Author: tamaramorning

Book Review:   Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, by Jacqueline Firkins

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  Marlowe Banks, Redesigned  
Author:  Jacqueline Firkins
Genre: Romance   
Rating:  4 out of 5

Marlowe Banks’s life has come apart at the seams. Her engagement ended abruptly. Her latest costume design was shredded by critics. Her student loans are overdue. Her parents have never been more disappointed. Desperate to hide from her failures, Marlowe flees New York City to embrace invisibility in Los Angeles as a menial Production Assistant on a popular TV show. While sorting socks and taking care of her boss’ spoiled Weimaraner, no one can confront her poor artistic choices or the end of her engagement, the end her ex refuses to accept.

When a costume mix-up requires Marlowe to step into in a scene, the camera catches a heated look between her and Angus Gordon, the show’s arrogant bad boy, thrusting Marlowe into the spotlight. As the pair is forced together on set, Marlowe learns she’s not the only one hiding. Walls come down for both of them, revealing a life Marlowe isn’t sure she’s ready for, and when her past comes calling, she has to decide if she’s going to stay invisible or if it’s time for a redesign.

This was a decent read. Marlowe life and all its drama was a bit much for me, but it was believable. There wasn’t anything surprising in the book, but a few funny moments, mainly from Marlow’s clumsiness and general awkwardness. This would make a good beach read.

Jacqueline Firkins lives in British Columbia. Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays Are for Writing #196

This was a very skimpy writing week: only one book review. I was out of town last weekend, and I didn’t have much reading luck this week, with two DNFs in a row. Better luck next time. I’ve committed to much fewer reviews for the rest of the year, so more time for reading for fun.

Happy writing!

Book Review: To Capture His Heart, by Nancy Campbell Allen

Image belongs to Shadow Mountain Publishing.

Title: To Capture His Heart    
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Genre:  Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Seaside, England, 1886

Eva Caldwell is an accomplished and well-known photographer who often works with the local constabulary to assist in documenting crime scenes, which means she also often works alongside the handsome and charming detective, Nathan Winston. She appreciates his intellect and how he treats her like an equal, but Eva’s heart is still healing from a past relationship, so, for now, she decides to keep her feelings for Nathan a secret.

One evening, Nathan arrives on her doorstep asking for a personal favor. Would Eva be available to photograph his mother’s legendary, week-long dinner party and matchmaking event? The catch is that Eva would also have to pretend they are courting in order for Nathan to avoid the many single women seeking his attention.

Though wary of the charade, Eva agrees. Spending a week with the two things she loves most—her detective and her camera—sounds simple enough. And if she wants to imagine that Nathan’s pretend courtship of her is real, well, what’s the harm in that?

But when a criminal from Nathan’s past threatens revenge on the detective, Nathan must be extra vigilant to keep his mother and the rest of the partygoers safe. He confides in Eva, and as the two work together to solve the mystery and apprehend the criminal, they find that they might capture more than they expected—each other’s heart.

I liked that this wasn’t just a romance novel:  there was the mystery of what was happening with the criminal from Nathan’s past. I absolutely adored Nathan’s four sisters and the family’s relationships, so that added another level of fun. Eva is unconventional, but not blatantly so, and Nathan is open-minded enough to appreciate her fully. This was a fun read.

Nancy Campbell Allen is an award-winning author. To Capture His Heart is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays Are for Writing #195

This was a very minimal writing week: only one book review, and almost no reading, so…Work was crazy, and I was out of town Thursday through Sunday. Hopefully more writing this week.

Happy writing!

Book Review:  Treachery on Tenth Street, by Kate Belli

Image belongs to Crooked Lane Books.

Title:  Treachery on Tenth Street     
Author: Kate Belli   
Genre: historical fiction   
Rating:  4 out of 5

As a heat wave engulfs New York in the summer of 1888, the city’s top models begin turning up dead, one by one, suggesting the work of a single killer. Society girl turned investigative journalist Genevieve Stewart is drawn into the case when Beatrice Holler, one of her friend Callie’s fellow models, is found with her throat cut.

Genevieve and her compatriot, wealthy Daniel McCaffrey, are joined by Callie to seek out the suspects, which leads them to search for answers from the members of the elite, notorious gangsters, and the city’s most prominent painters.

In an era when London’s Jack the Ripper murders have everyone on edge, the police want to keep the killings quiet. But the bodies are piling up as fast as the suspects—and unless the killer is found, the simmering New York summer could boil over into madness.

I haven’t read any of the other Gilded Gotham mysteries, but that wasn’t a problem. This was a solid read. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I liked Genevieve’s independence in a time when that wasn’t a common thing. Even Daniel had depths, with his street punk background and shady friends. This was a fun read, and I’d definitely read more of the series.

Kate Belli lives in Pennsylvania. Treachery on Tenth Street is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays Are for Writing #194

This wasn’t a stellar writing week. I wrote one book review and DNFed two more. It is what it is. 🙂

Happy writing!

Book Review and Blog Tour: Lark Ascending, by Silas House  

Image belongs to Algonquin Books.

Title: Lark Ascending    
Author: Silas House   
Genre: Fiction   
Rating: 3 out of 5

As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn’t find the safe haven he’d hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?  

Despite the quality of the writing, for me, this was a pointless book. It’s bleak. The plot seemed meandering at best. And the ending didn’t seem to accomplish much. Perhaps it just wasn’t the right choice for me, but the political undertones were narrow-minded enough to make the characters seem very judgmental.

Silas House is a bestselling author. Lark Ascending is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Algonquin Books in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in September (2022)

I read 17 books in September, bringing my total read for the year to 176 books. I also DNF 8 books. For a change, there were a solid number of really good reads this month. Of the 17 books, I rated nine of them 5 out of 5 stars. My favorites of those nine are:

The Winners, by Fredrick Backman. I LOVE this book! The first book, Beartown, was such a wonderful surprise to me. The second book was stellar, and this one was enthralling from the very first page. Even if you don’t care about hockey (I don’t), you should absolutely pick this up!

Long Way Gone, by Charles Martin. I adore everything this man writes. Everything. No questions.

The Last Legacy, by Adrienne Young. Adrienne Young is a fantastic writer, and the world of Fable/the Narrows is absolutely captivating. Loved this—and read it straight through in one sitting.

Honorable mention:

Sundays Are for Writing #193

This week, I only wrote one book review, but I also wrote my September reading post, and my Best Books I Read in September post, so it was a solid writing week.

Happy writing!

What I Read In September (2022)

Books Read in September: 17

Books Read for the Year:  176/250

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Soul Taken, by Patricia Briggs. As usual for this series, I was glued to the page and couldn’t put it down.

No God But One, by Nabeel Qureshi (spiritual, TBR, audio). So much information in this.

The Book Woman’s Daughter, by Kim Michele Richardson (TBR). I enjoyed this as much as the first book.

Elodie’s Library of Second Chances, by Rebecca Raisin (TBR). This was a cute read.

The Return of the Gods, by Jonathan Cahn (spiritual). This was a bit terrifying, but explains so much.

For Review:

Don’t Let In the Cold, by Keely Parrack. This was a solid read. I can’t imagine being trapped outside in a blizzard and being hunted by criminals, but this kept my attention.

Monsters Born and Made, by Tanvi Berwah. The culture/setting in this was quite unique, even if the premise had echoes of The Hunger Games. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

The Girl from Guernica, by Karen Robards. This was SO good! I read it in less than a day because I just couldn’t put it down! I was invested in all the characters and on the edge of my seat several times.

The Make-Up Test, by Jenny L. Howe. This wasn’t terrible, but the MC, Allison, was quite full of herself and unable to look past her own selfishness and be considerate of anyone else.

Something in the Heir, by Suzanne Enoch. This was an okay read, but not a standout. I enjoyed the kids very much.

Spells for Forgetting, by Adrienne Young. This was a heck of a read! I love Ms. Young’s YA books, and I’m happy that this was up to their standard. The setting was very dark, but it was so vividly drawn!

The Winners, by Fredrik Backman. This book. Man. All of Backman’s novels, actually. But this one was unbelievably good.

A Place to Land, by Lauren K. Denton. Loved this! Such a compelling story.

Just Because:

Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis (spiritual). Lewis was such a wonderful communicator.

The Final Gambit, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This was such a fun read!

Long Way Gone, by Charles Martin. I love this guy’s books so, so much!

The Last Legacy, by Adrienne Young. Love this author and this world. So unique and vivid.

Left Unfinished:

The Bachelor and the Bride, by Sarah M. Eden. The writing was fine in this, but the characters bored me, so I put it down.

The Opera Sisters, by Marianne Monson. The distant narrator/point-of-view just did not work for me. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters.

The Decoy Girlfriend, by Lillie Vale. I loved the premise of this. But the MC were just…not likable people to me, so I had to put it down.

The Only Child, by Kayte Nunn. I read about 30% of this, but the MC just wasn’t for me. She was a bit pushy and aggravating.

The Two Lives of Sara, by Catherine Adel West. Okay, the MC was completely selfish and hateful, and I couldn’t make myself care in the slightest about her.

The Book Hater’s Book Club, by Gretchen Anthony. These people were just kind of hateful to each other, and the beginning dragged on so long I lost patience.

An Affair of Spies, by Ronald H. Balson. The overabundance of technical jargon felt like the author trying to show me how smart he is. The info dumps did not feel natural.

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes. I read the first 10% of this, but it just didn’t capture my attention.