Book Review: Alexandra, Gone by Anna McPartlin

Tuesday 13 April, 2010 By 6 Comments

Title: Alexandra, Gone
Author: Anna McPartlin
Publisher: Downtown Press
Publication Date: April 13,2010
Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-1439123331
Genre: Fiction

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From the Publisher:

LETTING GO FOR GOOD . . .

Once, Jane Moore and Alexandra Walsh were inseparable, sharing secrets and stolen candy, plotting their futures together. But when Jane became pregnant at seventeen, they drifted slowly apart. Jane has spent the years since raising her son, now seventeen himself, on her own, running a gallery, managing her sister’s art career, and looking after their volatile mother—all the while trying not to resent the limited choices life has given her.

Then a quirk of fate and a faulty elevator bring Jane into contact with Tom, Alexandra’s husband, who has some shocking news. Alexandra disappeared from a south Dublin suburb months ago, and Tom has been searching fruitlessly for her. Jane offers to help, as do the elevator’s other passengers—Jane’s brilliant but self-absorbed sister, Elle, and Leslie Sheehan, a reclusive web designer who’s ready to step back into the world again. And as Jane quickly realizes, Tom isn’t the only one among them who’s looking for something . . . or traveling toward unexpected revelations about love, life, and what it means to let go, in every sense.

In this insightful and irresistible novel, by turns profound, poignant, and laugh- out-loud funny, acclaimed Irish writer Anna McPartlin tells a story of friendship and love, of the families we are born into and the ones we create for ourselves, and of the hope and strength that remain when we find the courage to leave the past behind at last.

My Review:

Alexandra, Gone is a brilliantly stunning novel that showcases the masterful storytelling of author Anna McPartlin where readers learn just enough about the key cast to have their interest piqued. The novel begins with Alexandra’s narrative on 21 June 2007 in Dublin where she left a note for her husband Tom to head to the grocery when he returned home from work and said she would be out for a brief time while having drinks with her friend Sherri. Alexandra departed the train in Dalkey, and then she completely vanished. Back in 1989, then 8 year-old Elle Moore began a tradition of spending New Year’s Eve writing a letter to the Universe. By May of 1990 we learn that Jane Moore, Elle’s 17-year old sister is pregnant and she has turned to her friend Alexandra for help. Jane gave birth to a baby boy, Kurt, and 4 months later Alexandra was gone from the Moore girls lives. In 1996 Imelda writes a letter to her husband Jim, imploring him to look after Leslie when she is gone, for Leslie will be left with no family once she succumbs to cancer. Which brings the reader up to present day with Tom Kavanagh pleading on a radio station for any information or leads that may help find his wife. Jim decides to hand out leaflets at a concert and finds himself trapped in a lift with Elle and Jane Moore and Leslie Sheehan. Elle and Jane are shocked to see a picture of their friend all these years later and stunned to her of her disappearance. The four make a pact to find out the truth of Alexandra’s disappearance. McPartlin tells the story through the different voices of Elle, Jane, Leslie, and Tom, each with their unique viewpoints. The characters in Alexandra, Gone are vibrant, flawed, dysfunctional and deal with very serious issues, yet the book does not come across as either too heavy or depressing, rather the story is quite cleverly interwoven. Ingeniously, McPartlin tells the story of not merely a missing woman, but of families, friends, and friends who become family. I recommend Alexandra, Gone with the highest of praise I am able to give.

About the Author:
Anna McPartlin, who was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year in the 2007 Irish Book Awards, was formerly a stand-up comedian and a cabaret performer. She lives in Dublin with her husband, Donal.

I received a complimentary copy of Alexandra, Gone by Anna McPartlin from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: In The Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck

Tuesday 6 April, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: In The Shadow of the Cypress
Author: Thomas Steinbeck
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: April 6,2010
Hardcover: 256 pages
ISBN: 978-1439168257
Genre: Historical Fiction

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From the Publisher:

In 1906, the Chinese in California lived in the shadows. Their alien customs, traditions, and language hid what they valued from their neighbors . . . and left them open to scorn and prejudice. Their communities were ruled—and divided—by the necessity of survival among the many would-be masters surrounding them, by struggles between powerful tongs, and by duty to their ancestors.

Then, in the wake of natural disaster, fate brought to light artifacts of incredible value along the Monterey coast: an ancient Chinese jade seal and a plaque inscribed in a trio of languages lost to all but scholars of antiquity. At first, chance placed control of those treasures in the hands of outsiders—the wayward Irishman who’d discovered them and a marine scholar who was determined to explore their secrets. The path to the truth, however, would prove to be as tangled as the roots of the ancient cypress that had guarded these treasures for so long, for there are some secrets the Chinese were not ready to share. Whether by fate, by subtle design, or by some intricate combination of the two, the artifacts disappeared again . . . before it could be proved that they must have come there ages before Europeans ever touched the wild and beautiful California coast.

Nearly a century would pass before an unconventional young American scientist unearths evidence of this great discovery and its mysterious disappearance. Taking up the challenge, he begins to assemble a new generation of explorers to resume the perilous search into the ocean’s depth . . . and the shadows of history. Armed with cutting-edge, modern technology, and drawing on connections to powerful families at home and abroad, this time Americans and Chinese will follow together the path of secrets that have long proved as elusive as the ancient treasures that held them.

This striking debut novel by a masterful writer weaves together two fascinating eras into one remarkable tale. In the Shadow of the Cypress is an evocative, dramatic story that depicts California in all its multicultural variety, with a suspense that draws the reader inexorably on until the very last page.

My Review:

In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck is a unique story told primarily through the journal entries of Dr. Charles H. Gilbert beginning with the China Point fire of 1906. China Point was a fishing village and will prove later in the novel to be a pivotal point of mystery and intrigue. Before that point the reader is taken back to when Dr. Gilbert first became acquainted with and hired, William “Red Billy” O’Flynn to work one day a week at Hopkins Laboratory. Dr. Gilbert finds it noteworthy that O’Flynn has been accepted into the Chinese community completely. One day O’Flynn makes an extraordinary find when helping to fell a 400-year-old Cypress. He shows these finds to Dr. Gilbert who is allowed to take rubbings of the markings to send off to Stanford for translation. These findings could indeed shake the very foundation of who first discovered North America. Around this time, O’Flynn tells Dr. Gilbert he has been offered full employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad and while he would rather not return to their employ, it is too great an opportunity to pass up. At this point the story begins to truly take off and the reader is taken on a winding path of a complex, exciting, and multi-generational plot. In the Shadow of the Cypress is an excellently written novel, a bit difficult to get into, but worth persevering, especially if one enjoys a clever story line told over a large span of time, culture, and history.

About the Author:
Thomas Steinbeck began his career in the 1960s as a combat photographer in Vietnam. Known best for his short stories, his collection Down to the Soundless Sea won critical praise. Along with his writing and producing obligations, Steinbeck is in demand as a public speaker where he lectures on American literature, creative writing, and the communication arts. He lives in California with his wife Gail.

I received a complimentary copy of In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steibeck from Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel

Thursday 25 March, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: The River Kings’ Road
Author: Liane Merciel
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: March 9,2010
Hardcover: 400 pages
ISBN: 9781439159118
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction

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From the Publisher:

The wounded maidservant thrust the knotted blankets at him; instinctively, Brys stepped forward and caught the bundle before it fell. Then he glimpsed what lay inside and nearly dropped it himself.

There was a baby in the blankets. A baby with a tear-swollen face red and round as a midsummer plum. A baby he knew, even without seeing the lacquered medallion tucked into the swaddling—a medallion far too heavy, on a chain far too cold for an infant who had not yet seen a year.

A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road . . . Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies . . . Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing . . . and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all. . . .

My Review:
This novel truly surprised me, I was quite literally mesmerised from the first sentence to the very last word and now find myself anxiously awaiting the next novel in the series.
The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel is a brilliantly written debut novel and will grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning of this story of one baby, heir to the throne, and his control of the destiny of two kingdoms. This intricately woven tale begins in 1217, a time when the lands of Oakharn and Langmyr were in a delicate balance of peace. Traveling to Willowfield in Langmyr territory, Sir Galefrid, his wife, and infant son are slaughtered during chapel. None were armed, being inside the chapel and on a peace mission, so no one was prepared. One of the King’s company was not in church, Brys Tarnell, the only known survivor to have seen the work of the Thorn. Prior to departing, a dying maidservant hands him a bundle containing Sir Galefrid’s infant son, Wistan Galefring of Bull’s Run, heir to the throne. Brys takes the baby with him as he flees Willowfield; Bryn happens across Odosse, a young mother who was out gathering for the day and escaped dying with the rest of her village. She agrees to travel with Byrs as Wistan’s nursemaid. She immediately notices a difference between her son Aubry and Wistan and demands they seek a healer. To do so, Brys must bring her and her son to Tarne Crossing, a village in Oakharn, where she is the enemy. Back in Langmyr, Kelland, a Knight of the Sun and his dear friend Bitharn are in Thistlestone for the Swordsday contest when Lady Isavela Inguilar and her husband Lord Eduin request an appearance with them. The Lord and Lady requested the two to find out what happened at Willowfield, as they did not order it and they do not want the peace between the kingdoms to end. Kelland, being a Knight of the Sun is truth-bound, so regardless of what he discovers, all will know it is the truth. Finally, back in Oakharn, is Leferic, Galefrid’s brother, the one who ordered the massacre so that he could rule Oakharn. He is working with Thornlady Severine to find the missing baby, heir to the thrown. With all the key players in position, Merciel writes a most brilliant adventure of love, peril, treachery, magic, and hope. The River Kings’ Road is a fantastically delightful novel that commands the reader’s attention from the very beginning and holds the readers attention with the life of an heir apparent as well as a nation in the hands of just a few people. A long history of hatred has existed between the kingdoms of Langmyr and Oakhorn, but will they be able to work together, keep the peace and fight against a common enemy or do old wounds, injured pride and prejudice bring down the kingdoms? To find the answers to these questions and many more, one must read The River Kings’ Road, be prepared to be unable to put this novel down.

About the Author:

Liane Merciel spent most of her childhood bouncing around the world as an Army brat. She has lived in Alaska, Germany, and Korea, and has gone camping in every one of the fifty states. Her hobbies include yoga, training rats, and baking cupcakes capable of sending the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man into sugar shock with one bite. Currently she lives and practices law in Philadelphia.

I received a complimentary copy of The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel from Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Her Last Chance by Michele Albert

Tuesday 23 March, 2010 By 2 Comments

Title: Her Last Chance
Authors: Michele Albert
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: Feb 23, 2010
Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-1416531401
Genre: Romance

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From the Publisher:

A WOMAN WHO’S AS TOUGH AS IT GETS

Compelled to leave the Dallas police force after killing a convicted rapist in a dark alley, tough and sexy Claudia Cruz becomes an operative with Avalon, a clandestine organization of mercenaries who recover stolen art. But her new career choice pits her against the darkly intense FBI agent Vincent DeLuca, who is determined that this time, Avalon is not going to beat out the Feds.

A MAN WHO’S HER MATCH AND MORE

While Claudia seethes about this irritating man who gives as good as he gets, Vincent is discovering there’s a fine line between love and hate. And though Claudia is willing to use their crazy-hot attraction to achieve her goals, she never intended they’d end up in bed together. She’s always lived on the edge and flirted with danger…but this time the worst danger may be to her heart.

My Review:

The premise of Her Last Chance by Michele Albert is an intriguing one and well worth reading, however, I could not get past all of the sexual innuendos, tension, swaying of hips, and steamy romance to truly enjoy the plot of this novel. Albert’s two main characters are Vincent DeLuca; an FBI agent in the Art Squad unit is of course the stereotypical, “tall, dark and handsome” and Claudia, a former police detective who now works for Sheridan, a rich financier of a group referred to as Avalon, a group of mercenaries who specialize in recovering stolen art. Claudia is described as not only highly intelligent but also very seductive and gorgeous, words associated with describing her often contain the words “breasts and hips”. When Vincent does not want to arrest Claudia, he wants to engage in coitus with her. The relationship between Vincent and Claudia is fairly straightforward and predictable. Obviously, this was not a novel for me, however, that is because I do not enjoy steamy romances. The plot is a good one and well planned out and I believe readers who enjoy steamy romances filled with action, mystery and intrigue may indeed enjoy reading Her Last Chance.

About the Author:

Michele Albert is the author of One Way Out (available from Pocket Books), Off Limits, and Getting Her Man, which was nominated for Best Mainstream Novel by Romantic Times, who praised it as “sexy, sassy, and exciting” romantic suspense. She holds a degree in classical archaeology from the University of Michigan, and pursued the field until switching gears to become a full-time novelist. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children.

I received a complimentary copy of Her Last Chance by Michele Albertfrom Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Tour: Coming of the Storm by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear

Tuesday 23 February, 2010 By 3 Comments

Title: Coming of the Storm: Book One of Contact: The Battle for America
Authors: W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: February 9, 2010
Hardcover: 496 pages
ISBN: 978-1439153888
Genre: Historical Fiction


From the Publisher:

Black Shell, an exiled Chickasaw trader, is fascinated by the pale, bearded newcomers who call themselves “Kristianos,” and not even the wise counsel of Pearl Hand, the extraordinary and beautiful woman who has consented to be his mate, can dissuade him. It will unfortunately take a first-hand lesson in the Kristianos’ unfathomable brutality for Black Shell to fully comprehend the dangers that these invaders pose to his people’s way of life.

While his first instinct is to run away with Pearl Hand, somewhere the Kristianos cannot find them, Black Shell has been called to a greater destiny by the Spirit Being known as Horned Serpent. With Pearl Hand by his side, Black Shell must find a way to unite the disparate tribes and settlements of his native land and overcome the merciless armies of de Soto, which will stop at nothing to attain wealth and power.

For years readers have urged the Gears to bring the clash of Native American and European cultures to life as only they can. Now, with Coming of the Storm, the Gears unleash their expansive breadth of knowledge and stunning writing talents to dispel the myths and falsehoods surrounding Hernando de Soto, as they paint a vivid portrait of the heroic men and women who fought a terrifying, militarily superior power for their survival — and in so doing defined the character of a nation.

My Review: My review is delayed indefinitely due to circumstances beyond my control.

To Learn more About the Authors:

I received a complimentary copy of Coming of the Storm by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear from Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger – A Book Review

Tuesday 16 February, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: Eternal on the Water
Author: Joseph Monninger
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: February 16, 2010
Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-1439168332
Genre: Fiction

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About the novel:

From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine’s Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river’s treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily…and neither does their love. So when Mary’s life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.

Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on the Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting — a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love’s power.

My Review:

Eternal on the Water is a stunningly beautiful novel of everlasting love. Written in an almost lyrical prose, the story begins as Jonathan Cobb’s wife is found floating in a lake off the Allagash River. While Cobb sits with his wife’s body waiting to be airlifted out the next morning, he begins to recount to deputy Sarah, Mary’s story beginning with the first time he laid eyes upon her. In an astonishingly loving and realistic manner, the reader is taken back in time, to the moment he first met Mary before his 92-mile trip down the Allagash River. Mary introduces Cobb to her love of life, the wilderness and Mary Fury’s beloved chungamunga girls. As Mary explains, all chungamunga girls are eternal on the water. Cobb and Mary quickly fall into love, but before things go too far, Mary informs Cobb that she has Huntington’s Disease and proceeds to explain her wishes. She asks him to think about everything before moving forward with their life as one and should Cobb be able to accept Mary’s terms, he is to meet her in Indonesia, where she will be visiting her brother Freddy. Eternal on the Water weaves a beautiful, poignant and deeply romantic tale of two young educators who lived and loved fully, each and every day they had together. The character descriptions are brilliantly vivid and the reader rapidly becomes engrossed in the novel and loses tract of time. Eternal on the Water is an excellent novel to curl up with and become wrapped up in this extraordinary tale of love. Be certain to have plenty of tissues handy and be prepared to become a part of Cobb and Mary’s lives. This novel would be an excellent choice for any book group.

About the author:

Joseph Monninger has published several award-winning YA novels and three books of nonfiction, including the memoir Home Waters, and has been awarded two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. He lives and teaches in New Hampshire, where he also runs a dog sled team.

I received a complimentary copy of Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger from Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: A Highlander’s Destiny by Melissa Mayhue

Wednesday 27 January, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Title: A Highlander’s Destiny
Author: Melissa Mayhue
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: December 2009
Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN: 9781439144213
Genre: Paranormal Romance

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About the Book:

JESSE CORYELL, a descendant of the Fae, is a man in search of his destiny. He’s tried to lose himself in his work, taking on the worst mankind has to offer, but what he really needs to find is his true love. When he sets out to help a mysterious woman find her sister, what he gets is much more than he bargained for: battling an undeniable attraction to his sexy new client while fighting an ancient evil to keep her safe.

DESTINY NOBLE, abandoned by everyone she’s ever loved, will stop at nothing in her desperate quest to find her sister. Authorities have declared Leah a runaway, but Destiny knows better. Her dream visions have shown her the frightening truth. They’ve also shown her Jesse. But finding her Soulmate could result in the most painful loss of all, when she’s forced to choose between loving Jesse and saving Leah.

Jesse and Destiny race against time to save an innocent girl from a powerful ancient evil. Is true love their best weapon…or will they be required to sacrifice their own destiny?

My Review:

A Highlander’s Destiny is the fifth novel in Melissa Mayhue’s Daughters of the Glen series, which finds Jesse, and Destiny’s lives are thrown together with the disappearance for Destiny’s sister Leah. It is through Destiny’s dreams that she discovers clues on how to find her sister, beginning with contacting Jesse Coryell at Coryell Enterprises, pleading for his help. What Jesse does not expect to find, as he heads out to meet with Destiny for the first time, is to see her being attacked by what appears to be a Nuadian Fae. Jesse realizes there is far more at stake than the missing Leah; Destiny’s life is in extreme danger, but why? The true seriousness of the problem become evident to both of them the evening the Prince appears and explains the current crisis to Jesse as well as the long and detailed history of the Fae to a confused and doubting Destiny. The more Destiny sees and hears, the clearer her past becomes even if she doubts the present. Will Destiny and Jesse be able to work beside one another and save Leah? How much is each willing to sacrifice and at what cost? Not having read the first four novels of Mayhue’s Daughter’s of the Glen series and not one for paranormal romance, I did not think I would either like or be able to follow this book, however Mayhue’s writing sorted those questions out straightaway. While I am certain I would have known more had I read the other novels, I was never confused and everything is explained thoroughly and sufficiently for this book to stand on its own. I found Mayhue’s execution of the story line to be clear while remaining suspenseful, riddled with enough plot twists to keep me interested and engaged. If one is looking for an intriguing story line, especially those readers who enjoy an excellent paranormal romance filled with action and suspense, this book will deliver.


About the Author:

Melissa Mayhue knows a great deal about men — after all, she’s wife to one and mother of three. She and her family live in Colorado, in the shadow of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, with three insanely spoiled dogs, one domineering cat, a turtle with an attitude, and way too many fish in their aquarium. For more information about Melissa Mayhue or her novels, please visit her website.

I received a free copy of A Highlander’s Destiny by Melissa Mayhue from Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Knit, Purl Die by Anne Canadeo-A Book Review

Wednesday 20 January, 2010 By 5 Comments

Title: Knit, Purl, Die
Author: Anne Canadeo
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: December 29, 2009
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN: 978-1416598121
Genre: Cozy Mystery

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About the Book:

Counting on each other…

Meet the Black Sheep knitters — five smart, funny
women who love to knit, gossip, and solve crimes.

Gloria Sterling had it all — money, looks, and a new sexy young husband. So when she’s found floating face down in her own swimming pool, shock waves ripple through tiny Plum Harbor. At the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, Maggie Messina and her circle are devastated to lose their dear friend — a woman as colorful as her fabulous yarn creations.

The police are quick to call it an accident, but sorting out Gloria’s final hours leaves too many loose ends to satisfy her friends. The vivacious, fiftysomething cougar had her French manicured tips in more than a few pots, and the threads of some inside deals stashed in her chic knitting tote.

Who was the last person to see Gloria alive on that quiet summer night? Two empty wine glasses suggest she wasn’t home alone knitting the entire evening…. The Black Sheep need to know the truth and set out to unravel — stitch by stitch — the weighty secrets that pulled poor Gloria under.

My Review:

Knit, Purl, Die is a charming mystery where the members of the Black Sheep’s Thursday evening knitting group try to solve the mystery of their friend’s death. When Gloria Sterling is discovered dead in her pool, the police rule her death as an accident, yet this does not sit right with the group of friends; Maggie, Lucy, Dana, Suzanne, and Phoebe. As the days pass each woman discovers a little more about Gloria and urge her widowed husband to hire a private investigator, meanwhile the ladies continue to sleuth about and share their discoveries while knitting. Knit, Purl, Die is the second in Canadeo’s Black Sheep Knitting Mystery Series, however it reads easily as a stand-alone novel. Canadeo weaves together a delightful, cozy mystery filled with realistic characters, and just enough twists to keep the reader guessing. As an added bonus, Canadeo includes links to some of the knitting projects discussed in the book, links to charity projects as well as several delicious recipes. Knit, Purl, Die is a good choice for one looking for a cozy mystery filled with delightful characters, amateur sleuthing and a murder or two.

About the Author:

Anne Canadeo lives and knits in Northport, New York. While My Pretty One Knits is her debut novel, and the first in the Black Sheep Knitting Club series.

I received a free copy of Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo from Simon & Schuster as part of the tour. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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A Highlander Christmas by Janet Chapman: Book Review & Tour

Friday 18 December, 2009 By 3 Comments

Title: A Highlander Christmas
Author: Janet Chapman
Publisher: Pocket Star
Publication Date: October 27, 2009
Paperback: 334 pages
ISBN: 978-1416595458
Genre: Romance/Time Travel/Series

About the Book:

Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter — which is why she’s spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends Tigger and Max. Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he’s on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family’s annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he’ll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry’s trust…and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart.

My Review:

A Highlander Christmas is the seventh novel in Janet Chatman’s Highlander Series. Having not read the previous six novels I found myself a little confused in the beginning but was soon engrossed in this charming novel. Luke Pascal arrives in Maine from France hoping to work with Camry MacKeage only to discover she is missing. Had Luke not been brought to Grace and Greylan MacKeage’s home, half-frozen, they may have continued to believe their daughter was still employed at NASA. Once Luke explains why he is looking for Camry and the part he has played in the unexplained downing of Grace’s satellite, Podly, Grace and Greyland ask Luke to find their daughter and bring her back by the winter solstice. Luke sets out for Come Back Cove, where it is believed Camry is living, based on a mysterious postcard signed by the initial “F”. As Luke sets out for Come Back Cove, he is in for the adventure of a lifetime in this interesting novel of space, time travel, magic, and romance. While not usually a genre I read A Highlander Christmas is filled with descriptive prose and delightful and at times eccentric characters. While not usually a genre I read, I did find this book to be This novel makes for a delightful evening of reading.

About the Author:

A native of rural central Maine, Janet Chapman lives there in a cozy log cabin on a lake with her husband. Three cats and a stray young bull moose keep them company. The author of the hugely popular Highlander time-travel series, she also writes contemporary romances.

I received a free copy of A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott from the publisher. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott: A Book Review

Tuesday 15 December, 2009 By 8 Comments

Title: A Blue and Gray Christmas
Author: Joan Medlicott
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: November 10, 2009
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-1416597353
Genre: Fiction

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About the Book:

In this stunning holiday story, a cache of Civil War-era letters and diaries sweeps the ladies of Covington up into a dramatic and heartwarming historical saga that inspires them to plan an unforgettable Christmas for two families forever changed by war.

When a rusty old tin box is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah discover that it contains letters and diaries written by two Civil War soldiers, one Union and one Confederate.

The friends are captivated by the drama revealed. The soldiers were found dying on a nearby battlefi eld by an old woman. She nursed them back to health, hiding them from bounty hunters seeking deserters. At the end of the war the men chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail. But while their lives were rich, they still felt homesick and guilty for never contacting the families they’d left behind.

Christmas is coming, and the letters inspire Amelia with a generous impulse. What if she and her friends were to find the two soldiers’ descendants and invite them to Covington to meet? What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate? With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men’s families in Connecticut and the Carolinas, and to make preparations in Covington for their most memorable, most historic Christmas yet.

My Review:

A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott was the first book I have read in Medlicott’s Covington Series and I found it to be a delightful read. Amelia, Grace and Hannah are vivid and likeable characters. In this novel, the three women are going through a box of letters left for over a hundred years, recently unearthed, from the civil war. The women so touched by the kindness in the letters between two injured men, one from the north the other from the south, Amelia comes up with a plan and soon the three women are decide to spread some Christmas love themselves by planning to make for a memorable Christmas by reuniting the soldiers families. Medlicott’s writing is quite vivid, delightful, and makes for a wonderful read. I cannot compare this novel to the others in the series as I have not yet read them, yet I feel A Blue and Gray Christmas makes for a delightful Christmas story.

About the Author:

Joan Medlicott was born and raised on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She lives with her husband in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit her website.

I received a free copy of A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott from the publisher. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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