Review - Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Paperback: 563 pages
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: 01 May 2005
ISBN13: 9780439709101

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever.

This is INKHEART--a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.

Inkheart isn't aimed at adults but it was entertaining enough and kept me reading to the end.

The cover of the book makes it appear like a light, fantasy story filled with fairies and nice things......but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, there are a few fairies but only enough to fill a sentence or 3, the rest of the book is given over to dark, sinister types with murderous intent.

The concept is a fascinating one. The ability to read characters and things out from the pages of a book. As great as that sounds, the reality of it is more of a curse than a gift as the lead characters find out, and you're left wondering right up to the end how they can put things to right.

If this book has any flaws, it's perhaps that at times the pace stalls and is slow to pick up again, also I feel the villians seem to be a bit too one dimensional. Pain, suffering, misery and fear seem to be all there is to them but perhaps since they're a 'baddie' in a storybook, that's all they need ???

I wouldn't recommend it to be bumped to the top of anyone's TBR pile but it's a nice book to fill in the 'between books' times, that might crop up.

Review - The Future for Curious People

Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: Pan Books
Publication date: 02 Sept 2014
ISBN: 978-1444770360

What if you could know your romantic future? What if an envisionist could enter the name of your prospective mate into a computer that would show you a film of your future life together?

In The Future for Curious People, a young librarian named Evelyn becomes obsessed with this new technology: she can’t stop visiting Dr. Chin’s office because she needs to know that she’ll meet someone and be happy one day. Godfrey, another client, ends up at the envisionist’s office only because his fiancée insisted they know their fate before taking the plunge. But when Godfrey meets Evelyn in the waiting room, true love may be right in front of them, but they are too preoccupied—and too burdened by their pasts—to recognize it.

I just lapped this story up! I could barely put it down and read it cover to cover in almost one sitting. It's just so good and exactly the sort of thing I love. I was just sucked in from page one.

It's a romance but with a bit of a twist - For anyone who wants to see their romantic future with a potential partner there is a service available called 'envisioning'. With the help of Dr Chin and his coin operated envisioning machine, Godfrey Burkes initially sets out to see his future with his potential fiance but a chance meeting with a woman in the waiting room leads him to question his future with the woman he had hoped to marry. His other half is also visiting another envisionist's office hoping for some guidance in her romantic future as she has questions she'd like answered before she says 'Yes'.

Told in alternating point of view between Godfrey and Evelyn it's very entertaining and such a joy to see it all come together as the story plays out. All the characters were really fleshed out and the dialogue between them all is hilarious. I loved the main characters, Godfrey and Evelyn, but the secondary characters were every bit as wonderful. I just loved them all. They're quirky and likeable so much fun to read about. 

This would make a fantastic rom-com movie. The characters and dialogue are just begging to be put on the screen and I'll keep my fingers crossed that someone sees the potential for that because I'd love to see it. 

From start to almost finish I had this pegged as a five star read but I was a bit disappointed by the ending. Everything else was given proper page-time to play out and was so well constructed but the ending felt a bit rushed. It wasn't a satisfying conclusion given how wonderful the rest of the story was.

I think this is the first romance I've ever read which was written by a male author but hopefully it wont' be the last. This author can definitely write.

Review - The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Paperback: 291 pages
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: 26 June 2012
ISBN13: 9780812984750

On an ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer; gravity is affected; the birds, the tides, human behavior, and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world that seems filled with danger and loss, Julia also must face surprising developments in herself, and in her personal world-divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by her friends, the pain an vulnerability of first love, a growing sense of isolation, and a surprising, rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking portrait of people finding ways to go on in an ever-evolving world.

When I started this I thought I was going to get some kind of Apocalyptic End of the World type story but I can't really say that's how it turned out. It's more a coming of age type story with a bit of monumental planetary change in the background.

It's a very good story and it's very well written, this lady can definitely tell a great story. It's just not what I was expecting. I thought the title was referring to an Age as a period in time but now I'm wondering if it's a reference to the chronological age of the narrator.

The narrator is 11 year old Julia and she tells her story mostly from a point in the future as she looks back on what happened when the Earth stopped rotating. What we never find out is 'why' it happened. I'm not sure if it's because Julia is/was 11 and just wasn't concerned with the 'why's' but it was a little frustrating to only get some of the picture.

Mostly it's about growing up, first love, transitioning into adulthood and dealing with pre-teen issues...with a backdrop of potential apocalypse. If it were just a straightforward coming of age tale I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. It's a great story but I was in it for the End Of The World and seeing that side of things play out were what kept me going.

Very well done and scarily believable. Overall I really liked it and would recommend it..

Review - Once a Ferrera Wife by Sarah Morgan

Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Presents #3043
Publication date: Feb 2012
ISBN13: 9780373130498

For better...or for bedding?

Laurel Ferrara wouldn't know a happy ending if she fell over it - of course her whirlwind wedding was always going to end in disaster. But it wasn't as simple as just walking away. From the moment she is summoned back to Sicily, the shivers of unease set in....

The command comes from legendary billionaire Cristiano Ferrara, the husband she can't forget - but it might as well have come from the devil himself. The outrageously gorgeous Cristiano's power is a potent reminder of this Sicilian dynasty's unbreakable rule: once a Ferrara wife, always a Ferrara wife....

It's been a while since I read any Mills & Boon but this one has made me remember how much I used to enjoy them. This isn't the first book I've read by Sarah Morgan but I didn't realise she was a M&B author too so I'll have to see if there are any I've missed. I hope there are lots more as she writes such great stories and I'm always charmed by her characters.

The chemistry between Cristiano and Laurel was electric and I was rooting for them the whole way through. I don't always enjoy romances to have friction and misunderstandings that need to be worked through but here I just lapped it up. For anyone who is familiar with M&B type romances it's quite predictable- separated couple who are thrown back together during a family member's wedding have to work through their differences while trying to convince themselves and each other that they've moved on. I just love stories about reunions with ex's. They sometimes frustrate me because a lot of the misunderstandings could be avoided if they would just sit down and talk to each other but they spend all of their energy trying to hide their true feelings and thinking the worst of each other. They do say that the path to true love never runs smooth, I suppose and it wouldn't be much of a story if they sorted it all out in the first chapter after a quick chat.

Wonderful setting of Sicily and Cristiano was a great Italian hero. Laurel was just the right mix of strong yet vulnerable and I actually shed a tear or two as they worked out their differences.

Lovely story and one I'd go back to.

If you're looking for another great Sarah Morgan story, try The Tortured Rake (Bad Blood - Book 1) it's every bit as wonderful as this one.

Review - Cowboy Take Me Away by Jane Graves

Kindle: 428 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: 28 April 2013
ISBN13: 9781455515196

FIRST LOVE BURNS HOTTER

Rainbow Valley, Texas, has always been a refuge for animals, and Shannon North, director of the local shelter, intends to keep it that way. But with donations drying up and more pets in need of a loving home than ever before, Shannon's beginning to fear she's not the savior the shelter needs. When a tall, dark, and handsome cowboy from her past comes to the rescue, she knows that accepting his help may come with a high price: her heart.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

Bad boy Luke Dawson shook the dust from this little town off his boots years ago. He walked away from everything...except the memory of the one night of passion he shared with Shannon. Now, a few wins away from becoming the world bull-riding champion, Luke's headed for fame and fortune. But then a crisis calls him back to Rainbow Valley, and Luke is reunited with the good girl who stole--and broke--his heart. As their rekindled relationship deepens into desire, old secrets resurface, and Luke must choose between the future he's always dreamed of and the only woman he's ever loved.

Small Town Romance in Texas ~This was so wonderful! I loved it so much! It's the first book in a series called Rainbow Valley. I can't fault it at all, it's all kinds of awesome! I don't have enough chick lit under my belt to know what's formulaic and what's not but I think if all of them were this kind of perfect I'd have no problem with that and could read them all day long. I'll definitely be looking out for any and all cowboy romance books from now on.

I tried to make it last as long as I could while at the same time wrestling with the urge to race to the last page to see how it ended. I just ate up every word.

It's got a tortured and troubled Rodeo hero (cowboy Luke *swoon*) who shares history with the reluctant heroine (Shannon) who runs the animal shelter, a deluded dentist who also hopes to snag the heroine, an overbearing mother and a kitchy sister who sells found treasures on ebay, a few quirky gal pals and some rescued animals in desperate need of new, loving, forever homes. Did I mention the cowboy? It's just so good! I barely know where to begin to explain how much I loved it. I can't put it into words... It's romantic and funny, sad and touching, exciting and inspiring. It's got it all.

The little side stories are so cute too and I really hope there's another story in the pipeline for Russell the dentist I'd love to know how he gets on. To begin with I just wanted him to get lost and grow a pair but by the end I was rooting for him and I hope he gets a story of his own.

It's just a really, really good story which has been written really, really well. I'll maybe let my thoughts settle and see if I can come up with a more coherent review, at the moment I'm just too gushy and fangirly over it to string a decent sentence together.

My only small gripe is with the ending, it seemed rushed. I wanted to know every little detail but the last chapter was 'this happened' and then 'this happened', The End. What was there was good, but I felt I was being hurried to the exit door with a firm hand on my elbow.

I'm desperate to read the follow on book(s) and I will.  Soon!

SUCH a great read!

Review - The Cat Kin by Nick Green

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Lulu Press
Publication date: 01 Jan 2005
ISBN13: 9781411664234

Everyone who came across the strange gym class was looking for something else. What they found was Mrs Powell - mysterious Mrs Powell with her silent feet, unnerving stare and merciless warm-up exercises. What they found was pashki, a lost art from an age when cats were worshipped as gods. But Ben and Tiffany wonder: who is their eccentric old teacher? What does she really want? And why do they suddenly seem to be able to see in the dark? 

What an interesting book. It's aimed at children but has enough going for it to hold the older generation's interest too. It's a bit different to others which are on the shelves at the moment.

The premise is that a group of misfit kids sign up for various activities at the leisure center - but upon getting to their first classes they somehow get sidetracked into a pashki class that they didn't intend to go to, without realising it. They're all very different and they don't know each other before that first meeting but somehow the pashki class brings them all together and makes them look out for each other outside of the classes. Pashki is an ancient art which involves invoking their inner cat and finding skills they didn't know they had. Sounds suspect but it's all put together really well and keeps you turning pages to find out where it's headed.

There are some pretty nasty villain's in the book, which might not be suitable for under 10's and the cruelty to animals might distress those with a soft heart. The violence isn't major, but it's maybe too much for younger age groups. There are a couple of loose ends left at the end, although the story ends neatly enough, and it's those loose ends that will be further developed in the follow on book, which I plan to read.

Review - True Love by Jude Deveraux

Paperback: 516 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: 27 May 2014
ISBN13: 9780345541819

Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman’s relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to the spirited Alix—fresh from a romantic breakup—but for reasons of her own Alix accepts the quirky bequest, in part because it gives her time to plan her best friend’s storybook wedding.

But unseen forces move behind the scenes, creaking Kingsley House’s ancient floorboards. It seems that Adelaide Kingsley had a rather specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women, Valentina, more than two hundred years ago. If that wasn’t troubling enough, Alix must deal with the arrogant (and extremely good-looking) architect Jared Montgomery, who is living in the property’s guesthouse.

Unbeknown to Alix, Jared has been charged with looking after her while she lives on the island—an easy task for him, considering the undeniable chemistry between the two. But Jared harbors secrets of his own, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair.

With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly, and the ghosts of the past begin to reveal themselves—some of them literally. Finding their lives inextricably entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that only by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together.

True Love is the first in The Nantucket Brides series - #1

This is the first Jude Deveraux book I've read so I don't know how it compares to her earlier stories but I believe the Montgomery family in this one are the descendants of the original Montgomery's from one of her earlier series.  I'm not entirely sure.

Anyway, the story... I enjoyed it.  Eventually.  I liked it right from the start but there was something that I can't quite put my finger on that stopped me from loving it.  It was a gradual thing because the two main characters took a bit of time for me to warm to and were more than a little frustrating in the beginning.  They grew on me over time though and as their romance blossomed I started to root for them. 

Usually I like my mysteries and romance story's kept separate and prefer one or the other but the two mingled really well here and I really liked the ghostly interactions.  I don't think it wouldn't have been half as good without them.  It's like two romances for the price of one. 

The setting of Nantucket is a good one and I got a real feeling of the place's beauty and History as I read.  Sounds like a wonderful place.  I'm not sure I'll want to read further into the series though.  I might have to get the earlier Montgomery series and start at the beginning to get a better feel for them all.  Maybe I'm just missing something here by not having read the others.

If you haven't read the other series it won't matter, this is a stand alone series (I think) but maybe having read her earlier work would have made me more attached to this one.

It's a lovely beach read kind of book and I'd recommend it if you like a bit of paranormal with your romance.