Review: Kilts and Dagger by Victoria Roberts

Goodreads Blurb

Ever since Lady Grace Walsingham discovered her uncle and sister are spies for the Crown, she has yearned for adventure. She’s counting the days until she can leave barbaric Scotland behind, even if she must endure Highland captain Fagan Murray’s company for weeks.

Fagan has a simple mission: escort the haughty Lady Grace back to England. But nothing is ever easy. The sharp-tongued woman needles him at every turn. But when a menacing threat follows them on their journey, Fagan’s grudging tolerance for Grace turns to respect…and into a perilous attraction that could seal their fate.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was another show stopper written by Victoria. It deserved more than a five-star. I was having a ball reading Grace and Fagan arguing back and forth. Loved that Grace spoke her mind and didn’t let men overpower her decisions. Fagan’s love for Grace could be seen from the beginning, by the way he protected her. Love that Grace was able to see she had feelings for Fagan even though she didn’t like highlanders. Grace totally made this story with her clumsiness and wanting to be a spy at any cost. She is strong-willed for being captured and not afraid of speaking her mind even though it costs her later. Her betrothed was a total jerk who beat women and hid behind their skirts in order to protect himself. I am very happy about the whole outcome. Grace deserved Fagan, the man who stood his ground and became Grace’s husband. Can’t wait to read the next book Victoria writes. Highly recommend this book.

Goodreads Author Biography

Award-winning author Victoria Roberts writes Scottish historical romances about kilted heroes and warriors from the past. She was the recipient of the 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice award for Best Medieval Historical Romance for X MARKS THE SCOT, as well as the 2014 BTS Book Reviews Red Carpet award for Best Historical and Best Book of the Year for MY HIGHLAND SPY.

Represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, Victoria is a member of Romance Writers of America, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, several local chapters, in addition to being a contributing author to the online magazine CELTIC GUIDE.

Victoria resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband of twenty two years and their two beautiful children–not to mention one spoiled dog. When she’s not plotting her next Scottish adventure, she’s dragging her clan to every Scottish festival under the sun. Please visit Victoria at VictoriaRobertsAuthor.com.

Review: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Goodreads Blurb

Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there’s nothing worse than being a five-foot-nine, flat-chested freshman, who also happens to be flunking Algebra.

Is she ever in for a surprise.

First mom announces that she’s dating Mia’s Algebra teacher. Then Dad has to go and reveal that he is the crown prince of Genovia. And guess who still doesn’t have a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance?

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I must say I really enjoyed the drama that Mia had to overcome in this book. There was so much more going on in the book than what occurred in the movie. I really enjoy the story and Mia’s thinking process. If her diary could speak, it would spill the beans on love, pride, and courage. I loved how the chapters were broken down by dates and how she would include her to-do list at the end of the chapter. I didn’t care so much for the math equations since I was just like Mia, I don’t care for math. It was a great story since in the book, her father is still alive and is part of her life even though he doesn’t live with her. Lilly is as annoying or even more in the book than in the movie. I had a great pleasure in meeting Meg and getting to know how she felt about her books. If you are a fan, you don’t want to miss it.

Goodreads Author Biography

Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse — at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby–writing novels–for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.

She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy’s Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.

Meg is now writing a new children’s series called Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.

Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn’t know he married a fire horse. Please don’t tell him.

Currently Reading: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Goodreads Blurb

In Bonhomie, Ohio, a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way—until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened.

Later, as the country reconstructs in the postwar boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie—but nothing stays buried forever in a small town. Against the backdrop of some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the consequences of that long-ago encounter ripple through the next generation of both families, compelling them to reexamine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Sweeping yet intimate, rich with piercing observation and the warmth that comes from profound understanding of the human spirit, Buckeye captures the universal longing for love and for goodness.

The review will be posted soon.

Review: Songs For Other People’s Weddings by David Levithan and Jens Lekman

Goodreads Blurb

J is an accidental wedding singer. Unlike most wedding singers, he writes an original song for every couple—his way of finding out about the small, strange things that brought them together and the hopeful, vulnerable feelings they’re experiencing.

J’s own love life is in a state of flux. His girlfriend is off to New York for work, and as her life grows bigger and busier without him in it, he finds it harder to stick to a happy tune. He doesn’t know whether to encourage the soon-to-be-wed couples or warn them.

When complications hit and love is tested, is there any way to sing through all the noise?

Combining David Levithan’s deeply observant storytelling and Jens Lekman’s inventive and touching original songs, Songs for Other People’s Weddings is a tender, honest novel that tracks love through all its chord changes, never forgetting that the best songs contain the bitter and the sweet, the despair of losing it all and the euphoria of being found.

My Review: Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Come join a Swedish wedding singer who gives readers a front-row seat to ten weddings. He writes and sings unique songs for each couple. Readers will have a few laughs with some of the interesting couples in this novel, but they will also see that love isn’t always what you hope it to be. The wedding singer, named J, and his girlfriend V will have their romance under scrutiny throughout the novel. J knows all about love and romance, but in his own relationship, he is far from finding true love.

I enjoyed listening to the creative songs Jens Lekman wrote for this book. It gave the book a fun factor, and I enjoyed the couples who brought in the drama. I didn’t care for the relationship between J and V. It made the story drag along and annoyed me about how petty they were. I would have preferred them to break up from page one. If someone doesn’t appreciate you and loves you enough to make a change with you, then that’s not your person. I did get a few laughs in between the terrible moments between J & V.

Author Biography

David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children’s book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.

Review: Big Blue Sky by Hildie McQueen

Goodreads Blurb

Left to raise his infant son alone, a hardened Hank Cole is determined to make the best of it while prospering his ranch, but when a beautiful woman literally lands on his doorstep, he is helpless against the attraction between them.

Elizabeth Dawson is too outspoken for gentle society, but she may be the perfect match for a tough Montana cowboy.

A story of two very different people who belong together, proof that sometimes fate can have a sense of humor when it comes to love.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What a small book with deep emotions. I was heartbroken with what Hank had to go through because of a woman. He deserved more for being a gentleman who is loving and affectionate. Then I got to the chapter on Elizabeth and was in tears, too, have to go through such devastation and lost. Losing someone right in front of you without being able to help them is beyond words. As I kept on reading, I found out that she is the niece of Betty who babysits Hanks Child. She is very tricky but knew that they would be perfect for each other. I was in utter shock to find out who the man that Elizabeth dreamed about. What a coincidence or should I say premonition. This book was full of sadness and despair at the beginning but ended with a happily ever after. They both deserved themselves.

Review: Princess in the Spotlight (Princess Diaries #2) by Meg Cabot

Goodreads Blurb

No one ever said being a princess was easy.

Just when Mia thought she had the whole princess thing under control, things get out of hand, fast. First, there’s an unexpected announcement from her mother. Then Grandmère arranges a national primetime interview for the brand-new crown princess of Genovia. On top of that, intriguing, exasperating letters from a secret admirer begin to arrive.

Before she even has the chance to wonder who those letters are from, Mia is swept up in a whirlwind of royal intrigue the likes of which haven’t been seen since volume I of The Princess Diaries.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I just love this series with Mia. Her grandmother just cracks me up. It’s her way or the highway. I felt so bad for Mia finding out about her mom’s pregnancy; she was not expecting that. When she had the interview, I was cracking up with her comments. I can’t believe she threw everyone under the bus without even realizing it. I was a little upset with Mia’s mom for making a decision that didn’t include her in such an important event and moment. I was glad that her grandmother hopefully learned a lesson for not messing around with people’s personal decisions. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Author Biography

She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy’s Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.

Meg is now writing a new children’s series called Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.

Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn’t know he married a fire horse. Please don’t tell him.

Review: Confessions of a Queen B by Crista McHugh

Goodreads Blurb

Alexis Wyndham is the other type of Queen B—the Queen Bitch.

After years of being the subject of ridicule, she revels in her ability to make the in-crowd cower via the exposés on her blog, The Eastline Spy. Now that she’s carved out her place in the high school hierarchy, she uses her position to help the unpopular kids walking the hallways.

Saving a freshman from bullies? Check.
Swapping insults with the head cheerleader? Check.
Falling for the star quarterback? So not a part of her plan.

But when Brett offers to help her solve the mystery of who’s posting X-rated videos from the girls’ locker room, she’ll have to swallow her pride and learn to see past the high school stereotypes she’s never questioned—until now.

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Many people were bragging over this book, and, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its standards. Alexis pretty much annoyed me with her bitchyness. She was just as bad as the popular girl named Summer. Standards and popularity over friends and love.

Author Biography

Crista McHugh is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING author of fantasy and romance with heroines who are smart, sexy, and anything but ordinary.

She also writes fantasy with less kissing and a lot more action as C. A. McHugh.

She currently lives in the Tesla-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician on the weekends.

Review: Arthur’s Thanksgiving by Marc Brown

Goodreads Blurb

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Arthur! When Arthur is picked to direct his school’s Thanksgiving play, all his friends beg him for the lead role. But not everyone can be the star, and someone has to be the turkey! Can Arthur find the perfect lead, the perfect turkey, and save the day?

My Review: Rated 5 out 5 stars

It’s such a perfect book to read to the kids during Thanksgiving. The illustrations are just perfect. Loved the turnout at the end of the book.

Author Biography

Marc Tolon Brown is perhaps best known for his series of children’s books about Arthur the aardvark, which was turned into an animated television show on PBS. Brown is a three-time Emmy Award winner, for his role on the television show inspired by his books.

He lives on Martha’s Vineyard and in New York City with his wife, Laurie Krasny Brown. He has three children, sons Tolon and Tucker, and daughter Eliza. The names of his two sons have been hidden in all of the Arthur books except for one: Arthur’s Tooth.

I met Lisa Gardner at Paramus Barnes & Noble

I had a great evening meeting suspense author Lisa Gardner. She talked about how her career as an author began and a little glimpse of her research for her new book, Kiss Her Goodbye. Check out her new book.

Goodreads Blurb

A young mother haunted by war, determined to make a fresh start. But sometimes, the sins of the past aren’t so easy to escape.

Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The local police have yet to open a case, while her older, domineering husband seems unconcerned. Sabera’s closest friend, however, is convinced Sabera would never willingly leave her three‑year old daughter. At her insistence, missing persons expert Frankie Elkin agrees to take up the search through the broiling streets of Tucson. Just in time for a video of the young mother to surface—showing her walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder.

Frankie quickly realizes there’s much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra—she has an uncanny ability to remember anything she sees. Which given everything that has happened during the girl’s short life, may be a terrible curse. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra’s life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the code of this family’s horrific past.

Someone is coming for the Ahmadis. And violence is clearly an option. When everything is on the line, how far would you go to protect the ones you love?

Frankie is about to find out.

Review: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Goodreads Blurb

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.

Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This is an unforgettable story about a woman’s courage as she fights to give voice to the silenced. Imagine having to abandon your family, not for a crime, but because of your heritage and the innocent poems that others twisted out of context. Fighting your way to freedom while holding on to the hope that your words and those of the families whose children were taken away get a chance to share their story. Margaret, a Chinese American poet and mother to Bird Gardner, watches her world shatter in an instant. She always followed all of society’s rules, yet her identity marks her as a target. Through heartbreak and hope, Margaret and her son unite, and she is determined to reclaim the truth. Their bravery lights a path through the darkness of prejudice and the pain endured by the Asian community. This story will pull at your heartstrings and open your eyes to the racism and oppression the Asian community and others have gone through in the United States. I loved that the librarians played a role in helping collect information about all the children who were taken and that Asian folktales helped Bird in his travels to locate his mother.

Author Biography

Celeste Ng is the author of three novels, Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts.

Her first novel, Everything I Never Told You (2014), was a New York Times bestseller, a
New York Times Notable Book of 2014, Amazon’s #1 Best Book of 2014, and named a best book of the year by over a dozen publications. Everything I Never Told You was also the winner of the Massachusetts Book Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and the ALA’s Alex Award. It has been translated into over thirty languages and is being adapted for the screen.

Her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere (2017) was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1 Indie Next bestseller, and Amazon’s Best Fiction Book of 2017. It was named a best book of the year by over 25 publications, the winner of the Ohioana Award and the Goodreads Readers Choice Award 2017 in Fiction, and spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list.
Little Fires Everywhere has been published abroad in more than 30 languages and has been adapted as a limited series on Hulu, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.

Her third novel, Our Missing Hearts, will be published on October 4, 2022.

Celeste grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Shaker Heights, Ohio. She graduated from Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Michigan (now the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan). Her fiction and essays have appeared in the
New York Times, The Guardian, and many other publications, and she is a recipient of the Pushcart Prize, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, among other honors.