This is a very sweet romance. The setting is so beautiful and idyllic that it’s hard not to be envious.
Persephone (Percy) begins spending summers andThis is a very sweet romance. The setting is so beautiful and idyllic that it’s hard not to be envious.
Persephone (Percy) begins spending summers and holidays at “the lake� when her parents buy a lakeside cabin in Canada. She meets the two boys next door, Sam and Charlie. She and Sam become best friends - swimming every day, playing games, watching scary movies, etc. Throughout the years Percy begins to seriously crush on Sam, but they maintain just friends for a long time.
The story is told in two timelines. While we see their friendship and relationship grow in the past timeline, Percy is called back to the lake when Sam & Charlie’s mom dies. It’s clear that something happened in the past that splintered their relationship, yet their connection is clear when they see each other again.
It’s finally time to address the things that happened in the past that hurt them and pulled them apart� both for closure and to see if there can be any current relationship. In many ways part of the book feels YA, because of the past timeline. For me the book worked, with the sweet friendship, beautiful setting, etc. in reality probably a 3-1/2 but rounded to 4....more
This was a fun read/listen. Ivy Benton lives in London in 1848, but this romantasy is set in an alternate time. London is ruled by an immortal fae queThis was a fun read/listen. Ivy Benton lives in London in 1848, but this romantasy is set in an alternate time. London is ruled by an immortal fae queen. Queen Mor "allows" her subjects one wish, but she strikes a hard bargain to grant these wishes. People give up everything from fingers or toes to their most beloved memory.
The queen announces a competition to marry her son, Prince Bram. Ivy's family is in desperate circumstances, so she is first to sign her name in blood and try to win the prince's heart. The women soon find themselves involved in cruel games planned by the queen, who makes their plight to win his hand even more desperate. Ivy also meets Prince Emmett, who is the bad-boy brother of Bram. He wants to help her win... and explains the stakes are higher than anyone realizes.
Who will win Ivy's heart? Or her hand? And is there more at stake than even Ivy and Emmett are aware of?
I'm not sure how much I liked many of these characters, but it's also hard to judge people's actions when they are in desperate circumstances. I did think it was a fun and interesting book. While I can't find anything that says it, I am expecting a sequel to this....more
This is my first book by this author and I am impressed. She has a wonderful ability to bring characters to life and show them with depth and honesty.This is my first book by this author and I am impressed. She has a wonderful ability to bring characters to life and show them with depth and honesty. Actions are seldom just about the final act, but are determined by many complex emotions.
Our main character is Ebby Freeman. When she was just ten years old she was in the house as burglars entered and her older brother Baz was shot and killed. In the process, a treasured family heirloom was shattered. The Freeman’s are a black family, the only black family in their prestigious neighborhood. As such, Baz’s death gets enormous coverage, and Ebby feels eyes upon and whispers follow her throughout her years growing up. Then later, Ebby’s wedding gets called off and again their family has the eyes of the public upon them. She escapes to France for an extended visit, but her past follows her.
Interspersed with the timeline of Ebby and her family is a timeline showing earlier generations. We discover them as enslaved people, and many of the hardships and atrocities they endured. We also learn more about the large clay jar and ancestor created, and how it has been passed down through the generations. This is obviously an important part of the book, but because it included shorter bits from many generations, I didn’t connect with any of these characters as much� though some are discussed in more detail than others.
Throughout Ebby’s journey she learns much about herself and her family and how her brother’s death has affected them in deep ways� affecting their actions, thoughts, etc. Guarding oneself against pain merely makes it retreat deeper and makes the healing even more difficult. I’d rate this 4-1/2 stars rounded up to 5. I think anytime a current day story can also help us learn more about the past, it’s an important read, as well as this one being overall enjoyable. In our current culture, there are many including “leaders� who are trying to erase or reframe our history. That makes books like this even more necessary and important....more
I chose this book for my monthly "classic" read. It's a little surprising, but I don't think I've read Agatha Christie previously.
This is a classic lI chose this book for my monthly "classic" read. It's a little surprising, but I don't think I've read Agatha Christie previously.
This is a classic locked room mystery, with ten guests being invited to a private island owned by an eccentric millionaire. From the very beginning, things are off to a rough start. The butler-type staff person was instructed to play a record on the gramophone... which accuses each guest of being responsible for a murder. Then, the guests start dying.
They realize that the deaths are following the pattern outlined in the famous nursery rhyme One Little Soldier Boy. Who is behind these deaths? And what is their reason? And how do the police figure out who was the murderer is when all have died and it's not possible that anyone else came onto the island?
With ten island guests, I'll admit I lost track of some of the characters. But overall, it was a fun and interesting book.
Adulting is hard. Lucy is 26 and her life isn’t what she’d hoped. She feels like she’s not making progress at work, her room in the flat she shares haAdulting is hard. Lucy is 26 and her life isn’t what she’d hoped. She feels like she’s not making progress at work, her room in the flat she shares has water leaking from the tenant above. Her best friend is moving out, and she’s tired of the guys she’s meeting. While stuck walking home in the rain she enters a shop and finds an old wishing machine. She makes a wish to skip ahead to the good part of her life.
She wakes up the next morning in a strange room, in bed with a strange man. A hot man, but still a stranger. She has kids and a great job. But she can’t remember what happened during the 16 years that are missing. She comes to appreciate the things in this new life and that she’s ended up where she wanted in life� but she feels like she’s missed a lot. She missed falling in love with this amazing guy, giving birth to her babies� but she’s also missed some heartache.
Can she find her way back to her previous life? And as she falls more in love with her family, does she want to risk going back in life? This is really a very sweet and fun story. Lucy is a great character, but there are other supporting characters. She forms very sweet relationship with her son, who first accuses her of being an alien mom. This is my 2nd book by the author and I’ll definitely read more....more
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