KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS by Valerie Bowman

October 29, 2018

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Playful Brides, Book 10

I think I may have read a couple of the books in this series, some of the minor characters seemed somewhat familiar. Bowman takes a very typical plotline in historical romances, the commoner and the royal who can’t possibly marry, and does a terrific job with it.

In this case, Lady Regina has been orphaned at a young age and raised by her uncle. She is firmly “on the shelf” having rejected many suitors as she approaches her thirtieth birthday. Her uncle is dying and it is his final wish to see her married. To that end, she is affianced to a neighboring peer. He is moderately good looking at least, but a snob and a bore and Regina can’t imagine spending her life with this man. But she is a dutiful young woman and makes peace with the decision.

The book opens with Regina visiting a Bow Street Runner whom she met when he was hired to solve the murder of a relative. She was strongly attracted to him, and she decides if she is going to spend her life with a bore, she wants her first time with a man to be her decision. To that end, she visits Daffin Oakleaf, the runner, in his office and propositions him. Badly. She bungles it, he rejects her offer, and she is beyond embarrassed.

But when someone tries to run her carriage off the road, Oakleaf is hired to protect her. Spending all that time together forces them to learn about one another and eventually fall in love. But Oakleaf knows he can’t marry her because of the difference in their stations – or can he?

A delightful romance with some humor, witty dialogue and well developed characters I couldn’t help but care about. Regina was smart and sassy and Oakleaf was dark and damaged. The combination was explosive and made this a really fun read.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS by Valerie Bowman. St. Martin’s Paperbacks (October 30, 2018).  ISBN 978-1250147523. 320p.

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SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT by Samin Nosrat

October 28, 2018

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Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

Illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton

I remember when this book was getting nominated for all kinds of awards, and from the reviews, I thought it was going to be a beginners cookbook so I didn’t pay it much attention. Then came the Netflix show.

My husband and I watched the first episode one Saturday night a few weeks ago. Samin is totally adorable, smart, funny and just, well, lovable. That first episode takes place in Italy, which didn’t hurt either. So we said, okay, we’ll watch the next one. That one was in Japan. An hour later, we thought, why not, let’s watch the episode in Mexico. And then there was only one episode left so we watched that, too. Yes, I lead an exciting life, binge watching Netflix on a Saturday night. It wasn’t the first time, and probably won’t be the last. But it was fun, and inspiring, and thoroughly enjoyable and it led me back to her cookbook.

To be honest, I liked the TV series more than the book, and that is a very odd thing for me to say. It is, as I feared, very much a beginners cookbook. The first two hundred pages of the book just explains salt, fat, acid and heat. The rest of the book is called, “and now that you know how to cook…” and includes “recipes and recommendations.”

The first part of the second part? Not recipes, “Kitchen Basics” starting with “choosing tools, choosing ingredients, a few basic  how-tos” with illustrations. Like how to slice an onion, how to turn garlic into a paste, how to chop parsley and other info on knife cuts. Then, finally, recipes. Sort of.

There are pages on salads but nothing that looks like a recipe you’d find in any other cookbook until you get a ways in. There are pages about ingredients used in salad, a chart with suggested combinations, and then some actual recipes. Avocado, Beet and Citrus Salad. Shaved Carrot Salad with Ginger and Lime. Then some dressings – progress! After the salads come stocks and soups. beans, grains and pasta, fish, chicken, and so forth, even a handful of desserts. There is no table of contents, but there is an extensive index.

All that said, there wasn’t a whole lot I would make. It’s just too basic, I’ve been making most of this stuff for years. So it’s not a cookbook I would cook from, if you will, and for me, that defeats the purpose.

A reviewer from the Atlantic called it a “meta-cookbook” and I totally get that. Other reviewers felt that it changed the way they cooked or even the way they thought about food. It didn’t do that for me. That said, it would make a terrific gift for a beginning cook or someone who doesn’t like to cook or even worse, thinks they can’t cook. Samin is a remarkable teacher, and that shows on every page. Her love of food comes shining through, along with her will to make everyone feel the same way – and she truly is a force to be reckoned with – but in the most irresistible way. Buy it for the novice cooks in your life. And definitely watch the show!

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT by Samin Nosrat. Simon and Schuster; 4th edition (April 25, 2017). ISBN 978-1476753836. 480p.

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THE LOOK OF LOVE by Sarah Jio

October 27, 2018

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This was a recommendation from one of my library members who knows I enjoy a touch of magical realism now and then. I do, but this book really pushed my limits. Allow me to explain.

The main character is Jane Williams. She has been under the care of a neurologist since she was a young child, making monthly treks to the doctor who had become a second mother to her after she lost her actual mother. Jane’s birthday is on Christmas, and she is turning 29. She receives a mysterious card via her doorman, inviting her to meet a woman she has never heard of, at her home, for tea, so she may explain the gift that Jane has been given.

Jane is nervous and takes her best friend along with her. Turns out that this woman was at the hospital on the day Jane was born, and gave her a gift. This gift is the ability to see true love, and has been passed down for generations from one green-eyed woman to another. She tells Jane that she has one year to identify the six kinds of love and record them in this old book that has been kept by all the women with this gift. If she fails, she will never find her own true love.

So far, so good. I did have a couple of issues then. First, there was no explanation for the six kinds of love, just some odd names. Maybe I was supposed to look those up? I don’t know, they aren’t explained until the end of the book when Jane is recording them. The bigger issue is that her six friends all neatly fall into one of the categories. I really had to suspend my disbelief here. That said, the story was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages.

For every drop of drama, there was a fairly immediate resolution. At the end, I did like the book but felt it could have been so much better had the characters not been so neatly categorized.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE LOOK OF LOVE by Sarah Jio. Plume (November 25, 2014). ISBN 978-0142180532. 304p.

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DUCHESS BY DESIGN by Maya Rodale

October 26, 2018

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The Gilded Age Girls Club, Book 1

From the publisher:

In the first novel of Maya Rodale’s enthralling new series, an English duke vows to make an American seamstress his duchess…

In Gilded Age Manhattan, anything can happen…

Seeking a wealthy American bride who can save his family’s estate, Brandon Fiennes, the duke of Kingston, is a rogue determined to do the right thing. But his search for an heiress goes deliciously awry when an enchanting seamstress tumbles into his arms instead.

…and true love is always in fashion

Miss Adeline Black aspires to be a fashionable dressmaker—not a duchess—and not even an impossibly seductive duke will distract her. But Kingston makes an offer she can’t refuse: join him at society events to display her gowns and advise him on which heiresses are duchess material. It’s the perfect plan—as long as they resist temptation, avoid a scandal, and above all do not lose their hearts.

This is the first book of a new series and it is terrific. I love the time period, the gilded age in New York at the turn of the last century.

While the Duke is from England, he travels to America to find an heiress to save his family from ruin. He feels a tremendous responsibility, and his mother and sisters apparently have no idea what sort of financial straits the family is in – probably because he doesn’t tell them. He is determined to do the right thing, marry a woman with a fortune, he is not looking for a love match. But when he meets Adeline, it turns his world upside down.

Of course there is a case of mistaken identity that adds to the comedy of errors here. The humor is top notch and the characters are charming and fun. The hot sex scenes are also fun.

There is a definite trend in romances for strong, independent female characters and Adeline definitely fits that mold. I loved the references to real women of the time like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, it lends a touch of realism and helps with the suspension of disbelief.

I really enjoyed this read and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DUCHESS BY DESIGN by Maya Rodale. Avon (October 23, 2018).  ISBN 978-0062838803. 384p.

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THE RECKONING by John Grisham

October 25, 2018

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The novel opens with Pete Banning going over to the Methodist Church he and his family attended and shooting and killing his friend the Reverend Dexter Bell. We immediately know what happened and basically what Grisham’s novel revolves around;  it says so on the book’s flap as well as on any description written about it. 

The why becomes a fascinating study in human relations and what factors can cause one man to kill another. The book is centered in a small town in the state of Mississippi just shortly after the end of World War II. Pete Banning has returned home a decorated hero, wanting only to resume his life with his beautiful wife and two children.  His is important enough to the story for Grisham to detail the facts behind his bravery. 

This is a well researched look at the events unfolding in the Philippinesat the time of the Bataan death march. A portrait of the horrid conditions in the internment camp in which Pete is held coupled with his heroic actions later in fighting the Japanese upon his escape is extremely well done. His character is molded by this phase of his life and may supply clues to his motivation in committing murder.

Pete’s children, his wife and his sister are effected by his actions. They are completely surprised at his lack of interest in defending himself at the trial convened to try him for murder. 

The novel is John Grisham at his peak exercising a literary talent second to none.  When is the next book coming out is the only question remaining for the reader and I second that opinion. 

10/18 Paul Lane

THE RECKONING by John Grisham. Doubleday (October 23, 2018).  ISBN 978-0385544153. 432p.

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ONE DAY IN DECEMBER by Josie Silver

October 24, 2018

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I loved the premise of this book – it’s based on love at first sight – literally. And I’m happy to say it lived up to my expectations.

Laurie is riding the bus in London and at one of the stops, she looks out the window and sees a man. He looks at her, too, and something passes between them. She tries to get off the bus, and he tries to get on, but neither are successful.

After that, Laurie looks for him at every bus stop and cafe. for a year but never finds him. Every man she meets just doesn’t measure up to “bus stop man,” as her roommate and best friend, Sarah, has dubbed him. Then Sarah meets a man that is really special, Jack is the love of her life, and she can’t wait for Laurie to meet him.

Of course, Jack is “bus stop man.”

Laurie is determined not to come between Sarah and Jack, and they both pretend they don’t know one another. Laurie finally meets someone else and life goes on for all of them. For ten years Laurie and Jack are friends, but that attraction is still there, and you just know it is going to blow up somewhere down the line.

Lots of hurdles to jump over here in this charming read before everyone gets to their happy ending. It made me laugh, it made me cry – it’s a heartfelt, emotional read that I enjoyed immensely.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER by Josie Silver. Broadway Books (October 16, 2018). ISBN 978-0525574682.  416p..

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MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES by Sarah McCoy

October 23, 2018

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Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorite books as a child, and I re-read it while taking “History of Children’s Lit” class in library school and loved it even more. So when I heard about this book, a prequel to the classic but written for adults, I was very excited.

The book didn’t quite meet my expectations but it wasn’t a disappointment, either. We meet Marilla when she was about the same age that we meet Anne, so that was interesting. I thought the character was a bit one dimensional though, and I didn’t always understand her motivation. I did enjoy meeting her family, besides her brother Matthew, especially her aunt. I thought I would learn about the start of the bad blood with Gilbert Blythe’s family but that plot line was plodding at times and it seemed forced.

There was quite a bit of politics throughout the book, about slavery and U.S. and Lincoln and more. It often felt like filler to me but it was interesting for the most part. I was not aware of the role that Canada played in the Civil War and with the Underground Railroad.

If you haven’t read Anne of Green Gables, I’m not sure why you would want to read this. I understood the impetus to write it for adults, although it certainly would be fine for young adults as well. While I much preferred BEFORE GREEN GABLES by Budge Wilson, which is a prequel about Anne’s early life, ultimately I did enjoy my visit back to Green Gables.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES by Sarah McCoy. William Morrow (October 23, 2018). ISBN 978-0062697714. 320p.

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THE FOX by Frederick Forsyth

October 22, 2018

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This twisting and turning look into international espionage is Forsyth’s latest well researched and engrossing novel.  Following the trend begun in his “The Day of the Jackal,” it is a story of the clashing of several resolute wills and delineating  the thinking of all sides opposed to each other. 
The principal characters involved are basically well fleshed out and their actions based on what such individuals would probably do in real life. The style utilized in “The Fox” is one of description of events rather than the movement back and forth between individuals. Their motivations are described in this style which in the author’s hands does lend itself quite well to understanding them.
     
Luke Jennings is a teen-aged British young man that has called attention to himself through hacking into the seemingly impenetrable computer firewalls of the U.S. agencies of the NSA, the CIA and the Pentagon. The United States demands to have Luke extradited from England to face trial in the USA. 
The British Prime Minister calls on Adrian Weston, former chief of British secret intelligence service, to attempt to intervene and prevent the extradition. Upon meeting Luke, Adrian finds that the boy is what is normally termed an “idiot savant,” a person very versed in one area but silent on everything else.  His area of expertise is mastering computer skills which allowed him to hack into the several U.S. agencies’ computers. 
The story turns on the manner Adrian manages to prevent Luke’s arrest and than using him to turn the tables on attempts by China,  North Korea, Russia and Iran to attack the west and their allies. Certain events that actually occurred are described as being prevented by Luke’s seemingly magical hacking of impenetrable computers giving rise to counter measures by the west. 
An excellent read written by one of the literary world’s master craftsmen, and again causing everyone reading his books to eagerly await Forsyth’s next novel.

10/18 Paul Lane

THE FOX by Frederick Forsyth. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (October 23, 2018).  ISBN 978-0525538424. 304p.

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EVERY BREATH by Nicholas Sparks

October 21, 2018

I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for Nicholas Sparks’ first novel in two years – EVERY BREATH!

From the publisher:

In the romantic tradition of The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with a story about a chance encounter that becomes a touchstone for two vastly different individuals — transcending decades, continents, and the bittersweet workings of fate.

Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she’s been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family’s cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future.

Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother’s early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways.

Illuminating life’s heartbreaking regrets and enduring hope, EVERY BREATH explores the many facets of love that lay claim to our deepest loyalties — and asks the question, How long can a dream survive?

Sparks used an interesting literary device in this novel – he inserted himself into the story, at the beginning and again at the end. The story starts with some truth as well, the Kindred Spirit mailbox on Sunset Beach in North Carolina, where people leave letters for others to read and pass along. In this fable, Sparks finds a letter, a packet really, that immediately draws him in. It’s the story of two people who met, spent a week together, fell madly in love, then separated for many, many years. Sparks tracks down the man in the story and in exchange for helping him do some home repairs, gets the rights to his story, providing he changes the names to protect their privacy.

While I’ve always believed in love at first sight, I didn’t quite buy Tru & Hope’s story. It’s not that I don’t think two people can fall in love, a forever kind of love, in just a couple of days, but I just wasn’t feeling it here. At least, not at first. Then Hope leaves, for what she thinks are very good reasons, and Tru has to live with that. Well, they both do. And I started to feel it then. And kudos for the most aptly named characters I’ve read in a long time – Sparks obviously put a great deal of thought into every nuance of this book.

The book jumps many years ahead, when they meet again. We learn more about the years they spent apart, and oh, the tears started then. Nicholas Sparks is not King of the Weepies for nothing!

I loved the exotic setting in Zimbabwe and Botswana, and learning about life, death, the animals and the culture there. Tru’s backstory alone makes this book worth the price of admission. This is a fantastical story in some ways, but a hopeful and inspirational one, too. I have a feeling the film will be incredible.

EVERY BREATH by Nicholas Sparks. Grand Central Publishing (October 16, 2018). 978-1538728529. 320 p.

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JUST THIS ONCE by Mira Lynn Kelly

October 20, 2018

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The Wedding Date Series, Book 3

From the publisher:

He can’t have her.
So he moves in with her…
What could possibly go wrong?

As heir to a chain of luxury hotels, Sean Wyse III always gets what he wants. So when he sees a freeloading roommate taking advantage of his spunky best friend, Molly Brandt, he doesn’t hesitate to step in. He kicks out the roommate…and moves himself in.

Molly loves quality time with Sean, but spending nights with him one wall away threatens to wake the crush she thought she’d gotten over. A crush Sean knows nothing about, which might be a problem…considering how hard Sean’s been working never to think of Molly that way.

The Wedding Date series:
May the Best Man Win (Book 1)
The Wedding Date Bargain (Book 2)
Just this Once (Book 3)
The Decoy Date (Book 4)

This is my first read by Mira Lynn Kelly, and I will definitely be back for more. I loved these characters and couldn’t help rooting for them. There was enough twists and hurdles to keep the pages turning, and some laughs, too.  I didn’t feel like I missed a thing by having started this series with the third book but I am looking for the previous books in the series, just because I think I will enjoy them.

If you want a fast escape and some lighthearted fare with a happy ending, look no further.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

JUST THIS ONCE by Mira Lynn Kelly. Avon; Reissue edition (September 25, 2018). ISBN 978-0062741837. 384p.

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