Book Review: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Title: Midnight in Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Series: Austenland was a stand alone, this is a follow-up novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Released: January 31, 2012
Website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html


Book Summary:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?

I'm a huge Shannon Hale fan.
I love Jane Austen.
Cross the two and inevitably you will come up with something I will love.

I got a kick out of reading Austenland and am looking forward to the upcoming movie. Austenland was a stand alone book so I was both surprised and excited when I heard there was a sequel coming out.

Shannon Hale entertains me. Her books draw me in and make me laugh. There is no denying I had high expectations for this book. In all honestly, through the first half of this book I was a little disappointed. I wasn't relating to the characters, I wasn't falling for the love interest, I wasn't laughing... But this was Shannon Hale so there was no way I was going to put the book down so I kept reading. It took me until nearly the half way point of this book to really start loving it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book but my expectations were really high. By the half way point I finally started laughing and relating to the characters and falling for the love interest. I'm not sure why there was a delay for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it because it was worth it.

Midnight in Austenland is based upon Austen's Northanger Abbey which is not one of my favorite Austen novels. Like the book it's based on, Midnight in Austenland is a little more mystery and wild run away imaginings than some of Austen's other book. Not a bad thing but I would obviously prefer more swooning Mr. Darcy moments instead of over-active imagination ramblings.

Midnight in Austenland is a fun, lighthearted read that fans of Austen & Hale should definitely read!

Content: Clean Read for an adult (may have had a mild swear word or two)

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Read

Source: ARC from publisher

Also by Shannon Hale - I've read and enjoyed them all :)


The ebook of Austenland is currently just $2.51


Books of Bayern



Princess Academy


Book of a Thousand Days


The Actor and the Housewife


Graphic Novels published with her husband Dean Hale

Book Review: The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski

In the world of Sheridan Wells, life is perfect when she's decorating a cake. Unfortunately everything else is a complete mess: her mom ran off years ago, her dad is more interested in his restaurant, and the idea of a boyfriend is laughable.


But Sheridan is convinced finding her mom will solve all her problems - only her dad's about to get a cooking show in New York, which means her dream of a perfect family will be dashed.


Using just the right amount of romance, family drama, and cute boys, The Sweetest Thing will entice fans with its perfect mixture of girl-friendly ingredients.

Another sweet story. This was a cute contemporary teenage read. Sheridan is known as "Cake Girl" because she makes beautiful cakes for her grandmother's bakery. A job offer for her dad, as the host of a new cooking show, means a move to New York and being forced to give up her cake making. Sheridan's mother abandoned her when she was a child and the only contact Sheridan has had is the birthday cards her mother sends each year. Sheridan is convinced that all her problems will be solved if she can just find her mother.

This book held my interest and I finished it in a day. I enjoyed both the characters and the storyline. This was a fun, feel good read with characters I could relate to. I liked the mix of romance/love triangle and family relationships. Although we didn't see a lot of him I really liked Sheridan's father and everyone needs a friend like Jack.

The Sweetest Thing will be released on May 10, 2011



Content: Fairly clean - a little bit of language

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: ARC Tour

Along For The Ride By Sarah Dessen

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Along for the Ride is the first Sarah Dessen book I have read and it won't be the last. I really enjoyed listening to this audio book.

This book deals with real life issues. Divorce and the effect it has on everyone. Parenthood and the difficulty of having a newborn. Relationships and all their complexities. Along for the Ride is a realistic portrayal of life with all its challenges and triumphs.

I enjoyed seeing Auden transform during the summer after her senior years when she goes to live with her father and step-mother. The characters are well developed and all have unique personalities and quirks making them people that I could relate to.

This is a really light, easy read. Great Chick-lit.

Content: There is some language but otherwise cleaner than many of the YA books I have recently read.

Rating: 4 Stars

The Windswept Flame by Marcia Lynn McClure

Broken-irreparably broken. The violent deaths of her father and the young man she'd been engaged to marry, had irrevocably broken Cedar Dale's heart. Her mother's heart had been broken, as well-shattered by the loss of her own true love. Thus, pain and anguish-fear and despair-found Cedar Dale, and her mother Flora, returned to the small western town where life had once been happy and filled with hope. Perhaps there she and her mother would find some resemblance of truly living life-instead of merely existing. Yet, the enduring of a broken heart-the fear it breeds-lingers in the soul. In the depths of her splintered self, Cedar wondered if she would ever know true warmth of being again. She was doubtful that she would. Until the day a chance meeting with a dream from her past caused a flicker of wonder to ignite in her bosom. As a child, Cedar Dale had adored the handsome rancher's son, Tom Evans-followed after him with the infatuated exuberance of a newborn calf. And when chance brought her face-to-face with the object of her childhood fascination once more, Cedar Dale began to believe that perhaps her fragmented heart could be healed-that perhaps life could be more than despair and pain. Yet could Cedar truly hope to win the regard of such a man above men as was Tom Evans? A man kept occupied with hard work and ambition-a man so desperately sought after by seemingly every woman?

I know, I know, another Marcia Lynn McClure book. I'm not sure what it is or why I love her books so much. I have friends that absolutely adore her books and friends who roll their eyes at them. They are clean, sappy, totally predictable and I adore them. I do admit there are some editing mistakes but I can easily overlook the errors and get lost in the story. Marcia is a fabulous storyteller.

The Windswept Flame is a companion book to Weathered Too Young. Although The Windswept Flame can stand alone I would recommend you read Weathered Too Young first.

Marcia's books are all very predictable. It may seem odd but that is part of the reason I love them. While reading this book I kept waiting for certain things to happen because they always happen in her Historical Romances.

I love that her books are real "old-fashioned" romances. There is never anything more than some passionate kissing. I love that the characters blush at innuendo. Her characters are hard working, honest people who care about and look out for others. They are uplifting and make me smile.

I've never been disappointed with one of Marcia's books. They are my favorite escape. If you like good clean romance I recommend you give her a try.

Content: A clean read with nothing more than kissing and a couple of the mildest of expletives that aren't allowed to be uttered in my house but that I allow in a book like this.

Rating: 5 Stars because I didn't want to put it down.

Sudden Storms by Marcia Lynn McClure

Rivers Brighton was a wanderer-having nothing and belonging to no one. Still, by chance, Rivers found herself harboring for a time beneath the roof of the kind-hearted Jolee Gray, and her remarkably attractive, yet ever grumbling brother, Paxton. Jolee, had taken Rivers in, and Rivers had stayed.

Helplessly drawn to Paxton's alluring presence and unable to escape his astonishing hold over her, however, Rivers knew she was in danger of enduring great heartbreak and pain. Paxton appeared to find Rivers no more interesting than a brief cloudburst. Yet, the man's spirit seemed to tether some great and devastating storm-a powerful tempest bridled within, waiting for the moment when it could rage full and free, perhaps destroying everything and everyone in its wake-particularly Rivers.

Could Rivers capture Paxton's attention long enough to make his heart her own? Or would the storm brewing within him destroy her hopes and dreams of belonging to the only man she had ever loved?

Anyone who has followed what I read knows that I have a weakness for Marcia Lynn McClure. I love clean romances that make me smile and Marcia's books fit the bill perfectly. Sudden Storms is a really quick, fun read - I started this book when my kid's friends came over for a late night and by the time everyone had headed home and settled down I had finished the book. A perfect book to read in one sitting. Marcia Lynn McClure's books make me laugh out loud, and leave me grinning and Sudden Storms was no exception.

Content: This is a clean read with nothing more than kissing.

Rating: As with all of Marcia's books this one gets 5 stars from me.

The Visions of Ransom Lake by Marcia Lynn McClure

Youthful beauty, naïve innocence, a romantic imagination thirsting for adventure-an apt description of Vaden Valmont, who would soon find the adventure and mystery she had always longed to experience-in the form of a man. A somber recluse, Ransom Lake descended from his solitary concealment in the mountains, wholly disinterested in people and their trivial affairs. And somehow, young Vaden managed to be ever in his way-either by accident or because of her own unique ability to stumble into a quandary. Yet the enigmatic Ransom Lake would involuntarily become Vaden's unwitting tutor. Through him, she would experience joy and passion the like even Vaden had never imagined. Yes, Vaden Valmont stepped innocently, yet irrevocably, into love with the secretive, seemingly callous man-Ransom Lake. But there were other life's lessons Ransom Lake would inadvertently convey to her as well. The darker side of life-despair, guilt, heartache. Would Ransom Lake be the means of Vaden's dreams come true? Or the cause of her complete desolation?

The Visions of Ransom Lake is one of Marcia Lynn McClure's best! I couldn't put this one down and had to finish despite being exhausted and sitting on a freezing cold tile floor in a cold hallway reading by the light from a bathroom. (There was no where else to read because every other room had someone trying to sleep.) Full of everything I've come to expect in one of McClure's novels: fabulous characters, humor, romance, lots of kissing but nothing more... Great book!

There is just something about the ways Marcia writes that just draws me in and makes me smile.

And the title...what a great title for this book.

So good I read it again!

Content: Like all of Marcia's book this is clean read.

Rating: 5 Stars. I loved it!

Kiss In The Dark by Marcia Lynn McClure

“Boston,” he said. The commanding sound of his voice caused Boston to cease in her prattling and look to him.
“What?” she asked, somewhat grateful he’d interrupted her panic attack.
He frowned and shook his head.
“Shut up,” he said. “You’re all worked up about nothing.” He reached out, slipping one hand beneath her hair to the back of her neck.
Boston was so startled by his touch, she couldn’t speak—she could only stare up into his mesmerizing green eyes. His hand was strong and warm, powerful and reassuring.
“If it freaks you out so much…just kiss in the dark,” he said.
Boston watched as Vance put the heel of his free hand to the light switch. In an instant the room went black.

Kiss in the Dark is one of Marcia Lynn McClure contemporary novels. Currently available only as a 140 page ebook that can be download from her site.

Another great book book by Marcia. She is currently my favorite author. Her books are my guilty secret with no guilt!

I love that her books make me laugh out loud, giggle, sigh and never fail to leave me with a smile on my face when I'm done.

I love when Marcia has author notes at the end.

In the end, I just hope you enjoyed the story! I hope it entertained you, made you laugh—that your day was just a little less stress-filled because of it. Secretly, I’m hoping I have the desire and energy to lengthen Kiss in the Dark into a novel one day—because, personally, I’m dying to know what favor Vance asked of Boston when he cashed in his I.O.U.

I do hope she expands this book as was mentioned in her author's note because I want to know about the I.O.U.!

Ah the memories this book brought back, how could I have forgotten the fun of playing kissing rugby?

I love the old fashioned values in her books and that her characters are good people.

Content: Marcia's book are all clean romances. She writes some very passionate kissing scenes but that is all. Ages 16+.

Rating: As I said above Marcia's books are my guilty pleasure minus the guilt. 5 Stars.

His Holiday Heart by Jillian Hart

What can make a grumpy "there-is-no-Santa-Claus" kind of man smile? The sight of quirky Lucy Chapin. Something about the woman creates warm and fuzzy feelings within confirmed bachelor Spence McKaslin. So he'll just have to ignore her. Hard to do, since they're working together on a Christmas program for hospitalized children. The time with lovely Lucy soon has Spence thinking twice about spending his life alone.

I was in the mood for something light, fluffy, clean and uplifting so I picked up Christian Romance novel His Holiday Heart by Jillian Hart. This was typical Christian Romance, completely clean and thankfully not too preachy. A good uplifting read for a Sunday afternoon with likable characters I was rooting for.

I didn't realize this was the final book in the 3rd McKaslin series when I started reading it. It was ok to read as a stand alone although I'm sure I might have enjoyed all the information about the other family members more if I had read the other books in the series and knew their stories. My library only has a few books by Jillian Hart and only parts of each series which makes it unlikely that I'll read any more of the McKaslin series because I don't intend to buy them.

Content: Completely clean. Ages 13+

Rating: 4 Stars for a Christian Romance book. Kept me up late reading. Enjoyed the interactions between Lucy, Spence & his family.

Hannah's Heart by Marnie L. Pehrson

With that one waltz, Hannah almost came to believe that Ephraim Marston took her seriously that she was more than a little girl tripping him up and irritating him. With the way he fixed his eyes upon hers and held her in his arms, she felt like a woman for the first time in her life, and a confidence that she'd never known filled her soul. Then, as if a storm brewed within him, Ephraim's expression grew worrisome. The music stopped, he mumbled his thanks, turned and exited the ballroom, leaving Hannah standing there wondering what she had done to set him off this time.

I picked this up because it was part of the Love Notes Collection and recommended by Marcia Lynn McClure. I've read 3 of the books in this "Romance You Can Trust" collection and have loved them.

Hannah's Heart is a really was a cute story and it's a clean read. Unfortunately I just didn't get swept away. Too much happened in too short of a time and it felt a little flat to me. Not enough time was taken to develop the romance between the characters. The potential was there for a great romance but it ended up being just a nice story.

If found it interesting to note it is based on the author's ancestors. I wished I'd know that before I read the book.

I liked Hannah's Heart enough that I will try another one of Marnie L. Pehrson's books since I know she writes clean romance. I think I'll read Angel and the Enemy next.

Content: This is a clean read. There is nothing objectionable at all. Written for women but appropriate for ages 13+.

Rating: 3.5 Stars. It was a good book and I worth the hour and a half it took to read it.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

Wow what a great first book by Elizabeth Eulberg. The Lonely Hearts Club was a book I didn't want to put down. From the very first page I was hooked. Loved her writing style.

There is plenty of talk about sex. However it's not graphic. In fact here is an example:

We kissed. Then we kissed and kissed. Then we kissed some more. But soon that wasn't enough. Soon hands started wandering, clothes started coming off... No matter what I gave him, he wanted more. And I was fighting it. Everything we did turned into a constant struggle over how far I'd go.

Penny decides to go all the way. It appears she would have if she not walked in on Nate with another girl. Just a dozen pages into the book she is heartbroken and swears off boys. Thus the Lonely Hearts Club is born.

What follows is a great book with really likable characters. Such a fun read I didn't want to put the book down. The overall message of the book was to stand up for yourself & don't change for others. To be supportive of your friends and stick together. To not date anyone who doesn't treat you well.

Content: This is not a clean read. There is plenty of mild language scatter throughout the book the most often used being a** and the Lord's name in vain. Sex is mentioned plenty of times but it's not graphic or glorified. This is a hard book to rate and pick an appropriate age. Since I'm one of those wait until marriage kind of people it's hard to recommend the book to young adults. However it has a great message and could lead to some great discussions with a daughter. I guess a lot would depend on the individual in the case of this book as to what age. Personally I wouldn't want my daughter reading it until she was at least 16 but if the need was there for some frank discussions about boys, dating, sex, friend, etc. then it would be appropriate for someone younger.

Rating: I won't give a young adult book 5 stars if it contains unnecessary sex or language. This could have easily been a 5 star book because I didn't want to put it down but I have to minus 1 star for content = 4 star book.

Tide of Mermaid Tears by Marcia Lynn McClure

Yesterday I finished the book The Tide of Mermaid Tears by Marcia Lynn McClure. It was a sad day for me because this was the final Marcia Lynn McClure book that I had yet to read. Instead of focusing on the individual book I'm going to dedicate this post to Marcia Lynn McClure and my love of all her books.

Can I just tell you how much I love Marcia Lynn McClure. She is my favorite author. The first of her books that I read was An Old Fashioned Romance. I read that book on April 22nd - less than 8 weeks ago. I was at Kim's soccer game and I was not a very good soccer mom that day. In fact it was a little windy and cool so I sat in my car pretending to watch her game while actually reading instead. I so enjoyed that book that I requested another of her books from the library. Two weeks later Shackles of Honor came in and I read that. I was hooked at that point. One week later I picked up several books from the library and just couldn't get enough of her books. Our local library had 10 of Marcia's titles. Being unwilling to wait for my request for the library to purchase the rest of her titles I bought them myself. I don't buy books! Other than Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series & The Host and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I can't remember the last book I bought for me. I just don't buy books. But within a week I had purchased the remaining 12 books that my library didn't have. Thank goodness I had a free trial of Amazon Prime so they arrived free in 2 days. My first shipment had 3 books in it, then another 3, then I just broke down and bought the remaining 6. I downloaded the free ebook Rogue Knight. Still not having my fill I bought her 9 ebooks. I managed to read all 32 of her books in less than 8 weeks. I'm now anxiously awaiting the release of Windswept Flame and her new pirate book that are coming out soon.

I found an old interview by her that I enjoyed because it sums up exactly why I like her books:


Interviewer: Your books are known for being old-fashioned romantic instead
of being explicit. What kind of response have you seen to taking this approach?

Marcia: I have seen exactly the kind of response that I hoped for...that I was certain existed; Elation from readers who were looking for just the sort of books I write--incredibly romantic and yet safe! Something to share with your teenage daughter or your mother or your best friends! People (especially women) need moments of escape...distraction that leaves them feeling happy, positive, uplifted. That's what I always look for in reading material...so, that's what I write! Those who work in the industry seem surprised at my success. It's hard for me to imagine that so few people think a book in this genre can succeed without explicit intimacy content. But it can!

Her books are all ultimately happily ever after books. When I finish her books I always feel uplifted, rejuvenated and determined to be a better person. They make me laugh out loud, sigh, giggle and smile from ear to ear. Full of romance without anything illicit. Just a wonderful reminder of how it was to be young and in love.

FYI her name is pronounced Marcia which rhymes with Garcia. Here is a little more about her:


Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Marcia Lynn McClure grew up influenced by the reminiscent stories of rugged, rural Colorado farm life fascinatingly recounted to her by her parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts... tales of runaway buckboards, mule-drawn plows and dust pneumonia; verbalized images of stream-flooded meadows, frozen over in winter, where a child could peer through the crystal clear ice in wonder at the small fish, snakes and mice sealed in the meadow grasses beneath; stories of hardship and tragedy, love and loss. But always the stories, and the people telling them, bore evidence of the wonder and worthiness of simpler, yet sometimes brutal, times.
These influential people and the family legends they detailed, coupled with her own life experiences and utterly romantic nature, led Marcia to begin writing novels as Christmas gifts for her closest friends…friends who long for a breath of the past and miss the romance of bygone eras; friends searching for moments of distraction from the stressful, demanding times we live in. And so, knowing that it is the breath of the past and the "take me in you arms and kiss me" kind of moments that so many women long to relive, Marcia spins her tales of love, life and laughter . . . adventures woven around those compelling, romantic instances that most appeal to a woman's loving heart. Marcia feels that if her readers close one of her books with a contented sigh and a delighted smile, feeling rejuvenated, cheerful and edified, then she has achieved what she set out to do shower refreshment and happiness on anyone having experienced the story.

Here is a list of her books that are currently available:

Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine

Saphyre Snow

A Crimson Frost

The Time of Aspen Falls

The Highwayman of Tanglewood

The Whispered Kiss

The Touch of Sage

The Visions of Ransom Lake

The Heavenly Surrender

Shackles of Honor

The Fragrance of Her Name

Daydreams

Divine Deception

An Old-Fashioned Romance

To Echo the Past

Desert Fire

Love Me

Born for Thorton's Sake

Sudden Storms

Prairie Prince

Weathered Too Young
Dusty Britches

Ebooks:

The Tide of Mermaid Tears

Kiss in the Dark

The Light of the Lover's Moon

Sweet Cherry Ray

Kissing Cousins

The Rogue Knight

The Unobtainable One

The General's Ambition

Indebted Deliverance

A Better Reason to Fall in Love

Coming Soon:

Windswept Flame

Not Yet Titled - Pirate Book

Content: These are clean adult romance books. The content and age appropriateness of each book varies a little but I would say they would all be appropriate for ages 16+. There is some very passionate kissing in all of the books but nothing more. I just don't think anyone younger than about 16 could really appreciate these books. I'll wait until my daughter is 16 to share these books with her. In every single book you find characters that have morals and values. They are honest, hard working people who despite their desires & passions always remain virtuous even if it means getting married ASAP. There is no objectionable language in any of her books. As far as violence there is nothing graphic. Men get shot, beaten & killed in some of the books but it's never describe in great detail.

Rating: Every single one of these books received 5 stars in my book. I do have a few that are favorites but those would receive more than 5 stars if such a rating were possible.

Have you read Marcia Lynn McClure? Which of her books is your favorite?

As far as The Tide of Mermaid Tears this wasn't really a review of that book but since reading it I can't get the song Cherish by Madonna out of my head!