The Lady Glass

 

***1/2

PG

Easily Recommend

Wow!  It has been a long time since I have read a book!

I started reading Bleak House several months ago and quickly realized, because it is such a heavy one, I was most often reaching for my other fiction book over it.  So, in order to finish it, I told myself I wouldn't start any other fiction until I finished Bleak House.  I did quite well with that for quite a while but then I caved and started this one.  I took it really slowly, with many gaps between chapters so I may have had a different experience with it had I read it more quickly.

However, that said, I did enjoy it!  

Of course I loved the mystery element.  I felt like the main characters were well developed and interesting.  I DID feel a little bit like there were too many secondary characters that could be important but when learning about them I wasn't sure if they would be so I didn't pay close attention.  I kind of glazed over on who was who when they were introduced and it proved a bit of a problem at the end.  Oh well, again, it could have been that I read it over the course of a month+.

Interesting premise and nothing that I objected to that I can remember :)

I could easily recommend this book!

An Inconvenient Letter

 

***

PG

Easily Recommend

Nothing comes to mind that I objected to in this book.

It was predictable but sweet.  

Some of the situations were a bit frustrating and, I feel, not super realistic (like when people made assumptions and didn't talk about things as I feel like they would in real life)  but, this is fiction so I guess I will let it slide :)

It was cute, but sadly, also a bit forgettable.

I could recommend it based on cleanliness though so that's a plus :)

The Letter From Briarton Park

 

***1/2

PG

{BSt}

Could Easily Recommend

I ended up really enjoying this book.

There was a murder (a little later in the book) but it wasn't the focus and so I wouldn't really call it a Murder Mystery...it was quite a simple "mystery" to solve but it did add a bit of intrigue.

Really, the only thing I had against it was the {Back Story}.  Even though it was a major part of the story, it wasn't looked upon favorably or condoned so I guess it was handled well.

I liked how she handled the kissing scenes...just very minimal description and quick :)

I could easily recommend this book!

I could recommend this book

The Gentlewoman Farmer

 

***

PG

Could Easily Recommend

I sought this book out because it was written by a woman that was in a writing class I took a few years ago from Julianne Donaldson.  It's been fun to follow a few of these women who have actually gone on to publish.

I thought it was a sweet story with a somewhat atypical storyline which was nice :)

I did feel like there were a few moments where the conversation/experiences was not super realistic and I thought the very last few sentences in the book were a bit suggestive (even though they are married) but other than those two things I didn't have any complaints.

 I applaud Emily for her debut novel and would be able to easily recommend it to anyone.

The British Booksellers

 

****

PG

{UM}

Easily Recommend

Kristy Cambron is a master!  I love her stories!

This one did not disappoint!

As usual, she is jumping between the past and the present but it was all the same characters in both so it was easier than when she has two time periods and separate groups of characters in each.

There were just a couple of {Uncomfortable Moments}.  The first one involves a husband speaking with his wife about producing an heir.  Nothing explicit is said of course but just the implications are a bit blushworthy :)  Secondly, (maybe I should have categorized this one as the possibility of a {BackStory}) there is a time where a character questions her parentage...suggesting her mother was untrue in her marriage.  I hope this isn't too much of a spoiler but it is made known later that was not the case but still...the possibility is considered.  Other than one uncharacteristic instance of the Lord's name in vain (in a british sort of way) there was no language and everything else was very clean.

I will say, I felt like, for some reason, some of the dialogue was a little harder to follow...such as who was speaking and some of the actual phrases I had to go back and reread because I didn't necessarily understand them the first time.  I don't know, it was a little weird because I don't remember that being a problem in her other books.  It didn't bother me enough to dial down the rating though...it was still a "stay awake into the morning hours to finish" book :)

I could and will easily recommend this book!

Chiara's Choice

 

***

PG

a little {TMP}

Could Recommend but Probably Won't

For some reason I just didn't love this one!

It took me forever to get through.  I had to force myself to finish it.

I really don't know exactly what it was but the characters and the plot didn't tickle my fancy :(

There was just a little bit too much description when it came to the kissing scenes {Too Much Passion} but other than that it was clean.

So, based on cleanliness I could probably recommend this book but I won't be since it bugged just a little.

Codes of Courage

 

****1/2

PG

a tiny bit {TMP}, {SM}

Easily Recommend

Oh boy!  It's been a while since a book has touched me as much as this one did.

Especially the ending...I can't say why...don't want to give anything away... but it was something!

There were only the smallest references to {Too Much Passion} since marriage and the resulting relationships were part of the story.  Also, because of war being a large part of the narrative {Subject Matter}, there were many scenes where dead men were mentioned and briefly described.  However, I felt like Sowards handled both the {SM} and the {TMP} tactfully.

I will recommend this book to those who wouldn't mind a tear jerker.

I've always been partial to WWII books for some reason, and this one, while not the story of faithful people of the Jewish faith escaping the Nazis that I am used to, was just as compelling and beautiful.