Book Review: A Dangerous Engagment by Melanie Dickerson

 

Book Description:

Just as merchant’s daughter Felicity Mayson is spurned once again because of her meager dowry, she receives an unexpected invitation to Lady Blackstone’s country home. Being introduced to the wealthy Oliver Ratley is an admitted delight, as is his rather heedless yet inviting proposal of marriage. Only when another of Lady Blackstone’s handsome guests catches Felicity’s attention does she realize that nothing is what it seems at Doverton Hall.

Government agent Philip McDowell is infiltrating a group of cutthroat revolutionaries led by none other than Lady Blackstone and Ratley. Their devious plot is to overthrow the monarchy, and their unwitting pawn is Felicity. Now Philip needs Felicity’s help in discovering the rebels’ secrets—by asking her to maintain cover as Ratley’s innocent bride-to-be.

Philip is duty bound. Felicity is game. Together they’re risking their lives—and gambling their hearts—to undo a traitorous conspiracy before their dangerous masquerade is exposed.

Book Review:

Hmm...honestly my overwhelming feeling about this book is one of disappointment.  I really enjoyed a Spy's Devotion (the first in the series) and I haven't read the second one, but I was excited for this one. The cover is really pretty. Something just seemed really off in this book. Maybe it was because I don't remember A Spy's Devotion being YA. Not to say that YA wouldn't enjoy it, but the writing seemed to be a little more mature. This writing seemed very juvenile. And maybe that was because Felicity was supposed to be portrayed as young and inexperienced. Whatever it was it was annoying to me the whole book.

I had a hard time with the characters as well. Felicity was just annoying, Philip wasn't developed (he could have been a great character, but he wasn't), the Aunt and Oliver were over the top and their relationship was just weird. The revolutionist weren't a coherent group and I had a hard time believing that they would succeed in their fight. The escapes were overly simplistic and then you had to wonder since they were so simplistic why didn't they happen a lot earlier. Plus the ending was rushed and not well thought out.

Dickerson is a clean entertaining author, but I'd skip this one and read some of her other stuff.


 
Title: A Dangerous Engagement
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Publisher: Waterfall Press
Published: September 2017
ASIN:  B06Y59J2SZ 
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  

Book Review: Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason

 

Book Description:

Elite Guardians bodyguard Haley Callaghan may be in South Carolina, but when a photo leads investigators in West Ireland to open a twenty-five-year-old cold case, her life is suddenly in danger. Haley knows how to take care of herself; after all, she's made a career out of taking care of others. But after an uncomfortably close call, Detective Steven Rothwell takes it upon himself to stay with her--and the young client she has taken under her wing. A protector at heart, he's not about to let Haley fight this battle alone.

In a sweeping plot that takes them into long-buried memories--and the depths of the heart--Haley and Steven will have to solve the mystery of Haley's past while dodging bullets, bombs, and bad guys who just won't quit.

Book Review:

Aren't all the covers in this series beautiful? Very clean and streamlined.  I love how the title is in a bold color, but it still meshes well with the person on the cover. I also love how the person on the cover could actually fit the main character in the book.  It's those little details that drive me bonkers when they aren't right. But this cover nails it on the head. Kudo's to the designing team there.

While this is the last book in the series, I really think you could read it by it's self and not get confused. I haven't read all of the series, and while I think that makes the book more enjoyable, I didn't feel lost or overwhelmed with backstory.  In fact, out of the ones in the series that I have read, this was probably my favorite. The characters were just right, the action and timing were spot on, and there was just the right amount of romance.

I read it so long ago that I can't remember anything that I didn't like about it. I'm sure there were some things, all novels have them, but I think it says a lot that it wasn't glaringly obvious or memorable. If I pick up a book and the first thing I remember about it is what I didn't like, that's not good. This book the overwhelming memory is of enjoyment and satisfaction. Take that for what it's worth, but if you like clean suspense novels, I'd definitely give this one a try.



Title: Chasing Secrets
Author: Lynette Eason
Publisher: Revell
Published: August 2017
ISBN:  0800723910 
Source: I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: For Love or Honor by Sarah M. Eden

Reviews * Giveaway

For Love or Honor by Sarah M. Eden

Book Description:

From the moment they met, Marjie’s heart has belonged to handsome Captain Stanley Jonquil, younger brother of the Earl of Lampton. But six long months ago, when Stanley’s sense of honor required that he do as he had sworn and return to the Continent to fight in defense of King and country, neither Stanley nor Marjie could have dreamed what the cost of his service would be. It has been ages since Stanley last wrote, and Marjie and the Jonquil family are plagued by his unknown fate—until the day he unexpectedly reappears. Marjie’s joy, however, is quickly shadowed by confusion—the aloof, battle-worn soldier before her is not the man he once was. In the wake of Stanley’s blatant disinterest in renewing their acquaintance, Marjie’s devastation turns to determination as she vows to help him find peace. But his scars run far deeper than anyone realizes. Despite his feelings for her, Stanley believes Marjie deserves a man whose hands are not stained with the violence of battlefields and whose mind and heart are not haunted by the horrors he has seen. Honor requires Stanley to return once more to the life he has grown to despise, one he knows will destroy him in the end, even as his heart beckons him to stay with Marjie, the only woman he could ever love, and the promise, at last, of redemption.

Andrea's Review:

Sarah M. Eden does it again! I am always so excited to read one of her books, especially when they have to do with the Jonquil brothers. I didn't remember much about Stanley-he was mentioned in the other books, of course, but he didn't stand out very much to me other than the fact that he was a soldier and usually gone. I felt like the relationship between Marjie and Stanley must have been mentioned in a prior book based on the bit of backstory we had in For Love or Honor, but I didn't remember Marjie. I need to go back and re-read Sarah's other Jonquil books. That said, this could be read as a stand alone novel, but I highly recommend reading all of Sarah's other books.

I read this very quickly, and my heartstrings were pulled many times at the agony Stanley had gone through during the war and what he was going through as he tried to remember to always be a solider. It was so sad that he didn't feel like he could unburden himself by sharing his losses with his loved ones.

Eden really knows how to get her readers emotionally involved in her character's lives. I devoured this book, and can't wait to read the next book (hopefully it will further the hint we got about Holy Harry).

Tarah's Review:

I was excited for this book because it was a Sarah Eden book, and because it was about the Jonquils, but I was also a little hesitant about this book because Stanley has never really been on my radar with this family. I was okay with the occasional side story of him and Marjie in Friends and Foes, I liked hearing Caroline in Drops of Gold refer to him as Stanby...with all the blue, and my heart broke for him in A Fine Gentleman when Mariposa told how the war was slowing killing his spirit.  I sort of felt like in all the stories he got his, and I was okay with that. But Sarah did it again. How she continually writes stories I didn't even know I wanted is beyond me. (Although, with that said can I tell you how excited I was to get a little peak into Holy Harry in this book?!?! That is going to be an interesting read, and who can't wait for little Charlie...trouble-making, I don't know who I am yet Charlie to get his own book. I seriously love this family).

I enjoyed Marjie in this book. She is a little different than the other women in the Jonquil family. Marion, Mariposa, and Sorrell are all really strong women. Clara, while quiet has a backbone, but Marjie was....sweet. She was maybe not strong like the other women, but maybe that helped me relate to her a little more. I will say that even though I liked Sorrel in her own story, she was kind of mean in this one.

One more little thing that I will try not to make a spoiler, but if I'm remembering correctly, characters from  A Glimmer of Hope show up in this novel. One of the reasons I enjoyed that novel is because it ended in such a way that I felt hope for the characters, and the ending was left open that I could imagine it ending how I wanted it to end. Well, this book killed that hope for me, and that made me sad. Now what going to happen with him?

I'm starting to ramble so I'll just say that I loved it, will read it again, and recommend it to my friends.


Rorie's Review:

The Jonquil books are some of my very favorite stories. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them so far, and this one is no different. I love how so many of the characters that I love from other Jonquil books play prominent roles in each story too.

This story is a bit different, because Marjie knows from the very beginning that she has fallen for Stanley, and he feels the same for her, although he is trying to keep those feelings at bay because he feels so hopeless with what his future holds.

This is kind of a difficult book to read and process at times, due to the horror that Stanley has experienced on the battlefield. I'm sure that they didn't have any idea what PTSD was back then, but it is clear that Stanley suffers from it. He has been through and seen so much during his time as a soldier, and it has pretty much taken away his will to live and turned him into just a shell of the man he once was. I found myself choking up several times throughout this story.

I completely enjoyed Pluck. He was hilarious. The phrases he came up with made me laugh out loud several times. Everyone should have a Pluck in their lives.

I have to say that I was kind of sad reading this story, because I'm realizing that we're running out of Jonquil brothers. I'm not certain on this, but I think only Holy Harry is left. I think the author needs to come up with some more ideas for this family, because I want to keep reading more about them!

Tour Schedule:

*Oct. 2^nd: http://brightlystreet.com/category/book-reviews/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/
*Oct. 3^rd: http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://thoroughlyhere.blogspot.com
*Oct. 4^th: http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/
*Oct. 5^th: https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/
* Oct 6^th: http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/

Tour Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: For Love or Honor
Author: Sarah M. Eden
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: October 2017
ISBN: 1524402567
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase:  Amazon | Kindle | Deseret Book

Blog Tour: Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

 Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Book Description:

Maddie is a normal twelve-year-old girl. Well, except for the fake mustaches she carries in her pocket. She likes to make people laugh and slapping on a mustache, especially a fuzzy pink or neon green one, always gets a smile. Maddie hopes that the class queen, Cassie, will find her mustaches as funny as she does and want to play with her at recess. She's been self-conscious lately because her right arm only feels normal when it's curled against her chest and she's constantly tripping over her feet. But that's probably just part of growing up and not something weird, right?

When Maddie's arm continues to bother her, her parents take her to a doctor who gives them a shocking diagnosis: the cause of the abnormal behavior of her limbs is a brain tumor and she must have surgery to remove it. She's understandably afraid as he describes the procedure, but knows she must find a way to be brave and must face her fears--all of them--at the hospital, at home and at school.

She will need all of her courage not only to face her illness, but also to face Cassie at school. Both Cassie and Maddie are auditioning for the same role in the school play, but when Cassie accuses Maddie of lying about her tumor in order to get attention, Cassie's bossiness turns into bullying.

And as Maddie's surgery approaches, she begins to worry more and more about the outcome. What if something goes wrong? What if the doctors don't get all the tumor out of her brain? What will happen to her family? What will happen to her?

It will take all of Maddie's vibrant imagination, a lot of kindness-both given and received-and of course, the perfect mustache to overcome the tough stuff ahead of her.

Andrea's Review:

When I first heard about the name of this book, I wasn't sure what to think, but it is a WONDERFUL read. Make sure you have some tissues handy, and then sit back and enjoy the ride.

Sixth grade was a long time ago, but it was easy to remember the game of trying to find your place. It is so sad that our human nature is to be selfish. Of course, not everyone is, but it's so easy to think the worst of others instead of trying to find out why they act the way they do. Mustaches for Maddie was inspiring in its lesson on compassion. And, that it just takes one brave person to make things better.

I highly recommend this book, and have given it to my kids to read.

Tarah's Review:

This book was a sweet, uplifting, funny, touching read. I loved reading about Maddie and her imagination. I love how she found the courage to be herself, even when it wasn't "popular". I love how she stood up for others, including the "bully". And I loved her mustaches :)

There are so many things I loved about this book. In fact, right after I finished reading it I handed it to my 7th grade daughter and told her to read it. I hope she does, and I hope she gets as much or more out of it than I did.

This middle grade book is one I think should be read by middle schoolers everywhere. But make sure you grab a box of tissues, because the emotions are real and you can't help but cheer on Maddie!

Rorie's Review:

This is a quick, enjoyable book to read. Shortly after I got this in the mail, several of the teachers in my kids' school posted on Facebook about how excited they were to be getting this book and reading it to their classes. Prior to that, I really didn't know much at all about Maddie's story.

Maddie is such a sweet, lovable person. I absolutely love her vivid imagination and all the games she comes up with. Her mustache antics made me smile too. She is such a sweet-hearted girl and my heart just broke for her with all the trials that she was going through with the brain tumor and the mean girl at school, all at the same time. It amazes me that through all of it, she was able to remain happy and optimistic, even though she was very scared.

I definitely recommend this book for just about every age. I think it can bring up several great discussions on bullying, being friends to everyone, and how we react to the trials we are given. I am so glad that Maddie's parents chose to write down Maddie's story to share with all of us.

Title: Mustaches for Maddie
Author: Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: October 2017
ISBN: 1629723304
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book

Book Review: Mysteries of Cove: Embers of Destruction by J. Scott Savage

Reviews

Mysteries of Cove: Embers of Destruction by J. Scott Savage

Book Description:

It's time to take the battle to the dragons.

In the third and final volume of the bestselling Mysteries of Cove series, Trenton and Kallista--along with their friends, Plucky, Simoni, Angus, and Clyde--fly their mechanical dragons south toward San Francisco, looking to rescue any survivors from the battle of Seattle.

Arriving in San Francisco and investigating the area in secret, the young riders are reunited with Kallista's father, Leo Babbage, who reveals that the humans in the city are working as slaves to the dragons, but that they don't want to be rescued--himself included. He says they are being protected by their new master: a huge, powerful white dragon who lives in an impenetrable tower fortress overlooking the city. Kallista is stunned by the news. Why would her father ever willingly want to work for dragons?

Trenton and his friends are confronted by the guards and their mechanical dragons are seized. Evading capture, the young riders escape and begin looking for a way to break the white dragon's hold over the city--and over Leo. Working with the kids from the city, the young riders track down the source of the dragon's power to an underground chamber that is accessible only through an underwater passageway below the tower fortress.

With the white dragon watching their every move, Trenton and Kallista will need every bit of creativity and ingenuity they can manage to find a way to retrieve their stolen dragons, enter the tower fortress, and take down the dragons once and for all.

Rorie's Review:

I loved the first two books in this series and was really looking forward to reading this one. I was not disappointed. The story drew me in right away, and even though it has been awhile since I read the second book, I didn't ever feel lost or like I would need to go back and read it again to remind myself what happened. (Actually, I had forgotten who Simoni and Angus were until the last half of this book, but that didn't detract from the story at all.)

Plucky is by far my favorite character. Her name completely fits her, and I really admire her strength, humor and determination. Clyde also shows that strong spirit with his determination to keep working on his art, even with what he was put through when he lived in Cove.

Trenton and Kallista are in a new situation, having to learn how to work in a group setting, instead of just relying on themselves like they were used to. There are a lot of growing pains with the group as everyone finds what role they fit into best.

I was pleased with the conclusion, even though it wasn't what I was expecting at all. This is definitely a series that I would recommend for youth and adults alike.

Tarah's Review:

Honestly, this is the first book of the series that I've read. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a stand alone novel, it wasn't too confusing. I like to know my characters and their stories, so I did miss out on that, but the great thing is my kids and I now have a new series to get into. I'm not the type that minds reading the last one first (as long as I'm not going to be totally lost, which I wasn't so it's all good).

Plucky was my favorite character, but I will admit she was a little hard to understand sometimes. I wondered if I would have understood her better had I read the previous books first. She was so well written that I could picture her in my mind and see her pulling out her knives and picking locks.

I also liked how the characters did "the right thing" and trusted each other even though they were very obviously from different backgrounds (maybe not where they lived, but how they were raised).

Overall I'm glad I read this and I'm looking forward to seeing what my 10-year-old thinks of it. Actually, I think my 12-year-old and my 8-year-old will enjoy it as well.

Zoie's Review:

I liked this book a lot. I liked how the characters in the book had to problem solve, and you could figure out the mysteries in the book on your own as the reader. This book introduced a lot of questions, but it also answered a lot of questions left lingering in the previous two books. One thing about this book that I really enjoyed was that the kids were the ones who were problem solving, and kind of in charge.

A little bonus to the story that I noticed was at the top of each chapter there was a drawing that progressed as you read.

I really enjoyed this book, and I'll probably read it again at some point.

Title: Embers of Destruction
Author: J. Scott Savage
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: Sept 2017
ISBN:  1629723398
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book

Spotlight: Forgotten Carols

Description of the show: 

The Forgotten Carols stage performance tells the story of Connie Lou, a nurse whose empty life is changed when Uncle John, a new patient she is attending, recounts the story of Christ’s birth as told by little known characters in the nativity story. The accounts from the Innkeeper, the Shepherd and others help the nurse discover what the world has forgotten about Christmas, ultimately encouraging her to open her heart to the joy of this special season.

Ticket Information: 

Here is a link to purchase tickets to see the Forgotten Carols. 

http://www.forgottencarols.com/shows/ 

 

The Forgotten Carols is showing in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Texas, and New Mexico!

Book Review: Emerald Bound by Teresa Richards

 

Book Description:

A princess, a pea, and a tower of mattresses. This is the sliver that survives of a story more nightmare than fairytale... Maggie Rhodes, high school junior and semi-reformed stalker, learns the tale’s true roots after a spying attempt goes awry and her best friend Kate ends up as the victim of an ancient curse. At the center of the curse lies an enchanted emerald that has been residing quietly in a museum for the past fifty years. Admirers of the gem have no idea that it feeds on life. Or that it’s found its next victim in Kate. Enter Lindy, a school acquaintance who knows more than she’s letting on, and Garon, a handsome stranger claiming he knows how to help, and Maggie is left wondering who to trust and how to save her best friend before it’s too late. If only Maggie knew her connection to the fairy tale was rooted far deeper than an endangered best friend.

Rorie's Review:

The idea of this story was intriguing to me. I always enjoy retellings of fairy tales, and I was curious how the author would redo "The Princess and the Pea" since it's a pretty straight-forward story. 

Well, she completely turned that story on its head. I will admit, that I kind of forgot what this book was about, and didn't read the back of it when I got it to refresh my memory, so I was a bit surprised when the main character turned out to be a teenager. I'm not sure why I was thinking she would be older, but for whatever reason, I was. 

Anyway, the story jumped right into things but even still, it took me til the last half of the book to really get into it. Maybe it was when Garon came into the story. I liked him right away, although I kept picturing him more as an adult, instead of a teenager, so that kept making things a bit weird while I wrapped my head around the truth. 

This was an enjoyable story and I can't wait to read the next one.

Tarah's Review:

 Let's start with the cover, shall we? I have a thing for green. I love green, and I think it was used to great effect with this cover. I would pick this up off the shelf just because it is so pretty, but it does a good job with the darkness. For me I would assume that it's a little darker tale, and it is. However, there were parts that I laughed at (I thought it was really funny whenever Maggie used SAT words). This is a YA novel, and it wasn't dark to the point where I felt uncomfortable or wouldn't let me daughter read it.

I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this book. It took a little time and patience. The POV switches quite a bit, and sometimes I wished the author would just pick a time and stick with it. We needed the back story, and it was interesting I just had a hard time going back and forth.

I wonder why in YA books the romances need to be insta-romances. The "He completes me and I feel like half of myself is missing". Why can't they just like each other? The momma bear in me has a hard time with those type of romances. I liked Garon though. He was a fun character, and I'm glad he made it into the book.

Maggie was interesting, and definitely a well written teenager. She had her strengths and flaws, and I really liked that about her. I loved how she tried to break into the museum and totally failed. She was also very loyal to her friends, and I loved that. Her brother confused me a little bit. He showed up part way through and just was kind of there....he was kind of a character that I felt either need to be in or out, but he was really neither.
                                  
My most favorite thing about this novel was that after I had finished reading it I thought about it for a long time. That's the mark of a good book to me. I'm actually excited that she left it open for a sequel and I can't wait to read that one. Overall I was happy with this retelling of the Princess and the Pea.

Title: Emerald Bound
Author: Teresa Richards
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Published: Sept 2015
ISBN:  177233524X
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon Barnes & Noble