Review: A Kiss for the King

A Kiss for the King by Barbara Cartland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazingly, I am rating this book 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, it has typical Cartland nonsense in it. But either I'm in a decent mood or it's better than some of the rest, because I didn't want to throw my book a single time.

I think it's because the main character, Anastasia, is smart and a decent human being. So many of Dame Barbara's heroines are weak, wilting flowers with barely two brain cells to rub together. It's nice when there is a smart, confident woman in the story. She's surrounded by dummies (her mom is the worst) but it made the story bearable.

3 surprised stars. I'm sure the next one will be a huge stinker, though. Hey, when you churn out 800 romance novels in your lifetime, the majority of them have to suck.

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Review: Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind

Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind by Sakyong Mipham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to read this for a while. Meditation and running are both great for clearing the mind, and everyone needs balance and clarity in their lives.

Some simple tips to help you be more mindful and how to connect your running to your mind. Nothing life-changing but things I can apply to both. 3 stars.

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Review: Out Of Range

Out Of Range by C.J. Box
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm really torn on what to rate this one. Technically, it's a good story, but I have some issues with the poor decisions everyone seems to be making, Joe included.

Joe is away from home, subbing in Jackson Hole for a colleague who, unfortunately, committed suicide. This causes issues between Joe and Marybeth, who isn't my favorite person anyway, and slipped down about 10 notches in my book. Woman, you are the worst. And Stella. What a horribly drawn character with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Joe bumbles along, nothing gets resolved anywhere, and I'm quickly talking myself into a 2.5 rating, so I'll stop.

CJ Box doesn't seem to understand women. I'm annoyed right now, and this is my least favorite book in the series so far.

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Review: Ace of Hearts

Ace of Hearts by Barbara Metzger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was just ok...but I'm going to round up to 3 stars because I did enjoy some of the crazier aspects of it (the mad aunt, for sure, the goose, for another).

Ace is running from love, and this is part of the ridiculousness of the plot. Really, dude, grow up. Tell the millions of paramours you have that you can't commit. Oh, wait, but you can when you find the right person, who just happens to be your cousin, or not.

The plot is silly but I did enjoy how Ace stuck with Nellie once he figured out she is his true love. The side plot nonsense about the missing sister never quite landed and I hope they get more detailed in the next book.

2.5 stars, but rounding up to 3, because I'm feeling nice today.

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Review: Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. Can't believe I waited so long to read it. What's not to love? John Steinbeck, traveling around the country in a camper with his dog. Meeting people, seeing the country. It's like my life's dream. To just vagabond around and explore the US.

Steinbeck touches on some topics that are still relevant today - racism, acceptance, and how it is ok to think differently as long as you allow others to have their own thoughts, too. It's amazing how much things can change in a country, yet still stay the same. I'm not sure if that would make Steinbeck happy or sad. Maybe a little of both.

If you enjoy travel, dogs, interesting stories about people, places, and things, or just good writing, you will enjoy this classic.

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Review: Jack of Clubs

Jack of Clubs by Barbara Metzger
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I went into book 2 with lowered expectations from book 1. Alas, I was disappointed. I am now remembering book 1 a little more fondly.

Allie and Jack just don't work together. Neither personality was fleshed out enough to care about - I was fonder of Harriet and Snake, to be honest. And while this book ended on a tiny cliffhanger, I don't feel like I can journey on to book 3, at least not now. This book was boring, and took forever to read.

I don't recommend this series at all, even if you need to read a book with a playing card on the cover. 1.5 stars, but rounding up because I have read worse books.

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Review: Love and Lucia

Love and Lucia by Barbara Cartland
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Another stinker by Babs. This one is so bad.

We have a cowering young woman who can't finish a sentence without pausing to let her brain process...all...the...thoughts...and feelings! We have a bossy man who swoops in with insta-love and promises to save the day. She loses her father, conveniently to move that plot along, leaving pretty Lucia all alone in Italy. No worries, her white knight brings her home to England and a ridiculous happily ever after that is so dumb I can barely stand it.

No stars are awarded, as we are all dumber for having read this. A new low.

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Review: Lies for Love

Lies for Love by Barbara Cartland
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh, Babs. This - stilted - prose makes, my brain - hurt. Seriously.

So we have the old switcheroo. Carmela is a poor orphaned girl with no options, and her fabulously rich best friend, Felicity, swoops in to save her from her plight as the world's worst governess. But Felicity, like all privileged rich girls, has an ulterior motive. Carmela must impersonate her so she can run off with her lover while his mentally ill wife dies of a brain tumor (Babs, seriously? This is a new low for you). Conveniently they look alike, mostly, and no one has seen Felicity since she was 5 except her grandmother. Some family drama...not worth describing, as it is just a plot device to get Carmela into the arms of Felicity's cousin. And the ending defies logic, so classic Cartland.

This plot is dumb, as you might expect. It's not the worst by Dame Barbara, but it's certainly not the best. 1.5 stars.

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Review: Love in the Afternoon

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Lovely wrap-up to the Hathaways series. Beatrix got her HEA, and while it wasn't my favorite story, it was still a satisfying ending. Now I want to read it again from the beginning.

Christopher is perfect for Beatrix. I loved how he didn't waver in his love, only in his fear of being a good, stable husband for her. I hate a big misunderstanding storyline that can easily be solved by talking, and the two of them were actually very great at communicating what they feel once they got rolling.

Lisa Kleypas does a great job with historical romance. I'm giving this one 3.5 stars, but rounding up because the series is just great.

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Review: A Grave Talent

A Grave Talent by Laurie R. King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My first Kate Martinelli book, but definitely won't be my last. She's a bit prickly, but I liked her. And I really liked Al. Curious to see where this partnership goes.

Kate is assigned to a case with a new partner because she has the right requirements, which seems to be lady parts. We have young girls who are being murdered and dumped, which sounds awful but is oddly brushed over. We have a mysterious past, a weird cult-like community that lets me down by the end, and much less darkness than I expected. However, I still liked the story, the characters, and the potential for more.

A good start to a new series for me. Three stars.

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Review: The Thirteen Problems

The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Miss Marple cracks me up. So no nonsense, says what she thinks, and gets a little side in on people. This time we have 13 stories, some at a dinner party, and we are left to figure them out before the ending. Not gonna lie, I rarely figured it out before Miss Marple, that saucy minx.

I'm typically not a fan of short story collections, but Agatha does everything better than the rest. 3 stars.

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Review: Mary Russell's War: A Journal of the Great War

Mary Russell's War: A Journal of the Great War by Laurie R. King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not one of my favorites in the series. I think I understand why she wrote it, but I was content to leave young Mary in the past with fuzzy details. And her constant references to Holmes before she knew Holmes didn't land for me. She didn't seem star-struck when they met in the Beekeeper's Apprentice, so I didn't feel it was necessary here. In fact, that's how I feel about this book. Not necessary.

I still adore the series - it's one of my favorites. Alas, I'm giving this one 2 stars.

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