Shanda’s Reviews – Page 21 – LDS Women's Book Review

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

Posted by Shanda Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Sep 262011

Seeking Persephone

Author: Sarah M. Eden

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published Date: September 2011

Softcover; 280 pages

Genre: Regency Romance

ISBN# 978-1-60861-281-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

Seeking Persephone was actually a re-read for me. I first read it as a Whitney judge in the Romance category when it was released a few years ago. I was new to regency romance at the time and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I really enjoyed the story, the setting, and the main characters that were very different from the contemporary romances I was accustomed to reading.

I was so excited for Sarah when she announced that Covenant would be publishing Seeking Persephone. Clean Regency-style romance has such a large following (much bigger than I realized before becoming a fan myself) and yet most national publishers won’t publish it without additional….content, if you catch my meaning. I am thrilled that Covenant is publishing Sarah’s books. Both Courting Miss Lancaster and Kiss of a Stranger have been released within the last year or so.

Seeking Persephone tells the story of Adam, Duke of Kielder, and Persephone, the oldest daughter in a poor family. Adam may be technically living a life of privilege, but it has not been an easy one. Born with a small deformity, a number of surgeons scarred the right side of Adam’s face in search of his missing ear. Years of teasing and being shunned, along with feeling abandoned by his mother, have turned him into a hardened, defensive man who strikes first and asks questions later. This gruffness, along with the power of his position in society, make Adam a force to be reckoned with. Nobody dares cross him, with the exception of his long-time friend, Harry.

Adam is unhappy with the idiot cousin who is next in line to inherit Falstone Castle if he dies. Adam’s man of business suggests a solution, marrying and producing an heir of his own, but he will have none of it at first. His man of business makes the arrangements and Persephone’s family receives an offer they simply can’t refuse. Persephone and family are soon on their way to Falstone Castle, set to arrive the morning of the wedding.

As soon as Adam sees Persephone, he is angry that his requirements of a plain, poor woman with absolutely no prospects of marriage otherwise have not been met. Persephone is young and pretty, quiet and long-suffering. She is not what Adam expects or wants, and he keeps his distance. Persephone is determined to make the best of her marriage, though, and in her own strong and patient way starts to bring out the best in Adam. Despite his gruff and unapproachable manner, she sees the goodness in him and her affection for Adam grows.

Persephone is very likable. Sarah has a way of writing characters that bring them to life. Even the apothecary, who is present for only one scene, has personality and dimension. Seeking Persephone has a nice, even pace with plenty of tender moments and “almost” touches. I fell in love with Adam right along with Persephone.

If you haven’t read Courting Miss Lancaster yet, you may want to start with Seeking Persephone, though they are each strong enough to stand on their own. I have enjoyed every one of Sarah’s books so far, and I can’t wait for her next novel to be released. No one writes Regency romance quite like she does. Sarah is known as the queen of research. She knows that time period very well and it shows in her writing.

If you want a good laugh, follow her on Twitter @SarahMEden and ask her to share a Regency-era insult or some slang. She knows some great ones.

I give Seeking Persephone 4 stars out of 5 for great writing, memorable characters, and a wonderfully romantic story.

Have you read any Regency-era (Jane Austen and that time period) romance before? If so, what have you read?

Ribbon of Darkness by Julie Coulter Bellon

Posted by Shanda Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Sep 222011

Ribbon of Darkness

Author: Julie Coulter Bellon

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published Date: July 2011

Softcover; 216 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense

ISBN# 9781463670658

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

First line: “Kennedy Campbell was being pulled to the bottom of the Malacca Strait, the water around her suffocating her, stealing her air, making lights dance before her eyes as her body strained for the oxygen that wasn’t there.”

When I read that first line, I felt as if my lungs were straining for air as well. The rest of the first chapter, and much of the book, is just as intense.

Ribbon of Darkness tells the story of Ethan Barak, introduced in a previous book (Dangerous Connections, if I remember correctly), and Kennedy Campbell, a journalist known for courageous reporting. Ethan is MI-6 out for revenge; Kennedy just wants to help her new friends start a new life in Australia away from the refugee camps and return home herself.

Their paths cross at a rundown little bar in Indonesia where both are at the mercy of bad-guy terrorist, Xavier Sattar. Ethan wants in on whatever big plans Xavier has in the works; Kennedy wants out of Xavier’s custody, knowing the longer she remains the less likely it is that she will survive. She hopes Ethan will help her escape, but Ethan walks away, aware that anything he does to help her will lessen his chances of infiltrating Xavier’s organization.

That is the beginning of a page-turning international adventure that involves terrorists, hostages, the Malacca Strait, human-trafficking, bombs, and sacrifice. One thing I really appreciate about Julie’s writing is that she has strong female protagonists. I like it when the heroine isn’t afraid to put up a fight and do some damage to the bad guys.

Julie was also able to capture a lot of emotion with Kennedy. From Kennedy’s relationship with her mom, the concern for her new friends, and a new level of patriotism and duty, I experienced a full range of emotions along with her.

If you like action, suspense, and international intrigue, you will definitely enjoy Ribbon of Darkness.

Ribbon of Darkness played out like a movie in my mind as I read, making for some pretty intense action sequences, especially near the end. I give it 4 stars for suspense that kept me turning pages late into the night.

300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask for a More Vibrant Marriage by Shannon Alder

Posted by Shanda Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Sep 172011

300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask for a More Vibrant Marriage

Author: Shannon Alder

Publisher: Horizon Publishers/Cedar Fort

Published Date: January 2011

Softcover; 133 pages

Genre: Religious Non-fiction

ISBN# 978-0-88290-976-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to publish this review for my usual Monday post, but I was waiting in an incredibly long security line at the airport. My hubby and I were flying down to Long Beach, CA, for a few days to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. We made it onto the plane (just barely) and spent the rest of that day visiting The Aquarium of the Pacific, taking pictures of the Queen Mary, and eating dinner at Medieval Times, feeling only slightly silly wearing paper crowns and cheering on the cheesy yet highly entertaining antics of knights on horseback.

We spent the entirety of our anniversary on Tuesday at Disneyland sans kiddos. Going midweek in September was awesome–riding the rides WE wanted to ride, short lines, not too crowded, and the weather was perfect. I highly recommend it. Hubby was able to ride the new Star Tours seven times (four was my limit). We hit our favorite rides at least twice: Indiana Jones, Matterhorn, and Big Thunder (Pirates was closed, darn it).

We even made it onto the Finding Nemo subs (new ride for us) and the AstroBlasters (where hubby kicked my hiney–seriously, check out that score). After a full day at Disneyland, we drove down to Outback Steakhouse, got a couple of steaks to go, and ate our dinner in the hotel room without the TV because the satellite in the area was down. We ate and we talked. It was great.

Did you know?

82 percent of all married couples will reach their fifth wedding anniversary, but only 52 percent will celebrate fifteen years of marriage. (page 2)

My parents were married 19 years before divorcing and are each on their 3rd marriages. My husband’s parents divorced after 19 years of marriage as well. My father-in-law had just divorced his 3rd wife when I met my husband. With divorce so fresh in our minds (my parents’ divorce finalized just after I met my hubby) we had several discussions about divorce during our engagement. We gave each other a lot of “outs,” chances to leave the relationship if we had any doubts. We decided early in our relationship that if we married, it was with the understanding that we were going to do everything possible to stay together. We spent our 9 month engagement talking about everything we could think of: our children’s education, how we felt about abortion, political views, toothpaste squeezing procedures, money, expectations, fears, worries, science, religion, TV shows–everything–and yet we only scratched the surface of getting to know each other.

Those who have met my hubby know he is a quiet man. Getting details from him is like a game of 20 (or 50) questions. He’s not being intentionally obtuse. He’s just very easy going. Luckily we’ve reached a place where I can say “Tell me what you know I want to know” and he’ll make a point to be more specific with details. :)

A book like 300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask is perfect for jump-starting important conversation in marriage. I wish this book had been around early on in our relationship. We’ve answered several of the questions and have realized that we don’t go out on dates nearly enough, we both want to go on a couples’ mission when we get older, I have a lot more close friends than he does, and my hubby is interested in the Chinese culture (I never knew that before this book).

300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask is divided into sections:

Rekindling the Romance and Intimacy in Your Marriage

Reexamining Your Views and Beliefs in Your Marriage

Strengthening Your Spiritual Path

Reaquainting Yourself with Your Spouse

Reconnecting with Your Spouse during Tough Times

Planning Your Goals and Future Together

My husband and I agree that open, honest and sincere communication is what has made our marriage work. Having a common goal and testimonies of Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of the gospel are also a huge part of marital success for us. We are not perfect and neither is our marriage, but respect for each other and focusing on the eternal aspect of our relationship has brought us closer together and made our marriage stronger.

I give 300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask for a More Vibrant Marriage a solid 4 stars for encouraging couples to talk about the things that really matter in their relationship.

Learn more about Shannon Alder and her other 300 Questions books here: www.shannonalder.com

300 Questions LDS Couples Should Ask for a More Vibrant Marriage is available for purchase on Amazon.

What has helped you in your marriage?

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend by Elodia Strain

Posted by Shanda Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Sep 052011

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend

Author: Elodia Strain

Publisher: Bonneville Books/Cedar Fort

Published Date: August 2011

Softcover; 217 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 978-1-59955-905-6

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: Free review copy from publisher in exchange for honest review

First Things First

This is an unusual read for me because it’s a novel based on a movie instead of the other way around. I have previously read one novel based on a movie and it was less than great (then again, so was the movie.) Luckily, this was not the case with My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend.

I haven’t seen the movie version of My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend yet and I’m grateful for that because there is a twist near the end that I was not expecting at all. I felt the impact of that unexpected turn of events more strongly in written form than I think I would have on-screen. Now I look forward to seeing how things play out in the movie compared to the novel.

For almost the entire book I really wasn’t sure who I wanted Jesse to end up with. Both Ethan and Troy are very likable, attractive, and interesting men. I finished the book in just a few hours. I kept turning pages, anxious to see who Jesse would choose, or even if she would choose between them. I won’t give anything away except to say that I was at first surprised and then very satisfied with the ending.

Now the Rest

I usually like to read a book before the actors are assigned to parts in the movie version because I want to picture them in my head first. However, there were a few instances of dialogue that I might have found a bit annoying except I could easily imagine Alyssa Milano saying those lines.

Jesse’s internal dialogue is where Elodia really shines. Entertaining internal dialogue is what made me a fan of Elodia Strain when I first read Previously Engaged a few years ago. Elodia did a wonderfully job meshing Jesse/Alyssa Milano’s voice and actions, putting them smoothly and believably into words on paper to create a fun and enjoyable read.

My biggest complaint is something mostly likely beyond Elodia’s control (not having seen the movie I’m not sure how this character plays into things in the film). I didn’t care for nor see the purpose of Maddy in the story. I found her irritating and overbearing. I was really bugged by the fact that she was so openly rude to Jesse in front of everyone numerous times and nobody said a thing. Why? If it was supposed to be funny, I missed the point.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend. I recommend it to readers who like fun, easy-going romance. The unexpected twist bumped my rating up to 4 stars. I really appreciate that My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend is clean. There was no language and the sexual content is limited to kissing.

Learn more about My Boyfriend’s Girlfriend here.

Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack

Posted by Shanda Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Aug 242011

Blackberry Crumble

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Published Date: March 2011

Publisher: Deseret Book

Softcover; 366 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense

ISBN# 978-1-60641-941-0

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: Free review copy in exchange for honest review. (Or did I buy this one? I can’t remember now.)

First Things First

I am a big fan of Sadie Hoffmiller. I think it’s because she is so many things I am not and I get to experience the story through someone very different than myself.

Sadie is a widow; I’m celebrating 15 years with my hubby next month. Sadie is a fifty-something retired school teacher with two grown children in college; I am a stay-at-home mom with four kids ranging in ages from 13 to 2.5 years old. Sadie loves to cook and bake; I love to eat things other people have cooked and baked. Her curiosity gets her into some serious scrapes; I would be to nervous to do anything and just let the police handle it. She loves food; I love food. Wait…

Speaking of food, the Blueberry Muffin Tops on page 11 are absolutely delicious. They make me so HAPPY. Light, sweet, lemon-blueberry goodness…*ahem*…

Blackberry Crumble is the fifth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Mystery series. This story is different in that Sadie is sought out by another character, May, to look into her father’s death. May feels that her father was murdered, though his death was ruled as a heart attack. Sadie is undecided about helping May, especially after Jane, the easy-to-despise reporter publishes a sensationalized article about Sadie in the Denver Post.

Sadie finds herself being shunned by those who know her because of the lies printed about her in the article. Even her church “friends” are being uncharitable, condemning Sadie without asking her side. Ultimately, Sadie decides to get away from all the gossip, takes the case and heads up to Portland.

My Thoughts

Blackberry Crumble was well-written, descriptive and full of red herrings. I honestly didn’t know who would end up being the bad guy and I was surprised by the end. The overall pace felt a little slower than the others but there was still plenty of suspense and action. There was a bit of humor along with a higher level of emotions like grief, guilt, regret, resentment, and family contention.

I’ve already mentioned the Blueberry Muffin Tops, but did you know there was such a thing as Bacon Ice Cream? At first I wrinkled my nose but looking at the recipe it actually sounds really good. My husband would love it.

There was also a certain amount of resolution with Pete that I’ve been waiting to see for a couple of books. While Lemon Tart and Devil’s Food Cake are my favorites in the series, there is something to be appreciated in each of the books. I feel that Blackberry Crumble is where action and consequence come full circle for Sadie and I’m very interested to see where Josi takes the series from here.

What’s Next?

Luckily, the wait for the next book in the series is almost over. Pumpkin Roll is due to be released September 7, 2011. I can’t wait. Not only does the cover make me hungry, it actually makes me look forward to fall. (Summer took so long to get here that I’ve been intentionally avoiding anything that even hints that winter is coming again.)

Josi is currently working on the seventh Sadie Hoffmiller Mystery book, Banana Split.

For more information and a list of book signings and other events where you can find Josi, visit her webpage and follow her on Twitter @josiskilpack.

All Diets Work by Jen Brewer, RD – Blog Tour

Posted by Shanda Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features

Aug 222011

All Diets Work, That’s the Problem

Author: Jen Brewer, RD

Published Date: 2011

Publisher: Petersen Press

Softcover; 132 pages

Genre: Non-Fiction

ISBN# 978-0-9835140-7-7

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for honest review

First Things First

I really like this cover. I’m not sure if you can see it, but the words are photos of different food textures. The clean white space, colorful words and directly-stated title worked to catch my attention. So did the subtitle:

25 tools to help you stop dieting and start losing weight for good.

As someone who has struggled with weight issues most of my life and health issues more recently, I was very interested in what the author had to say. Over the years, I have come to several realizations about dieting and fitness in relation to myself and I was grateful to find that the information in All Diets Work validated several of these things. It also helped me see the areas I still need to work on.

The Format

All Diets Work is divided into five sections: The Diet Dilemma, Principles, Tools, and What’s in Your Toolbox, followed by an Appendix full of good information about nutrition as well as printable forms to help the reader on their health journey. The entire basis of the book is that “the best weight-loss solution for you is the one you build yourself” and “if you can find an eating program that you can maintain indefinitely, you can manage your weight effectively — for the rest of your life.”

This books serves as support and encouragement for the reader’s efforts. Not only is it a quick read at only 130+ pages, it is to the point — a definite plus for those with limited time. Jen focuses on tried-and-true principles of success, then proceeds to offer several tools that the reader can pick and choose from to set their own personal goals. I found the Appendix to be educational and useful. I will be using several of the forms as I move forward.

Those who like to read about others and their weight-loss successes using a variety of methods will enjoy the seven stories included in All Diets Work. The only endorsement here is for the find-what-works-for-you-and-do-it method.

Summary

I found All Diets Work to be a refreshing change from other health and fitness reading I have done. My copy has several underlined sections and a number of sticky notes peeking out to mark useful charts and information. I give it 4 out of 5 stars for being to the point as well as offering encouragement and focusing on the principles of successful weight loss.

More Info

Learn more about All Diets Work on the website All-Diets-Work.com.

All Diets Work is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle editions from Amazon.

You can read more reviews of All Diets Work by following the blog tour schedule below:

August 22nd: Shanda Cottam http://www.ldswbr.com

August 24th: Sabine Berlin http://www.writinginberlin.blogspot.com/

August 25th: Heidi Durant http://ldwmagazine.com/

August 26th: Cheri Crane http://crane-ium.blogspot.com/

August 29th: Michelle Jeffries http://cmichellejefferies.blogspot.com/

August 30th: Karen Clark http://overbackyardfence.blogspot.com/

August 31st: Alan Barnes http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com

September 1st: Deanne Blackhurst http://www.deanneblackhurst.blogspot.com