Tag: series (Page 4 of 4)

We’ve Always Got New York by Jill Knapp

December 21, 2014 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 0 Comments

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Thanks once again to author Jill Knapp for gifting me this book!

Amalia has returned from her trip to Brazil, and things are both different and the same. Cassandra is acting strangely distant, with no apparent reason why. Michael seems to be recovered from Amalia’s departure, since he has Angela hanging all over him. Olivia and Alex are on again, off again, NYC classes are as difficult as ever, and Amalia is trying to get accepted to a work study program. The one bright thing in her life is Hayden, who sweeps her off her feet and makes her feel special.

So why is she still hung up on Michael?

This book seemed a little less filling than the first one, kind of New York Lite. There is plenty of action, but it’s basic and what you would expect of 24 year olds–drinking, dating, drama. I did start disliking Cassandra for her bad attitude, and I’m very curious to see how the author explains her behavior towards Amalia. Olivia and Amalia have gotten a lot closer, and the book is told in both their perspectives; each chapter alternates with occasional overlapping of stories. New York looms large, as always, with familiar locations and hip restaurants described beautifully. Amalia seems more sure of herself, despite her confusion over the Michael/Hayden situation. You can see her maturing and thinking about her future, and not letting the drama rule her life.

We’ve Always Got New York purrs along smoothly until the ending, which is a CLIFFHANGER! Knapp knows how to generate tension, and there was definitely plenty of this throughout the book, with breakups, arguing, and even a bar fight. Readers of this series will be eagerly awaiting installment # 3, and I will too.

Want your own copy? Click [easyazon_link asin=”B00OFLDTC6″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gimmethatbook-20″ add_to_cart=”yes” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”yes”]here. [/easyazon_link]

As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust by Alan Bradley

December 2, 2014 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 0 Comments

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Many thanks to NetGalley for providing this review copy in exchange for this review.

This 7th outing of Flavia De Luce’s adventures is so much better than the last few have been. I was growing so weary of the same old thing that I skipped #6, [easyazon_link asin=”0385344066″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gimmethatbook-20″ add_to_cart=”no” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”yes”]The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches[/easyazon_link]. To me, the plots were becoming rote: body, murder, adventure, droll humor, ending.

Now I regret not reading book #6 only because I feel like I missed a turning point. Chemistry loving Flavia is growing up, and the series is fresh again. The setting is new, the characters are new, and we are seeing a new side of Ms De Luce as well.

Flavia has been sent to a girls’ boarding school in Canada, which was noted in the ending of book #6. She is to become a member of an organization called the Nide, following in the footsteps of her mother, who is revered as a goddess at Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy. On Flavia’s first night there, a body falls out of a chimney, and wham! shes off working on another murder. She is very homesick, and references are made to the Buckshaw clan only via our heroine’s thoughts.

There is a lot of interaction between Flavia and the other students, and I found the conversations to be razor sharp and fun to read. The condescending tones which the adults use to interact with Flavia are gone, and it seems that everyone is treated more or less, as an equal. Of course, there is the caste system found in all schools, but since this is a classroom that is supposedly turning women into spies or the like, everyone is assumed to be intelligent and well-spoken.

I loved the whole tone of this book! The only problem I had is that it seemed that the plot was going in circles, with tiny plotlets added to round out her experience at school. Even though the conversations with her peers were scintillating, it seems that much of the content had to be read between the lines, and that got to be exhausting. By the time the murder was solved I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. Is Flavia IN the Nide? Was the ending happy or sad? It seemed to me that the secret society was like Fight Club–don’t talk about it. This vagueness was the only thing that bothered me. Otherwise, you will see Flavia maturing and coming to terms with new emotions, with flashes of the egotistical mad chemist here and there.

Bradley has given me new faith in this series, and I will go back to read #6. For those who have been following our girl all along–you will like this, as long as you don’t expect to be reading about Daffy, Feely, Dogger, and Bishop’s Lacey. This was a refreshing break; a cleansing of the palate. As Flavia would say, it was a “jolly good” read.

Want your own copy? Click [easyazon_link asin=”0345539931″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gimmethatbook-20″ add_to_cart=”yes” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”yes”]here.[/easyazon_link]

Flawless by Jan Moran

November 11, 2014 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 0 Comments

I received this book from author Jan Moran in exchange for this honest interview.

Flawless is an easy, breezy type of read. Set in Beverly Hills, it oozes opulence and glitters wonderfully. The plot is fairly simple: Verena Valent, head of a family owned skincare company, is dealing with money problems. The economy is not what it was, and her big launch in Asia is threatened. Her boyfriend Derrick is pushing her to sell the company, but Verena’s family ties are too strong for this to be an easy decision. To top it all off, she is starting to develop feelings for a man she just met: Lance, the executive chef of the Beverly Hills Hotel. She wants to stay loyal to Derrick, but his actions are pushing her away. As money gets tighter, her family and friends cannot give her all the answers she seeks. Only Verena can be the master of her own destiny. Can she save her beloved company from the sharks?

This book made me feel as if I were sitting along Verena in the boardroom, in the spa, on a jet, and in Paris. Each detail is accurate and adds to the luxury of the story. In fact, if I knew more about the skincare world, I might think this book could be a roman a clef. It’s that authentic.

Verena Valent is a strong woman, even is she is unsure of what she wants, or needs. Her loyalty to her family is strong and refreshing. There is just enough romance in the book to add that warm feeling without overpowering the plot or reality….and what woman wouldn’t want a guy like Lance?!

The bad guys hold the purse strings, and there is a good deal of merger/acquisition/banking talk going on–but not so much that it bogs you down. This book will appeal to those who want romance, and those who want to read a twisty plot with some thorny intellectual problems to solve.

The character’s attitudes are not entitled or exclusionary; rather, they are real and understandable. Granted, most of us don’t have million dollar companies, but Verena and her grandmother are easy to identify with and root for, as you turn the pages and hope that their financial worries will be rectified. No spoilers here; but the ending was satisfying and left the door open for many different paths for Verena’s life to take.

Jan Moran is an expert in the beauty field, and it shows here in Flawless. I would definitely read book two of the Hostile Beauty series, just to see what Verena and her friends have accomplished. Want your own copy? You can pick it up here.

Also, if you haven’t already, download the Kindle reading app here.

Blue Labyrinth by Preston and Child

November 4, 2014 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 3 Comments

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Many thanks to NetGalley for offering this book in exchange for this honest review. The 14th outing of Pendergast and Co is a complete winner; let me start by saying that. A few of the most recent books have not been my favorites, and I was hoping to see Preston and Child back in their groove. This one does the trick.

The action starts early and continues evenly throughout. One evening, our favorite Special Agent is home, relaxing with Constance, when he hears a knock on the door. Constance opens it, with grisly results. A dead body falls through the doorway, and Pendergast springs into action. The chase scene that follows is pure reading joy. No other authors can create such wonderful flow and lexicographal magic.

During the autopsy, a piece of turquoise is found, and this has no small significance to Pendergast. He then tries to run his own private investigation, much to the chagrin of the officer assigned to the case. Their paths cross again and again, and each of them starts resenting the other as more clues are uncovered.

One of the longer scenes takes place at a fascinating location in California: the Salton Sea. As I was reading, I had to stop and learn more about this abandoned town and its terrible history. What a wild location to send Pendergast! Preston and Child are thorough in their descriptions, as always, and they set the scene perfectly. (I have a particular love of abandoned towns and I would love to visit this tragic place.) What happens in Salton has far reaching consequences for Pendergast, and this provides the crux of the novel. Also appearing to assist the Agent are Lt. D’Agosta, Constance Greene, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The authors have outdone themselves with esoteric weaponry, detail rich descriptions of new locations in the Museum, and more backstory of the Pendergast lineage. Also satisfying to me was the way Constance handled herself–she is nearly feral in her defense of Pendergast during a chilling scene towards the end of the story. In fact, there is so much going on, that the actual end of the book seems like an anticlimax. I am still pondering if what happened is completely out of character for, well, the characters—or if it is a red herring constructed by Preston and Child. In any case, I loved, loved, LOVED this book. The authors have found a way to better their unique voices in this most lyrical of novels. Whether you are familiar with the character of Pendergast or not, there is enough going on to keep you entertained. Grab this one immediately–and be prepared to put your life on hold as you devour it.

This book will be published on November 11th, 2014. Want to win a free copy? I have 2 copies to give away to a lucky winner!! Enter here!!

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Also, if you haven’t already, download the Kindle reading app here.