THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, chick-lit, mystery

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

I received this as an e-book from Netgalley. I haven’t read any other novels from Kristina McBride, however I read the synopsis and though it sounded liked a good book – and I was right!

The story is about one moment in time that changed everything. A group of six friends, who have been best friends since they were small, are hanging out at the creek by where they live at the beginning of the summer holidays before senior year. Maggie, Joey, Tanna, Pete, Shannon and Adam are drinking, messing around and just hanging out. Maggie is dared to jump from the the top of the creek into the water below with her boyfriend Joey. She is scared of heights and never done the jump before. Shannon is pushing her to do it – there is almost malice in her tone as she thinks Maggie won’t do it. Maggie does up to the top with Joey, but something isn’t right. She notices Joey is wearing a bracelet, something he has never done before. All of sudden, she is hiding and crying under a tree, Adam is looking for her and there is screaming all around. She didn’t make the jump – but it seems Joey did, and he is dead. What happened?

This is a well written, enjoyable book. I read it in the space of about 3 hours. I was hooked; the way McBride wrote the book made me want to know what happened. She jumps between past and present, telling the story about Maggie and Joey, and their group of friends, as Maggie desperately tries to get over Joey’s death, and remember what happened. The memories come back in flashes as we watch the group fall out, grieve and discover all of Joey’s secrets. It seems Joey was hiding a lot. I quickly worked out what his secret was – that he was dating  Shannon as well as Maggie – and then realised that Maggie worked that out when they were about to jump. However, I liked reading about the friendships they had, how the story fitted together and how Maggie worked through her pain. Working out the twist didn’t ruin the story at all.

I liked Maggie. I felt for her – her whole world was Joey, and losing him was awful. What made it worse was that she didn’t know what happened – did she kill him? I felt for her as she struggled through the grief, realised Joey wasn’t the person she thought he was and getting over the heartbreak her friends caused her. I liked Adam, Pete and Tanna too – Adam especially as Maggie was so important to her. Again, I wasn’t surprised when he revealed how he felt for her. The more the story went on, the angrier I got at Joey – he had seemed like a great guy to know, a great guy to date, but in fact he wasn’t at all, and right from the beginning Shannon seemed horrible. I like a book that makes me react to the characters and I wanted the best for Maggie and just felt anger towards Joey.

This was a really enjoyable book. The story had me hooked. The answers weren’t a surprise but this was written in a way that kept my interest. McBride writes great characters that I could dislike, cheer on and empathise with. This is a young adult book, but that didn’t stop the enjoyment. It wasn’t a tough book to read and I flew through the story – wanting to know every last detail. McBride portrays teenagers in an accurate way – hormonal, reckless and often doing what they shouldn’t – like getting drunk and throwing parties. She writes the parents well – protective, scared for their children and loving. The story was interesting and although the language and writing style didn’t test me, I was gripped from the beginning and read this very quickly. This is a great read.

Addition: Paperback, review book

Genre: Fiction, crime

Rating: 1 out of 5

Synopsis:

To serve society or humanity? It’s been fourteen years since the basketball-mad detective Fran Obrien captured the urban bomber Lavi, who has since moved to Spain and rehabilitated himself beyond recognition. Fran is fresh off a two-year sabbatical, during which he tended to 11-year-old Ben, the family comedian, and 17-year-old Alice, with, yes, as much attitude as you’d expect. His estranged boss Karl has retired and Fran must learn to deal with the new brass – no small task itself. His first assignment is to investigate an act of alleged political corruption which seems more wild goose chase than duck in a barrel, leading him to question his decision to return to work. After an extended-family culinary expedition to Budapest, Fran’s nine-to-five job takes him ‘almost’ to Albany and to Central America, where he must untangle the mother of all webs. His wife, local family doctor Darby, goes along for the ride, and, oh, piña coladas “to die for.” For a detective and amateur gourmet chef like no other, Cookbook for a New Europe is a ride Fran certainly didn’t expect. He’s been fiercely focused for years, but a spate of unintended yet momentous events unfolds once he gives free rein to his emotions, and his recipes.

I received this as a review book from the publisher Authorhouse. I have to say, I didn’t like the book. To be honest, I didn’t even finish it. I reached the halfway point and realised not only had I read several pages and taken in nothing, I also had no idea what was going on – which was how I felt for most of the read.

The story follows Fran, a NYPD cop. He has just finished a two year sabbatical but when he tries to go back to work, his return date is pushed back by a few more weeks. He decides to spend this time visiting distant relatives in Hungary, where he sightsees, is astonished most of the time by the food and discovers he is a choreographer in his head. When he returns to work, he is given a case that he thinks can’t be solved but will just keep him quiet for a few weeks, so he starts to spend his time drinking gross coffee and seeing his godson in prison.

I didn’t get any further than that when I was reading and I reached the middle of the book. The reasons I put the book down are these:

1. I mainly didn’t know what was going on
2. I found the writing very distorted – like Segal had suddenly had a thought that he must put to paper immediately, even though it doesn’t fit with anything else
3. I didn’t really like Fran – all he seemed to think about was himself and food
4. I found the story a bit boring. The synopsis is really interesting but the story itself isn’t. I was halfway through and he had barely started looking at the case mentioned.

I can only give this book 1 out of 5 as I didn’t finish it. This book didn’t hold my attention and it took me an hour to read 10 pages – life is too short for books I don’t enjoy so I put it down.

Katie’s Reading:

Currently Reading

I am still reading:

The Cookbook For A New Europe by Richard Segal

To serve society or humanity? It’s been fourteen years since the basketball-mad detective Fran Obrien captured the urban bomber Lavi, who has since moved to Spain and rehabilitated himself beyond recognition. Fran is fresh off a two-year sabbatical, during which he tended to 11-year-old Ben, the family comedian, and 17-year-old Alice, with, yes, as much attitude as you’d expect. His estranged boss Karl has retired and Fran must learn to deal with the new brass – no small task itself. His first assignment is to investigate an act of alleged political corruption which seems more wild goose chase than duck in a barrel, leading him to question his decision to return to work. After an extended-family culinary expedition to Budapest, Fran’s nine-to-five job takes him ‘almost’ to Albany and to Central America, where he must untangle the mother of all webs. His wife, local family doctor Darby, goes along for the ride, and, oh, piña coladas “to die for.” For a detective and amateur gourmet chef like no other, Cookbook for a New Europe is a ride Fran certainly didn’t expect. He’s been fiercely focused for years, but a spate of unintended yet momentous events unfolds once he gives free rein to his emotions, and his recipes.

I’m only about 60 pages further on than I was last week! I am just waiting for the story to get going really. However, Fran is back in the USA after having been to Hungary to visit family and is about to start work again so I’m looking forward to how the story will develop. I’m still struggling a little with how it is written but hopefully I will get used to it.
The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you’re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that’s before the arrival of Catherine’s sister, Bryony.

I haven’t even picked this book up since last week – hopefully I’ll get to it over the weekend.
The other books I’m reading are Christian books. I dip in and out of these and use them as Bible study tools. They are:

Last Week’s Reading

This week I only finished one book:

Bestselling author Stormie Omartian inspires women to develop a deeper relationship with their husbands by praying for them. This encouraging resource is packed with practical advice on praying for specific areas of a husband’s life including his decision-making fears spiritual strength role as father, leader faith and future

Every woman who desires a closer relationship with her husband will appreciate the life illustrations, select Scripture verses, and the assurances of God’s promises and power for their marriage.

This book covers a whole range of issues which might occur in a marriage and ways to work through them and cling to God at the same time. I found this helpful and I will be able to dip in and out of this book in the future

Kirsten’s Reading:

Currently Reading

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

I am just about to start reading ‘The Winter Ghosts’ by Kate Mosse, which was lent to me by a friend, who read it recently and said that she enjoyed it. I’m excited to start reading and will review it when I’m done.

The Great War took much more than lives. It robbed a generation of friends, lovers and futures. In Freddie Watson’s case, it took his beloved brother and, at times, his peace of mind. In the winter of 1928, still seeking resolution, Freddie is travelling through the French Pyrenees. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. He stumbles through woods, emerging in a tiny village. There he meets Fabrissa, a beautiful woman also mourning a lost generation. Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories. By the time dawn breaks, he will have stumbled across a tragic mystery that goes back through the centuries.

Lover Reborn by J. R. Ward

This week I also intend to read ‘Lover Reborn’ by J. R. Ward. This is the tenth book in a series called ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series. I have read the entire series thus far and really love it. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of warrior vampires who all live and fight together against their enemies, the ‘Lessers’. Each book tells a love story about each of the brothers. This is not vampire fiction like you’ve read before as it doesn’t follow the conventional myths of vampirism – but do not fear, they don’t sparkle! I cannot wait to read this latest offering from the wonderful J. R. Ward.

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Now back in the Brotherhood – and unrecognisable as the vampire leader he once was –Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams – trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld – Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he’s told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . . Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

 I bought this in a charity shop the other day. I’ve heard that it is supposed to be good and I am trying to read more classics and so decided to give it a go. Looking forward to seeing what it’s like.

Set in turn-of-the-century New York, Edith Wharton’s classic novel The Age of Innocence reveals a society governed by the dictates of taste and form, manners and morals, and intricate social ceremonies. Newland Archer, soon to marry the lovely May Welland, is a man torn between his respect for tradition and family and his attraction to May’s strongly independent cousin, the Countess Ellen Olenska. Plagued by the desire to live in a world where two people can love each other free from condemnation and judgment by the group, Newland views the artful delicacy of the world he lives in as a comforting security one moment, and at another, as an oppressive fiction masking true human nature. The Age of Innocence is at once a richly drawn portrait of the elegant lifestyles, luxurious brownstones, and fascinating culture of bygone New York society and a compelling look at the conflict between human passions and the social tribe that tries to control them.

Last Week’s Reading

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

I have just finished reading a book called ‘The Calling’ by Kelley Armstrong which is the second book in what is to be a trilogy called ‘Darkness Rising’. I really enjoyed this book and read it in literally a matter of hours. I have read the first book in the trilogy as well and cannot wait for the concluding instalment. I would definitely recommend this, and other books by this author, to anyone who enjoys reading ‘Paranormal/Fantasy’ fiction. Four stars!

Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

I have also not long finished a book called ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ by Ann Radcliffe. It took me quite a long time to read this book as it was very long and very dense (and I stopped a couple of times to read other things)! The book is a classic ‘Gothic Horror/Ghost Story’. It is very suspenseful and has true thriller moments. A good read if you have the patience to endure it and, as far as I was concerned, well worth the slog.

With The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe raised the Gothic romance to a new level and inspired a long line of imitators. Portraying her heroine’s inner life, creating a thick atmosphere of fear, and providing a gripping plot that continues to thrill readers today, The Mysteries of Udolpho is the story of orphan Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt’s new husband, Montoni. Inside the castle, she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni’s threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors that threaten to overwhelm her.

Review written by Kirsten!
Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival

After a great uprising that happened years before this book is set, the twelve districts of Panem are pitted against one another in an annual event known as ‘the Hunger Games’, for the entertainment of the elite population of the ‘Capitol’. In the first installment of this dystopian fantasy trilogy we follow the female contestant from District Twelve, Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is dragged from her simple and impoverished life in the slums of District Twelve and thrown into the cut and thrust of the Hunger Games and the fame that comes from being a contestant. As she is caught up in the fast paced action surrounding the games she soon learns that her whole life is just a ‘game’ in the eyes of the Capitol and that to get anywhere, she has to play along.

I really enjoyed this book as I found the world, created by Suzanne Collins, amazingly intricate in detail yet deeply disturbing. The book is very well written and has a gripping plotline that left me wanting to know what would happen next – fortunately there are two books that follow.

As for the characters, I found the awkward nature (unusual for a protagonist) of Katniss rather fascinating as it lent itself very much to the portrayal of her as the unexpected heroine. I also found that the characters of the Capitol members were well placed as they were written as humorous caricatures of elite society, which added an amusing and ridiculous note to the book.

I thought this book was really well written and, even though it is set in a fictional dystopian world, many of the themes that Collins deals with (such as love or politics) have a universality which makes the world of Panem, and the lives of the characters, more accessible to readers in today’s society. I think Collins does well in taking the controversial nature of the dystopian genre of fiction and makes it more mainstream and easier to grasp.

The Hunger Games is classified as ‘Teenage/Young Adult’ fiction but I think that the genre and the writing style lend themselves to a much wider audience. It was a brilliant read and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

I have exciting news: my good friend Kirsten is going to start blogging with me

I met Kirsten in Brighton, at CCK, our church. Kirsten is a Christian, loves Brighton, reading – she owns several hundred books, God and studied English and Philosophy. She also, like me, loves baking and knitting! She is awesome, a great friend and I can’t wait to review with her!

Currently Reading

As usual, I am reading 6 books! The “main” book I am reading is:

The Cookbook For A New Europe by Richard Segal

To serve society or humanity? It’s been fourteen years since the basketball-mad detective Fran Obrien captured the urban bomber Lavi, who has since moved to Spain and rehabilitated himself beyond recognition. Fran is fresh off a two-year sabbatical, during which he tended to 11-year-old Ben, the family comedian, and 17-year-old Alice, with, yes, as much attitude as you’d expect. His estranged boss Karl has retired and Fran must learn to deal with the new brass – no small task itself. His first assignment is to investigate an act of alleged political corruption which seems more wild goose chase than duck in a barrel, leading him to question his decision to return to work. After an extended-family culinary expedition to Budapest, Fran’s nine-to-five job takes him ‘almost’ to Albany and to Central America, where he must untangle the mother of all webs. His wife, local family doctor Darby, goes along for the ride, and, oh, piña coladas “to die for.” For a detective and amateur gourmet chef like no other, Cookbook for a New Europe is a ride Fran certainly didn’t expect. He’s been fiercely focused for years, but a spate of unintended yet momentous events unfolds once he gives free rein to his emotions, and his recipes.

I received this book from the publisher AuthorHouse. I’m only a few pages in. The writing style is unusal – hard to explain really, it feels a bit disjointed but I’m sure I will get used to it.

The other novel I am reading, albeit slowly, is:

The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you’re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that’s before the arrival of Catherine’s sister, Bryony.

If I’m honest, this book isn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. The story is a little slow. I’m up to page 90 and I don’t real feel like the story has got going yet. I will keep going but it may take a while!

The other books I’m reading are Christian books. I dip in and out of these and use them as Bible study tools. They are:

Last Week’s Reading

I had a good reading week – I finished 3 books! They are:

The Heaven Answer Book by Billy Graham

God’s Word says heaven awaits all the saints of His kingdom, but how many of us really know what heaven will be like? The Heaven Answer Book is a biblically based book written in Q&A format with answers to commonly asked questions about our future and final home. Topics include what we’ll do, what we’ll be, what we’ll see, our rewards in heaven, and more. Billy Graham’s trustworthy Bible knowledge offers interesting insight and enduring truth about how believers can prepare their hearts for spending eternity with their Maker and Lord.

I receieved this as a review book from Netgalley. I didn’t use this as a study book, I just read it like a novel! Each chapter is only a couple of pages long and each one answers a question about heaven, the Bible, Jesus etc. I thought this was a good book, clear and helpful. It is a “gift” book so the pages were decorated, which wouldn’t work on a Kindle, but looked nice on the computer. Review to come.

The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller

Meri is newly married, pregnant, and standing on the cusp of her life as a wife and mother, recognizing with some terror the gap between reality and expectation. Delia Naughton—wife of the two-term liberal senator Tom Naughton—is Meri’s new neighbor in the adjacent New England town house. Delia’s husband’s chronic infidelity has been an open secret in Washington circles, but despite the complexity of their relationship, the bond between them remains strong. What keeps people together, even in the midst of profound betrayal? How can a journey imperiled by, and sometimes indistinguishable from, compromise and disappointment culminate in healing and grace? Delia and Meri find themselves leading strangely parallel lives, both reckoning with the contours and mysteries of marriage, one refined and abraded by years of complicated intimacy, the other barely begun.

I enjoyed this book. It was a more literary chick-lit than the usual I read but it was a good read. The story followed Meri and Delia and the two separate lives they lead as neighbours. It was a storyline that sucked me in and I found myself wanting to read more.

The Africa House by Christina Lamb

In the declining years of the British Empire, in Northern Rhodesia, Stewart Gore-Browne was a proper English gentleman who built himself a sprawling country estate, complete with liveried servants, rose gardens, and lavish dinners finished off with vintage port in the library. All that was missing was a woman to share it with. He adored the beautiful aviatrix Ethel Locke King, but she was almost twenty years his senior, married, and his aunt. Lorna, the only other woman Gore-Brown cared for, was married as well, but years later her orphaned daughter would become Gore-Browne’s wife. The story of a colonialist who beat his servants yet supported Rhodesian independence and who was given a chief’s burial by the local elders when he died, “The Africa House” rescues “from oblivion the life story of an astonishing man, an astonishing marriage, and an astonishing house” (“The Spectator”).

This is our book club read for the month. It is about Stewart Gore-Brown, an Englishman who tried to take England to Africa. I have to be honest, I did not like this book. It is a non-fiction book that felt like Lamb was trying to turn into a novel – quite unsuccessfully. I didn’t like Gore-Brown and found it a tough, boring read.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Paperback, borrowed from a friend

Genre: Christian fiction, chick-lit

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

In the high-powered world of filmmaking, two unknown producers struggle to make a name for themselves. With millions of investors’ dollars on the line, they wonder if it’s possible to beat the odds and make a movie unlike anything ever done before.

This is the first Karen Kingsbury novel I have read – this series, The Above The Line Series was recommened to me by my lovely manager at work, and I really enjoyed the first book!

The story follows Chase and Keith – two friends who used to be missionaries, who have decided to try their hand at film making. They have to trust God completely for all the funds, for actors who will work well and respect their beliefs, and for the film to be a success and even make them some money. They face all sorts of challenges – from actors walking off set because Chase and Keith are Christians, to the food van burning down. The whole event tests their faith and the strength of friends and family to help them through. We are also introduced to Andi and Bailey in this book. Andi is Keith’s daughter who has just started university and Bailey is her roommate. We follow them also, as Andi struggles with the temptations of uni life – alcohol and boys; while Bailey struggles with her feelings for Cody – the guy she has loved for a long time but after he arrived back from Iraq told her to date Tim – and Tim, who she is dating. Is he more interested in New York and pursuing acting then he is in her?

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the first page and it took me a matter of hours to read this book. This is a well written novel that has a gripping storyline. I liked the characters and I found Kingsley wrote in a way that was engaging. The book features many characters but each chapter changed the focus of the story and followed a different character. I liked that Kingsley did that – I felt I got to know all the characters well this way.

I enjoy a book much more if I like the characters and I liked all of them in this book. I liked Keith and Chase and how they were pursuing their dream – and what they believed God told them to do. I liked how they kept each other strong and how they fought for each in prayer. I liked the girls as well – Andi and Bailey. I liked how they developed a good friendship and it was enjoyable reading about them.

I felt Kingsley wrote really well and presented her characters will real situations. Andi facing temptations such as alcohol is a real problem for teenagers and I think Kingsley deals with this in a brilliant way. She doesn’t duck away from the issue – she lets Andi discover alcohol and the consequences that come along with it. Kingsley is real and honest and very readable. She writes some great characters – a whole range of them that I loved – and she wrote storylines that were realistic and I could empathise with.

This was a brilliant read. I am glad I have been introduced to Karen Kingsley and this series – I will be reading it all! This is definitely well worth reading – whether you are a Christian or not!

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Christian, religion

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

This is the second Max Lucado book I have read and I found it a good read. I received this book from Netgalley to read and review.

It is about Jesus Christ and what He did on earth, by dying on the Cross to take our sins and being raised from the dead by God to defeat death. This book was Scripture led and full of truth, however Lucado did embelish the story out a bit so we had an idea of what Jesus might have been doing or thinking leading up to His death, but this doesn’t stray far from what is written in the Gospels.

Lucado gives a clear account of what Jesus did on the cross – how He died and rose again to take away the sin of the world. He is clear that we need to respond to Jesus, that we need to receive forgiveness and grace and he gives opportunity in the book to do that. This was not a difficult read and it didn’t challenge me, but I found it a great read and a great reminder of the Gospel.

This is a beautifully presented book – I had an e-book version and it wouldn’t have worked on a Kindle due to the images and colour but it looked great on the computer:

This was an easy read, but very clear about God’s love for us and how He sent His Son to live a life we couldn’t live and die for us to defeat sin and death so that we might repent and live forever with God. Lucado is clear and readable and I think this is a great book about the Gospel.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Addition: Paperback
Genre: Chick-Lit
Rating: 3 out of 5
Synopsis:

Nothing could tear Lola and Dougie apart, except his mother Seventeen-year-old Lola has no intention of accepting when her boyfriend’s snobbish mother offers her a huge bribe to break up with him. Then Lola discovers a secret that makes her think again, and the only way she can help one of the people she loves most in the world is to take the money and break Dougie’s heart.

Ten years later, when Lola meets Dougie again, her feelings for him are as strong as ever. She’ll do almost anything to get him back, but she can never tell him the truth. Can she overcome his bitterness and win his heart? She’s attractive, persuasive, and endlessly optimistic, but even Lola’s got her work cut out for her this time.

I enjoy Jill Mansell’s books, she never lets me down! I have several of her novels on my bookcase waiting for me to read. I’ve had this one for a while, so it qualifies for the TBR Challenge

This novel follows Lola, a girl of just 17 who is offered £10,000 to dump her boyfriend – by her boyfriend’s mother. She believes Lola isn’t good enough for her son Dougie. Lola shoots her down, but then discovers she needs the money to help her step-father get out of trouble. She promises to tell no-one about the money, or why she took it, so she dumps Dougie and leaves the country. Ten years later, back in the UK, she stops a mugging, only to later find out the lady who was being attacked was Dougie’s mother. Whilst she is round at the celebration meal, Dougie overhears her on the phone telling Gabe, her cute next-door neighbour about the money. When he hears this all he can feel is anger and hate. However, in her distress, Lola strikes up a friendship with Sally, Dougie’s older sister, who ends up living across the hall from her. Lola can’t believe how she feels for Dougie though when she sees him again and finds ways to keep seeing him – of course this is helped by her friendship with Sally. Yet Dougie is not interested at all…can his heart be changed?

I liked Lola. I felt sorry for her having to take that money to help out Alex, her step-father, after he lost everything gambling. I loved that she refused to tell anyone that was the reason why she took the money too. However, her persistant longing for Dougie was a bit annoying after a while – she seemed to pine for him all the time! I actually found Doug arrogant and a bit annoying! He was the injured party but he seemed to think he was better than Lola because he came from more money (like his mother in face – who I really didn’t like!) I did like Sally though! She seemed like she would be a fun person to hang out with! I liked Gabe too and felt sorry for him that the new job direction he was going down wasn’t going well!

This is an entertaining book, a chick-lit novel about first love, friendship and what we will do for those we love. If I’m completely honest, this isn’t my favourite Jill Mansell novel. It was a simple story with a predictable outcome – the only shock being that Lola’s biological father turned up out of the blue. I didn’t find myself desperate to know what was going to happen, but that said, I did read it to the end and I did enjoy it. This didn’t challenge me or move me in anyway, but I did enjoy it and it did entertain me.

This was a fairly quick read, even if it was over 400 pages long! The outcomes – the different romances – didn’t surprise me at all. I thought that there was an excessive amount of talking about sex – wondering if they were having it, why they weren’t etc. It didn’t add anything to the story and I was a bit fed up of it by the end. This is a light read though, entertaining and fun. This isn’t the best Mansell I’ve read but it hasn’t put me off her books. I’m glad I’ve finally read this book and I did enjoy it.

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there’s that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who’s struggling to keep her and her mom’s act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie’s weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she’s being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town “witch,” gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted “Star Seeker” is meant to command. “Who, me?” is Allie’s first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she’s got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

I really enjoy young adult, fantasy novels. I loved the Twilight series, the Iron Fey series and I’m currently enjoying the Trylle series. This book had a lot of pressure on it, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

This is a review book from Netgalley and is the first book in the Unbidden Magic series by Marilee Brothers. The star of the book is Allie – a normal girl who receives magical powers after getting an electric shock. She has mind control powers – something she discovers when she stops a bull from trampling her just be thinking “please stop” in a panic. She is visited by a guardian angel, who seems more hippy than angel, who tells her of her power and about a prophecy. Later, she is given a beautiful pendant – a moonstone pendant – by her friend Kizzy. With it comes responsibilty and power – but also jealously and danger. She soon learns that people are greedy and will try and steal the stone; and some are evil, her arch enemies, who want the moonstone for disaster. She has to learn to fight, to use her power and to trust those close to her.

This was a good book. I am reminded a little of Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly Series, where Harper is struck by lightening and develops physic powers. This novel has excitement, danger, humour and love. We have heroes and villians and a plot that is fast paced and engaging. Very quickly into the book key events happen – Allie received the electric shock and meets her guardian angel – and the story moves on and develops at a good rate. I didn’t lose interest in this book, it kept me reading as I wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked that there were other stories running alongside the main story of the moonstone. We learnt about Allie’s Mum and the life they were living. We saw how events changed her Mum and the attitude she had to life. We also met Allie’s Father, a man she knew nothing about and at the end of the book we learnt about the significance he is going to have in the following books. There is of course a love story as well. Allie meets Junior – an ex-gang member who has reformed his ways and is intent on looking out for her.

I liked Allie. She was smart, quick-witted and when she needed to be, fearless. I loved that even though her Mum drove her insane, she was prepared to fight for her and their lives. I really liked Kizzy, a lady the children all thought was a witch. She was caring and loving towards Allie. I found Junior an interesting character. For an ex-gang member he was awwfully nice! I like a book with villians too – I like a book where the characters spark reactions from me, and this book had just that. I didn’t like Revelle, the guy who wanted to use the moonstone for evil and I didn’t like Carmel, Kizzy’s daughter, who wanted the moonstone for greed. Neither of them were nice and both of them bothered me!

This was an enjoyable book and I will definiately be reading the next book in the series. This is a young adult fantasy novel which I really enjoyed. It was gripping – I wanted to know what Allie was going to face and how she would overcome things; I liked the characters – they were engaging, even if I didn’t like some of them; and it had everything I want in a book: excitement, adventure, a good plot and good characters. This isn’t a hard read but it was enjoyable. There were some things that were predictable, but it was a good read nevertheless and I’m looking forward to book 2!