The Kiss of a Stranger Review

The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis

When 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 couldn't be more mistaken--the maid is not only a lady of birth, she's the niece of a very large, exceptionally angry gentlemen, 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?

My Review

Sarah M. Eden is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her Regency novels hit the mark. I loved watching the main characters in The Kiss of a Stranger grow as their unexpected romance flourishes. This book kept me turning pages. In fact, I was late to my dentist appointment because I lost track of time. : ) I loved Catherine's courage and Crispin's compassion. I did get a bit frustrated at Catherine and Crispin's misunderstandings. I wanted to jump in the story and shake some sense into them. I would have rather had them work out their misunderstandings before the final conflict. That being said, the ending left me completely satisfied. I really loved this book and its characters and situations. My favorite scene is when Catherine plays piano at a social gathering-- loved it!!! If you like Regency, you will eat up The Kiss of a Stranger just as I did! I can't wait for Sarah's next book to come out in the fall!  

Meg's Melody Review

Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

My Rating: 5 stars

Back Cover Blurb

She paced the small confines of her bathroom as she waited the obligatory two minutes for the result. Yet, part of her sensed the truth. Not only did Austin take her self-esteem and plans for happiness, but he also took her get-out-of-this-marriage-free card.

The plus sign glared at Meg from the white plastic frame of the pregnancy test. The test fell from her hands and clattered into the bathtub as Meg’s back slid against the wall until she reached the floor.

“I’m pregnant,” she said into the quiet.

Meg never imagined she'd end up like this. With nowhere else to turn, she's forced to rely on the family she pushed away, the church she abandoned, and an unexpected friendship to help her find her forgotten melody. Meanwhile Matt is still mourning the loss of his wife. But determined to keep things together for his daughter's sake, he decides starting over in a new place might be just what his family needs.

This touching story combines romance with redemption and real conflict to remind you it's never too late to find joy. Kaylee Baldwin's capable hand renders a sincere, heartfelt story of rediscovery and hope. Perfect for romantics of all ages, this book will captivate your heart and rekindle your belief in the magic of music.



My Review

Okay, so I said that I don't give out 5 stars easily, and that's true. I've just been reading a bunch of great books lately! So much so that my housework and daily life has suffered a little (a lot). Meg's Melody kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. It wasn't necessarily filled with adventure and nail biting suspense but my love for the characters kept me reading. Kaylee tells this story in beautiful and flowing prose. The characters seemed so real, I could imagine seeing these people at church or running into them at the store. I just had to laugh and cringe at some of the situations Meg found herself in-- Larry, ew. It was a beautiful story and although it dealt with some sad topics, I never felt depressed. This story left me uplifted and feeling great. I recommend it to all. 

Loyalty's Web Review

Loyalty's Web by Joyce DiPastena

My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

In twelfth-century France, King Henry II of England has just finished crushing a rebellion by his power-hungry sons and now seeks to tame the lawless barons who supported them in this corner of his “Angevin empire.” To this end, the king has sent the Earl of Gunthar as his royal representative to ensure that Prince Richard and his former cohorts faithfully adhere to the terms of the peace treaty.

Far from being welcomed with open arms, Gunthar no sooner steps foot in the county of Poitou than he is greeted by a series of assassination attempts. All appear to be linked to the former rebellious prince through the agents of the family and friends of young Heléne de Laurant. A clever, intrepid young woman, she realizes that the only way to prove her loved ones’ innocence is by exposing the true assassin. Heléne races against time—and dark secrets of the past—to unmask the killer before the kingdom plunges back into war.

Fierce determination gives way to mutual attraction as Heléne and Gunthar spar over the identity of the traitor. But their blinding magnetism almost causes them to overlook an even deadlier threat from an entirely unexpected direction.

My Review

I'm not the type of person that throws 5 star ratings at every book. 4 stars--maybe, but in order to earn 5 stars from me, it must make an impression. Loyalty's Web definitely earned 5 stars. This book is more than just a romance. It had twists and turns that had me at the edge of my seat practically pulling out my hair in suspense and kept me reading until 3:00 am. One thing that I appreciate about Loyalty's Web is that it's clean! I could immerse myself in the romance without feeling guilty or worrying about what was on the next page. Joyce wrote a sizzling kiss-- and then kept it there. I think many authors and Hollywood take the easy way out and show that two people have a relationship by going straight to physical intimacy. It takes more work and character development to show the same bond without the use of sex scenes and Joyce does it masterfully! With sizzling (but clean) romance and adventure at every turn, Loyaty's Web took me on a wild and thrilling ride!

Stormy Connection

Stormy Connection Blog Tour 

Taken by Storm and Unbroken Connection

by Angela Morrison
My Rating: 4 stars

I've had the honor of participating in my first blog tour and this is my first book review...ever.  Quite a milestone. This blog tour consisted of 2 books, Taken by Storm and its sequel, Unbroken Connection.

    Leesie Hunt's Unbreakable Rules:

No Kissing (at least not of the French variety)...No Sex (hah! not even close to happening anyway)...No Dating Outside the Mormon Faith (what would be the point?)... ABSOLUTELY No Falling in Love with the Wrong Boy (would ruin everything)

Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out: get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael--a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.

Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace? Or is she just falling in love?

But if Leesie gives in to temptation, who is going to save her?

Against all odds, the couple that swept you away in TAKEN BY STORM is back. Michael is in Thailand diving his dream. Leesie is at BYU living hers.

And they just can't leave each other alone.

Their romance rekindles, deeper than before. They grow desperate to see one another again. To hold one another again.  Michael decides there is only one direction their relationship can go and asks Leesie the ultimate question. Her answer challenges everything Michael is and wants to be.

Can she change for him?

Can he change for her?

Enough?



Angela Morrison actually uses a different approach to telling the story of Michael and Leesie. It is all through Michael's dive logs and Leesie's poems. I found it refreshing and had no difficulty following the story.

In these two books Angela deals with the difficult but vital topic of premarital sex, especially for teens. There are some steamy make out sessions but she handles the topic well and discreetly without explicit detail. Michael and Leesie come from completely different backgrounds and as a result have completely different standards. This story showed true to life conflict as Leesie tries to stick to her values and Michael tries to understand them. This is real life. It shows the temptations that teenagers have to deal with every day. It shows the consequences of letting your values slide and also the consequences of standing strong. I loved it!  

As I read the story of Michael and Leesie, the word real kept running through my mind. This story is real. The characters are real. I could truly see the story from both points of view. Michael is not a perfect hero, Leesie is not a perfect heroine. They each had strengths and weaknesses. There were times when I could have screamed at Michael or when I wanted to smack Leesie upside her head. The reality of the characters and story line made it a great, believable story. 

At first Michael believes that love and physical intimacy are one in the same. Leesie doesn't really know love at all. Together they learn that love is sacrifice, respect, dedication, determination, self-control and work. 

I loved this story. I would recommend that parents read it first to determine if and when it's appropriate for their child (of course I think that about any book--parents should know what they're kids are reading). I think its a little mature for my 12 year old, but I believe it's a good thing for teenagers to read, especially older teens. They need to know the consequences that can come from their daily choices.

Now I'm excited to read Cayman Summer to see how the story unfolds.

Great work Angela!

  

My Literary World

I have never been an avid reader. Usually I'd rather watch a movie than read the book. I think in high school I skimmed the assigned reading or guessed at the answers instead of reading the actual text. In college I read once in a while, when I found something worth my time. Then one day my mom mentioned a new series called "Harry Potter". I picked up the book and discovered the joy of reading. But it wasn't until I actually started writing that my true love of reading began.

In high school, my teacher told me that I was a good writer. I enjoyed my creative writing classes and had it in the back of my mind to try writing someday. Then, ten years and five kids later my dad gave me a book about writing. I decided I just needed to start...and that was the beginning of my new obsession.

I joined a writing group called ANWA (American Night Writers Association) where my love for writing has blossomed. I have recieved great feedback, formed wonderful friendships, and gained much needed support. The desire to write now burns within me.

The more I write the more I read. So many authors in ANWA have been published and the stories they've created are amazing. Now I don't feel complete without my nose in a book. I'd rather read and write than watch TV or movies. I mean, let's face it...the book is so much better!

So I've decided to start this blog of my literary world. Here I will review books that I've read and blog about my writing and reading adventure. Come along and escape into my literary world!