Song of Blood and Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

Finally finished this book last night.  I was a bit disappointed.  The last 1/2 to 1/3 was not as good as the first.

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After a chapter or two to really get into it, I began to enjoy this book. Jasminda was an interesting character who had to survive much hardship. When Jack almost fell into her lap, the book really picked up steam, and I enjoyed the journey the two of them had to go on, from war captives to magical caves, etc. Then, however, they made it back to "civilization" and Jack's military comrades. And at that point the book became just not as good, in my opinion. A lot of the "magic" was lost once they got to the big city, and the romance between Jack and Jasminda overwhelmed the story. To go back to my earlier analogy, the book lost steam at that point. I wasn't sure where the author was going and it seemed like some depth to the characters and story was missing. When the book reached the climax, the author's descriptions seemed almost matter-of-fact and therefore everything was a bit anti-climactic. While overall this was a good book, that was almost the problem with it--it was just "good" when it could have been great.


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Grace and Fury

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While the concept of girls, even sisters, competing for a crown in not original in YA Fantasy, I felt that this book had a bit of a different spin on the concept. Serina and Nomi have trained for their respective positions their whole lives: Serina will attempt to become a Grace--really a member of the ruler's harem--and Nomi will serve as her handmaiden. When the two arrive at the royal court, however, the Heir chooses Nomi instead. Neither one can process what has happened before Serina is taken to an island prison. Now both sisters, neither one knowing what is happening to the other, must find a way to survive in their new positions. Nomi must learn how to navigate court as the perfect example of a quiet, beautiful ideal of feminine virtue--not wanting for anything, yet with no freedom or independence. Serina, who has been trained to be soft, demure, pleasing and submissive, has been thrown on an island full of what society views as criminals: women who do not conform. Nomi and Serina have to figure out how to become something that is completely foreign to them while still retaining who they really are.
I did enjoy reading this book. It was a quick read and the two sisters' characters were well-developed. I did have a problem with the insta-love between Nomi and Asa. I saw that whole plot twist coming from their third encounter. I would have liked a bit more interaction between Nomi and Malachi. Serina and Val had good pacing, however.
The book ended on quite the cliff-hanger, and I will be interested to see what happens to our characters.


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The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart  Turton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book. It is original, engrossing, and fun to read. The author does an awesome job of creating suspense, tension, uncertainty, and mystery all while immersing the reader in the world of Blackheath. I think any lover of mystery should read this book!
The biggest problem that I had with the book was the first several chapters, or the first two "days" for our hero. You see, as the book opens, we are introduced to an apparent amnesia victim, who wakes up in a forest and believes a woman named Anna has been murdered nearby. As this man begins to learn of his identity and make connections with the other inhabitants of the old English manor house where he finds himself, he is nonetheless overwhelmed with sadness at the person he believes himself to have been. The desolateness of the location and the shabby yet foreboding manor house make for an oppressive atmosphere. When, at the end of the day, Evelyn Hardcastle, the new friend our hero has made, dies in front of all the guests gathered for the house party, the real mystery begins. And when our hero wakes up the next morning, in a different room, in a different body, yet on the same day, the mystery is compounded. Our hero, and the reader, is completely confused, uncomprehending, and frightened. This was the point where I almost stopped reading the book. It was very bleak, depressing, and dreary, not to mention with a feeing of dread.
I kept pressing on however, and was very glad I did. Eventually our hero discovers his true name is Aiden Bishop and as he wakes up each morning he finds himself in the body of a different inhabitant of the house. He's racing agains time to find the killer of Evelyn Hardcastle, as well as find the reason he's stuck at Blackheath living the same day over and over. He only has a few "days" and "hosts" left before he will lose his chance to bring the killer to justice and escape the strange time loop he is in.
I really enjoyed this book. It has definite Agatha Christie influences while being completely original. The "world-building" was great, as well as the characterization of Aiden Bishop. The author is able to weave together incredibly complicated strands of create a complex and fascinating story. The mystery is well-thought out and very suspenseful. I felt on-edge the whole time I was reading it, but I had a very hard time putting it down. Although it is a long book, it felt as thought it was just the perfect length. The ambiguous time period of the book, as well as the slight touch of sci-fi towards the end was just the right touch.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, suspense, and Agatha Christie. I think it demands a second reading.


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Born to Be Wilde (The Wildes of Lindlow Castle #3)

Born to Be Wilde by Eloisa James
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I just could not get into this book. I understand that it is part of a series, but I felt as though I was missing all of the character development when the author jumped right in to the action, and everyone kept referencing events that happened before the book began. I never felt like I knew what was going on and like I had started watching a movie 45 minutes after it started.


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Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards #1)

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't just love this book, but it wasn't bad, either. It was well-written and I did want to keep reading it. The character development could have been a bit better. The heroine underwent a slightly abrupt 180, and I never really quite understood the hero's motivations--the reader was told all about his history and the background of his personality, but I would rather have been shown. Throwing in random accent changes doesn't really do the trick. The plot was a bit questionable, and some points were kind of left hanging (although we did find out who was stealing the shipments, why was that important?).
Overall, this book was good. I am not sure if I will read another in this series.


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The Duke Buys a Bride (The Rogue Files #3)

The first 2/3 of this book was 😍. The last 1/3 of this book was 😳😵😮.

The Duke Buys a Bride by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed this book...until the last 1/3 to 1/4. For the most part it was a very sweet slow-burn romance with interesting identifiable characters. The initial "conflict" of the wife sale was slightly far-fetched but I was willing to suspend belief. I was really interested in the development of our hero & heroine's relationship. Plus, the "long journey in close proximity" is one of my favorite themes. However, once it came time for the "consummation" of their relationship, things got real raunchy real quick. I understand this is a historical romance novel and one should not read these if one is prude. But I've been reading this genre since high school and this one made me say, "Whoa!' The things they did, they words used, and the number of times they "did it" on just their first night together was just a bit much for me. I don't think I would recommend this book, just because the last bit was so jarring, and I am not sure that I will read another book by this author.


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Summer Reading

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