3.5 stars. This was a cute piece of Jane Austen related fluff.
I went into it looking for nothing more than that, and at first, I thought ...more3.5 stars. This was a cute piece of Jane Austen related fluff.
I went into it looking for nothing more than that, and at first, I thought I wouldn't be disappointed. And perhaps I shouldn't have been disappointed in the last half, either.
Certainly, the Jane Austen references were lots of fun. Since the book revolved around the production of a movie version of Persuasion, those are the ones that I was expecting, but many more elements were borrowed from Emma, which I am immensely more fond of. These aspects are responsible for lifting the book from 3 to 3.5 stars, and were enough to leave me happy that I read the book.
I'm satisfied with the plot, which just needed to frame the Jane Austen references and the characters themselves.
My problems with Dreaming of Mr. Darcy are all in the characters, which are really what I read books like this for.
All of the characters were somewhat flatter than I'd like-- not enough to be fatal to the book, but not well rounded enough for me to care what Gemma decides to do about her movie career, or to be surprised by the twist near the end (which I did see coming, there was no other reason for some of the material setting it up to be there).
But really, I just didn't like Kay. Granted, many of her flaws were patterned after Emma, but Emma had a little more texture to her, and just never felt quite so clueless to me.
Kay is star struck, and when she meets the actor playing the object of her dreams, the fantasies fly. That's not a problem, although the direction her fantasies went didn't resonate with me. It's where she goes with them that doesn't work for me. If she'd pursued them with a real sense of laughing at herself while doing so, I could have loved her for it. But as it was (and I don't want to give too much away)she just wasn't my kind of heroine.
Beyond that, I never felt the chemistry between Adam and Kay. I liked him well enough, but just didn't feel what he was feeling for her,in spite of being told it was happening.
I can see this book working much better for someone else, someone that values following your dreams, wherever they take you.
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10) It's a good thriller, with secret agents, characters with questionabl...more4.5 stars
My Top 10 Reasons for liking The Rook:
10) It's a good thriller, with secret agents, characters with questionable loyalties, and multiple action sequences. Myfanwy (she explains that it rhymes with Tiffany) can really kick butt!
9) The world building was very complete, and although the basic concept isn't at all new (people among us with special powers, and a secret branch of government to deal with the problems among them), I did feel like this was a new approach.
8) Crazy cool bad guys. Having special powers helps make more than run of the mill evildoers.
7) The setup (Myfanwy waking up unaware of who she is, and making sense of the life her body had been living) was quite clever, and I felt it pulled together through the book.
6) The method of communicating Myfanwy's back story worked well for the characters in the book and me as a reader.
5) I loved Myfanwy and I love the person that wakes up in Myfanwy's body, trying to figure out who she is and what happened to her. And when you have someone that starts out as a blank slate, character growth is practically guaranteed!
4) The supporting characters were a great part of the book. Myfanwy's assistant Ingrid was so unflappable, and reminded me of someone that I used to work with. The other members of the Chequy, their American counterparts, the people Myfanwy meets outside of work... they all contribute to the book.
3) Humor that made me laugh out loud because it popped up in the most unexpected places.
2) All the pieces came together into a darn good story.
1) Superheroes, acting like adults! Complete with politics, personalities, job conflicts, and (don't forget) butt kicking! What's not to like?
I really enjoyed reading this book, and hope there are more to come.(less)
The first was a romance within an on-the-rocks relationship, and (taken a...more3.5 stars.
The two novellas were both fast fun reads.
The first was a romance within an on-the-rocks relationship, and (taken as fluff) it was very entertaining. A highly volatile couple, a precocious kid, and a heavy dose of wish fulfillmen to top it off.
I admit, I was more interested in the characters in the second story. Jake was introduced in the first story, and this good looking guy (who is very in tune with women and what they want) is my kind of romance hero. I liked the wounded (but recovering) Miranda as well, and I enjoyed getting to know them as they got to know each other.
Both of these stories were perfect as novellas, which gave just enough time to get to know the characters and the situations, then have them resolve without unnecessarily complex obstacles. Whether in front of a winter fire or as an escape from a hot summer day, these winter stories are an enjoyable getaway.(less)
I've been a fan of this series for many, many years. As sometimes happens with long-running series, I've lost track of it a bit. When I started read...moreI've been a fan of this series for many, many years. As sometimes happens with long-running series, I've lost track of it a bit. When I started reading this book, I was surprised at all that has happened since I last visited Peter Decker, Rina Lazarus and family. I checked and saw that I've missed two books, which I need to go back and fill in.
I'm impressed at how Faye Kellerman keeps shifting the focus of the series to keep it fresh,while still remaining true to the characters. There's only so much character growth any one or two characters can reasonably have! Over the course of 20 books, the focus has gone from religious, professional, personal, and family. She's looked at other family members (most memorably, Decker's daughter, who is also a police officer). Here, the focus is on a foster child, one that came to live with the family in one of the books that I missed.
I really liked Gabriel, who was simultaneously very, very young (when it comes to his love life) and much, much older (when it comes to his music, and to knowledge of the seamy side of the world.) He's Romeo to a very naive Juliet. He manages to stumble into a situation that Decker is investigating, and it's a good think he has the skills to navigate some very risky waters.
The mystery itself is good, but not outstanding. What I enjoyed was the quick visit with all the characters I know so well, and getting to know a few more even better.
There is no need to have read the full list of previous books in the series to enjoy this one. I haven't read Hangman, the previous book, but suspect the context from that one might be nice, and there are clearly spoilers here for the events there. I'll go back and read it anyway.(less)
An interesting look at the logistics of space travel. It is possible it spent a little too much time on the logistics of eating and, um, associated a...moreAn interesting look at the logistics of space travel. It is possible it spent a little too much time on the logistics of eating and, um, associated activities. (less)
This book was billed as Romance, but it read like Chick Lit to me, and I found it very enjoyable as such.
It delivers on the premise of a c...moreThis book was billed as Romance, but it read like Chick Lit to me, and I found it very enjoyable as such.
It delivers on the premise of a crazy cross-country trip, with a fun main character and a sexy leading guy.
Of course, Carrie is on as much of a mental journey as a physical one. I can't say she goes particularly deep on her path to discovery, but it isn't that kind of book. It's the kind where she (and Matt) sleep with other people while not making all that much effort to figure out where they are going, and it's all OK. They'll still get to their destination.
This is a fun, light way to pass some time. Enjoy it for what it is.(less)
I'll even put the rating up to 4.5 stars for me, for being exactly what I wanted to read.
I love a sappy Christmas story. One where the co...moreI'll even put the rating up to 4.5 stars for me, for being exactly what I wanted to read.
I love a sappy Christmas story. One where the community comes together, where the main character finds true love and her purpose in life, and everything is so happy could cry.
This was that kind of book for me.
Overall, it was a nice romance, as were the other couple of books I've read in the series. I liked Becca, and Denny was a genuine Nice Guy (the kind of romance hero I prefer), even if a bit damaged by events in his life. They both have caring relationships with their friends and families, but still something was missing without each other.
One aspect I particularly appreciated is how each of the main characters grew in their understanding of themselves as they understood more of the other person's side of the story of their shared past. When they were previously involved, they were very young, but neither really appreciated how that affected both of them.
The town of Virgin River is a character unto itself-- a collection of people that stumble in and stay for whatever reason. It's a town that takes care of its own, even when it isn't Christmas, but when it is Christmas, and there is a big storm... As I said, this book isn't for those that don't like sappy.
The one issue I had with this book is one that has bothered me a little with other books in the series. I'm not sure why it is more of a problem for me here than in other romances, since it is a theme present in most books I've read in the genre, but there it is. Simply, it's the idea that True Love is present if and only if the sex is amazing. And that's all I'll say about that.
I hadn't realized how many books there are in this series, but there doesn't seem to be any need to read them all or to read them in order. They are simply a set of books set in the same small town. There are some key central characters, and others pop up occasionally, but I haven't run into much in the way of continuing stories. Since the books are romances, there isn't a worry about giving away the ending of previous books. I take it as a given that the couple will end up together, and (for this series) living in this little town.
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I picked up this book because I'm intrigued by Steampunk, and would like to know more about it. I love the look, I find the concept fascinating.
...moreI picked up this book because I'm intrigued by Steampunk, and would like to know more about it. I love the look, I find the concept fascinating.
After reading the stories in this anthology, I'm still a little puzzled about how Steampunk plays out. In general, I enjoyed them, I'm just not certain they all met my image of what Steampunk is.
Steampunk meets the Wild West seems like an interesting variant-- the same time period but another location. Steampunk meets ancient prophets and Steampunk meets the Faery world seemed like an interesting something else (I loved the Faery Story, it was one of my favorites in the book).
I think I need to look up a definitive Steampunk work, and base my genre impressions off of that instead.
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In many ways, Georgiana should drive me mad-- she's sweet, she's earnest, she has pretty much no clue how the real world operates.
In the e...moreIn many ways, Georgiana should drive me mad-- she's sweet, she's earnest, she has pretty much no clue how the real world operates.
In the end, I really did enjoy going along for the ride as she tries to cope with the Queen's requests, and the ever increasing number of bodies this brings into her path.(less)
![Let's Pretend This Never Happened: [A Mostly True Memoir]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320449173s/12868761.jpg "Let's Pretend This Never Happened: [A Mostly True Memoir]")
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