The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

"Crispin, Lord Cavratt, thoroughly and scandalously kisses a serving woman in the garden of a country inn, he assumes the encounter will be of no consequence. But he could be more mistaken--the maid is not only a lady of birth, she's the niece of a very large, exceptionally angry gentleman, who claims Crispin has compromised his niece beyond redemption. The dismayed young lord has no choice but to marry Miss Catherine Thorndale, who lacks both money and refinement and assumes all men are as vicious as her guardian uncle.
Trapped between an unwanted marriage and a hasty annulment, which would leave his reputation tainted and Catherine's utterly ruined, Crispin begins guiding his wife's transformation from a socially petrified country girl to a lady of society. Their unfolding relationship reveals encouraging surprises for both of them, and privately each of them wonders if theirs may become a true marriage of the heart. But their hopes are dashed when forces conspire to split asunder what fate has granted. As a battle of wits escalates into a life-threatening confrontation, will it be possible for Crispin and Catherine to live happily ever after?" (jacket summary)

After enjoying Friends and Foes so much I decided to pick up another Sarah M. Eden novel. This novel has tie in characters with the previous novel that I read and it was fun to find out more about the characters in this book. Crispin ends up marrying Catherine, but plans to annul the marriage as soon as he can, but finds that the legal issues behind such an action to be more complex than he anticipated. Not being able to bring himself to drag Catherine through a very public and embarrassing trial against her uncle in order to obtain an annulment Crispin decides to hold off until he figures things out. Especially since he has started to enjoy his wife company and wants to learn more about her.

Catherine is at first just grateful to be away from the abuses of her crazy and controlling uncle and finds herself fortunate that Crispin is so kind to her despite the circumstances. Knowing that Crispin is looking for ways to annul their marriage, she must try to find arrangements suitable for a woman with a ruined reputation, which is what she will face one the entire marriage is over. Catherine finds herself depressed about the prospect of annulling the marriage as she grows more attached to Crispin. She fears that he does not feel the same and wonders if it would be better to live life ruined rather than unloved. Then her uncle come back in town, encouraging an annulment to the marriage he forced her into in the first place. This causes great confusion until they discover that Catherine was left a sizable inheritance by a relative.  With such a prize at stake her uncles actions become more desperate and dangerous.  

I really liked this book, but found myself really wanting to know what exactly Catherine’s uncle was after. He kept insisting that he was after more than just the money and I wondered exactly what he meant by that. I wanted to know more of his motivations but that plot line isn’t ever really followed up. Other than that I really liked the rest of the book and the interactions between the characters. I enjoyed Friends and Foes more but this was still an excellent story and a good read.

Visit Sarah M. Eden's Website

Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden

Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden
"After five years of tracking and capturing spies on English soil, Philip Jonquil, Earl of Lampton, is in pursuit of his last quarry. But at a traveler’s inn, he encounters an unexpected and far more maddening foe: Sorrel Kendrick, a young lady who is strikingly pretty, shockingly outspoken, and entirely unimpressed with him. Indeed, Sorrel cannot believe the nerve of this gentleman, who rudely accuses her of theft and insults her feminine dignity. Doubly annoyed when they both end up at a party hosted by mutual friends, Philip and Sorrel privately declare war on one another. But Philip’s tactics, which range from flirting to indifference, soon backfire as he finds himself reluctantly enjoying Sorrel’s company; and, much to her dismay, Sorrel finds Philip’s odd manner to be increasingly endearing. In the midst of this waning war and growing attraction, Philip catches wind of the French spy he’s been tracking, and Sorrel inadvertently stumbles upon a crucial piece of the puzzle, making her indispensable to the mission. But can two proud hearts negotiate a ceasefire when cooperation matters most?" (dust jacket summary) 

 I am very happy to report that I really loved this novel. I adored the witty and funny dialogue between the characters, and found that I really empathized with both Sorrel and Philip. The novel for the most part takes place at an estate in the countryside in Suffolk, as Philip is invited there for an extended stay over Christmas. This is convenient since the French spy he is looking for tends to do his business in that area.

He quickly makes enemies with Sorrel, as he dreadfully offends her while teasing her that the cane she carries about is not very feminine. It is then revealed that the cane is more than just a fashion choice, but a necessity on account of her lame leg. Horrified to have made such a mistake Philip tries to apologize only to find himself entangled in a war of words.

I thought Eden did really well with showing how the characters came to like one another despite the fact they started their relationship out bickering with one another. I totally wanted the book to keep going after I finished reading it. I loved how Philip’s watched over his big family and the courage Sorrell had when facing her challenges with her lame leg. I would totally recommend this book to those that like a good regency or historical romance. 

Visit Sarah's M. Eden's Website

Daughters of Jared by H.B. Moore

Daughters of Jared by H.B. Moore

"Naiva, daughter of the dethroned King Jared II, lives in the shadow of her privileged elder sister, Asherah. But when Asherah develops a secret plot to return their father to the throne, Naiva’s resentment turns to fear. Thwarting the scheme becomes more complicated when Naiva discovers that Akish, the first man who has shown interest in her, is an integral part of the plan.

Asherah traps Akish in a ploy to make him marry her, breaking Naiva’s heart and leaving her feeling more alone than ever. Somehow Naiva must find the strength to stand against the encroaching evil in the kingdom and a sister who will stop at nothing to become queen. When Akish’s wickedness escalates and threatens to destroy the bonds of sisterhood, Naiva must decide between protecting her sister and honoring her new belief in the true God—a forbidden belief that could cost her life."

The Daughters of Jared is H.B. Moore's newest historical fiction. After writing a series of books that followed the chronicle of Abinadi, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, and Ammon, she turns to a another time period in the Book of Mormon. The book of Ether outlines the dramatic rise and fall of kingdoms and the wickedness of those who sought for power. H.B. Moore weaves a story from the life of Asherah.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that is was told from the point of view of Naiva, Asherah's fictional little sister. While Moore has shown herself adept at weaving tales from the point of those who make wrong decisions in their lives. It was nice to read the story of someone who while not a saint or even a believer in the gosple, hadn't set out to live a life of wickedness. In fact, I found Naiva's integrity and strength of character refreshing. When Akish decides to marry her elder sister, though he admits he is really in love with Navia. I really love the fact that Navia refuses to look at him as a romantic interest any longer, and builds her own life.

Once Asherah and Akish are married the consequences of Asherah's foolishness become more and more apparent. As times wears on Akish becomes more cruel and power hungry. Navia must decide whether providing her sister and her children with protection is more important than escaping to make a new life as a believer with  Akish's brother, Levi.

This is my favorite of H.B. Moore's books that I have read, and I really loved how she has improved at adding little historical details, which always added such a cultural ambiance and vivid details to her novels, in more nuanced and natural ways. I really felt like her skill in this arena has improved and made the reading of the novel more immsersive and smooth.

Visit H.B. Moore's Website

   

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

"Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god." (summary from author website)

So, this was the best used book sale score ever! I found a basically new hardcover copy for two dollars and pulled every last quarter and dime out of my wallet to purchase it. I was so excited because I had really wanted to get into this series for awhile after I finished the last book in the Percy Jackson series. I heard the Lost Hero was a spin-off of the Percy Jackson series and wasn’t exactly sure how much the whole Percy Jackson crew would show up in the book.

What I loved the most was that this was a completely new set up for a new series, but that it felt like a natural continuation of the Percy Jackson series. So, when Jason gets to camp he finds that Percy is gone and has to make his own way in the camp. In fact, even cooler is that we discover that the gods have been hiding a huge secret from camp-half blood. The fact that their greek demi-gods have Roman counterparts in California. In order to keep down fighting between the two camps the gods hid them from each other, but now Juno wants to united the camps so that they can fulfill the Prophecy of Seven.

This book had everything that made the Percy Jackson series great, but also gave it a new twist, new awesome characters with interesting backgounds, and more great mythology. I totally loved this book and can’t wait to read more of this series.  

Rick Riordan's Website

Cheap (or free) books on an extra long weekend.

So, I have found that I love free or cheap book deal posts! Here are several of the free or awesomely cheap books I have recently checked out or plan on checking out this weekend. The picture of the books lead to amazon links. (of which I am an affiliate just so you know) Most of these deals are set to last through memorial day weekend. After that most of them go back to their original prices so watch for that.
Currently at $0.99 as a promotion for the upcoming release for the sequel. I snatched this one up when I realized it was an YA urban fantasy a la Percy Jackson. Helen finds out she is a demi-god and cursed by the fates to replay the cycles the caused the Trojan War. I loved this book! I haven't stopped reading it since I downloaded it a week ago. Seriously, I'm on my second time through. Totally going to pick up the sequel. Best part it has the first three chapters of the next book at the back. Only .99 cents people! Snatch it while you can if you like retellings of Greek myths.


Bah Humbug by Heather Horrocks
This one caught my eye as I was browsing and it was free. So I decided what the heck? It is a cute little Christmas romance story and read it. The beginning is really funny and I enjoyed reading something short, but the book does end unnaturally fast. Unfortunately, the characterization feels a bit rushed in the whiplash ending. Still a clean romantic comedy for the holidays.

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison
You can see my review of this book here.
Bid for Love by Rachel Ann Nunes
I read this book so long ago I almost don't remember anything about it. Still I am a fan of Nunes and so will pick this up this weekend when it goes free.

The Captain of Her Heart by Anita Stansfield
This book is also slated to go free this weekend! I also read this one a long time ago and I remember not liking it much. Alas, what can I say? It is a romance novel set during Revolutionary War ear. Don't expect much history though, it is very focused on the romance plot. Still if you are an Anita Stansfield fan or just like a good, basically clean romance this is worth checking out for free.

Witch Song by Amber Argyle
Also slated to go free this weekend also in preparation for the release of the sequel Witch Born. You can read my review of the book here.

C is For China by Robyn Chance

I haven't read this one but I am collecting free picture books in the kindle store in preparation for that long awaited day when I finally own an e-reader capable of showing them. So, I can astound and astonish my brood of squirming children at opportune times.

The Hunter Chronicles: Return to Exile by E.J. Patten

The Hunter Chronicles: Return to Exile by E. J. Patten

"Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient monster hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of the Hunters of Legend believing it all a game. For eleven years, Sky and his family have hidden from dark enemies while, unbeknownst to Sky, his uncle Phineas sacrificed everything to protect them.

For eleven years, Sky Weathers has known nothing of that day.

But on the eve of Sky's twelfth birthday and his family's long-awaited return to the town of Exile, everything changes. Phineas has disappeared, and Sky finds himself forced to confront the mysterious secrets he's denied for so long: why did his family leave Exile on that day so long ago? What, exactly, has Phineas been preparing him for? And, the biggest mystery of all, who is Sky really and why does everyone want to kill him?!

Featuring an action-packed plot that covers the gamut of every monster you've never heard of (not to mention weird powers and weapons made out of garbage), Return to Exile is brimming with boy and girl appeal and is a gem for reluctant young readers. And, with a diverse assortment of well-aged monster hunters in the cast, this series will be a hit with adults young and old as well. Recommended for ages 9+." (jacket summary)

It took me a few chapters to get into this book as it seemed to follow the typical pattern of all middle grade fantasies. So, I slogged through the introduction chapters and realized that I liked Phineas, Sky’s quirky and strange uncle. When Phineas disappeared I thought that was also a typical and predictable part of middle grade fantasy. Then it became apparent that his disappearance meant that Sky and his family were in danger. They had only moved to their old town of Exile because of a truce arranged by Phineas, but now that he was gone Sky and his family had no promises of protection. Sky’s father sneaks out in the middle of the night to reason with the group of hunters that threatens the family safety, and Sky decides to follow him.

Sky discovers that the town of Exile holds all the answers to his Uncle’s riddles and stories over the years. That monsters really do exist because an entire pack of them nearly tear him limb from limb, but a rag tag team of teenagers save him at the last moment with innovative weapons made from garbage and serious scientific innovation. This is when the story started to get really fun for me. Sky makes friends with this monster fighting group, who aren’t associated with the hunters officially. Together they try to keep the monsters from harming others in the town and try to keep the prison that houses the Arkhon from failing.

 The prison exists on Phineas’ land and is set to fail very soon. The Arkhon is a  horrible monster that is greatly feared, but if he wasn't bad enough others of other monsters are also locked in the prison with him. If they escape the entire town will be ravaged and destroyed. Inside of all this threat and chaos lie the answers to why Sky’s family is in danger in the first place.

 This story is full of interesting and funny characters. I found the monsters to be unique and formidable foes. I got hooked into the story and really enjoyed the world. Sometimes it feels like the story has too much going on in a few of the ending scenes, but I still loved some of the major plot twists the author managed to pull off.  Overall, the book was a very enjoyable action-oriented fantasy read.   

Check out more about the series at E.J. Patten's Blog. He has trailers and even his own original song for the series under the extras tab.

More by I.C. Springman

More by I.C. Springman

A  little magpie is sad, but is given a marble by her friend the mouse. Pleased with  how the gift looks in his nest, magpie sets out to fill his nest with treasures. Whatever he finds he collects and brings home until his goods and nests multiply. Magpie soon has too much stuff! How is that possible? Read to find out.

A very unique picture book as it is very sparse on words, seeming to have the goal of teaching the concepts of more, less, and enough. This is a great picture book in that the art gives the text a whole other depth of story. The items on the pages are so detailed and repeat page after page so that the book almost feels like a casual eye-spy.  

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison

Fierce has been an outcast in her pack ever since her mother left to be a human. As a hound she is fearless and one of the best hunters in her pack, and though she is not treated well by the others in the pack she loves the forest and her life as a hound. Then she is changed into a human by a princess looking for her precious horse. The wild magic that this princess wields so recklessly has endangered the balance of the world. Fissures form in the ground and from them come white worms that eat the life around them and then imitate it to cause destruction.

Fierce arrives at the nearest human residence to somehow make a life among humans. There she discovers Red, the boy who cares for the hounds. He wishes to learn the language of the hounds, and Fierce finds it comforting to spend time with the other hounds. As they form an acquaintance a woman comes to ask the Lord of the manor for help when the wandering princess turns her husband and daughter into animals. The Lord turns his back on her plea, but Fierce knows that this princess must be stopped and so she and Red go after her.

Convincing a spoiled princess to change her behavior is quite a challenge, as well as facing the worm creatures that are now traveling the forest and harming people. They must return them from the fissures they came from before they alter the world permanently, but such a task requires great cost from those that fight the substance. 

I am really loving the fact that authors are now independently putting up books in series that their publishers dropped, because it means I got to read another Princess/Hound book by Mette Harrison. The price recently went down to 99 cents, which is a total steal! I was so excited when the book went down to that price and snatched it up immediately. In fact, it is still at that price right now. If you are interested in the book at all you should consider picking it up while the price is still low.

I always find something that annoys me in these books, yet I always keep coming back to them because I really do love the voice of the series. This book also has that wonderful fairy tale feeling, and yet still feels substantive. The author often combines vivid emotions and profound views of human nature, but does it in a way  that comes naturally from the world and characters. It also has the interesting romance story that managed to feel the same, but still ended up having a twist that surprised me. For some reason I find the human changed into an animal or vice versa to be a very interesting romance trope in the series. The author managed to find so much tension and conflict in how such a dramatic change affects the characters and how that plays out in the romance plot line.

My complaint is that the world felt a little bit fuzzy to me. Some of the scenes felt odd in that I felt like the setting faded. A entire mob came into the forest to confront the Princess and the her entourage, but I wasn’t exactly sure how they all fit in between the trees enough to have the confrontation the author described. There were several other examples of that where I felt the author was so focused on telling the story she forgot the little background details that makes a story feel sharp and clear.

Despite that I still really enjoyed the book and really enjoyed the story and the characters. Totally worth reading if you are a fairy tale fiction fan.

Find out more about this series at Mette Ivie Harrison's Website.

Desert Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke

Desert Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke

"Mystery…Adventure...Romance...Humor...Intrigue! When Julia’s brother announces that his dude ranch is haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force him to sell. The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain, the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that the legend of the Thunder God is actually true? After a terrible thunderstorm, everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and discover a few mysterious events. Will they find out who is behind these disasters before Uncle Kelly’s dude ranch is ruined?" (summary from amazon)

The author contacted me and asked that I review Desert Intrigue, which was a book that was part of a series. Overall, I wished that I had enjoyed this book a bit more, but struggled on account of the fact that the author’s style relied quite a bit on telling rather than showing. This problem affected every aspect of the book from description, dialogue, characterization, and plot.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, which may also have changed how I viewed some of the characters in the book. The twins for example didn’t do anything all the funny or mischievous except for give their uncle some oddly flavored jelly beans despite their huge reputation for trouble.  This characterization could have been an impression that author crafted carefully in other books in the series and not so much in this particular novel.

I had a hard time with the dialogue too, which I often found to be of the maid and butler variety and very info dumpy. The characters were also very repetitive about the whole thunder god plot line. I feel like the background for that whole sub plot was explained several times, and it started to feel a little repetitive.  A lot of the time the explanations of the thunder god background happened in very contrived ways that felt forced on the character by the author rather than feeling like a natural part of the story. This made it hard sometimes to get through large sections of the story.

Despite these problems, the author managed to make the ranch a fairly interesting setting and tell and decent mystery story in the process. I liked the twist that revealed the motivations of those wanting to destroy Kelly’s camp, and found that sequence of scenes to be pretty interesting. Overall, though I had a hard time enjoying most of the book on account of the writing style.  Althought Desert Intrigue also gets points for being a clean read.

visit Linda's website to find out about her other novels.

Midnight In Austenland by Shannon Hale

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

“When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?” (summary from amazon)

I think that I liked Midnight in Austenland more than Hale’s first novel in this series Austenland. I felt like the plot was much more interesting than the first book, and the main character Charlotte seemed more real and grounded in this novel for me.  I guess I just related to Charlotte’s story better. I really liked how the romance plot in this story was balanced out by the subplot of a murder mystery. This modern day mystery takes inspiration from old gothic romances, and I always thought that Northanger Abbey was the funnest book I read of Jane Austen’s.

So, yeah, this cute romance with a little dash of mystery and a little dash of creepy old ghost stories delighted me. I read it in only a few days whenever I needed a break and I found it refreshing, just as Charlotte did, to focus on something other than daily life.  The book is pretty clean, but has a few awkward adult humor moments that would make me not recommend it for young teens.

Visit Shannon Hale's website to learn more about the book