misfitgeek

I am most impressed that this is a debut novel.  It is superbly written.  I was immediately immersed in the story and had a hard time putting it down.  When it comes down to it, I am a romantic and I love to lose myself in a quality love story.  I particularly like that it is not all sugar and spice and all things nice.  It is raw and emotional and complicated.  It just felt believable.

Spinella did a fantastic job on character development.  Although I never really connected with Mia, she truly fascinated me.  She was an interesting and complex character.  Flynn worked his way under my skin fairly early in the book.  I would not say I found him lovable but I was oddly attached to him.  Together, they are dynamic.

I highly recommend reading this book.  You don’t have to be a fan of romance to enjoy it.  It is really a finely crafted, beautiful story.  What an absolutely remarkable debut.  I will be reading more by Laura Spinella for certain.

This was such a fun book to read.  There is really nothing quite as charming as Southern fiction when it is done well.  The cozy mystery aspect kept me engaged all the way through.  It was easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable all the way through.

The author did a fabulous job of creating entertaining and quirky characters.  She also did a great job of showcasing the unique culture that exists in southern communities.  I really enjoyed the special best friends bond between Blake and Vivi.  They made me smile and even laugh out loud a few times.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, fun read.  This was a wonderful debut.  It is obvious that Beth Albright is full of talent and is an author to watch.  This book is the first in a trilogy featuring the Sassy Belles.  I will be reading the other two for sure.

I really tried to like this book but just couldn’t.  Aside from a very few entertaining scenes, I found it to be pages and pages of mind-numbing drivel.  In my opinion, the plot was weak and the characters were poorly developed and, generally, unlikeable.  The story skipped around a lot and was, in general, unfocused.  There was very little to do with wisdom, hair, beauty school or beauty salons and that was extremely disappointing.   

I seldom give books 1 star ratings/reviews because I generally don’t even make it to the end.  The only reason I even made it to the end of this one is because I was interested in the side story of Sara Jane.  For that reason only, I am giving this book 1.5 stars.

Leopards and foxes and kings, oh my.  This magical adventure in, to quote the author, “The Land of Make Believe,” is very well done.  It is books like this that gave me my love of reading as a child.  It engages the imagination from start to finish.

I loved the characters in this book.  The girls are strong and brave and the boys are kind and compassionate.  They are interesting, curious, and generally likeable.  The lessons they learn during the story are clearly relevant to their lives. 

The book is made up of two separate stories that merge in the end.  It alternates between the two but the common thread is evident all the way through.  The end sets up nicely for the sequel, which is not yet released.

I would definitely recommend this book to the targeted age group as well as to adults as a fun and engaging read.  Kudos to Cory Basil for a fabulous cover and illustrations.  Although I usually try not to compare authors, I have to say that Amy Neftzger’s writing reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman, who happens to be one of my favorite authors.  I am planning to read, not only the sequel to this book, but other works of this author.

This book really didn’t do much for me.  I had a hard time getting into it and it really did not hold my attention.  It has a unique storyline, but it never really gained my interest.  I was also very disappointed with the ending.  It didn’t fit with the whole story.  I really didn’t think that anything was resolved.  It just ended.  Done.  Finished.

Overall, character development in the book was pretty good.  I could not stand the main character, Rose.  She irritated me and was generally unlikeable.  By the time I started to see changes in her, I didn’t care any more.  I never really cared for Cooley, either, but he was a little more tolerable to me.  The changes he went through were a little more believable.  My favorite character was Johnnie Rae.  She was a secondary character in the story but I felt more interested in and connected to her than any of the others.

This was not a terrible book but I didn’t really enjoy it.  It is Ms. Perrel’s debut novel.  I see promise in her writing and hope that she can refine her style a little in the future.  I would probably consider reading more of her work.

I cannot remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book.  This book totally entertained me from start to finish.  What’s not to love about a road trip in a classic car with classic rock blasting away?  I didn’t want it to end.

I have to say I loved the quirky characters in the book.  They made me laugh out loud.  The book is written in first person in Melanie’s POV.  I really liked her understated spunkiness.  From the time she cut up her marriage bed, I was a fan.  Her best friend, BJ, is her champion.  BJ is outspoken and in-your-face.  They make a great pair.

I really recommend this lighthearted, fun book.  I kept thinking it would make a fun movie.  Although I did see Must Love Dogs, this is my first Claire Cook read.  I really like her writing and plan to read more of her books.

I had so much fun reading this book.  It is an absolutely charming and sweet romance.  There is a little mystery added in just to keep things interesting.  What would Adams Grove be without a little mystery?  I love this charming little southern town.

This is the third book in the series but, so far, it is my favorite.  This book really focused on the developing relationship of Connor and Carolanne rather than focusing on the mystery as in the past books.  My one disappointment was how the reconciliation between Carolanne and her father, Ben, was handled. I was honestly expecting more conflict and struggle between these two.

I really enjoyed being back in Adams Grove for this book.  It was fun spending time with these wonderful characters again.  This is such a great series of books and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a light, enjoyable read.  Although, the first two books can be read in any order, you will want to read “Sweet Tea and Secrets” before this one or you might find yourself a little lost.

This book is charming and heartwarming. Without fail, I have enjoyed every one of Nolfi’s novels. This is perhaps my favorite. I was immediately pulled in and became attached to the characters very quickly. I laughed, I cried, and I got frustrated. I didn’t want it to end.

The characters are splendidly developed. They are complex and relatable. At times they frustrated me but they persevered and that is what makes them so special. It is enjoyable watching them change during the course of the story. In particular, I loved watching Dillon flourish under Annie’s care. She sure wasn’t perfect but she really didn’t need to be. Of course, there is an entire supporting cast of quirky characters that infused Nolfi’s trademark humor into the story. It just wouldn’t be the same without them.

I highly recommend reading this book. Just read it because you want a great summer read. My overall rating is 4.5 stars. Another hit from one of my favorite authors.

Synopsis:  

Only a volcano can cure some things. Dr. Caprice Wilson, police psychologist, has spent her life unraveling the mysteries of the human mind-only to find herself in a deep crisis. Caprice prescribes herself a walkabout and goes hiking on Maui-but the solitary retreat she has in mind does not go as planned. Caprice faces an enemy she never knew she had and wrestles with questions of hope, identity, loss, and the nature of psychopathy in a cat-and-mouse game with survival at stake.

My review:

This was a pretty good book but it fell short in a couple of ways for me.  It is categorized as a mystery but the description kind of sets it up as a suspense-thriller.  Although it was an interesting story, it was neither a mystery nor suspenseful for me.  I thought I was getting on the rollercoaster but found myself on the scenic tour train instead.  There were a couple of scenes where things got kind of intense but I never really ever felt the urgency that is characteristic with suspense.  There was really no mystery to solve either.

I realize that this is fiction, but it should have some level of plausibility to it.  I cannot say too much about it without spoiling it, but the circumstances behind Caprice’s “solitary retreat” were completely unbelievable to me.  Supposedly, Bruce has had lots of experience with this in the past, yet he lets her go off on her merry way with no more than a promise.  Sure, right, that’s gonna happen.  This was the major inconsistency that spoiled things for me but there were other little things that just made me shake my head.

I gave this book 3.5 stars because, once I got over my disappointment, it was actually quite easy to read.  I didn’t feel like setting the book aside and not finishing.  It is a quick read, and like I said, it is an interesting story.  The characters are interesting and so very human.  I found myself attached to Caprice and I cared about what happened to her.  I liked her.  Oddly, I actually found myself liking Russell which made me wonder if perhaps I had Stockholm.  It is evident that Toby Neal possesses tremendous talent as I really enjoyed her writing in general.  I have two of her books from the Lei Crime series she wrote and fully intend to read them.