Friday, May 16, 2014

Nash (Marked Men #4)

Nash (Marked Men #4)
By Jay Crownover
400 pages
Published on April 29 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks


Summay via Goodreads.com

Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down... and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again.

My review:

I think this was my favorite of the series so far. Nash came from a troubled, unloving home. He's moved past that, mostly and is a thriving and independent man now. He and Saint, highschool classmates, cross paths at the hospital where he is with his ailing father. Saint held a torch for him when they were kids, but felt like he led her on and then made fun of her behind her back. Apparently this ruined her dating life and her ability to trust men. 

I kept waiting and waiting for the big reveal of what he did to her and when it was finally told, I did kind of have to roll my eyes. To me, even my highschool self, that didn't seem like something that would make me react how she did.

Aside from that, this book was amazing. Jay Crownover has such a way with words, and more importantly, the written word. This series has been great for me to read. By the time I got through the 4th book it really opened my eyes up to my own youth and that I am sure many of my classmates were dealing with similar home lives, such as the characters in these books. They've given me a bit of a different out look and if I could go back, I may do some things differently.

5 stars!

Missing You

Missing You
By: Harlen Coben
400 pages
Published on March 18th by Dutton Books

Summary via Goodreads.com

It's a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancĂ© Jeff, the man who shattered her heart—and who she hasn’t seen in 18 years.

Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her. But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable. 

As the body count mounts and Kat's hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved—her former fiancĂ©, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.

My Review:

Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Harlen Coben. I've been reading his mysteries for about 5 years now. This is probably the best mystery I've read all year.

Kat and Jeff broke up several years before and she never really felt like she had closure. She never really understood his reasoning for leaving her. 

Fast forward 18 years and he reaches out to her on an on line dating website. Or is it him?  I can hardly begin to recap this story for you, because it honestly took me all over the place. There were highs and lows. There were some really dark and unhappy parts, as well as some happy.

If you like a good mystery, then you must check this book out!

I would give this more than 5 stars.

Keep Quiet

Keep Quiet
By: Lisa Scottoline
352 pages
Published April 8, 2014 by St. Martin's Press

Summary via Goodreads.com

Jake Buckman’s relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater.

On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan’s entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all. 

Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.


My review:

This was a book full of mystery and suspense. Lisa Scottoline has been one of my favorite authors for a few years now, and its because of books like this.  I couldn't stop reading this book. I had a hard time setting it down to make dinner on a couple of occasions. 

Ryan is a typical teenager, not overly fond of his dad, hiding away with his cell phone and what have you. But one decision can change his life for ever. He talks his dad into letting him get behind the wheel of a car on his permit even though its after hours. Not only that, tragedy strikes and it turns out Ryan is dabbling in some drugs. Jake makes a split second decision that sets this story in motion, going at top speed with no looking back.

Jake's wife is a judge with a chance at a huge promotion. However when she gets wind of what's happened, her career is hurt as well. 

Jake thinks he's made the best decision he could to protect his son, but it's opened up a box of deeply buried secrets from the past. And the ending will leave you feeling as though you have been put through the ringer.

This was a 5 star read for me

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Tempting Fate

Tempting Fate
By: Jane Green
Published March 25, 2014
St Martin's Press
352 Pages

Summary via goodreads.com

When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him - even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two daughters are growing up Gabby feels that time and her youth are slipping away. For the first time in her life she is restless. And then she meets Matt . . .

Intoxicated by the way this young, handsome and successful man makes her feel, Gabby is momentarily blind to what she stands to lose on this dangerous path. And in one reckless moment she destroys all that she holds dear.

Consumed by regret, Gabby does everything she can to repair the home she has broken. But are some betrayals too great to forgive?

My Review:

I love Jane Green. I've been reading her for years. Over the past few years, her books have taken a twist from being typical chick lit to being more in depth stories. I especially loved her last book. So many twists and turns and it wasn't your run of the mill chick read. 

This book started out along those same lines. It was really a good book and I read it in just a few days. However, in thinking back on this story the beginning was almost too rushed. It would have been nice to have some build up, rather then jump right into the night that Gabby was going out with her friends and met Matt. 

The build up to the affair even just didn't seem too thought out. It was very rushed and not too realistic to me.  However, once it came out and once the story got going with that I couldn't put this book down. It was really eye opening. It was very real. It no longer felt like just a story. 

I had no idea how this story was going to end. And as much as I did like the ending, it was almost a little to good to be true. But at the end of the day, it was wonderful to see a family overcome such heart ache and come together as one.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Rome

Rome (Marked Men #3)
By Jay Crownover
Published Jan. 7th 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks
387 pages

Summary via goodreads.com

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever .

My Review:

This book wasn't my favorite out of the series. I really liked Rome, though I felt like he went from angry guy to happy go lucky a little too quickly for reality. All things considering, he has a good head on his shoulders and seemed to do ok once he worked through all of his demons.

Cora is one character I am not a fan of. She's kind of rubbed me the wrong way the entire time and so having a book that focused on her wasn't my cup of tea, but I wanted to read it anyway because this series is awesome! I feel like Cora went way overboard with trying to fix everyone's problems. It was almost annoying. But, I loved the chemistry between her and Rome, and I can't wait to read more about them in the next story!

Jet

Jet (Marked Men #2)
By Jay Crownover
Published May 28th, 2013 by William Morrow Paperbacks
416 Pages

Summary via goodreads.com:

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

My Review:

I loved this book. Just about as much as the first book. Jet and Ayden both felt something for each other, but held off for a year or more before giving in. Both have pasts and upbringings that they're ashamed of, yet both are able to work through all of that because they finally realize they are capable and deserving of love and happiness.

This book roped me in from page one. I just love this author's style of writing. She is captivating, moving and keeps my attention from the first page to the last.

5 stars. easy.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Rule

Rule
A Marked Men Novel
By: Jay Crownover
Published December 2012 by Jay Crownover books 327 pages

Summary via www.goodreads.com:Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Four Seconds To Lose

Four Seconds To Lose
By: K.A. Tucker
Published Nov 4, 2013 by Atria Books
396 Pages

Summary via www.goodreads.com:

When a gorgeous young dancer walks through his door, a strip club owner must decide whether to follow his rules or his heart in the third novel by the author of One Tiny Lie and Ten Tiny Breaths.

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that. 

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her can't get distracted by romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her

Monday, March 17, 2014

Dark Places

Dark Places
By: Gillian Flynn
Published May 5th 2009 by Crown
345 pages
Summary via www.goodreads.com:

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club… and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Second Honeymoon

Second Honeymoon
By: James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Published by Little, Brown and Company Jan 1, 2013'
432 Pages
Summary via Goodreads.com: A walk down the aisle, a resort hotel, a drink on the beach...for these unlucky couples, the honeymoon's over. 
A newlywed couple steps into the sauna in their deluxe honeymoon suite--and never steps out again. When another couple is killed while boarding their honeymoon flight to Rome, it becomes clear that someone is targeting honeymooners, and it's anyone's guess which happy couple is next on the list.

FBI Agent John O'Hara is deep into solving the case, while Special Agent Sarah Brubaker is hunting another ingenious serial killer, whose victims all have one chilling thing in common.

As wedding hysteria rises to a frightening new level, John and Sarah work ever more closely together in a frantic attempt to decipher the logic behind two rampages. SECOND HONEYMOON is James Patterson's most mesmerizing, most exciting, and most surprising thriller ever.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Rescued (Wreaked #2)

Rescued By Priscialla West
Release Date: February 24,2014I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Summary via Goodreads.com

The conclusion to USA Today bestselling author Priscilla West’s New Adult Novel Wrecked.

Wrecked should be read before this book.

Lorrie’s semester started off hopeful but ended in disaster. Now, she’s even more lost and confused than she was at the beginning of the year. As Lorrie flees to the only family she has left, she has to come to terms with how things ended with Hunter.

Hunter has fought for so long to keep the truth from Lorrie in an effort to protect her, but that has only caused more heartache and pain.

Realizing his mistake, Hunter has made a vow to get Lorrie back, but is it too late?

Will Hunter be able to overcome his own demons and help Lorrie through her pain, or are they destined to keep hurting each other?My Review:

I was SO excited to get this book a week early. I'd read it about a month ago and was having a hard time waiting for the conclusion, as this is the follow up book to Wrecked. You can see my review if you look at my January postings.

I felt slightly disappointed with this book. There was so much build up from the last book and this one left me feeling like there needed to be a conclusion so the author just kind of slapped one together. The story wasn't developed nearly as much as in the last book. There could have been so much more done with this book. 

Hunter runs to find Lorrie in about the second chapter. With the way things were left, they were able to jump back in each other's arms way to quickly. I would have loved more build up with that. 

I was unsure about the step father's role in this story. I understand he killed her mom, but it felt really dragged out with how he lured her to the prison, only to have killed himself. And again, there was no more development to that story line.What did I like about this story? A lot. Hunter and Lorrie made it work. They are real life people finding their way in a relationship.

I liked that Hunter's illness was addressed and played a significant part of the story. 

I loved the ending. I loved knowing that years later they were still together.What would I have liked to see? A third story. I feel like this book could have had another hundred pages added to it. Stronger story lines, and more details all together. A third book could have really focused on the conclusion and been a full story on its own some 4 years down the line in the world of Lorrie and Hunter.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Wrecked

Wrecked (Wrecked #1)
By: Priscilla West
ebook: 286 pages.
Published: Dec 11, 2013 by Blackbird Publishing

Summary via Goodreads.com: Two years ago, Lorrie’s mother was murdered. But that wasn’t the end of it. Reeling from the tragedy, Lorrie’s father spiraled into alcohol, depression, and finally suicide.

The two most important people in Lorrie’s life are both gone but she’s still alive.

Trying to recover from the tragedy, Lorrie returns to campus, ready to pick up the pieces of her life. All Lorrie wants is to get back to “normal.”

Then she meets Hunter. The man, the legend, “the Hammer.”

Hunter is a cage fighter who takes on every fight like he’s got nothing to lose. His life is a tangled mess of girls, booze, and fist fights. And while it may seem like he’s got a devil-may-care attitude, he’s fighting a private cage-match with a monster he can’t defeat.

Lorrie knows that Hunter is the exact type of guy she should stay away from, especially in her fragile state, but Hunter has other ideas.

As Hunter and Lorrie grow closer together, will they be able to overcome their pain and heal each other? Or will they both end up wrecked?
This was so well written, I have very few complaints about it. First of all, I didn't feel like we were thrown into a relationship starting with page 1. This book moved along gradually, watching Hunter and Lorrie build a friendship and then a relationship.......

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Where My Heart Breaks

Where My Heart Breaks
By: Ivy Sinclair
Paperback, 182 pages

Published August 29th 2013 by Smith Sinclair Books


Summary Via Goodreads.com
Trust is in short supply for Kate at the start of the summer before her senior year of college. Her parents sentenced her to spend it under the watchful eye of her aunt at the famous Willoughby Inn. It was further proof that she was a prisoner in, and not the decision maker of, her life. Nothing she does is good enough to prove that she learned from the mistakes of her past.

Almost immediately, Kate finds that her new summer home holds another person who understands the unfairness of her situation better than most. Reed Black has had his own share of tragedy and regrets, but instead of trying to fight his reputation, he embraced it.

Sparks fly between Kate and Reed, but his mixed signals remind Kate that she needs to watch her step. He is one temptation she can't afford to indulge in, no matter how strong her attraction to him. If she isn't careful, she'll lose more than her heart.

My review:This was a great book. It started off with a bang and didn't slow down at all. We are introduced to the 2 main characters, Kate and Reed, right off the bat. They meet as Kate is driving into a new town to work for her aunt for the summer. Kate gets a flat tire and is on the side of the road attempting to change it when Reed stops to help. The chemistry is there from that moment. However, they both try to fight it due to their pasts and their attempts to make a clean break and have a nicer future.
This was also a very short story and I'd love to see it rewritten with a lot more story and detail. For example we know Kate has had a rough semester in college. She's been partying and hanging out with a "boyfriend" who couldn't be more worse for her. There are also references to the fact that she was doing drugs as well. I got the impression it was related to the boyfriend, though we never really were told what led her to this one semester of partying. Why didn't she behave this way before?Was it all just because of the boyfriend?  I would like to know a little more detail about what led her to this path.

Kate's Aunt: she comes across as very cold, and she makes it known she's going her sister a favor by taking in Kate for the summer and employing her. She rats out any sort of "bad" behavior to Kate's mom who seems incredibly cold and unreasonable for someone who wants so badly for her daughter to get her life in order. I would love for some more character development of the Aunt.

 Reed: We do get the full story on why he's so closed off. He has a bad reputation, although no one will really say why. Just that he's bad. He's bad for Kate. Of course Kate is instantly drawn to him. Reed's story is probably the most fully developed in this story, though the only thing not really told is what is wrong with his mother.

 Millie: The best friend everyone should have. She keeps Kate in line, yet when Kate is in the middle of a crisis, she is on the first flight to help. She gives good, sound advice and isn't afraid to make Kate mad.
 Sam: The good boy. He is described perfectly by Kate. He is a great guy. He's caring, sweet and good looking. He also probably always gets the short end of the stick.

This was such a wonderful story, I just don't feel that the author did it justice by making it so short. If I could beg for it to be written again and add a couple hundred more pages, had have that come true, I'd be very happy. I especially want to know more about Kate. She seems like she really does have it all. However, it was very sad that her parents really wrote her off because she chose to stand on her own 2 feet. I want to see more about what happens to Kate and Reed then just a few pages of an epilogue.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Sunset Bay

Sunset Bay By: Susan Mallery Published Feb.11, 2009 by PocketStar Paperback 342 pages Summary via goodreads.com L.A. accountant Megan Greene has a successful job, a handsome cardiologist fiancé, and a doting father. Surely they make up for her estranged sister and hypochondriac mother...and a niggling sense that something, somewhere, got lost along the way. But then Megan's life falls spectacularly apart. Faced with the knowledge that neither her father nor her fiance; are the men she thought they were, she is loath to trust Travis -- the high school boyfriend who never quite left her heart. But his reappearance stirs dreams she once reluctantly packed away, and forces her to confront her relationship with her sister -- a bond that has been strained to the limit but has never quite broken. And amid the turmoil lies the promise of a future Megan never expected -- one that may turn out to contain everything she really needs.... ****My Review (This does contain spoilers) ****** I must start by saying what a huge fan of Susan Mallery I am. I love and adore her Fool's Gold series and can not get enough of them. I am also a sucker for a good romance story. This book fell flat for me. It was just very unbelievable, even by romance novel standards. It begins in 1998. Megan is the daughter of Tina and Gary. She's a daddy's girl all the way. Her mom frequently tells her she's ugly and will never be popular or have a boyfriend. She has a younger sister who is pretty and popular and seems to be her mother's pet. The sister has no real relationship with the dad, and Megan has no real relationship with her mom.... They talk briefly about the one boyfriend Megan had a couple of years ago, but he did something (we never really know) and he went to prison at age 16. Suddenly Megan is at a party and the boyfriend is there! (they're only 18 here). He is with another girl and is trying to make it obvious to Megan he doesn't want anything to do with her. Only he really does, so 5 minutes later they're making out in the parking lot and then they sneak off to Vegas the next day. Her sister figures it out and blabs to the dad. When they return the dad is very upset with her. And to make matters worse, the boyfriend, who's name is Travis, decides to that he needs to run away from his enabling mom and his drunken abusive dad. He tells Megan he loves her and she has to choose right then and there. Him? or her family? Mind you, she is 18 and has never had a real relationship other than Travis when she was 16, and then again at 18 when they see each other and in 5 minutes are in love and sneaking off to Vegas..... She doesn't choose fast enough and he leaves......... Fast forward to 10 years later when things get really unbelievable. Megan is engaged to Adam, a snake of a man who is a cardiologist. Megan is confronted at work by an attorney who tells her Gary is not her dad, someone else is. That someone else has died and left her an inheritance. She confronts her drama filled mother, and as she does, her father over hears. Immediately, Gary, the man who has loved her and raised her like she was his own, the man who never knew she wasn't, decides he wants no relationship with Megan. Completely washes his hands of her. This is where it gets far fetched to me. Not only does he sever ties with the daughter he was closest to when her world, as well as his comes undone, but he leaves her mother and the mother insists it's somehow Megan's fault. This goes on and on through out the book. The mom telling Megan its her fault, so she needs to pay her bills and take care of her. Next, Megan finds out her lovely Dr. finace has been cheating on her most of their relationship. He tells her that he plans on being loyal once they're married. And then can't understand why she wants to end the relationship. He must come to talk to her a dozen times and tell her she's being unreasonable. Because a marriage should be based on lies and cheating. I guess.... Finally, Travis. They run into each other 10 years later when she's gone to Vegas to distract herself from what is supposed to be her wedding day. They spend the night together and Then Adam ends up at her door in Vegas begging for another chance. Travis takes off refusing to listen to Megan. All the while, his home situation is just as unbelievable. His dad has been in jail for years. Travis had called the police and turned him in for some illegal activity he discovered his dad doing. The mother blames Travis for the father being in jail. Then when he goes home to help his mom with her failing business, he realizes a long time friend has been skimming their books and turns him in. The mom turns on Travis. Finally by the last couple of pages Travis and Megan get it right and end up together. Forever. I think seeing Travis and Megan's relationship grow more in this book instead of maybe 3 or 4 encounters would have helped it a lot. Having the father not turn on Megan, or having that whole thing handled in a more believable way would have made this a better book. I can see Travis's situation. His mom is an enabler and was bound to blame her teenage son for every problem with the dad. That's semi believable..... I am leaving out more, just because these are the 3 main situations and the rest was just as unbelievable as the rest. This book was 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

****DISCLAIMER**** I am still having formatting issues. Please bear with me as I work through them Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy By: Karen Foxlee Published: Jan.28, 2014. 240 pages. Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers Summary via Goodreads.com: Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help. As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world. A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up My review: I have not read a Children's book purely for my own entertainment. I usually will read a chapter with my son occasionally. I was sent this book by the author to read prior to the release date,and I am very glad I dug right into this. This book was really magical. It had everything: a normal girl, her sister and father. Museum exhibits that come to life. The villain. The Hero. Love. Sadness. Happiness. Freight. And so much more. The story begins with Ophelia and her family at the museum. They have just lost their Mother/Wife and are still grieving her loss. The father takes a job at a museum putting together a sward exhibit. While they're there, Ophelia goes exploring and discovers a boy living in a room. They can see each other just by peering through the small key hole. Ophelia is introduced to magic and mystery as soon as she encounters the boy. She has a mission she needs to accomplish in order to save the boy, and the world from the evil of the Snow Queen. There are a lot of terrifying moments as she moves about to accomplish this mission before the world is taken over by the evil Snow Queen. Ophelia deals with many issues in this book. Like the exhibits coming to life, specifically the Misery Birds who are something I never want to encounter. It is as this mission unfolds that the real world and the magical worlds collide. What seems real isn't and what isn't real seems that it is. There are some characters who play a dual role in this story, and it has you guessing from start to finish. Ophelia is a brave little girl. For someone who has just encountered so much pain and heart ache, this almost gives her the chance to work with her mom and have her mom by her side as she follows instructions to get from point A to B to C........ This book uses so much imagination, and that alone makes it a worthwhile read. I felt lost in the images of the museum, the time travel, the history and so much more. Books like this make me want to share them with all the children I know. In today's age, we are so lost in the world of technology, and focused on moving at the speed of light. Children should all be able to read a book of this type and find their creativity. Open up their minds and explore the museum with Ophelia. I have never been a big fantasy reader. I have always been kind of turned off by the thought of it, but this has opened up a new genre of interest for me. This book is listed as appropriate for ages 8-12, and honestly I think that kids of all ages, from 8 to 100 will love to read this. I plan on letting my son read it once his reading pile gets a little smaller. This book was 4 out of 5 stars for me. I wish the author much luck and success with this book, and give many thanks for allowing me to read it early!