A Quick Review: Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

From the author's website:  "The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so fifteen-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Corn resists being harvested; dandelions have thorns. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Still Liza feels safe. Her father is strong and has protected their town by laying down strict rules. Among them: Any trace of magic must be destroyed, no matter where it is found.


Then Liza's sister is born with faerie-pale hair, clear as glass, and Liza's father leaves the baby on a hillside to die. When her mother disappears into the forest and Liza herself discovers she has the faerie ability to see--into the past, into the future--she has no choice but to flee. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds."

This super fast read was pretty middle of the road.  I liked aspects of it, such as the world building and the supporting characters to Liza, but I never found myself getting fully immersed in the story.  I think part of the problem is that you come into the story without getting any time to get to know the main character before grand sweeping changes come into her world, and it's not handled well.  I never felt I really knew Liza and that made for a disconnect with her quest to find her mother.  I certainly think that this book was adequately written, but it just was not for me.

Verdict:  4.  Didn't mind reading it, but I'll never pick it up again for fun.

Thoughts:  I actually liked the werewolf in this book.  That never happens since I generally hate any type of shape shifter in any book whatsoever.  Good on you, author.  That and the inclusion of the cat bumped the grade of the book up a notch!

The Wicked Ways of a Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke

From the author's website:  "Once upon a time, there was a seamstress named Prudence who lived in a lodging house, worked very hard, and dreamed of a better life. Then she inherited a fortune, met a handsome duke, and fell in love. Her life was wonderful, and it seemed as if she was destined to live happily ever after.

Then she found out money can’t buy happiness, handsome dukes can also be wicked, lying scoundrels, and a broken heart hurts like hell. Will Prudence ever find true love and happiness? Will the wicked duke mend his ways? Will she take him back or kick him to the curb?"

Before I come to any review, I have to say that this book title made me roll my eyes so hard that I saw the back of my skull.  Perhaps all that Ms. Guhrke requires, however, is that it is memorable.  The worst part was that the novel is so much better than the title implies.  The annoyance is similar to when I read a Harlequin romance titled something like "Marriage of Convenience to the Greek Billionaire" and that damnable novel is decent.  I like judging books by their titles/covers!

This novel of a seamstress become heiress and the money desperate duke that decides to woo her is set in late 1890s London.  It's different from the get-go with a heroine who works for a living in a realistic job and who thinks realistically about working and inheriting money.  I did find the reason for her inheritance fairly contrived, but I will tell you the truth -- I expect contrivance in my romance novels.  It's when I don't get it that I'm impressed, rather than upset when I do get it.  Prudence starts off strong in my regards, but quickly comes low.  She lets her overly-stupid relatives walk all over her and she does things which I found incredibly dumb.  She seems to care very little for the fortune she inherits even though she's seen what life is like without money.  She's not a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine, but she's not overly intellectual.

The hero, a duke in need of a fortune, is a standard in fiction, but is especially well done in this novel.  Here is where I feel the novel excels.  Rhys knows what he needs to do, and he goes to do it.  He finds it convenient that Prudence is attractive to him from their first meeting, but he doesn't dwell on her when he thinks she cannot give him what he needs: either a quick lay, or a fortune.  He's self-serving, funny, smarmy, and pitiable.  I liked him more than I liked Prudence, and I more quickly bought into his storyline.

The Wicked Ways of a Duke moved very quickly, progressing from meeting to engagement by half-way through the book.  Since that occurred, it was easy to predict the novel's course, but it was still a compelling read.  I disliked Prudence's relatives as plot devices, especially considering that there was no need for them with regards to the romance, but what I mostly disliked about them is how her reaction to them changed my perception of Prudence.  Similarly, I felt like Prudence's friends were never properly dealt with, and I would not have minded more time with them because I think that would have improved my perception of Prudence.

Mostly this novel is worth a read, from my end, due to Rhys.  He's entertaining, and I feel like that is something I can scarcely say about a romance novel hero.

Verdict: 6. I'm glad I got this out from the library.

Thoughts: I was shocked by the setting (really late Victorian England) and I half wondered throughout the book if society was as described by this novel. I know nearly nothing about late Victorian England, but I found the change from the Regency era or early Victorian era to be delightful. Not so great cover on the paperback version I was reading, by the way.

It is worth noting that this is one of the few romance novels I've read recently where I like the hero more than the heroine.

A Quick Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

From the author's website: "Belly measures her life in summers.  Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.  Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad.  They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between.  But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along."

I liked this book far more than I expected.  The main character is not exactly likable, but she's real, which makes a difference.  She doesn't make the good choices, and she doesn't see obvious connections, but that's life.  I felt most of the characters in the book were well-realized though the plot felt fairly thin.  To me, this was more of a character study than a novel with a plot.  Either way, it still read quickly.

Thoughts:  This woman knows the shore, and those who love it.  This story sometimes turns into a love letter to summering at the shore, and I'm okay with that.

Verdict:  6