Book Review: To The Moon and Back by Jill Mansell

Saturday 27 August, 2011 by 8 Comments

Title: To The Moon and Back
Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: September 1, 2011
Paperback: 448 pages
ISBN: 978-1402243851
Genre: Fiction

From the back of the book:

The hardest part of love is moving on…

It has been a year since Ellie Kendall’s husband, Jamie, was killed in an accident, but she’s still haunted by his memory.  In fact, she finds herself talking to him regularly.  At the urging of Jamie’s successful actor father Tony, Ellie moves to Primrose Hill, where nobody knows her past…

But even in her new home-and with her hardworking new boss, Zack McLaren; and Jamie’s best friend Todd to distract her–Ellie cannot seem to leave Jamie behind.  Will Ellie stay stuck in the past?  Or will she realize the man of her dreams is flesh and blood-and right in front of her eyes…

My Review:

To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell is a powerful and witty story about fresh starts and how Ellie Kendall sought  one after experiencing a devastating tragedy.  Mansell draws readers in with her writing talent in this very memorable romantic comedy that deals with loss in a sensitive, yet uplifting style.  Coping with the loss of a spouse seems such a difficult and heavy topic to craft into a hilarious tale, yet Mansell not only does exactly this with charm, but gives readers a cast of characters that almost come to life as Ellie relocates to Primrose Hill to try and leave her past behind and begin that fresh start.  It is easy to cheer for Ellie as she has many likeable qualities, yet getting over the past is one of her vices and one wonders if she simply cannot see that her future is before her very eyes.  At times I wished I could jump into the story and give Ellie a swift kick, but alas, her decisions were all the product of one exceptionally talented writer.  To the Moon and Back, to put it simply, is brilliant.  I highly recommend this emotional, moving, and hilarious love story to all romantic comedy fans.

To learn more about author Jill Mansell and her books, please visit her website: www.jillmansell.co.uk

I received a complimentary arc of To The Moon and Back by Jill Mansell from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.


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Book Review: Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware

Friday 12 August, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Title: Midnight on Julia Street
Author: Ciji Ware
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Paperback: 512 pages
ISBN: 978-1402222726
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance


From the Publisher:

Scandal transcends time in the Big Easy

Feisty reporter Corlis McCullough isn’t afraid to push boundaries in the name of journalistic integrity. When passion for the truth lands her in New Orleans in need of a job, an assignment at a TV station pits her against her old college nemesis, King Duvallon.

The sultry streets of the French Quarter, the glamorous Garden District, derelict riverfront cotton warehouses, and gritty back alleys come alive as the reporter’s story inexplicably slips between the nineteenth century and today. A long-forgotten drama of blackmail, swindles, and a love affair that is still changing lives leaves Corlis and King wondering if their burgeoning, unholy attraction will render them pawns in a matrix of mystery and deceit.

My Review:

Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware is an exhilarating historical romance novel set in New Orleans and split between two eras with one dating to the 1830s where to the present day, an unsolved mystery has captured the attention of Corlis McCullough, a television reporter for WWEZ who seeks information on city buildings of historical significance that are being targeted for demolition.  Encountering King Duvallon, an adversary from her college years, brings Corlis into a part of New Orleans society with which she was unaware.  Readers will be entertained with Corlis’ investigations and intrigued by her ability to sense things from the past.  It is here where Ware brings full circle the swindling and corruption of the past with their manifestations of today in New Orleans.  Of course the romantic tensions are there between Corlis and King and while I did not fully buy into the supernatural aspect of Ware’s tale, I did find it exciting at times, and her characters as well as the fell for New Orleans are brought to life through her gift for descriptive prose.  I think historical romance fans will enjoy Midnight on Julia Street, but for me, the unrealistic aspects took away from the realism I most often enjoy in Ciji Ware’s historical fiction books.

To learn more about Ciji Ware and her books please visit her website at: cijiware.com

I received a complimentary ARC of Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.


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Book Review: Whispers In the Sand by Barbara Erskine

Wednesday 27 July, 2011 by 6 Comments

Title: Whispers In the Sand
Author: Barbara Erskine
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Paperback: 396 pages
ISBN: 978-1402261756
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

Recently divorced, Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey that her great-grandmother, Louisa, made in the mid-nineteenth century from Luxor to the Valley of Kings on a Nile cruise. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has laid unread for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, two men from the tour party begin to develop an unfriendly rivalry for her attention and a disturbing interest in Louisa’s mementos. As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers a wonderful love story from the Victorian past, along with chilling secrets and terrifying specters that haunted her great-grandmother—and will soon begin to pursue her, too.

My Review:

Whispers in the Sand by Barbara Erskine is an intriguing drama of one woman’s battle for personal growth amidst adverse conditions with elements of irony, mystery and redemption. With well-crafted, strong characters, Erskine has penned a tale with plenty of unexpected plot turns to keep the reader engaged.  Her gift for descriptive prose transports readers to Egypt where the main character, Anna Fox, is planning to take a cruise along the Nile, the same cruise her great-grandmother had followed several years earlier.  Erskine takes readers along this journey, meeting various characters along the way, many of whom, ironically remind Anna of her domineering ex-husband, the very person from whom her departure is being celebrated by this much deserved trip.  In an expertly crafted story, Erskine contrasts the past and present through Anna’s great-grandmother’s diary which contains secrets that turn out to be important to more than just Anna during the journey in Egypt.  For both readers and discussion groups, especially those looking for a topic relating to the empowering of women, I highly recommend Whispers in the Sand.

To learn more about author Barbara Erskine and her books, please visit her website: http://www.barbara-erskine.co.uk/novels

I received a complimentary arc of Whispers In the Sand by Barbara Erskine from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.


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Book Review: A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware

Saturday 16 April, 2011 by 17 Comments


Title: A Race to Splendor
Author: Ciji Ware
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Paperback: 544 pages
ISBN: 978-1402222696
Genre: Historical Fiction


From the Publisher:

Early in 1906, the ground in San Francisco shook buildings and lives from their comfortable foundations.

Amidst rubble, corruption, and deceit, two women—young architects in a city and field ruled by men—find themselves racing the clock and each other during the rebuilding of competing hotels in the City by the Bay.

Based on meticulous research, A Race to Splendor tells the story of the audacious people of one of the world’s great cities rebuilding and reinventing themselves after immense human tragedy. Filled with courage, passion, and conflict, Amelia Bradshaw’s spirit will capture your imagination as she strives to redraft her life amidst the ruins with both help and hindrance from a wayward son of privilege who pulls her into worlds she’d never have known.

My Review:

A Race to Splendorby Ciji Ware is yet another well-researched, well-planned historical fiction book, this time taking place in 1906 directly after the San Francisco earthquake. Amelia Bradshaw is an architect and not only plans to rebuild her grandfather’s hotel, Bay View, but to make it the first hotel rebuilt after the devastating earthquake. Considering it is 1906, Amelia is up against quite a lot of differing opinions as her profession is not one deemed for a lady. Of Ware’s historical novels, I think Amelia may be her strongest and most fierce protagonist to date. Ware not only describes the tension of the time, the devastation caused by the earthquake and the toll it takes on the inhabitants of San Francisco, it is also a fictionalised historical account of the competition amongst the architectural firms, the difficulties faced by being a woman in a predominately male profession, and the effects a devastating earthquake can have on a city and its people. Ware will take the reader to San Francisco during the earthquake and the aftermath, feel the tension, despair, good will, and unfortunately also the anger, greed, and corruption that can occur after a tragedy of this magnitude. A Race to Splendor is fast paced, meticulously detailed, events come to life as do the characters, and Ware sweeps the reader away with her ability to transform readers into the past. I highly recommend A Race to Splendor to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or is new to the genre.

To learn more about Ciji Ware and her books please visit her website.

I received a complimentary ARC of A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.


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Book Review: Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by Margaret Irwin

Saturday 2 April, 2011 by 17 Comments


Title: Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain
Author: Margaret Irwin
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-1402229985
Genre: Historical Fiction


From the Publisher:

First published in 1946, Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain continues the “vivid, psychologically brilliant” (Times Literary Supplement) journey begun in Young Bess and Elizabeth, Captive Princess. Philip, Prince of Spain, the unwilling bridegroom of Queen Mary, has been warned about the young Elizabeth. According to all reports, she is a heretic, a rebel, and a potential enemy—but she’s also alluring. Accused of treachery by Mary, Elizabeth finds herself teetering between Mary’s vengeance and Philip’s uneasy ardor, with her life in the balance.

My Review:

Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by Margaret Irwin is the third and final book in her Elizabeth I Trilogy, and while I did read and review Young Bess, I missed the second book Elizabeth, Captive Princess, so I am unable to let the readers know how well Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain flows from the second book, however I believe it can indeed be read as a stand alone book. With that said, Irwin captures the sound, look, and tempo of the time period so well I cannot imagine readers wanting to miss one of the books. In Irwin’s stunning conclusion, the reader is drawn into Elizabeth’s continuously tumultuous life, as Prince Philip is to wed Queen Mary, who is no friend to Elizabeth and even accuses her of treason. Philip has very strong feelings for Elizabeth and to further complicate matters, there is the disparity of religion. Robert Dudley enters the scene, much to my happiness, as he is a person in history who has always intrigued me. Elizabeth works to clear her father’s name and to prepare for what history will prove to be a brilliant legacy. Irwin’s writing is impeccable, impassioned and well informed. The readers are immediately whisked back to the sixteenth century and the characters spring to life under the skillful hand of Irwin. My only complaints, which are not the fault of the author, are two-fold. I failed to read the second book, how I missed it I do not know and secondly, the trilogy has ended and I yearn for more. I highly recommend not only Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain, but also the previous two books in the Elizabeth I trilogy, Young Bess and Elizabeth, Captive Princess.

About the Author:

Margaret Irwin (1889-1969) was a master of historical fiction, blending meticulous research with real storytelling flair to create some of England’s best-loved and most widely acclaimed novels, including Young Bess, Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain, The Gay Galliard, and the Stranger Prince.

I received a complimentary ARC Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by Margaret Irwin from Sourcebooks. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.


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