Cynthia Marcano's Blog, page 11

Review: A Most Peculiar Circumstance

A Most Peculiar Circumstance
Author - Jen Turano
350 pages
Time It Took for to Read - 1 Days
Rating - 4.25 out of 5 Stars
Would I Recommend to My Students: Sure



Miss Arabella Beckett, defender of the down-trodden women of America, is returning from her travels in support of the women’s suffrage movement when she makes a simple offer of assistance to a young woman in need. But things go sadly awry, and both ladies soon find themselves in dire need of rescue. Arabella, always loath to admit she needs help, is particularly reluctant to receive assistance from the arrogant, narrow-minded knight in shining armor who shows up just in time.
Private investigator extraordinaire Mr. Theodore Wilder is on an assignment that began as a favor to his good friend Hamilton Beckett, but swiftly evolved into a merry chase across the country. He is already in a less than pleasant mood, and when Hamilton’s sister turns out to have radical ideas and a fiercely independent streak, he’s at his wit’s end.

Much to their chagrin, Theodore and Arabella’s paths continue to cross when they return home to New York, but the most unusual feelings beginning to grow between them certainly can’t be anything serious. When the trouble Arabella accidentally stirred up in her travels follows her home and threatens her very life, the unlikely couple must face the possibility that they might have landed in the most peculiar circumstance of all: love. (Taken from www.JenTurano.com)


What I Loved...This book is hilarious! I absolutely love Arabella. She is too much. She is funny and stubborn and just lovable.

The scenes...I can just imagine New York City so clearly. Jen Turano does a great job at giving just enough details to get your own imagination jump started.


What I Liked...While Mr. Wilder is not my favorite male heroine, I liked him well enough. I liked him much more towards the end of the book and now that I think about it, Jen made me feel the way Arabella felt. I warmed up to him.


Other...I don't know why I have an incessant  need to comment on a book cover but this book couldn't prevent me from doing so. I just don't think it does Arabella justice. I just don't see her looking like that at all. While the cover does fit the description of blonde curly hair, again, it just doesn't do it for me. Of course this is my opinion of the cover AFTER I have read the book.

I am kind of touchy when it comes to a woman's roll in life according to the bible and I was afraid that this would cross the line. I am an old fashion gal and was hoping that chivalry would come off as old fashioned and rebellious women as modern and heroic.

I believe Jen did a good job expressing that women are just as valuable as men and God loves us just as much without  having to burn a bra, so to speak...lol.

Really liked it and I am looking forward to her next book!

DISCLAIMER: This book was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review posted is my own opinion and I have not been compensated for my opinion.

Review: Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell

  
Moonlight Masquerade
Author - Ruth Axtell
400 pages
Time It Took for to Read - 3 Days
Rating - 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Would I Recommend to My Students: Not Really
Lady Celine Wexham seems the model British subject. French by birth but enjoying life in 1813 as a widowed English countess, she is in the unique position of being able to help those in need--or to spy for the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess's butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncover the truth. But the longer he is in her fashionable townhouse in London's West End, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver as he falls under Lady Wexham's spell. Will he find the proof he needs? And if she is a spy after all, will he do the right thing?


What I Loved...
The main character Rees. He was determined! I found myself wanting him to just have everything he ever wanted. Loved him!

The intrigue. I love spy movies, so this was right up my alley. LOVED the masquerade party.


What I Liked...
The Christian morals weren't pushed on me as a reader. It seemed genuine; I guess that is the best way to describe what I mean.

While Celine isn't my favorite heroine, I liked her well enough.

Other...I wouldn't recommend this book to MY students simply because they don't prefer regency or what they consider "old-fashioned" (historical fiction of any kind) books. They love contemporary and dystopian books. I would recommend this to romance book lovers, historical fiction lovers and light spy enthusiasts.

I really wanted to like Celine more, but I just couldn't find that spark I was looking for. I did root for them to end up happy together but that was mainly because I liked Rees so much.

I would have liked to have seen Rees a little less gullible, but nevertheless, I really liked his character.

The ending was a little flat for me. My reaction was more of... "That's it." instead of "Awww!", BUT that could just be because I enjoyed the book and wanted more.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of the eBook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinion is my own and I was not compensated for my review.

Get Eyes On Him: Spring Love FREE - 2 Days Only!

Get your FREE copy of my debut novel
 Eyes On Him: Spring Love May 8th and 9th ONLY
Hurry! There are only a limited amount available.

Storm by Evan Angler Blog Tour

Storm
Author - Evan Angler
275 pages
Time It Took for to Read - 2 Days
Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars
Would I Recommend to My Students: Absolutely!!!
In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark lets citizen shop, go to school, and even get medical care—without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he’s been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receives some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.In Storm, Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis’ army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it’s difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren’t sure if Logan’s sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis’ army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation—and the world—the weather has become less stable and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined.
What I loved...Action, action and more action. From the beginning to the end. I was very happy to read that while they were at "war", they were still adolescents (tossing balloons full of sludge).  I could totally see this as a movie.


What I liked...
The different scenes and perspectives in each chapter. There was so much going on. I liked how my anticipation grew in each chapter BUT to find out I was reading about a different scene and was just as excited about that chapter, just as was the previous one.


Other...I haven't read the other books in this series, so it took a little bit of reading before I    felt like I had a better understanding of the already developed characters and story lines. I really like the cover and the video trailer was really good too! You can view it HERE!
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Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. The opinion of this book, is my own and I was not paid or compensated for for my review.

Top Ten Tuesday - Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book

Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book - April 30th
Topics

1. YA Romance and Chick Lit 2. Christian Romance or Historical Fiction 3. Christian YA (Non-Romance or romance is not the main theme)4. Classic Literature 5. Testimonies/Devotionals
Words.
1. NovelWhile this is a broad term, I always associate it with femininity and romance.
2. HistoricalI have always loved History class (and Channel) and I even like reading history textbooks. So historical biography or fiction always grabs my attention.
3. Christian, Jesus, Bible, God
While I don't grab and read everything with these words, they always draw my attention. I find myself reading the jacket, cover or online description most of the time.
4. Princess, Noble, Royal, Aristocracy, London, Heir, etc..
I love historical fiction. It combines my two faves. History and Romance, so ANYTIME I see any word on the cover or description, that could possibly be associated with Jane Austeneque literature, I am on it!
5.  and Lastly....Love, Heart, Forever, Enduring, SweetAny word that describes possible romance.

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

HOSTED BY the BROKE AND the BOOKISH
Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like
MORE/LESS Than I Did
Liked More Liked Less

The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson

Not an official review but just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this book. It was so funny and a bit of the unexpected. A perfect read for teen girls in any "clique". 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Riding on Air by Maggie Gilbert

Riding On Air
Author - Maggie Gilbert
189 pages
Time It Took for to Read - 2 Weeks (From Chapter 5 on - 1 Day)
Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars

Suffering from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Melissa loves her horse more than anything. So much so that endures excruciating pain just to ride, train and compete with him. All too show off a horse that no one wanted, that she knows is so special. Add a hot Polocrosse player that she has been crushing for what seems like forever and some loyal friends and you are in the center of her world.

What I Loved....
***SPOILER ALERT***
I have a book crush on William! He is my absolutely my most favorite part of this book.

Chapter 6. I NEVER go back and check what chapter I am on, but I loved this chapter so much, I had to see. I don't reread books too often, but I would go back to this book just to read Chapter 6.

What I Liked....
Melissa is a believable teen. She's unsure of herself at times, hides things from her parents, doesn't want to be different, etc... even with her JRA I didn't feel pity for her. I saw her as a typical teen.

Other....
The book started out a little slow for me and for lack of a better description seemed so wordy. Where a few words would have sufficed, I found myself wanting to hurry and finish the sentence. I found myself saying, 'Okay I get it - Next.'

I don't know a single solitary thing about horses. I found all of the horse stuff making me want to skip (although I didn't). I thought to myself, how I wished I loved horses because the book would have been tailor made for me. But my lack of horse knowledge bogged down the very detailed horse portions of the book. There were times I felt like I was reading a different language.

A few profane words
No sex, but extreme making out
After Chapter 5, the book picks and is a page turner.

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND -- pick a past topic you missed or one you want to revisit!

Top Ten Books I Feel As ThoughEveryone Has Read But Me
1. Harry Potter
2. Hunger Games
3. Delirium
4. Cinder5. Memoirs of A Geisha6. Little Women7. Clockwork Princess8. Twilight9. Anna Karenina10. 50 Shades of Gray (Not My Taste)
I know, I know. What have I read? Don't ask.

Go Teen Writers by Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson ~ GIVEAWAY!

Go Teen Writers by Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson ~ GIVEAWAY!
The question we hear most from new writers is, "How do I get published?"
And the answer is: Respect your dream.

Every writer's journey is different, yet as we've reflected on our experiences and those of the writers around us, we've seen time and time again that those who are successful are the ones who had the patience and endurance to stick with this writing thing. They didn't look for shortcuts (at least, not for long), nor did they quit after five, ten, or one hundred rejections. We can't make the process easy for you, but it's our hope that this book will be a tool you can turn to time and time again when you're thinking, "Okay ... what's next?" Includes tips for: - Getting published - Finding the right agent - Book surgery - Thicker plots - Deeper characters - Richer settings - Weaving in theme - Dealing with people who don't get your writing
ENTER GIVEAWAY