This week, I only wrote one book review. Between vacation aftermath and work chaos—plus not reading much on vacation—there just wasn’t time. Better luck next week.
Happy writing!
Author: tamaramorning
Book Review: Never Rescue a Rogue, by Virginia Heath
Title: Never Rescue a Rogue
Author: Virginia Heath
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair only tolerate one another for the sake of their nearest and dearest. Everyone believes that the two of them are meant to be together, but Diana and Giles know that their constant pithy barbs come from a shared disdain—not a hidden attraction. Diana loves the freedom of working at the newspaper too much to give it up for marriage, and Giles is happily married to his bachelor lifestyle. But they do have one thing in common—the secrets they can’t risk escaping.
When Giles’ father, the curmudgeonly Duke of Harpenden unexpectedly turns up his toes, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork who knows the true circumstances of his only son’s birth. As the threat of blackmail becomes real, Giles must uncover the truth of his parentage first, or else he and all those who depend upon him will be ruined—and dogged bloodhound Diana is his best hope at sniffing out the truth. As Giles and Diana dive into his family’s past, the attraction that the two of them insisted wasn’t there proves impossible to ignore. Soon, the future of the Sinclair estate isn’t the only thing on the line…
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this one was a lot of fun, too. Diana is exactly the kind of character I like to read: unashamedly herself, she goes after what she wants to do—no matter what anyone says or thinks about it. She and Giles were a joy to read about, and their witty barbs made me alight several times. This is a fun read!
Virginia Heath lives in London. Never Rescue a Rogue is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Sundays Are for Writing #199
This week, I wrote exactly nothing. Family emergency that took up most of Monday, and I went on vacation on Wednesday, so….nothing.
Happy writing!
Sundays Are for Writing #198
I only wrote two book reviews this week, plus my October reading post, and the best books I read in October.
Next week is vacation, so probably not a lot of writing there.
Happy writing!
Book Review: The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey, by Serena Burdick
Title: The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey
Author: Serena Burdick
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
What if you could write a new ending for yourself?
England, 1898. When Evelyn first married the famous novelist William Aubrey, she was dazzled by his brilliance. But their newlywed bliss is brief when William is gripped by writer’s block, and he becomes jealous of Evelyn’s writing talent. When he commits the ultimate betrayal–stealing a draft of her novel and passing it off as his own–Evelyn decides to write her way out of their unhappy marriage.
California, 2006. Abigail always wondered about her father, his identity forever lost when her mother unexpectedly died. Or so Abigail thought, until she stumbled upon his photo and a message that her great-great-grandmother was the author Evelyn Aubrey, leading Abigail on a journey to England in search for answers. There, she learns of Evelyn’s shocking disappearance and how London society believed she was murdered. But from what she uncovers about Evelyn, Abigail believes her brilliant great-great-grandmother had another plot up her sleeve.
When I first started reading this, Abby was such a self-absorbed, selfish person that I almost stopped reading. I held out until she went to England, and then, as she started growing, I got more interested. Following the mystery of Evelyn made her a much more interesting character—and learning more about her own parents, especially her messed-up mother, allowed her to work through her own issues.
Evelyn was my favorite character: she ended up caught in a very tough situation, but she was smart enough to figure a way out. I wanted to smack her husband—and his mistress—several times, but she somehow managed to turn the other cheek and make a life of safety for herself. This ended up being a fascinating and engrossing read—despite the slow (due to a character issue) start.
Serena Burdick lives in Massachusetts. The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)
The Best Books I Read in October (2022)
In October, I only read 14 books and DNFed five. My three favorites were:
When We Had Wings, by by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. I listened to the audio book of this, and I was enthralled. Normally, with multiple viewpoint characters, I have a favorite. This time, I loved all three women equally and was totally invested in their stories and what was happening.
The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey, by Serena Burdick. This started off a bit slow. Abby wasn’t easy for me to like at first, but she grew on me. I enjoyed Evelyn’s character very much, and couldn’t wait to find out what happened.
The Paradigm, by Jonathan Cahn. This was an…unsettling read, but absolutely fascinating.
What I Read in October (2022)
Books Read in October: 14
Books Read for the Year: 190/250
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning (spiritual). Really enjoyed this read!
Luke’s Story by Tim LaHaye (spiritual). I enjoyed this re-read!
The Paradigm, by Jonathan Cahn (TBR). This was disturbing on a lot of levels.
The Oracle, by Jonathan Cahn (TBR). Cahn’s books are always so detailed.
Monster by Frank Peretti (TBR). This was pretty creepy at first, but I ended up enjoying it.
For Review:
Lark Ascending, by Silas House. I really felt like this book was missing a plot and a point.
Treachery on Tenth Street, by Kate Belli. This was a solid mystery read, and I enjoyed the characters.
To Capture His Heart, by Nancy Campbell Allen. Another solid read, with a bit of mystery thrown in.
When We Had Wings, by by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. This was a fantastic read! I enjoyed WWII historical fiction, but I really loved this–I actually loved all three viewpoint characters equally, which is unusual for me.
Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, by Jacqueline Firkins. This was a fun, if somewhat predictable read.
We Are All We Have, by Marina Budhos. I almost didn’t finish this. And I kind of wished I hadn’t.
The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey, by Serena Burdick (review forthcoming). this took me a little bit to get into, but then I became engrossed! I enjoyed the past timeline the most.
Just Because:
The Passage, by Justin Cronin. This took me a looong time to read! I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure I’ll read the others.
Think, Learn, Succeed, by Caroline Leaf (audiobook). This was fascinating, but I think I’d have been better off with a physical copy.
Left Unfinished:
The Truth About Everything, by Bridget Farr. I only got about 10% of the way through this, because the idea of parents leaving their daughter so uneducated about basic life facts completely horrified me.
Closer to Okay, by Amy Watson. This felt very scattered, erratic, and unrealistic to me.
Wild: The Life of Peter Beard: Photographer, Adventurer, Lover, by Graham Boynton. Solid writing, but Peter Beard himself just didn’t seem like the sort of person I want to spend a few hours reading about. His attitude towards his parents—hateful—was the clincher for me.
The Sacrifice, by Rin Chupeco. Made it about a third of the way through this, but it had some unexpected content, so I stopped reading.
Eyes Turned Skyward, by Alena Dillon. I read about 20% of this—and realized I couldn’t stand the characters. Any of them.
Sundays Are for Writing #197
This week, I wrote three book reviews, which is extremely good, considering the chaos of the week itself.
Happy writing!
Book Review: We Are All We Have, by Marina Budhos
Title: We Are All We Have
Author: Marina Budhos
Genre: YA
Rating: 3 out of 5
There’s a knock at the door.
It’s the police.
They’re taking Rania’s mom.
Seventeen-year-old Rania doesn’t understand why—they’ve done all the right things, haven’t they? Her mom said their case with immigration was fine. If this was a lie, what else is?
Alone with her younger brother, Kamal, Rania will have to figure out how to survive. When they wind up in a home with other kids waiting to hear if they can stay in this country, she meets a charming boy named Carlos. He persuades Rania to go to her high school graduation. And from there, they just keep driving.
Searching for freedom while feeling trapped by circumstances beyond their control, Rania begins to fall for Carlos and uncovers painful truths about her family, and this country, where being an asylum seeker or an undocumented immigrant can mean anything but freedom.
I didn’t find Rania or her mother very likable at all. Raina’s mother seems to never tell the truth, and while at first Raina has a problem with that, eventually she seems to think it’s perfectly justified. It’s not. And Raina embraces her identity as a victim and continually runs away from her problems instead of taking responsibility for her actions. Solid writing, plus this being a very quick read were the only things that made me finish reading this.
Marina Budhos is an award-winning author. We Are All We Have is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: When We Had Wings, by by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner
Title: When We Had Wings (audio book)
Author: Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
The Philippines, 1941.
When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.
Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope— and their fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.
In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed “the Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.
I really enjoyed this! The narrator was personable and clear, and I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I loved all three main characters, and even the secondary characters were well-done and became people I cared about. I couldn’t wait to find out how everything worked out for these three women! This is well-worth reading.
Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner are bestselling authors. When We Had Wings is their newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 