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Review Date: 2/24/2022
I'm truly impressed! I learned something new like the name of the first black child born in America and the name of the first ship that brought kidnapped Africans to Virginia. It told their story truthfully and sensitively. Gorgeous illustrations capture the various moods quite well, too. Appropriate for all ages. 5 stars.
Review Date: 3/31/2022
A budding romance told in reverse that turns deliciously murky fast with all its secrets and surprising twists. Most intriguing is what are Ciara (pronounced Kee-rah) and Oliver hiding from each other? This low-key thriller kept me guessing and glued to the pages. Reveals are absolute doozies. Great read! 4 stars.
Review Date: 4/25/2014
Despite previous reviews, I thought this was very much a 'haunted house' story with other way-out-there paranormal elements thrown in. After reading complaints of too many characters generating confusion, I went into the story making a list of the characters and their distinguishing traits to keep me sorted. I also referred to the handy floor plan to follow along. Even so, I didn't feel that pulled me outside of the story but rather enhanced it. I was swept away, creeped out, and went sleepless a couple of nights; all signs of an enthralling tale. My only disappointment was the final scientific explanation that took the shine off an otherwise spine-tingling and unearthly novel. 4 stars.
Review Date: 8/26/2020
Helpful Score: 1
What began as a marriage of (in)convenience grew gradually and naturally into one of partnership, trust, and passion. It felt cohesive and realistic. I liked too that Max and Bianca were not aristocrats, though Max was in (distant) line to inherit a title which was a driving point in the plot. The family's ceramic business was original and interesting especially as ambitious Max planned to expand it by developing a new line of products for the average class, but the one element that threw me off was the cricket game scene, which may or may not have any historical truth. Did women play cricket with men in the late 1700s? The well-matched couple still faced other obstacles to overcome in the form of secrets and trust building, but the main appeal was the natural development of two people learning to like, appreciate, and fall in love with each other. Very enjoyable! 4 stars.
Review Date: 6/2/2012
At first, there's a lot of push and pull between Sebastian and Colleen since neither one wanted to be married period, and not just with each other. But as in the way with romance, once they learned more about the other, they easily fell in love. I liked the natural progression of that. The mystery of who was trying to kill off Sebastian and his line was a little predictable and contrived, but it's not so bothersome. I still saw how it brought the couple closer together. And, of course, the heated love scenes were a definite plus. The ending was a little abrupt, but this was still a sweet romance. 3.5 stars.
Review Date: 6/7/2019
I'm not usually one for christian romance, but the frontier setting is always a big draw for me. However, this one is neck high with bible talk, making it a complete turnoff. Saints preserve me...yuk.
The Admiral's Penniless Bride (Harlequin Historical, No 1025)
Author:
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
60
Author:
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
60
Review Date: 9/22/2011
Helpful Score: 1
At first, this story seemed agonizingly slow. Sophia and Charles (the Admiral) truly meant to stick to a marriage of convenience so things were a little stilted at first. They were absorbing characters, but I could see how their banter, although sometimes overlong, was the author's way of them getting to know each other in a more average sort of way. It wasn't until more than halfway through that the story really started to pick up where I could see and feel their emotional investment each contributed to the marriage. And then the waterworks began to flow and I could feel the anguish of being prematurely judged. Overall, it turned out to be a wonderful love story, albeit more subdued, almost quiet, but definitely a powerful testament to the healing balm of love, forgiveness, and second chances. 3.8 stars.
Review Date: 12/2/2007
Helpful Score: 2
I felt there were too many story lines as well, though I really liked Fletch and Poppy, in spite of Poppy's naivete and that their story really didn't pick up until the last third of the book. Fletch was just precious! Still a very good work by E. James - she's still one of my favorites!
Review Date: 8/10/2010
3 stars. Sweet, but unexceptional.
Review Date: 11/23/2007
My sons loved this book! They were both able to follow the material through self-instruction (homeschooled) with minimal outside tutoring.
Review Date: 12/30/2022
Non-stop action; very entertaining. Not too heavy or complicated; just a wild ride. 4 stars.
Review Date: 1/2/2015
Very good read. Original plot; Caroline, in a loveless and childless marriage of 15 years to an old man is forced to have an affair for the sole purpose of begetting an heir for her husband's mill business. Jack, a mill worker, has loved her from afar for years. Unfortunately, his ambitious plans are sabotaged by his leechy family while he recovers from a horrendous mill accident. Jack and Caroline face many obstacles together, first of which is the real danger of their growing attraction, but they eventually find their HEA in a very satisfying way. A solid 4 stars.
Review Date: 3/5/2023
Absorbing vignettes into the people who work with death. I had no idea some of these jobs existed, that there would even be a need, because it all takes place after our loved ones die. Most know about the funeral directors and the embalmers and the gravediggers. But what about the crime scene cleaners? Or the executioners? Or those who identify disaster victims? Especially revealing is whether these individuals are compassionate or detached, how they deal with their work and what gets them through their days, whether they view their work as act of kindness or is money their motivation. I imagine readers will react differently to these professions (I've only listed a few; there are so many more), but I wouldn't recommend reading the autopsy technician's work while eating lunch. 4 stars.
Review Date: 9/10/2015
I always eagerly anticipate a Sophie Jordan release, more so since a lost copy forced me to wait for a replacement. I began reading with a full smile, but then the story lost much of its shine, and I have to admit that I ultimately wrestled with rating this one.
The tale began as an unrequited love theme (one of my favs), which normally stirs up all kinds of personal conflict and opportunities for gut-punch emotion. Before long, though, this one left a weird taste in my mouth because the lead couple dragged out their antagonism for far too long. Their problems began when teen Aurelia, crushed after spying Max in a compromising situation, vents her disillusionment and hate onto paper with disastrous consequences. Believing she betrayed their friendship, Max, therefore, turned his back on her. When the story picked up briefly seven years later, and then a year after that, the motivation became enemies-to-lovers. Their early friendship was still in shreds, they were barely civil, bitter, and constantly snapping at each other. As teens, their childish behaviors were predictable, even understandable; however, as adults these are very tiresome.
I am not a fan of enemies to lovers, nor do I like reading romances where the main couple argues and tries to best the other, and, as in this case, often cruel about it. Am I really supposed to believe that they even liked each other, that Aurelia never stopped loving Max? Besides, Max was a randy goat and a womanizer. Thinking he could treat Aurelia as a constant one-night stand, using her for his sexual gratification, did not endear him to me. This was one of the few instances where the love scenes didn't feel so lovely. Also, I cringed a little when he used the "it's not you, it's me" line. Yuk. Subsequent events snowball quickly though a little too conveniently and not altogether convincing.
The second in the Debutante Files series is disappointing, so let this not be your introduction to Jordan. She has others that are much better and more satisfying (Wicked In Your Arms, Lessons From a Scandalous Bride). Too bad the unrequited love angle didn't angle toward another, less acrimonious, path.
The tale began as an unrequited love theme (one of my favs), which normally stirs up all kinds of personal conflict and opportunities for gut-punch emotion. Before long, though, this one left a weird taste in my mouth because the lead couple dragged out their antagonism for far too long. Their problems began when teen Aurelia, crushed after spying Max in a compromising situation, vents her disillusionment and hate onto paper with disastrous consequences. Believing she betrayed their friendship, Max, therefore, turned his back on her. When the story picked up briefly seven years later, and then a year after that, the motivation became enemies-to-lovers. Their early friendship was still in shreds, they were barely civil, bitter, and constantly snapping at each other. As teens, their childish behaviors were predictable, even understandable; however, as adults these are very tiresome.
I am not a fan of enemies to lovers, nor do I like reading romances where the main couple argues and tries to best the other, and, as in this case, often cruel about it. Am I really supposed to believe that they even liked each other, that Aurelia never stopped loving Max? Besides, Max was a randy goat and a womanizer. Thinking he could treat Aurelia as a constant one-night stand, using her for his sexual gratification, did not endear him to me. This was one of the few instances where the love scenes didn't feel so lovely. Also, I cringed a little when he used the "it's not you, it's me" line. Yuk. Subsequent events snowball quickly though a little too conveniently and not altogether convincing.
The second in the Debutante Files series is disappointing, so let this not be your introduction to Jordan. She has others that are much better and more satisfying (Wicked In Your Arms, Lessons From a Scandalous Bride). Too bad the unrequited love angle didn't angle toward another, less acrimonious, path.
Review Date: 11/27/2019
Despite having jumped into the middle of a series, I thought it was great as a standalone. This romance deviated from the standard as Emma and Beranger were already a happy couple, and I especially appreciated that Emma wasn't intimidated by her hateful, step-MIL. Best of all, the newlyweds weren't waylaid or undermined by outsiders. Budding friendships with a couple of the servants gave the story more depth. Only in a few instances did the plot run a little thin, but I liked the characters too much for those to interfere with my enjoyment of the tale. 4 stars.
Review Date: 4/27/2016
Jumped in with book 3 in series, and it's one awesomely adventurous story featuring several different settings: the meet-up in Scotland, a sea voyage across the Atlantic, slipping through the Union blockade into Charleston, and life on a cotton plantation; all well developed and equally engrossing. There was a nice balance of heartfelt romance, excitement, and danger without any yanking you out of the story. A great genealogical slant as well. Highly entertaining and recommended at 4.5 stars.
Review Date: 7/14/2023
So disappointing. Very slow pace and a romance that really didn't catch on. Slogged through more than half before things started picking up, but by then I'd lost interest and began skipping. New author for me but I wanted to try because the tale featured a Mexican heroine and mixed-race hero in Victorian England, which is a rarity in historical romance. 2 stars.
Review Date: 10/25/2016
Helpful Score: 1
Surprisingly, this little gem of horror twists about in unforeseen ways, addressing underlying and wholly undetected issues all wrapped up in a nightmarish world. I didn't even see it coming. Riveting and enthusiastically recommended at 4 stars.
Review Date: 11/27/2017
This is the type of story that will make you think twice before house swapping, with details lingering long after you finished the last page. You won't find overt violence here, but the weirdness quickly develops into something far more sinister and threatening, with a chilling twist at the end. A riveting read. 3.5 stars.
Review Date: 9/11/2013
Helpful Score: 2
Another sweet, and tame, romance that borders on the dull. If you are looking for a passionate love story, this is not it. The character development, on the other hand, was well done and I especially liked Sophie's talent for quirky caricatures. Vincent and Sophie got on really well together but their romance didn't do anything for me. Yes, Vincent came to her rescue, twice, and that was sweet. But their romance was lackluster, somewhat like snuggling with a familiar blanket. 3 stars.
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