Review: The Restorer

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A new series. Definitely good enough to continue, although I may not go the audio route next time. The narrator kind of drove me nuts--I felt like the accent was forced.

A lot of the book spent time establishing the characters and their backstory, as you would expect. There is foundation built, but questions still remain for future books. We get to understand Amelia. A bit less about Devlin, but since it isn't from his point of view you would expect that. We were left hanging about the two of them, just a taste to get you to pick up the next book in series. I'm ok with that.

I have to admit a couple of the plot twists took me by surprise, but I was listening to the audio so sometimes I miss details in that format. A good dose of paranormal, and a moderate amount of romance. 3 stars.

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Review: Master of Rosewood

Master of Rosewood by Karl Tunberg
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This is quite possibly the worst book every written. A real WTF from start to finish.

I can't even explain why I kept reading this trash, except I couldn't believe my eyes. Good lord, it is ridiculous. The best thing I can say about this book is it seems to be out of print. Just stay away. This book is offensive and terribly written. Plantation porn at its worst.

Zero stars for this one.

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Review: Murder on a Girls' Night Out

Murder on a Girls' Night Out by Anne George
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

New series for me. Two sisters who bicker a lot, and love each other. Charming enough to continue!

Patricia Ann (Mouse) is the cautious, conventional sister. Mary Alice (Sister) is the loud, boisterous life of the party sister. Mary Alice, in her typical "look before you leap" style, buys a Country Western line dancing bar. Then the former owner was found murdered at the bar, and the sisters are on the case.

A pretty well-plotted mystery that kept me guessing along the way. I'll be back to see what shenanigans the girls get into in book 2. Fun cozy mystery series.

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Fallen (Fallen #1)

Fallen by Lauren Kate

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Well, I find myself a bit underwhelmed by the kick off to this series. Color me disappointed.

It's not necessarily the characters. I liked Luce, I liked Daniel, and I loved Penn. It wasn't the setting. The boarding school was interesting and colorful. And I didn't hate the writing style. I can't put my finger on what was lacking, but I find myself torn about continuing to book 2. Maybe it was the whole over-the-topness of the good vs.evil, maybe it was because I wanted more backstory. Anyway, lukewarm for me at best. 2 1/2 stars for the gorgeous cover.



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Louisiana Longshot (Miss Fortune Mystery #1)

Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Cute start to a new series. Fortune Redding is a CIA assassin (but I can't see that she was actually all that good at her job, but anyway...) and she is in hiding in a small Louisiana town of Sinful until the Middle Eastern assassins looking for her give up. She takes on the identity of her director's niece and reluctantly integrates herself into small town Southern life. Suspend all disbelief and enjoy this cozy mystery. The cast of characters are entertaining. The old lady mafia running the town made me laugh, and the storyline, while silly, kept my entertained. Lots of fun girl power and amusement in this one. I'll give book 2 a try.



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To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I thoroughly, completely love this book. Scout, Jem, Calpurnia, and especially Atticus. In many ways, it's a simple coming of age story. But it is more than that, too. It's about equality, and prejudices, and hatred. And I loved it. And I just might have a big huge crush on Atticus Finch.

I'm not sure what else to say. If you haven't read it, please do yourself a favor and read it now. It's a classic for a reason.



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Yellow Crocus

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Loved this book. What a nice surprise.

Set in the years before the Civil War, we follow the lives of Lisbeth, young mistress of the manor, and Mattie, her house slave. Yes, it's a nice historical fiction piece. I knew it would be. We see some glimpses into the daily lives on a plantation in the south pre-Civil War. But I loved the unexpected turns and character development. The ending, while not a complete surprise, was still enjoyable. I'm glad I read it.



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