REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

Synopsis:  Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather’s savannah manor house, until gossip subsides.

Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without.

My Thoughts:  I am a huge fan of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia series so I was really looking forward to reading A Spear of Summer Grass.  Saucy, witty, free spirit Delilah Drummond has caused one scandal too many in her family and is packed off to Africa until things blow over.  Along for the ride is her poor cousin Dora who takes on the role of lady's maid to Delilah.  The two arrive in Africa and soon discover that it is beautiful but harsh and an entirely different world than they are used to.  Delilah is as shocking as ever in her new environment, captivating all the men around her and doing pretty much as she pleases.  The longer Delilah stays the more Africa grows on her as she makes friends with native Gideon and dabbles in what passes for society in the area.  Capturing her interest most of all is Ryder White, a strong handsome man who appears to carry around as many demons as she does.  When yet another scandal rocks Delilah's life, she will need all the help she can get to save those she cares about and will finally have to decide if she can let go of the ghosts of the past to open her heart again.

I loved this book!  Deanna Raybourn writes such clever female characters and Delilah is no exception.  She refuses to apologize for who she is and at first her antics could be a little off putting, but as the story progressed and Delilah's vulnerabilities began to appear I found myself liking her a lot more.  The African landscape is brought to life here with wonderful descriptions of the wildlife and living conditions in the African savannah in the 1920's..  The book is set during a time when Kenya was making a quest for independence so political tensions run high as well as the tension between the native tribes and the white settlers. This is most clearly shown through the reprehensible actions of the foul property manager Mr. Gates.

I really liked seeing Delilah evolve and I loved electricity between her and Ryder.  The cast of supporting characters including artistic playboy Kit, no-nonsense Tusker and glamorous Helen were all interesting and varied.  This book completely sucked me in and it was nice to read an engrossing historical fiction novel that was not set in Europe.  Definitely check this out if you are a fan of her earlier books or if you like strong and quirky female characters.

This book was provided to me for review by the publisher via NetGalley.  These are my honest thoughts on the book.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

There will be 2 winners for this giveaway! Each winner wil receive 1 copy of A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn courtesy of Harlequin Books.

TO ENTER: Leave your name and email address in the comments.  One extra entry each for sharing this review/giveaway via your blog, Facebook or Twitter.

GIVEAWAY OPEN TO: US/CAN

GIVEAWAY ENDS: Midnight May 25th

About the Author:  

A sixth-generation native Texan, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, where she met her college sweetheart.  She married him on her graduation day and went on to teach high school English and history.  During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel.  After three years as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time. Fourteen years and many, many rejections after her first novel, she signed two three-book deals with MIRA Books.

Deanna’s novel Silent in the Grave won the 2008 RITA® Award for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best First Mystery. The Lady Julia Grey series has been nominated for several other awards, including an Agatha, three Daphne du Mauriers, a Last Laugh, four additional RITAs, and two Dilys Winns. Dark Road to Darjeeling was also a finalist for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Mystery as well as a Romantic Reviews’ finalist for Best Book of 2010.

Visit Deanna @ her Official Site: http://www.deannaraybourn.com/

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara

Synopsis: During the 1930s in a small town fighting for its survival, a conflicted new wife seeks to reconcile her artistic ambitions with the binding promises she has made

Fans of Richard Russo, Amor Towles, Sebastian Barry, and Paula McLain will devour this transporting novel about the eternal tug between our duties and our desires, set during in New York City and New England during the Depression and New Deal eras.

It’s 1935, and Desdemona Hart Spaulding has sacrificed her plans to work as an artist in New York to care for her bankrupt, ailing father in Cascade, Massachusetts. When he dies, Dez finds herself caught in a marriage of convenience, bound to the promise she made to save her father’s Shakespeare Theater, even as her town may be flooded to create a reservoir for Boston. When she falls for artist Jacob Solomon, she sees a chance to escape and realize her New York ambitions, but is it morally possible to set herself free?

My Thoughts:  If ever there was a book for me this one is it!  Set during the depression era in the quiet town of Cascade we meet Dez Spaulding as she struggles with several important life decisions.  Should she follow her heart or resign herself to the loveless marriage born of the need for financial security?  Should she defy social expectations and follow her dreams of being an artist or sacrifice them in order to preserve the legacy of her father and his beloved Shakespearean Theatre?  There are so many points in this novel where I found myself personally identifying with Dez and her dilemmas over doing what is right for her or doing what she thinks would make everyone around her happy. 

In addition to the internal struggles experienced by Dez, there are the external ones being experience by the town of Cascade which is threatened with extinction in order to provide Boston with a much needed reservoir.  The beginning did start off a little bit slow for me but I loved the voice of the main character enough where it didn’t matter much.  Once it gets going, the story that unfolds will suck you right in.  I also liked the subtle mystery surrounding what was in the casket her father gave her before he died.

It gave me the same feeling as when I read Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay only I connected better with Dez than I did with the main character in that story.  What drew me to this book in the first place was the beautiful cover art but the story delivered as well.  Definitely check this out if you are into historical fiction with a bit more depth.

RATING: 4/5
This book was provided to me by the publisher for participation in the author's tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.  These are my honest thoughts on the book.

Now for the giveaway!  Up for grabs is one paperback copy of Cascade!

Open to: US only

To Enter: Leave your name and email in the comments.  One extra entry each for sharing on Facebook/your blog/Twitter.

Ends: Midnight May 24th.  Winner will be announced and contacted the 25th.

For more reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaways with author Maryanne O'Hara you can view the rest of the tour schedule HERE.

View the book trailer:   http://www.maryanneohara.com/cascade-trailer/

About the Author

Maryanne O’Hara was the longtime associate fiction editor at the award-winning literary journal Ploughshares. She received her MFA from Emerson College fifteen years ago, and wrote short fiction that was widely published before committing to the long form. She lives on a river near Boston.
For more information on Maryanne O’Hara, please visit her website. 

You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and GoodReads.

Winner of the Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau!

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway for a copy of The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau.  A winner has been chosen using www.random.org.

And the winner is.....

Marilyn!

Congrats!
(Winner has been contacted via email).

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

Synopsis: In 1538, England is in the midst of bloody power struggles between crown and cross that threaten to tear the country apart. Joanna Stafford has seen what lies inside the king’s torture rooms and risks imprisonment again, when she is caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting the King. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna understands she may have to assume her role in a prophecy foretold by three different seers, each more omniscient than the last.

Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lays at the center of these deadly prophecies…

My Thoughts:  First apologies to both Amy and Nancy for the tardiness of this post.  I was supposed to have it up this morning and did not realize that when I finished the review I saved it without scheduling it to post!  

Nancy Bilyeau's debut novel The Crown was one of my top reads of last year so I was excited to get  my hands on the follow up The Chalice.  I was not disappointed.  Here we see former novice nun Joanna Stafford try to embrace her life outside the confines of her demolished Dartford Priory.  Although she seeks to live a normal life, Joanna is a woman who trouble just seems to follow as her past comes back to haunt her.  A prophecy which was partially revealed to Joanna when she was just a scared 16 year old girl has now come to bear and there are those with their own motivations to secure Joanna's involvement.  Amidst the confusion of her new life, Joanna does not know who to trust and must keep her wits about her as her fate unfolds.  Should she embrace it or struggle to avoid it?  Complicating matters are her feelings for two men-one whom she feels more close to than anyone and the other who would do absolutely anything for her.

I am big fan of Tudor novels and I am definitely a fan of Nancy Bilyeau.  She does so well with books that peel back the layers bit by bit.  Poor Joanna is besieged on so many sides I never quite knew what was going to happen or even if a person she could trust would ever appear in the novel.  This book is full of history and even if it was full of prophecies coming to fruition that gave the book a bit of mystic bent, it was a lot of fun following Joanna on her journey.  I enjoyed this one just as much as The Crown mainly because the characters met in the previous book took on new dimensions and the new ones introduced were interesting and well drawn.  Really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the next!

 I received this book for review via NetGalley for participation with the author's tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.  These are my honest thoughts on the book.

Now for the giveaway!  Up for grabs is one copy of The Chalice!

Open to: US only

To Enter: Leave your name and email in the comments.  One extra entry each for sharing on Facebook/your blog/Twitter.

Ends: Midnight May 10th.  Winner will be announced and contacted the 11th.

For more reviews, giveaways, interviews and guest posts with Nancy you can view the rest of the tour schedule HERE.


About the Author:

Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown, is a writer and magazine editor who has worked on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Good Housekeeping. Her latest position is features editor of Du Jour magazine. A native of the Midwest, she graduated from the University of Michigan. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

For more information, please visit Nancy Bilyeau's website.  You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. 

Winner of Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd + Elizabeth necklace

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway for a copy of Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd plus the awesome pictured Elizabeth I necklace.  A winner has been chosen using www.random.org.

And the winner is.....

Emma @ Words and Peace

Congrats!  

(Winner has been notified by email).

REVIEW: The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff

Synopsis (from Amazon): Paris, 1919. The world's leaders have gathered to rebuild from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons, for which many could pay dearly.

Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancee she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all. Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job—and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie. Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford.

My Thoughts: The war is at an end and Margot Rosenthal, daughter to the Ambassador of Germany sent to represent the country as part of its delegation at the Treaty of Versailles, elects to accompany her father to Paris.  Margot is a conflicted young woman who is uncertain of her future.  Is it with Stefan, the fiance injured on the front lines that she grew up with and agreed to marry  before he left?  Or is it somewhere else?  Margot isn't sure.  All she knows is she feels stifled by her family's expectations for her.  Even in Paris Margot is  bored with the endless dinner parties and tired of the veiled resentments directed towards her as a German national-that is until she meets Krysia, a Polish musician who intrigues Margot.  Hoping to fend off her loneliness by securing Krysia's friendship, Margot discloses some sensitive information in front of Krysia's friends which leads her to danger.  Further complicating matters is handsome German Officer Georg who arrives with the German delegation.  As Margot spends more time with this intelligent but troubled man her life is thrown further into confusion.

Not having read much about World War I, I was eager to pick up this book.  It was not quite what I expected as it was lighter on the history since our narrator Margot is not directly involved in many of the events occurring, and heavier on the romance.  The story really picks up when Margot places herself in the aforementioned sticky situation and now must decide if she will do what is necessary to extricate herself from it or keep trying to in vain to find an alternative way out of her troubles.  Margot's unlikely friendship with the communist leaning Krysia was also well done.  Of all the characters Georg stuck with me the most as the handsome idealist who has such great hopes for Germany even now when they have suffered such a devastating defeat.  I think I had a wee bit of crush on him as I read along.

There were two problems with this book for me.  The biggest one?  Margot!  I understand the girl is only 20 years old but for someone of her intelligence she comes off as completely clueless at times.  Also in regards to her injured fiancee Stefan, she employs the avoidance tactic instead of actually dealing with her feelings.  This of course means the poor guy is left hanging and is treated much worse than he deserves by the indecisive Margot.  It may have been my modern girl sensibilities creeping in, but as I read along I grew increasingly frustrated with Margot and wanted to shout at her "Just make a decision already!"   My second problem was that the drama in some parts of the book felt a bit exaggerated, especially in regards to Margot's unfortunate situation and the resolution of her troubles with Stefan.  The latter seemed entirely too soap opera-esque to me.  That being said I did like this book.  I just wished it included a bit more history and a heroine that was a bit more likable. 

I was unaware at the start of the book that this is a prequel to Jenoff's novel The Kommandant's Girl so if you haven't read this author yet this book would be the place to start.  The edition of The Ambassador's Daughter I read was the Kindle version which included the first Chapter of The Kommandant's Girl at the end of the book.  I read it and was completely sucked in so I plan on plucking it off my shelf and reading it shortly.

I received this book from the publisher for review via NetGalley.  These are my honest thoughts on the book.

REVIEW: Fever by Mary Beth Keane

Synopsis (from Amazon):  On the eve of the twentieth century, Mary Mallon emigrated from Ireland at age fifteen to make her way in New York City. Brave, headstrong, and dreaming of being a cook, she fought to climb up from the lowest rung of the domestic-service ladder. Canny and enterprising, she worked her way to the kitchen, and discovered in herself the true talent of a chef. Sought after by New York aristocracy, and with an independence rare for a woman of the time, she seemed to have achieved the life she’d aimed for when she arrived in Castle Garden. Then one determined “medical engineer” noticed that she left a trail of disease wherever she cooked, and identified her as an “asymptomatic carrier” of Typhoid Fever. With this seemingly preposterous theory, he made Mallon a hunted woman. The Department of Health sent Mallon to North Brother Island, where she was kept in isolation from 1907 to 1910, then released under the condition that she never work as a cook again. Yet for Mary—proud of her former status and passionate about cooking—the alternatives were abhorrent. She defied the edict. 

My Thoughts: Many of us have heard the name Typhoid Mary without giving much thought to the actual person she was.  In Fever Keane does a fine job of giving us a glimpse of the woman who was the first known "healthy" carrier of typhoid in the United States. Having emigrated from Ireland to the United States in her teens, Mary starts at the lower rung of domestic jobs as a laundress but due to the timely illness of  a cook in the household she works for, Mary is able to move into the kitchens and do what she loves most-cook.  Unfortunately for Mary her love of preparing food for other people is what gets her in trouble as she seemingly every  household she comes in contact with has a typhoid outbreak, sometimes with devastating consequences.

Mary is an interesting character and I admired her spirit.  She is a fighter who believes she is the victim of injustice and refuses to just give in.  That is also the problem as Mary has deluded herself into believing that she can't possibly be responsible for all those people being sick.  I can understand her disdain for Dr. Soper the "sanitation engineer" who realized that the issue in these households was probably Mary and was responsible for her isolation at North Brother Island.  The man looks at her as something to be poked and prodded and probably would have received a more favorable response from Mary had he showed a modicum of sympathy towards her.  Soper is the lurking presence Mary must constantly be wary of as she stubbornly defies the edict to never cook again.  At times I found myself having trouble sympathizing with Mary because of her actions but her regret over the death by typhoid fever of a little boy she cared a great deal about in an earlier household she worked for touched me.

The novels strong point is that it does a wonderful job of immersing you in turn of the century immigrant life in New York City.   The author really does make the city come alive.  What I didn't care for in this book was the beginning seemed kind of abrupt to me.  There was no build up in learning who Mary was or painting a background story.  The reader is plunged almost immediately into the typhoid outbreak and Mary's subsequent capture.  While more of Mary's earlier life is given later in the novel , the way it moved back and forth through Mary's life made it seem a bit disordered to me and seemed like it would have read better if her story was given in the order it happened.  I did like this book and would suggest it to historical fiction lovers.  Even though I had a few issues while reading, I liked being able to picture the real woman behind the Typhoid Mary Moniker.

While I usually don't link to other people's reviews, check out this review for Fever written by a guy on Goodreads.  He does a great job and totally blows this review out of the water. :)

 I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Short Survey for College Class-Please Respond!

Hey all!

Thank the Gods above I am FINALLY plugging away at my last class before I am done with my Bachelor's Degree.  The class I am taking is a course in Services Management which requires me to come up with a customer satisfaction survey for a company and get responses so I can write a nice long paper on it at the end of the course for my final grade.  In order to do so I must have access to the customers of whatever business I pick and I chose Barnes & Noble because if there is any customer base I have easy access to its readers!

I am asking that anyone who has a few minutes to spare and gets the occasional book or two from Barnes & Noble to PLEASE fill out the short 10 question survey included here.  It doesn't ask for your name so it is completely anonymous and this is for educational purposes only.  The responses will not be shared with anyone.  It is just so I can gather the data I need to write the paper and finally graduate so I can get back to the important things in life-like reading!!!  If anyone can spare a few minutes to fill this out you will have my undying gratitude. 

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

 

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

Synopsis: In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth’s circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen’s downfall, Helena is forced to choose between her unyielding monarch and the husband she’s not sure she can trust–a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences. Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.



My Thoughts: Elizabeth I is undoubtedly one of my favorite people in history to read about so I am always ready to dive into a historical fiction novel which offers me a fresh perspective on this complex Tudor Queen.  Sandra Byrd's Roses Have Thorns delivers this by providing a more intimate picture of the proud and often volatile monarch as she deals with some of the toughest decisions during her reign: the marriage and succession question, the threats from abroad, the forays into the New World and the threat to her throne presented by the captive Catholic Mary Queen of Scots.

Elin (who later changes her name to the English Helena) comes to England from Sweden after learning her fiance's affections lie elsewhere and her dowry is non-existent.  Faced with an uncertain future, she catches the eye of William Parr, Marquess of Northampton and so begins her improbable rise to highest lady in the land (but not without several bumps along the way).  Elin is a sympathetic character.  Viewed as an outsider by the other ladies of the court, she is often met with jealousy, mistrust, and mockery for her occasional social blunders.  It is her undying devotion to the Queen which finally earns her some respect and a closeness with Elizabeth that few obtain-close enough to see the regal mask slip to reveal the woman beneath who is carrying the soul crushing burden of governing a fractured Kingdom.

What I liked the most about Roses is the separate but similar struggles the women face on how much of themselves to give before it becomes too much and they have to give up their dreams.  Elizabeth's struggle is with her need to be appreciated as a woman (with her decades long love of Robert Dudley) vs her need to be respected as a ruler and do what is right for England.  Helena's struggle is with her desire to serve the Queen overriding her yearning to have a real family life.

One of the challenges authors have in writing a first person character is how to include the historical content of the time period while being limited to the view and role of the person who is the voice of their novel.  While this novel covers a lot of history and delves most deeply into the marriage question and Mary Queen of Scots issue, some other well known happenings during this time were not covered as well because of the limited character point of view.  This did detract from the novel just a bit for me but I still enjoyed the novel immensely. These are Christian Historical Fiction novels but the religion aspect is the character in prayer and not moralizing about any religious subjects. I really liked the previous two books in the series To Die For and The Secret Keeper and thought the presentation of the Tudor Queens through the eyes of someone in their inner circle was well done in all of them.  This one was another winner for me and in a very trying week in my household, the perfect book to curl up and unwind with.

 I received this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley for participation in the author's tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.  These are my honest thoughts on the book.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

I am happy to be able to offer a copy of Roses Have Thorns and an Elizabeth I necklace to one lucky reader!


Giveaway is open to: US Only

To Enter: leave your name and email address in the comments

1 extra entry each for: posting about this giveaway on your blog, sharing via Facebook, Tweeting about this giveaway

Giveaway Ends: Midnight April 19th.  Winner will be announced the 20th.

View the rest of the tour schedule HERE for more reviews, giveaways, author interviews and guest posts with Sandra Byrd.

About the Author

Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. Her second book, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, illuminates the mysteries in the life of Henry’s last wife. For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children.

Visit Sandra at www.sandrabyrd.com

Mailbox Monday!

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia.  This meme is currently on tour and this month it is making it's home with Caitlin @ Chaotic Compendiums.

Another big week!  I seem to be getting a lot of wishes granted on Paperbackswap as of late.  Also I did a bit of splurging this week at a local UBS called Booked for the Season because the location in my hometown may have to close if they don't raise $2,000 by April 1st.  I usually go to a different location but had to do my part to help this one out because I hate to see any locally owned bookstore close down.  Also got a few more books for my Kindle because I saw some awesome deals I couldn't pass up.

From Paperbackswap:

• The Belly Dancer by DeAnna Cameron
• 1356 by Bernard Cornwell
• Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent
• Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie
• The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

 

For Review:

• Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara (from Publisher)
• The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (from NetGalley)
• The Queen's Rivals by Brandy Purdy (for upcoming tour)

 

From Booked the Season:

• A Moorland Hanging by Michael Jecks
• The Traitor of St. Giles by Michael Jecks
• The Clerk's Tale by Margaret Frazer
• Susannah Morrow by Megan Chance
• Lady of the Light by Donna Gillespie
• The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb
• Kristin Lavransdatter I: the Wreath by Sigrid Undset
• Robert the Bruce: King of Scots by Ronald McNair Scott

 

 

 

For my Kindle:

• The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch (pre-order)
• The Beggar King by Oliver Potzsch
• The Bloodletter's Daughter by Linda Lafferty
• The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection by L. Frank Baum
• The Dark Monk by Oliver Potzsch

That's all for me.  Have a good week everyone!