Robyn Reviews: TAILOR MADE (The Royals of Monterra) by Annette Lyon

Book: The Royals of Monterra: Tailor Made

Author: Annette Lyon    

Two people. An impossible Task. A traitor in their midst.

Sofia’s mother desperately needs medicine, and Sofia will do anything to get it—including working for a month at the royal palace, where she'll knit silk stockings from sunup to sundown. Yet if she can do it, Sofia will have the ability to get the medicine her mother needs, with money to spare.

But Sofia’s safe world of knitting needles and thread is turned upside down when she finds herself in the middle of palace intrigue. Head tailor Antonio and Sofia uncover a plot to sabotage the royal wedding and plunge Monterra into war. As they work together to save their country, she can’t help falling in love with the unassuming and attractive head tailor, even though she knows she can’t have him. Her country and her family need her. As they race to stop the traitor, the battle in her heart intensifies, and she fears that the victor won’t be love.

Audience: Adult

Genre: Historical Fiction, Novella

Length: 90 pages

Rating: 5

Review

This was a very interesting story. I was intrigued when I read that it was part of a “kindle world” set in the fictional kingdom of Monterra. The story is about a tailor and his very talented helper, Sofia. There is intrigue and romance. The description of the Castle and surrounding lands is very detailed. It made me feel like I was right there. Annette is very good at drawing you into her stories. The characters are well thought out and you feel like you are part of the story. Sofia was innocent, yet very smart and bold. I really liked the Queen (she reminded me a little of Princess Grace of Monaco), even though her part in the book was quite small. She was kind and thoughtful towards those who served her. Antonio was the best hero, strong, yet gentle and caring. He wasn’t afraid of doing the right thing and standing up to the bullies. The love story was very sweet. Maybe there could have been a little bit more controversy with some of the other workers. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and seeing the story unfold. It is a fun and enjoyable read. This will be a fun series to read and get to know other people in the Kingdom of Monterra. You can’t go wrong with Annette Lyon, she always has something good to read!

Content

Sex - 1-Some kissing

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG For more adult themes. It was perfectly clean and sweet.

Robyn Reviews: GLADLY BEYOND by Nichole Van

Book: Gladly Beyond

Author: Nichole Van

From Amazon:

An ancient curse, fractured at the birth of three brothers.

Two strangers helplessly drawn to each other.

A love story two hundred years in the making.

Claire Raythorn arrives in Florence, Italy, shattered, alone, and anxious to rebuild her life--preferably one without men. But she soon finds herself hunted and haunted-- literally--when a mysterious stalker dressed like Mr. Darcy from BBC central casting appears in her photos. And only her photos. Who is this man? And what does his ghostly presence mean?

Dante D'Angelo simply wants to safeguard his brothers, despite the family curse that hounds his vision. But then Claire Raythorn walks into his life, untouched somehow by his curse. Soon, everything Dante thought he knew about himself starts to unravel, dragging Claire down with him.

Set against the lush backdrop of Florence, Italy--both past and present--Claire and Dante fight against an unknown evil for a future together. But, first, they must solve the mystery of their shared past . . .

Audience: Adult

Genre: Speculative Romance/Time Travel

Length: 400

Rating: 5

Review

I am not usually a fan of 1st person writing, but I got into this book quickly and really enjoyed the way it was written. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will just tell you I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy time travel books, so this book intrigued me. You really need to pay attention to the book in order to understand what is going on. I loved the mystery weaved into the romance.

Claire and Dante make an enjoyable team. They work together really well. Nichole did a great job of drawing the reader in. I haven't read any of Ms. Van’s books, but I will certainly be doing so in the future. I would love to see some books telling the story of Dante’s brothers. I loved how this book showed the closeness of family and how they all loved each other very much. This is a wonderfully done book that lets the reader imagine all sorts of things. I really loved the surprise ending and who was the culprit all along.

This was a clean, enjoyable romance that kept me glued to my kindle in order to find out how their love story was going to end.

I received a copy of this book in exchange or my honest review

Content:

Sex - 1—some kissing and talking about ‘hotness’ and other such terms.

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG – Adult Themes

Robyn Reviews: LOVE IS COME (Power of the Matchmaker) by Heather B. Moore

Title: Love is Come (Power of the Matchmaker)

Author: Heather B. Moore

From Amazon: 

From the Power of the Matchmaker series: LOVE IS COME

Nelle Thompson lives a life of privilege during the turn of the century New York City. When her parents are killed in a terrible accident, she’s forced to live with her aunt’s family in a small town in Connecticut, and treated as a poor relation with no financial independence. Broken hearted and riddled with insomnia, Nelle’s health begins a downward spiral. When a locked part of her heart blossoms around her cousin’s fiancé Mathew Janson, Nelle doesn’t know if she can endure one more heartbreak. Miss Pearl, owner of the local apothecary shop, becomes a mother figure to Nelle, but a fateful summer day has Nelle questioning everything she's ever believed and wondering if she’ll ever love again.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 264 pages

Rating: 5

Review:  The Power of the Matchmaker series is lovely and fun. This book, Love is Come by Heather B Moore, live up to any expectations by this wonderful author! Historical Romance is one of my favorite genres. And Heather Moore is one of my favorite authors.

Nellie is a spoiled, yet sweet young girl. She is out to find her true love and thinks she has, when she is let down horribly by someone who is just after some kisses. When her parents are killed in an accident, she is sent off to live with her Aunt to await her inheritance. There she is treated as a maid and forced to fend for herself as much as possible. When she meets Pearl, she is shown how she can grasp her own happiness and Pearl teaches her how to see the good in others, despite their obvious differences and less than desirable qualities. Her relationship to Matthew, her cousin’s soon-to-be fiancé, is sweet and frustrating because it seems that both want to be together, but the cousin always stands in the way. I love the way Matthew treats her with respect and concern even when others think she is really crazy. I love Pearl. She tries so hard to push these two together, but they are determined to do the ‘right thing’ and stay away from each other. Through out it all, Nelle learns to love others and overcome the harshness with which she is treated and see the good in her Aunt and cousin. She is able to see beyond the surface. Matthew is an honorable, and lovable hero. He loves with all his heart.

If you are looking for good, clean romance with a little sass, you will love this book. There is sweet kissing and swoon worthy scenes that won’t embarrass you if your kids pick up this book :) I love that.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Content:

Sex - 1—some kissing

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating -  PG (written for adult, has adult situation, but no sex or violence)

Review: MAGIC BITTER, MAGIC SWEET by Charlie N. Holmberg

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 306 pgs

Rating: 5!

Audience: Adult (Clean) Genre: Fantasy Length: 306 pgs Rating: 5! I'm just a big fat Charlie Holmberg fan. I remember the first thing I read of hers, THE PAPER MAGICIAN of course. I'd planned on reat IMMEDIATELY and loved it with all my heart. 

MBMS is just...awesome. I loved the gentle fantasy to it, the heartbreak, and the lessons learned, the sweetness, the bitterness (ha!) the love, the sighs. Just great. And I won't tell you about the part I MOST MOST connected with, because that would be spoilery and I'm not mean like that. 

Content:
Language - 0
Sex - 1 (Mentions of character's {committed} relationship activities ;) )
Violence - 2 (Non-graphic discussions of slave violence, an attack on a village.)
Overall Rating - PG-13

Robyn Reviews: Timeless Regency Collection AUTUMN MASQUERADE by Josie S. Kilpack, Donna Hatch, Nancy Campbell Allen

Book Description:

A MERRY DANCE by Josi S. Kilpack. When Lila overhears her uncle talking about a man coming to look for property in the county, she doesn’t think twice, until her uncle says he hopes Lila will find enough interest to marry the man. How can she marry someone named Mortimer Luthford, not to mention that his advanced age of thirty-three, and especially since she’s already in love with her absent cousin Neville? But when Mortimer arrives, Lila has to try every trick known to women to act not interested in the rather fascinating man, which proves a very difficult façade to maintain.

UNMASKING THE DUKE by Donna Hatch. The last thing Hannah Palmer wants to do is flirt with men in a crowded ballroom, but when her sister throws a Masquerade Ball, Hannah can’t say no to the invitation and takes comfort behind a mask. She dances with a charming masked man, matching him wit for wit. When the glorious evening culminates in a kiss, and the two remove their masks, Hannah is horrified to discover the man she’s been flirting with all night is her most despised neighbor, the Duke of Suttenberg. No matter how charming the duke was at the ball, and how wonderful the kiss, he is the last man she’d ever accept.

WHAT’S IN A NAME by Nancy Campbell Allen. Penelope Timely has a terrible secret. She’s been writing letters to the Duke of Wilmington, pretending to be her ever-proper twin sister, Persephone. Now, the duke has written that he’ll be coming for the Autumn Masquerade Ball and Festival. Penelope will have to continue the charade while the duke is in town in order to protect her sister. The Duke of Wilmington isn’t fooled for a moment, but instead of confessing that he knows about the deception, he finds himself utterly charmed by Penelope and jumps into the game of deception to see how far the twin sisters will take it.

Audience: Adult

Genre: Clean historical romance

Length: 235 pages

Rating: 5

Review: This is another Timeless Romance winner! My favorite genre is historical/regency, so it's no surprise that I love this book! It's always fun when mishaps and intentions are misunderstood and the throw in masquerades and the fun and romance just begins.

It is said that eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves and the first story, A MERRY DANCE, by Josie S. Kilpack, starts out with an eavesdropper and Lila overhears something she doesn't want to hear. This is such a fun story about thinking you know exactly what you want and realizing that you didn't rally know! This story is fun, romantic and even has some hard choices to make. The characters are real and fun to get to know.

UNMASKING A DUKE, by Donna Hatch was so much fun. I really liked how she showed that sometimes we put on a mask and that isn't who we really are. Hannah and the Duke each have a mask, but they must learn to look beyond the mask and see who they really are. Lots of misunderstandings, romance and fun is to had while reading this story. I really like the supporting characters in this story, especially the Dukes mother. She's a sweetheart.

In Nancy Allen’s WHATS IN A NAME, two sisters have switched places and now they must pretend to be someone they are not. Penelope has been corresponding with The Duke of Wilmington using her sisters name, but now the duke has arrived and she must pretend to be her sister. She's afraid she will lose the man she has come to love when he finds out she has deceived him. However, the Duke is not fooled and the fun begins. There are swoon worthy moments, misunderstandings and a happily ever after.

Grab a cup of cocoa, a cozy blanket and curl up on the sofa and r eat these enchanting and enjoyable stories. You won't want to put them down!

Content:

Sex - 0

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG (Adult Themes)

Source: Review copy

Robyn Reviews: TRA SARAH M. EDEN BRITISH ISLES COLLECTION by Sarah M. Eden

Book Description: 

The SARAH M. EDEN BRITISH ISLES COLLECTION contains two brand new historical romance novellas A FRIEND INDEED and A HAPPY BEGINNING, as well as four hand-picked readers’ and reviewers’ favorites of Sarah’s popular Timeless Romance Anthology novellas. Readers will love this selection of six historical romance novellas set in the British Isles.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 272 pages

Rating: 5

Review: Sarah M. Eden is one of my most favorite authors! She is a gifted writer who involves you immediately in the story she is writing. Her characters are real and experience real life, just like we do. This collection has some of my favorites and a couple of new ones. I love them all. Sarah shows wit and charm in each of her stories. I just wish they were longer!

A FRIEND INDEED is a new story about Caroline and George. She is being ‘auctioned’ to be married to save her family from financial ruin. She is afraid that George, her lifelong friend is offering out of pity and it will ruin her friendship with him. Along the way there are the usual pitfalls and funny misconceptions, but Sarah manages to make them all seem just the thing.

A HAPPY BEGINNING is so much fun. I loved how Sophia and Dermot get to know each other and that Sophia is so brave and Dermot is the perfect hero. He is brooding and quiet, but definitely gets under Sophia’s skin and causes all sorts of misunderstandings. Dermot is a true hero and Sophia is strong and brave, but also very feminine. I loved this story.

ROAD TO CAVEN TOWN is and old but favorite story. Alice is in love with Isaac, but it takes him a while to figure out that he loves her too. I loved how this story tells us the true meaning of love. And the storytelling is just too good!

A CHRISTMAS PROMISE is another favorite (I favorite all of Sarah's books). I loved the mishaps and the joking with each other, but when it came right down to it, they both knew what was right. This was just a fun, fun story.

DREAM OF A GLORIOUS SEASON is a sweet story of figuring out which sister our hero, Julian really loves. Sarah always shows us what true love really looks like!

A LESSON IN LOVE was a story about a husband and wife who had to learn to listen to each other instead of everyone else. I enjoyed the misunderstandings, because they were real life and I could see my own relationship here. It was fun to watch them finally take matters into their own hands and listen to their hearts.

Sarah always provides fun, love, romance, and insight into the lives of those she writes about. Her characters truly come alive!

Content:

Sex - 0

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG

Source: Review Copy

Review: CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

From Amazon: Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? 

A Michael L. Printz Award Honor book that was called "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel" in The New York Times, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.

Genre: Historical

Audience: Young Adult (?) (It's listed in Amazon under Teens>Historical Fiction. I can't remember if it states Verity and Maddie's ages, but I believe they're in their late teens.)

Length: 368 pgs

Rating: 5 

Review: There was a point in the book where I was considering giving 3.5 to 4 stars for this. The writing was exquisite, very much so. I felt sort of like I did when reading Matched by Allie Condie--that technically this book deserved a very high rating, but I wasn't connecting. Then BAM. I connected. And I wanted to go back through those parts I wasn't connecting on and reread them. I have a bachelors degree in history and I spent the better part of my time earning that learning about World War II and spent some semesters specifically studying women's roles in WWII, so this is so obviously up my alley. While I was reading it, it made me want so hard to be able to write what seemed like effortless sentences in this book, but what I know is very talented word crafting. Where all of them mattered. So. Well. Done. And all the feelings, of course. There's very little you can say about this book without giving things away. This book. 

Content:

Sex - 1 (Some innuendo. Minor things.)

Language - 5 (Verity admits right off she has a foul mouth and she really does. Littered with damns, hells, and the Lord's name in vain. 7 instances of bas*, 7 instances of sh*, 2 instances of a*, 2 f-bombs--To be honest, I'm strict about language, and if I'd known the extent, I'm not sure I would have read it. And these are the instances I noted on my Kindle book. I easily could have missed some in the thick of it.)

Violence - 4 (I'm vacillating between giving it that and a 5...or a 3.5. I mean, it's a WWII book, and it's about a girl who gets capture behind enemy lines. She's tortured and it describes some of it--but it could have been a lot more graphic, so I'll just go with 4.)

Overall ratingI - PG-16 (It has heavy themes and heavy things happening. As conservative as I am, I wouldn't recommend it to my 18 year old sister for a year or two, but you all know that's how I roll.)