this happened but it all seems very overplayed, cliche and cheesy.
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/MGmnFOZRFRo4w/giphy.gif"; width="370" height="220" alt="yaaaawn"/>
Its also a bit ridiculous, not the kidnapping and abuse, of course <b>thats</b> not, but everything else is. The town seems raving mad, no wonder no one noticed a psychopath in their midst! I mean for one, this town needs to sort out its police force, theyre <b>so</b> unprofessional! <spoiler>Sleeping around and beating people to a pulp. Stupid. <b>PLUS</b> Why were they unable to get Abby off of Rick when she was stabbing him? It felt like they were all just standing around and watching her until they thought, OK thatll do now.</spoiler>
I dont think Overton did a particularly good job at portraying the characters. They all seemed very wooden and lifeless. I found them all to be extremely childish, shallow and very selfish and so couldnt connect with any of them. They also felt completely fake, like the things they did and said were not something you could imagine a real person doing or saying. We were supposed to empathise with Lily but it just wasnt possible for me, she was cold and boring and I think the multiple POVs was a bad call on Overtons part because it means we cant spend that time getting to know the character and instead have to put up with everyone else's junk <i>(cough cough the mother's affair cough cough)</i> that we dont care about, which disconnects us entirely from the story. I would go so far as to say I felt this story was more about idiotic Abby than it was about boring ol Lily. We also couldnt attach to Lily because this book moved so ridiculously fast! I couldnt keep up, whats the rush?
I dont think this was very well written either, it all seemed very rushed. Also, why was Eve called Eve one minute and Mom the next? And why couldnt Abby call Mr Hanson by his actual name? We get it, he was your teacher, but youre an adult now, with a kid and this man ruined your sister's life, would you really be calling him Mr Hanson all the time. It was like I was reading the POV of a 6 year old.
I admit the twist was quite a shock and I hadnt seen <i>that</i> particular ending coming about, but I still thought it was a bit silly, hence the extra half a star I gave the book. <spoiler>Can we please note that this (the murder) is like the 5th time in the book when Abby does something for Lily but really shes just being selfish and doing it for herself because she cant get a fucking grip.</spoiler>
Too "family drama" for me. I wanted a fast paced thriller not some sappy, emotional love story. This book was supposed to focus on the broken Lily rebuilding her life with her loving family surrounding her, but instead turned into a ridiculous love triangle story that I couldnt care less about. Give me more of Ricks POV if you must, <b>anything to get me away from twin sisters fighting over one stupid man.</b> Abby was so fucking annoying when it came to Wes, she was so desperately needy for him all the while putting on a stupid I-dont-need-you front. Deal with it Abby, you love him and he loves you, <b>just fucking deal with it.</b>
In the end I skipped the last 10 pages or so, I was done with this book when I was 20% the way through Maybe this would be a good book for people who are into chick-lit/women's fiction - whatever that means, but its not my cup of tea.
Alice (117 KP) rated Children of Virtue and Vengeance in Books
Mar 3, 2021
3 is probably generous... review to follow
(There's proabably spoilers in here)
Okay so I hadn't heard great things about this so I was apprehensive about picking it up and after the first half I didn't really see what all the fuss was about but then it happened. This whole book stressed me out and made me angry. The lack of communication was so frustrating that nobody would believe anybody else and it just led to so many unnecessary conflicts. The whole overarching plot was about the war but then every chapter had the exact same conflicts that happened in every chapter before... "Inan is bad, no wait Inan is good, how could we be so stupid of course iInan is bad, but maybe he's good nope still bad" you catch my drift. Also Inan even did this himself because he may be the king but he's not in control of his kingdom which I'm not mad about I think it was good to show that he was a puppet (I'm an Inan sympathiser okay I'm sorry) but when nobody would believe that he was trying because everytime he tried someone else would step in and ruin it. Then there was Zelie flitting between being too weak to be an elder and wanting to run away and vowing to be the leader that her clan needs. Don't get me started on Amari, she had zero chemistry with Inan like I don't think she thought about him at all when he wasn't around and that thing she did towards the end of the book WHAT THE ACTUAL F was that!!!!! Unnecessary love triangles when clearly the only person that Zelie loves is herself. We spent the whole book gaging up for this big battle and then at the end it just never happened??? Need I go on. I don't want to be too scathing because I loved the first book so by proxy still care about this series but I don't really know what happened here.
(There's proabably spoilers in here)
Okay so I hadn't heard great things about this so I was apprehensive about picking it up and after the first half I didn't really see what all the fuss was about but then it happened. This whole book stressed me out and made me angry. The lack of communication was so frustrating that nobody would believe anybody else and it just led to so many unnecessary conflicts. The whole overarching plot was about the war but then every chapter had the exact same conflicts that happened in every chapter before... "Inan is bad, no wait Inan is good, how could we be so stupid of course iInan is bad, but maybe he's good nope still bad" you catch my drift. Also Inan even did this himself because he may be the king but he's not in control of his kingdom which I'm not mad about I think it was good to show that he was a puppet (I'm an Inan sympathiser okay I'm sorry) but when nobody would believe that he was trying because everytime he tried someone else would step in and ruin it. Then there was Zelie flitting between being too weak to be an elder and wanting to run away and vowing to be the leader that her clan needs. Don't get me started on Amari, she had zero chemistry with Inan like I don't think she thought about him at all when he wasn't around and that thing she did towards the end of the book WHAT THE ACTUAL F was that!!!!! Unnecessary love triangles when clearly the only person that Zelie loves is herself. We spent the whole book gaging up for this big battle and then at the end it just never happened??? Need I go on. I don't want to be too scathing because I loved the first book so by proxy still care about this series but I don't really know what happened here.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Be Frank With Me in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Alice has worked a string of dead-end jobs until she winds up as an assistant for a literary agent, Mr. Vargas. He is impressed with her work at a tech store (think Apple Genius Bar) and takes her under his wing. Eventually Mr. Vargas dispatches Alice to assist with one of his most famous, but reclusive, clients: M.M. "Mimi" Banning. Mimi wrote a famous bestseller book as a young woman and then basically disappeared off the grid. She's recently lost all her money in a Ponzi scheme, however, and she needs an assistant to help with delivery of a new manuscript. Enter Alice. However, when Alice arrives in California, she finds herself mainly acting as caretaker to Mimi's nine-year-old son, Frank: a quirky and unique boy who changes Alice's life.
There's really no way to describe this book. It was an excellent way to round out 2015 - it's a lovely and touching novel. While in theory it describes a bit of time in Alice's life, with most of the story coming from her point of view, the true hero of this story is Frank - amazing, wonderful, funny Frank. Frank would probably be deemed autistic, or at least somewhere on the spectrum, in our society, as he clearly has issues with being touched, interacting with his peers, and many other things. But he's also this amazing, unique, and smart boy - he dresses like a movie star from the '30s, has an endless supply of facts in his brain about everything (but doesn't comprehend sarcasm or humor), loves old films, and has a fierce and deep devotion for his mother -- no matter what she does.
As Alice gets to know Frank, Mimi, and the small cast of characters around them - mainly, Xander, Frank's piano teacher, who flits in and out of his life - she is as drawn to the boy as the rest of us. But can she save Frank (and Mimi) from the harshness of the outside world and their past? It's an interesting thought and one that doesn't lend itself to a typical beginning/middle/end plot. In some ways, not a lot happens in this book (though in some ways, a lot does), but its story is propelled by Johnson's excellent character development and descriptions. Frank, Alice, Mimi, and Xander really come to life in her hands. It's a funny book, a sad book, but a beautiful book. Certainly a worthwhile read. You'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page.
(Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
There's really no way to describe this book. It was an excellent way to round out 2015 - it's a lovely and touching novel. While in theory it describes a bit of time in Alice's life, with most of the story coming from her point of view, the true hero of this story is Frank - amazing, wonderful, funny Frank. Frank would probably be deemed autistic, or at least somewhere on the spectrum, in our society, as he clearly has issues with being touched, interacting with his peers, and many other things. But he's also this amazing, unique, and smart boy - he dresses like a movie star from the '30s, has an endless supply of facts in his brain about everything (but doesn't comprehend sarcasm or humor), loves old films, and has a fierce and deep devotion for his mother -- no matter what she does.
As Alice gets to know Frank, Mimi, and the small cast of characters around them - mainly, Xander, Frank's piano teacher, who flits in and out of his life - she is as drawn to the boy as the rest of us. But can she save Frank (and Mimi) from the harshness of the outside world and their past? It's an interesting thought and one that doesn't lend itself to a typical beginning/middle/end plot. In some ways, not a lot happens in this book (though in some ways, a lot does), but its story is propelled by Johnson's excellent character development and descriptions. Frank, Alice, Mimi, and Xander really come to life in her hands. It's a funny book, a sad book, but a beautiful book. Certainly a worthwhile read. You'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page.
(Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Apple Tree Yard in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Who doesn't like a good thriller novel?
The narrative of this book is quite unique, being recalled as an account from the past. Yvonne, the narrator, often refers to "now" and unknown events that have yet to take place in the story. This definitely builds the suspense a lot.
Yvonne takes us through the development of her extramarrital relationship with the unknown "you" (or "X" as she refers to him in her letters). Later, we will learn the identity of Yvonne's lover, but throughout the book we are given only speculations about his life that Yvonne theorises to be accurate.
This affair is, I suppose, both shocking and familiar at the same time. Yvonne is a successful, loved wife and mother with a safe home and good career. She loves her husband and her children. Her affair is, in this respect, unexpected and outrageous. But at the same time, as Yvonne summarises at the end of the novel, her "one-off" offence falls perfectly into the typical category of people like her. People who do not cheat on their partners because they don't love them. Unline "you", who cheats repeatedly for the excitement of it.
Most of the book is dedicated to the devlopment of the relationship, with other details of Yvonne's life and comments about the present included here and there. Yvonne is eventually sexually assaulted by a coworker/acquaintance. Amazingly, this event leads to Yvonne being on trial for murder.
The court case is described fantastically, with plenty of detail about all the little things that really set the scene. The narrative throughout the book is also fantastic - it really has the 'feel' of a middle-aged woman. 3.5 stars.
The narrative of this book is quite unique, being recalled as an account from the past. Yvonne, the narrator, often refers to "now" and unknown events that have yet to take place in the story. This definitely builds the suspense a lot.
Yvonne takes us through the development of her extramarrital relationship with the unknown "you" (or "X" as she refers to him in her letters). Later, we will learn the identity of Yvonne's lover, but throughout the book we are given only speculations about his life that Yvonne theorises to be accurate.
This affair is, I suppose, both shocking and familiar at the same time. Yvonne is a successful, loved wife and mother with a safe home and good career. She loves her husband and her children. Her affair is, in this respect, unexpected and outrageous. But at the same time, as Yvonne summarises at the end of the novel, her "one-off" offence falls perfectly into the typical category of people like her. People who do not cheat on their partners because they don't love them. Unline "you", who cheats repeatedly for the excitement of it.
Most of the book is dedicated to the devlopment of the relationship, with other details of Yvonne's life and comments about the present included here and there. Yvonne is eventually sexually assaulted by a coworker/acquaintance. Amazingly, this event leads to Yvonne being on trial for murder.
The court case is described fantastically, with plenty of detail about all the little things that really set the scene. The narrative throughout the book is also fantastic - it really has the 'feel' of a middle-aged woman. 3.5 stars.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Everything changed after Susannah died. Her two sons, both of whom Belly loves in different ways, have changed. Jeremiah is older. Conrad is empty. Belly's mother is different. And Belly is different, too. After her painful break-up with Conrad, she isn't expecting to enjoy summer, she just wants to get through it. But when Jeremiah calls her and tells her that Conrad has vanished from summer school, she goes with him to find him… and try to make things write. But Conrad has his own agenda, and his own idea of what is right. Belly has to decide if she's willing to let her heart get torn and healed by Conrad's ever-changing emotions in relation to her—as changing as the sea at her summer house—or if she's ready to let go.
After having just finished It's Not Summer Without You, I'm not sure if I feel like smiling, or if I feel smug, or if I want to kill Conrad—or at least hit him—or maybe I want to kill Jeremiah, or maybe I want to cry. I think I feel like Belly. I feel sorry for her, that's for sure.
It's Not Summer Without You is beautiful in a painful kind of way. I loved the way the story was woven, but I'm not sure I liked the way it turned out. It's the kind of story that starts looking scary, because you know that in the end everyone is going to get hurt, and that someone is going to have to choose between two good things, and you'll never be completely satisfied with the choice. But then, maybe that's the way it is in the real world. That's what makes this story good: it's real.
I read it in one sitting, on the same day I got it, and I couldn't put it down. Just like The Summer I Turned Pretty, the main aspect of the book is the characters. They are what keep you reading, they are what makes you care about the book. I care about Belly, I care about Conrad, I care about Jeremiah. I just don't care about them in the same ways I used to.
The writing felt smooth, poetic, and lyric, but the entire book had a negative energy to it. It felt depressing to read. I don't feel like I just read a summer romance, I feel like I just read a sad book and I need a light summer romance to cheer me up. That's not to say I didn't like it, but it was rather depressing to read.
The whole thing, from start to finish, felt like a lost cause with a possible hopeful end—meaning Belly and Conrad would never be together again, everything is falling apart after Susannah's death, and nothing will ever be good again…unless, unless, unless—and I'm not quite sure if it had that end. It wasn't enough of an ending for me. There wasn't enough closure between the characters, I'm still not exactly sure what happened and where everyone stands, and the epilogue wasn't enough to decode what was being said. Hopefully, more was added to the epilogue in the finished copy of the book. That's the only reason I gave it four stars and not five: I didn't enjoy it enough. It was good, it was just hard to read and hard to enjoy.
All in all, I did like it, I liked most of what happened, and I liked how real it was. It's Not Summer Without You evokes real emotions because it plays out in the real world.
Content: Some language
Recommendation: Ages 16+
After having just finished It's Not Summer Without You, I'm not sure if I feel like smiling, or if I feel smug, or if I want to kill Conrad—or at least hit him—or maybe I want to kill Jeremiah, or maybe I want to cry. I think I feel like Belly. I feel sorry for her, that's for sure.
It's Not Summer Without You is beautiful in a painful kind of way. I loved the way the story was woven, but I'm not sure I liked the way it turned out. It's the kind of story that starts looking scary, because you know that in the end everyone is going to get hurt, and that someone is going to have to choose between two good things, and you'll never be completely satisfied with the choice. But then, maybe that's the way it is in the real world. That's what makes this story good: it's real.
I read it in one sitting, on the same day I got it, and I couldn't put it down. Just like The Summer I Turned Pretty, the main aspect of the book is the characters. They are what keep you reading, they are what makes you care about the book. I care about Belly, I care about Conrad, I care about Jeremiah. I just don't care about them in the same ways I used to.
The writing felt smooth, poetic, and lyric, but the entire book had a negative energy to it. It felt depressing to read. I don't feel like I just read a summer romance, I feel like I just read a sad book and I need a light summer romance to cheer me up. That's not to say I didn't like it, but it was rather depressing to read.
The whole thing, from start to finish, felt like a lost cause with a possible hopeful end—meaning Belly and Conrad would never be together again, everything is falling apart after Susannah's death, and nothing will ever be good again…unless, unless, unless—and I'm not quite sure if it had that end. It wasn't enough of an ending for me. There wasn't enough closure between the characters, I'm still not exactly sure what happened and where everyone stands, and the epilogue wasn't enough to decode what was being said. Hopefully, more was added to the epilogue in the finished copy of the book. That's the only reason I gave it four stars and not five: I didn't enjoy it enough. It was good, it was just hard to read and hard to enjoy.
All in all, I did like it, I liked most of what happened, and I liked how real it was. It's Not Summer Without You evokes real emotions because it plays out in the real world.
Content: Some language
Recommendation: Ages 16+
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated A Heart Revealed (Winds of Change, #2) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
*This review is from my blog and originally published in 2011*
Okay. Let me take just one moment to reflect on this book. *Reflecting* Okay. That’s better. WOW. I don’t even know where to begin. There is so much to say about this novel. Let me start off by saying if you’ve never read a Julie Lessman novel, stop what you are doing right now, and grab a copy. You won’t be sorry. The first novel I read by her was last September, entitled A Hope Undaunted, book 1 in this Winds Of Change series. I couldn’t believe how much I fell in love with her work! I was then lucky enough to win all three novels in her first series, The Daughters of Boston. Though they are still sitting on my shelf to be read, they are definitely calling my name and I can’t wait to go back and read them.
Now, on to the rest. In the first book in this series, I fell in love with Luke McGee. In this novel, I think I love Sean O’Connor even more. I really enjoy Snickers bars, so see, Julie? You could send SEAN my way, and I’d be forever blissfully happy. I LOVED his character. He was great in his role in A Hope Undaunted , but reading his story with the focus on him, was absolutely amazing. His past wasn’t perfect, and there were times when he went wild with anger, but he overcame that. There was one thing from his past that he holds inside though. No one, not even his nosy sisters, know. That is until, he finds himself drawn to his best friend Emma in a way that he couldn’t imagine. He opens up to her….with everything.
Emma Malloy. Bless her soul. She was a wonderful character, flawed and sweet, and wanting everyone close to her to be happy. Including Sean. When she finds her self falling in love with him, when she’s still married to the man who beat her 11 years ago, she’s determined to push him off on Rose Kelly…the woman who loves him. Trouble is, something happened to Sean and he won’t try with Rose.
Oh, I so want to go on and on….but I’m SO close to giving away the plot! I DO NOT want to do that! I want you to devour the book like I did and take the time to reflect on the wonderfulness of this novel. It’s stunning. It’s breath taking. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, from happiness, to sadness, to anger, to pride, to passion. It has a WHOPPER of a twist and an ending that will leave you smiling and tears running down your face. Not to mention I LOVED Casey Herringshaw and Michelle Tuller’s characters 😉 *grins*!
I highly suggest that you grab a copy of this novel NOW. It’s 5 Books worthy, two thumbs up, hats off, a home run, a winner, a best seller……what ever you want to call it’s that. Julie Lessman really has a way to make ME feel a part of the heart of the story. She speaks to me through the words of her characters, and really brings me closer to God each time. She is by far my absolute FAVORITE Christian novelist and I will NEVER part with her books. They are forever on myself for me to read and reread, and reflect on each time. I am looking forward to book three in this series, Steven O’Connor’s story. Sweet angels in Heaven, though, Julie, do you have to make us wait a whole YEAR!?!? *Sigh* Oh well. All the more for me to savor that one upon it’s release.
Okay. Let me take just one moment to reflect on this book. *Reflecting* Okay. That’s better. WOW. I don’t even know where to begin. There is so much to say about this novel. Let me start off by saying if you’ve never read a Julie Lessman novel, stop what you are doing right now, and grab a copy. You won’t be sorry. The first novel I read by her was last September, entitled A Hope Undaunted, book 1 in this Winds Of Change series. I couldn’t believe how much I fell in love with her work! I was then lucky enough to win all three novels in her first series, The Daughters of Boston. Though they are still sitting on my shelf to be read, they are definitely calling my name and I can’t wait to go back and read them.
Now, on to the rest. In the first book in this series, I fell in love with Luke McGee. In this novel, I think I love Sean O’Connor even more. I really enjoy Snickers bars, so see, Julie? You could send SEAN my way, and I’d be forever blissfully happy. I LOVED his character. He was great in his role in A Hope Undaunted , but reading his story with the focus on him, was absolutely amazing. His past wasn’t perfect, and there were times when he went wild with anger, but he overcame that. There was one thing from his past that he holds inside though. No one, not even his nosy sisters, know. That is until, he finds himself drawn to his best friend Emma in a way that he couldn’t imagine. He opens up to her….with everything.
Emma Malloy. Bless her soul. She was a wonderful character, flawed and sweet, and wanting everyone close to her to be happy. Including Sean. When she finds her self falling in love with him, when she’s still married to the man who beat her 11 years ago, she’s determined to push him off on Rose Kelly…the woman who loves him. Trouble is, something happened to Sean and he won’t try with Rose.
Oh, I so want to go on and on….but I’m SO close to giving away the plot! I DO NOT want to do that! I want you to devour the book like I did and take the time to reflect on the wonderfulness of this novel. It’s stunning. It’s breath taking. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, from happiness, to sadness, to anger, to pride, to passion. It has a WHOPPER of a twist and an ending that will leave you smiling and tears running down your face. Not to mention I LOVED Casey Herringshaw and Michelle Tuller’s characters 😉 *grins*!
I highly suggest that you grab a copy of this novel NOW. It’s 5 Books worthy, two thumbs up, hats off, a home run, a winner, a best seller……what ever you want to call it’s that. Julie Lessman really has a way to make ME feel a part of the heart of the story. She speaks to me through the words of her characters, and really brings me closer to God each time. She is by far my absolute FAVORITE Christian novelist and I will NEVER part with her books. They are forever on myself for me to read and reread, and reflect on each time. I am looking forward to book three in this series, Steven O’Connor’s story. Sweet angels in Heaven, though, Julie, do you have to make us wait a whole YEAR!?!? *Sigh* Oh well. All the more for me to savor that one upon it’s release.