Monday, November 25, 2013

The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

This book did not work for me. I admit I had a hard time not comparing it to the Stephanie Plum series (that I adore).

Kate O'Hare is a badass FBI agent and Nick Fox was a 'mission impossible' kind of criminal. Kate has been trying to catch/arrest Nick for years... and they have that kindergarten kind of relationship where they think each other are attractive and Nick flirts but Kate hates Nick.

The biggest issue I had with this book was that every single aspect of the book was outlandish. So let's give this a proper review:

Kate eventually catches Nick for stealing the Crimson Teardrop (a diamond) but what Nick doesn't know is that Kate was on top of her game and knowing that Nick would go after it, she replaced it with a cubic zirconia and to catch him, she hit him with a bus.

On the way to the courtroom, Nick asks to use the restroom to which he ends up escaping and fleeing to Mount Athos - "a mountainous, inhospitable, rocky peninsula that is thirty miles long, ranging from 4 to 8 miles wide, and pounded by the Aegean Sea on three sides" - a part of Greece that is inaccessible by land and who hasn't accepted woman for thousands of years -not even female creatures are allowed. Assuming he is there, Kate jumps out of a plane in the middle of the night to catch her man - and guess what, he was there and so are her bosses!! However, instead of arresting him like they've wanted to do for years, they decide to join forces with Nick to perform a con to catch a bigger criminal. They enlisted a bunch of nobody's to work with them who don't mind breaking the law, going to jail indefinitely or being killed in the process - every person they approached agreed immediately to these terms. Including Kate, the badass FBI agent.

They set the stage for said con and then act on it by immediately kidnapping and holding a hostage while using scare tactics to make him talk - and he does. So they set off to find their man who is hiding out on an Indonesian island and rent a yacht to sail the seas in hopes of catching him. Along the way there are pirates and many other outlandish happenings... it was all too far-fetched for me to even enjoy.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

This was a tragic story about a woman, Agnes, who was sentenced to death (beheaded) for killing Natan, the man she loved. She was locked in a little cell with no light, little food, no clean clothes, no shower, no fresh air and a lot of stench before she was taken to a farm to live out the rest of her sentence. While she was at the farm she slowly opened up and little by little told her story, at first to her spiritual adviser, Toti, and then to Margaret. By the end of the book, I grew to love Agnes and her story moved me. I don't want to give away any of the ending but I will tell you that the end of this book was written so well, I don't think I'll ever forget it. Two days later after I've finished reading it and I still find myself thinking about it.

I did have a hard time with the names in this book; the names of the farms, the towns, the people. It's much easier for me to read about Austin, TX than it is about Hvammstangi, Iceland (which I don't believe was in the book but since I couldn't think of a single name I could spell haha, I googled).

This is a definite recommend.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Covet by Tracey Garvis-Graves

I wish I could give this 3.5 stars.  I went into this with very high expectations...  I loved On the Island and couldn't put it down, I also loved Uncharted so naturally I should love this one but I didn't.  It was good but I didn't love it.  I thought the first 1/2 was a little slow while the 2nd 1/2 dialed up the drama quite a bit.

The book is about a family, a happy family, that becomes strained and tested when Claire's husband, Chris, loses his job.  When Chris finds a job, it requires travel and he's gone a lot which leaves Claire lonely and longing for her marriage but emotionally, Chris is spent.

Getting to read a little bit from everyone's perspective worked for me and I found the main characters all likable - not so much the neighborhood couples who I didn't connect much with and found confusing at times (I just couldn't keep them straight).

I was able to really connect with Claire and understand her perspective so much. And it must be said that I melted when Chris got in the shower with her - I truly felt his love for her in that moment.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Six Years by Harlan Coben

If I had stopped reading this book 1/2 way through, I would've given it 5 stars (I gave it 4).  Up until 1/2 way through, I couldn't put the book the down; I was holding my breath, worried about Jake and utterly confused about what the heck happened.  Then sometime after the 1/2 way point details started to emerge and by the end I felt confused again because there were so many details that it was becoming hard to follow.

I do like Harlan Coben's sense of humor in his writing even when it's not a funny story.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Spare Change by Bette Lee Crosby

What a sweet story.  I really loved little Ethan Allen.

This book was about the survival of an 11yr old, Ethan Allen.  Survival of a bad home life and survival of the dark secrets he carries with him as he searches for his grandpa.  However, instead of finding his grandpa, he finds Olivia.  Olivia has burdens and scars and superstitions of her own and the last thing she wants is a child, never mind an 11yr old but they learn to work it out and Ethan Allen learns to trust his secrets with her and together they form a very strong bond - one that the Cobb's learn about the hard way.  Now he just needs to get everyone to believe him.

Like I said, sweet Christian story with likable (and 'hateable') characters.  Definite recommend.

And don't miss Jubilee's Journey the second book in the Wyattsville series.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Say You're Sorry by Michael Robotham

After reading The Wreckage (book 5 in the Joe O'Laughlin series) where Joe played very little to no part in the book, I was very happy to see him return in this story.  He did not disappoint me.  I love me some Joe.

Natasha (Tash) McBain and Piper Hadley are girls that I will probably never forget.  This story is centered around them; the hunt for them since they were abducted the last Saturday of the summer holidays or are they merely runaways?

The first book I read in this series was Shatter in 2010 (before I knew it was a series and you can only imagine what it did to my OCD tendencies to find out it was book 3 but that's another story) and now in 2013 I'm still talking about that book.  As a matter of fact, when I read the name Gideon Tyler in this book, I swear, I got nervous.

Anyhow, what I'm trying to say is that this book is every bit of Shatter's equal.  I couldn't put it down; it made my heart race; it made me nervous, sad and at times, even happy.

Michael Robotham is one heck of writer and I can't wait to read Watching You

I'd easily give this book 6, 7, 8 stars if I could.
I will recommend this book until people are tired of hearing me preach Michael Robotham. ;)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain


What a book. Once again Diane Chamberlain doesn't let me down. I knew I was going to read this book just because Diane Chamberlain wrote it, never read the synopsis and boy was I surprised to find out what it was about, what a tough subject matter. My heart broke. I'm sure I will think of the Hart's for some time; they found their place in my heart.

Ivy and Mary Ella Hart lose their parents and are now being raised by their grandmother, Nonnie on a tobacco farm where they all work. A new case worker, Jane, is hired to work their case and she gives it all she has and then some. The more she gets to know them and the others on the farm (the Jordan's), the more she learns of the secrets and lies on the farm creating a plot that quickly unravels.


Definite recommend.