Short Take Reviews: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, Someone I Used to Know, More Than We Can Tell

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Mackenzi Lee
Publication date: June 27, 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, LGBT

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. 

My first thought when finishing The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue? Why did I wait so long to read this?! Because I totally enjoyed this historical tale that reads like an 18th century road trip. In Monty, Lee managed to create a character who was completely self-absorbed, privileged, and a drunken rake, and yet still totally lovable. Monty's flippant wit and sarcasm hid a darker private life and I loved the evolution of his character over the course of the story. And then there was precious Percy who I adored. Percy is thoughtful and sensitive and has his own set of challenges as a biracial young man in 1700's England. There was never a dull moment and how could there be in a story that managed to seamlessly weave together action, adventure, romance, pirates, history, feminism, humor, and so much more. I switched between reading and listening and the audio narration is perfection so you can't go wrong no matter how you choose to enjoy this one. The Gentleman's Guide is a fantastically good time.

4.25/5 STARS

Someone I Used to Know
Patty Blount
Publication date: August 7, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

It's been two years since the night that changed Ashley's life. Two years since she was raped by her brother's teammate. And a year since she sat in a court and watched as he was given a slap on the wrist sentence. But the years have done nothing to stop the pain.

It's been two years of hell for Derek. His family is totally messed up and he and his sister are barely speaking. He knows he handled it all wrong. Now at college, he has to come to terms with what happened, and the rape culture that he was inadvertently a part of that destroyed his sister's life.

When it all comes to a head at Thanksgiving, Derek and Ashley have to decide if their relationship is able to be saved. And if their family can ever be whole again. 

Someone I Used to Know is a powerful story of one girl's fight to move from victim to survivor after being raped by a classmate. What I appreciated most was that Blount chose not to focus solely on Ashley but also told her brother's story. Derek had to come to terms with his own participation in the "game" that was a tradition for the football team and led to his sister's rape. Derek's story was every bit as moving and compelling as Ashley's as he struggled with guilt and his own perceptions and actions. Ashley was a character who was easy to pull for and admire because she refused to be silenced and would not allow her fear to stop her from demanding change. Blount takes a hard look at rape culture without ever becoming preachy. Shining a spotlight on the 'boys will be boys' mentality, victim blaming, locker room talk, and overtly sexual advertising, Someone I Used to Know does an amazing job of showcasing the effects of sexual assault on not just the victim but family, friends, and the community. While not always an easy read (Ashley's memories of the rape interspersed throughout the book are enough to make you heartsick), this is one that should be in every school and every library.

4.25/5 STARS

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

More Than We Can Tell (Letters to the Lost #2)
Brigid Kemmerer
Publication date: March 6, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.

When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling. 

Rev was a stand-out secondary character when I read Letters to the Lost* so I was thrilled to get his story in More Than We Can Tell. And I was not disappointed. Learning more about Rev's past was heartbreaking but what was equally sad was how his past continued to impact his present. His earlier years with his father were filled with physical and emotional abuse, and twisted interpretations of love and religion. Now his father is contacting him and trying to reassert his control and Rev's life is thrown into turmoil. Despite the amazing support system provided by his adoptive parents, Rev hides how tormented and emotionally fragile he actually is. New friend Emma is able to provide an impartial point of view even while she is dealing with issues of her own. While I didn't connect with Emma as strongly as I did with Rev (her naivete often left me frustrated), I was still drawn into her story and was invested when things took a turn into scary territory. But it's Rev that captured my heart and will stay with me. This kind, introspective, mature, and self-aware young man made a huge impression on me and is without a doubt one of my favorite characters ever.

*More Than We Can Tell takes place in the same universe as Letters to the Lost, and features many of the same characters, but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel.

4.5 STARS

Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Series: No

Genres: Contemporary, Historical, Women's Fiction, Romance

Release Date: June 13, 2017

Format: Audio

Narrator: Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, Robin Miles

                                     Source: OverDrive

                                     Find it here: GoodReads 

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950's to her decision to leave show business in the late 80's, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. 

It was more than a year ago that I was first introduced to the writing of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read One True Loves and was utterly captivated by the story. And when I finished the book my first thought was: I have to read more by this amazing writer! And yet somehow it wasn’t until recently that I picked up my next book by TJR. And what a book it was. You know how you see critics throw around the term “tour de force?” Well, that’s exactly the phrase I thought of when I finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This one is not to be missed.

Monique is a staff writer for a magazine and is surprised when she is summoned to the luxurious home of Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo. She’s positively stunned when she learns why. Evelyn Hugo has chosen Monique, a virtual unknown, to write her biography. A book she says is to be published after her death; one that is guaranteed to be a bestseller. Monique, having no idea why Evelyn would seek her out for such a task, and getting no real answer from Evelyn (other than “By the time we are through, you won’t have any questions.”), agrees to the arrangement. And it is there, with Evelyn’s history, and Evelyn’s unflinching delivery, that the real story begins.

Evelyn is one complex, commanding character. She is bold, ambitious, fearless and unapologetic. She makes it clear that her motivations were usually self-serving – and that she would do it all again. This was no starry-eyed ingénue who ran when times got tough or when doors were slammed in her face. Evelyn was a force to be reckoned with and when her career was on shaky ground she fought her way back to the top. She didn’t always do the right thing, she used people to her advantage, but even so, I respected her drive, her unwillingness to give up, and her devotion and loyalty to those she loved.

Evelyn’s career spanned decades and the ‘insider look’ at Hollywood through the years was fascinating. Starting in the 1950’s, with the all-controlling movie studios where star were under exclusive contracts, Evelyn chronicles both her career and her turbulent personal life – including the eponymous seven husbands, and the true love of her life.  And I gobbled up every morsel. Her rags to riches story was totally engrossing and I loved the way she delivered the overarching story of her life, both the titillating and the mundane, with such candor. And the eventual revelation of how her life intersects with Monique’s was one that I never saw coming.

I loved the addition of tabloid reports and newspaper articles interspersed throughout the story.  Not only did it offer an outside point of view to Evelyn’s life, but it was a fitting inclusion considering so much of Evelyn’s life was lived in public and chronicled in print. In addition, the narration was top notch and made for an incredible listening experience. Alma Cuervo was captivating as the title character and her delivery brought Evelyn to life. Several times I found myself wanting to go watch all of Evelyn’s old movies and had to remind myself (more than once) that she was, in fact, fictional.

Reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a totally immersive experience, with so many topics that were woven in seamlessly, but never at the expense of the story. If you like a character that is so richly drawn that she begins to feel like a real person, if you enjoy the glamour of old Hollywood, if you want to immerse yourself in a juicy tale that spans decades, pick this one up and prepare to meet Evelyn Hugo.

4.5/5 STARS

Review: From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

Genres: Historical Fiction

Release Date: December 1, 2016

Format: Kindle

Source: NetGalley

Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II.

As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.

Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.

But Eva can’t quietly hide, waiting for deliverance, while Angelo risks everything to keep her safe. With the world at war and so many in need, Angelo and Eva face trial after trial, choice after agonizing choice, until fate and fortune finally collide, leaving them with the most difficult decision of all.

My Thoughts

From Sand and Ash is a rare and remarkable novel and I will never be able to do it justice with my review. Simply put, in four decades of reading, it is one of the best books I have ever read.

“Confession: My name is Batsheva Rosselli, not Eva Bianco, and I am a Jew. Angelo Bianco is not my brother but a priest who wanted only to protect me from the very place I now find myself.”

Angelo and Eva were raised side by side for most of their childhood. Their differences – Angelo was American and Catholic, Eva an Italian Jew – were not enough to stop the unbreakable bond they formed. Despite a deep love for one another, Angelo follows a path of servitude in the Church, leaving Eva to pursue her music. However, the years that pass do nothing to diminish their feelings for one another.

“I have always been yours, Angelo,” she said, echoing the very words he’d thought while he’d prayed. She was his. “But you have never been mine.” 

Suddenly war is at their doorstep. Life for Eva becomes more dangerous with each passing day and Angelo has sworn to protect her. While Angelo works within the Church to hide and shelter as many Jews as possible, Eva also finds herself in defiance of the Germans occupying Italy and takes increasingly dangerous risks.

“I would do anything for you, Eva. Anything.” He thought of what Camillo had said about not only blessing lives, but saving Jewish lives, and it gave him the strength to continue. “But I can’t have you and the church. I need the church, Eva. I need the church, and I believe the church needs me.”

Harmon’s writing had me completely immersed and I felt as if I were living this story right along with Eva and Angelo. Through her imagery, narration, and fully formed characters, I was transported to another time and place – where unimaginable horrors were combatted with everyday acts of heroism. Knowing of the atrocities committed during WW II does nothing to soften the depiction of it here. So many scenes are heart-wrenching but there is also such beauty in the unfailing faith and hope portrayed.

“Many will seek to tell me what God’s will is. But nobody knows. Not really. Because God is quiet. Always. He is quiet, and my anguish is so intense, so incredibly loud, that right now I can only do my will and hope that somehow, it aligns with his.”

Eva and Angelo are unforgettable characters. Eva was spirited and fearless and, while she came to know fear on a daily basis, she had a strength of character that had her continuing to do what she knew to be right. Angelo was a man of such faith – selfless and compassionate, working tirelessly to save lives at constant risk to his own life. They did not just endure, they fought; and not just for their own survival but for countless others who found themselves on the wrong side of a war. Innocents whose only crime was to be born a Jew.

“The longer he remained on this earth, the more he was sure that mankind had no clue about God or heaven. Not when they used him as an excuse to kill, to punish, to discriminate.”

From Sand and Ash is not an easy read. It showcases a cruelty that is impossible to imagine. But it is an absolute gem in its beautiful depiction of love, faith, endurance and hope. This book is the perfect example of why I read.

5/5 STARS

 

The Time Traveler's Christmas by Amy Jarecki - Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Time Traveler's Christmas by Amy Jarecki! I'm excited to be taking part in this one because it had been so long since I read a time travel romance and this one really delivered. So read all about it, enter Amy's giveaway, and download your copy today!

About The Time Traveler's Christmas
A man’s life can fall apart in an instant… Tougher than oxhide, Lachlan Wallace can take about anything except a breakup call from his wife two minutes before competing in the Karate Championship of the World. Arriving home with a loss, he agrees to watch his uncle’s cat over the holidays. Or so he thinks—until he awakes on a fourteenth-century battlefield beside a woman fighting for her life. 
Never underestimate a woman’s determination… 
Taken from her at the age of two, Lady Christina de Moray hasn’t seen her son in thirteen years. While traveling with Robert the Bruce’s army to exchange an English prisoner for the lad, a battle erupts. Losing the fight, Christina is rescued by a mysterious warrior while the English escape with her son yet again. 
And never bet against the potency of passion… 
Left with no way back to the twenty-first century, Lachlan agrees to help Christina rescue the lad from his English captors. If the heir is not returned by Christmas next, the Bruce will make his decision whom to grant the de Moray lands, including Lady Christina’s hand. Once his duty is fulfilled, Lachlan hopes to discover a way home—as long as he keeps his mind on the goal and ignores his growing love for the spirited woman who gives him her trust—and her heart. Grab your copy today!

The Time Traveler's Christmas
Rise of a Legend
In the Kingdom's Name

MY THOUGHTS

I've always enjoyed time travel romance but for some reason haven't read anything from the genre in a long time. So I was pretty excited when I came across Amy Jarecki's new release, The Time Traveler's Christmas. This is the third novel in her Guardian of Scotland series but can easily be read as a stand alone. 

In present-day Scotland, Lachlan Wallace is at a crossroads. His wife has left him and he's spending a few weeks house sitting (well, cat sitting) for his uncle and deciding how to move forward. Finding himself in the 14th century on a battlefield is not what he had in mind. Saving Lady Christina de Moray puts him on a path he never envisioned - one that includes danger and political unrest but also a chance at true fulfillment and even lasting love. 

First things first, I really loved Lachlan. This was a man with so many admirable qualities. He was honest and loyal, protective without being a caveman, confident without being cocky, and so adaptable and able to handle whatever was thrown at him. 

Christina was well portrayed as not only a woman who, as a member of the nobility, had an obligation to the King, but also a heartsick mother who longed for the return of her son. She was strong-willed but the times when she acquiesced made sense considering the station of women during that time. 

While there was definitely an early attraction between Lachlan and Christina, the romance itself was a slow burn and all the more satisfying. I enjoyed not only the romance but also the overriding theme of finding and fulfilling your life's purpose. 

Readers who enjoy historical fiction and romance with a paranormal twist will surely enjoy The Time Traveler's Christmas. 

ABOUT AMY JARECKI
An Amazon bestselling author, Amy Jarecki adores Scotland. Though she now resides in southwest Utah, she received her MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Winning multiple writing awards, she is focused on the genre of Scottish historical romance. Amy loves to write steamy edge-of-your-seat action adventures with rugged men and fascinating women who weave their paths through the brutal eras of centuries past. 
Connect with Amy Jarecki: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjarecki/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyjarecki
Website: http://amyjarecki.com/  

  ENTER AMY'S GIVEAWAY!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Back in the Day Edition

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme (or my take on this week's theme) is the top ten books I've read with a historical backdrop. Here we go...

 

 

 

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein

Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare

The Girl You Left Behind - Jojo Moyes

The Kadin - Bertrice Small

The Kommandant's Girl - Pam Jenoff

Tsarina - J. Nelle Patrick

The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

There are a few different time periods represented

 but it's apparent that my favorite is the WW II era.

Do you enjoy historical fiction? 

What's your favorite time period to read about?

Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Originally read/reviewed February 2015

This is one of those reviews that I am hesitant to write because despite my best efforts there is nothing I can say that will do this remarkable story justice.

The Nightingale is a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II in Nazi-Occupied France. Vianne is a young wife and mother living a quiet life in the town of Carriveau. Her younger sister Isabelle has been expelled from her latest boarding school and is eager to make her way to Paris to reunite with her emotionally distant and seemingly uncaring father. As the Nazi's invade France and the war shapes their lives in unimaginable ways, both women are faced with great challenges and impossible choices.

Isabelle started off an impetuous, reckless young woman. Still a teenager and full of passion and ideals without any understanding of the implications of her actions. The change and growth in her over the course of the book was astounding. She did not lose her passion or her ideals, nor did she ever stop taking risks, but living under the constant strain of discovery turned Isabelle from flighty to steely in determination to do her part.

Vianne is content with her life in Carriveau but when her husband is sent to fight the Germans invading France, she suddenly has only herself to rely upon. Through food shortages and harsh winters and a Nazi officer living in her home, Vianne has no choice but to find the strength to protect her family any way she can.

Both sisters are faced with unthinkable choices and hardship. Whether for the greater good or for daily survival, each is forced to sacrifice. Both live daily with fear, danger and the uncertainty of the future. My heart broke again and again for these women, for their circumstances, for their hardships and losses. I was sickened by the atrocities committed by the Nazi's, the brutality of the concentration camps, but also in awe of the courage and bravery shown by ordinary people who had so much to lose but took action anyway.


"For us [women] it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over.”


Unlike many other novels about WW II, The Nightingale focuses on women. Their contributions and the impact on their lives. It tells the story of their courage, their bravery, their sacrifice. Women who joined the Resistance, women who hid Jewish friends or helped them escape, women who did without so their children (and the children of others) would not have to, women who endured unspeakable horrors and yet found the strength to stay alive. Just stay alive.

The Nightingale was a slow read for me. This is not a book to fly through. There was a slow progression of the story in the beginning. And I was reading even slower at the end because the events were so heart wrenching I was only able to read a few pages at a time before setting the book down in order to collect myself and try to keep the tears at bay. But even that was impossible. I was reduced to gasping, hiccupping sobs more than once in the last 30-40 pages. And it wasn't even possible to step back and tell myself it was just a story. Because it *did* happen. Maybe not to a woman named Vianne or a woman called Isabelle. Maybe not in the exact same way. But these events and these stories played out time and time again, in many different, horrific ways over the course of WW II.


“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”


The Nightingale is powerful, emotional, and heartbreaking. It took me on a difficult journey, one I don't regret, and will stay with me for a long time to come.

Wounds heal. Love Lasts. We remain.

Review: The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

Originally read/reviewed in September 2013

Having just finished The Bronze Horseman this afternoon, I am feeling utterly shattered and unsure I can write a coherent review, but want to write while everything is still fresh.

I don't often resort to hyperbole, but I can honestly say this has instantly become my favorite book ever. I was moved beyond measure, drawn into the lives of the characters, and emotionally invested as with no other book. Roughly two hours after finishing the book I am still sitting here slightly shell shocked and with an aching heart for Tatiana and Alexander as if they truly existed and their story was, in fact, real.

The Bronze Horseman had much going for it before I ever opened the cover. Russian history? Check. An epic love story? Check. A gripping story with characters that leap from the page? Check, check. Paullina Simons tells a tale that starts slowly, building a relationship between Tatiana and Alexander that is seemingly impossible with every odd stacked against them. But despite it all, their love flourishes and then ignites amidst the horror and destruction of WW II and the siege of Leningrad.

Tatiana + Alexander = the greatest hero and heroine I've encountered. Theirs truly is an epic love story. The intensity of their love... the sacrifices they made for one another... it is beyond compare. The obstacles they endured, the hardships, the separations, the secrets and deceptions... it broke my heart time and time again.

The character growth in Tatiana is appropriate and amazing. From a shy and naive 17 year old girl to a young woman who has seen and endured more than most will in a lifetime. Yet through it all, her strength, optimism, stubborn nature, and her intense and selfless love for Alexander sees her through.

And Alexander... this man, oh this man. He is a young man but one who has already experienced much and grown up early. The burdens he bears, the responsibilities he takes on, the weight on his shoulders, often seemed crushing. But he did it all willingly and never complained. His every thought, every action, was for the safety and protection of Tatiana. I'm not sure I've ever encountered a more honorable character than Alexander Belov. His love for Tania is pure and unselfish and passionate.

Simply put, I loved everything about this book. And at 894 pages I was nowhere near ready for it to end. This is one that will stay with me and, while I would love to reach over and pick up the next book in this incredible saga, I think I may need a day or two to recuperate and pull myself back together.

The Bronze Horseman is exquisite and heart-wrenching and sweet and tragic and joyful and devastating and achingly beautiful.

Sadly, I'm left knowing nothing I write, no amount of breathless gushing, will do this book justice. But, on the plus side, having finished this extraordinary novel today, my birthday, I feel as though I've been given a remarkable gift that I will not forget.