Longing for Home by Sarah M. Eden

Sarah M. Eden

I have the privilege of being a part of the Blog Tour for the new novel by Sarah M. Eden, Longing for Home.  I've actually read several of her books in the last year.  I haven't posted a review in a very long time as you know so I haven't reviewed any of her books on this blog but I have really enjoyed them. I have read Seeking Persephone, Courting Miss Lancaster, Kiss of a Stranger, and Drops of Gold.  They have all been fun, clean Regency style romances that I have really enjoyed.

Sarah, (I'm going to call her by her first name because I think she's cool) has taken a little different approach with her latest book.  This one is set in the Wyoming Territory in 1870 instead of Regency England.  When I discovered this I have to say that I was a little disappointed because I would rather read a book set in Regency or Victorian England way more than I want to read a book set in the western frontier of the United States.  I'm glad I gave this book a chance though because it was just as entertaining as Sarah's other books have been.

Katie Macauley is a young woman from Ireland who ventures out west in hopes that the higher wages offered will help her get back to her family in Ireland and repay debts she feels she owes them.  Upon reaching Hope Springs, Wyoming she finds that it won't be as easy as she had hoped.  Faced with challenges in her new employment that bring up painful memories from her childhood and a community divided by prejudice and hate, Katie struggles in her new situation.  Of course, there are a couple of handsome men to add confusion to the mix.  This is called "A Proper Romance", after all.

I enjoyed this as well as Sarah's other books but I am hoping that she's working on a sequel because there are way too many loose ends to tie up. For those of you who are like me and enjoy a good, clean romance, look for Shadow Mountain Publishing's new branding "A Proper Romance" that you will find on some of their novels.  I think it's a great idea and I look forward to reading more of these historical "proper" romances.

On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Genre: YA, Paranormal

Published:  Oct. 2011, 272 pp.
Source:  Review request by author
Review:  3.5/5 stars

Brief Summary:  (From Goodreads)  Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping.

Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination...

My Thoughts:  First of all, thank goodness for a YA stand-alone book!
I liked this ghostly romance.  I haven't read many books with ghosts but I thought this was an interesting take on the classic ghost story.  The characters are likable, realistic and the romance is sweet.


Recommendations:  What I like most about this book is that it's one that I can read and enjoy as well as my 12 year-old daughter whose new reading obsession is romance.  Help me!  :)


Ratings:  1.2.1  Includes some kissing scenes, there is some description of blood and violence, and very little profanity.

Thanks for reading!

Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: Originally 1955, this edition--July 2011
Source: Sourcebooks (publisher review request)
Review: 3.5/5 stars


Brief Summary: Lady Serena is reunited with her former suitor, whom she jilted several years ago, when her father names him, the Marquis of Rotherham, her guardian in his will. Both Serena and the Marquis are hot-tempered and obstinate so quarrels ensue. In true Georgette Heyer fashion, witty-dialogue abounds. The romantic plot thickens as Serena becomes reacquainted with the man she had once loved when she was much younger, who had been sent packing by her father because he was not a good match for her.
My Thoughts:  Georgette Heyer does not disappoint.  Even though Bath Tangle wasn't quite as charming as some of her other books, it still hits the spot when you're looking for that Regency Romance fix.  The plot is pretty predictable but it doesn't really matter.  Even though we know the destination, the journey is always fun.  The hero and heroine are unfortunately not often together in this book but when they are in the same room, the sparks fly with heated arguments and sparring of words that Heyer is famous for.
Recommendations: To all Austen and Regency fans.
Ratings: 1.1.2  Pretty clean read with a smattering of mild profanity.


Thanks for reading!

The Third by Abel Keogh

Genre: Dystopian
Published: April 2011, 263 pp.
Source: Review copy from publisher (Cedar Fort)
Review:  3/5 stars

Brief Summary:  In the not too distant future, Ransom Lawe and his wife Teya struggle to make ends meet in a world where, due to global warming and other environmental disasters, food, energy, and...children are rationed.  Families are allowed to have only two children and, as you may guess, Teya becomes pregnant with a third child.   
My Thoughts:  The Third by Abel Keogh caught my attention from the very first chapter.  The world he has created seems very possible and that makes it unnerving.  It was refreshing for me to read a dystopian novel with adult main characters instead of teenagers.  In ways I could relate more to the characters and what their lives are like since they are parents like me.  However, in other ways I felt like I was never really invested in the characters and I didn't care about them very much.  They seemed to make so many stupid decisions and mistakes that I got to the point that I wasn't very sympathetic.  So, while I did enjoy and like the book,  I think I would have liked it more if I could have liked the main characters more.
Recommendations:  I would recommend this book to any of you dystopian fans out there.  It is especially nice to read a little dystopian that's not YA for a change.
Ratings: 2.3.1 There is a scene in which a character is intending to rape someone.  There is some violence in some scenes where a character is beaten up and there is a physical threat to a baby.  I don't remember any profanity.

Thanks for reading!

No Going Back by Jonathan Langford

Genre: LDS fiction
Published: 2009, 312 pgs.
Source: Review copy from author/publisher
Review: 4.5/5 stars

In the first chapter of No Going Back by Jonathan Langford, fifteen year old Paul tells his best friend, Chad, that he's gay. Both are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which teaches that any sexual relations outside of marriage between a man and woman are morally wrong. Paul struggles with his desire to stay a faithful member of the church and the attraction he feels for other boys while Chad struggles with having a best friend who is gay. We also get the points of view from their parents and how this affects them.

I really, really liked this book. It was not always comfortable to read but I grew to love the characters and really sympathized with the struggles they each had, including the parents and church leaders. I often found myself thinking, "Is this really the way teenage boys think, act, and feel?" I definitely have a new perspective on what it means to be a young man and the issues they face, whether they're gay or straight.

Same-sex attraction is not an easy topic to discuss but I think that Langford has written a story that most people will be able to identify with. The book is heart-breaking but also hopeful and I hope that many people will read it. I recommend this book but I do it with a warning. The language is edgy, definitely PG-13, as the teenagers speak the way teenagers often do. There is also a little sexual content that is not described but is a bit uncomfortable. I hope this doesn't keep too many people from reading the book because it is very insightful. As a member of the church, I felt that he did a good job of representing the Church's teachings and views but he does not claim to speak for the Church (which is how it should be).

Rating: 3.1.3 The 3 for sexual content is not because of the description but because it is homosexual in nature.

The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

Genre: Romance, historical fiction
Published: Originally 1928, re-edition Feb. 1, 2010, 325 pgs.
Source: Review copy from the publisher, Sourcebooks


Review: 4/5 stars

The Masqueraders is full of love and adventure. It has a slightly different setting than the other Heyer novels I've read as this one is set around 1750, just after the failed Jacobite rebellion. Brother and sister Robin and Prudence Tremaine were part of the rebellion just as they have been part of many schemes and adventures during their lives wandering all over Europe following their father. Now they are returning to London incognito, Robin playing the part of a lady and Prudence as her gentleman brother, while they wait for their father to come for them. High adventure ensues including mistaken identity, sword-fighting, duels, falling in love, highway robbery and more.

This is a fun book with interesting characters and lots of adventure. I knew very early on who would fall in love with whom but it was a fun ride getting to that conclusion. Georgette Heyer has yet to disappoint.

Rating: 1.2.1 Includes some violence but not graphic.

Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer

Genre: Regency romance
Published: Originally 1932, this edition--1 Nov. 2009
320 pgs.
Review book from Sourcebooks
Review: 4.5/5 stars

Whenever I read a regency romance novel I realize again what a hopeless romantic I am. It comes as a surprise because I'm really quite a practical person, but something about the story of a reprehensible rake changing his life and habits all for the love of a sensible, intelligent girl gets me every time. I know that in real life that kind of thing is completely unrealistic. I would never believe in the real world that a promiscuous womanizer would completely change and become faithful to one woman because he finally found someone he couldn't live without. Give me that unrealistic story in the form of a regency romance, especially a Georgette Heyer novel, and I will swallow it hook, line, and sinker. It's pretty pathetic, I know, but it's my weakness.

As I began reading Devil's Cub I thought I may have found an English rogue that I wouldn't like. The Marquis of Vidal seemed too wicked and objectionable even for me. The heroine, Mary Challoner is so clever, sensible, and unassuming, however, that as she falls in love with the Marquis I can't help but do the same. It really makes no sense to me, this attraction I have for these literary men since I'm not at all attracted to "bad boys" in real life. My husband is about as straight-arrow as they come.

This latest Heyer novel made me want to pick up another immediately. It was predictable yet completely enjoyable with a fast paced story line, clever dialogue, and interesting characters.

Rating: 1.1.1 Includes some mild innuendo, mild violence, and a little language but not enough to warrant a 2 rating in my opinion.

The Light, the Dark, and Ember Between by J. W. Nicklaus

Category: Short stories

Published: 2009, 176 pgs.

Review: 3/5 stars

The Light, the Dark, & Ember Between by J.W. Nicklaus is a collection of short stories with themes such as love, loss, redemption, humour, death and more. I was interested in this book because I thought the cover and title were intriguing. I wanted to like it more than I did. The stories were usually uplifting and positive but I'm just not sure I'm a big fan of the short story. There wasn't enough time for me to care about the characters and that seems to make a difference in whether I like a book or not. The nice thing about it is that you can easily sit down and complete most of the stories within 10 minutes. You can also skip around since none of the stories are related to each other. It would be a great book to have on hand for those times when you are waiting for the doctor, your kids, or whoever else makes you wait.

Rating: 1.1.1 Pretty clean through and through. There may be a biblical swear word here and there. I don't really count those.

The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal by Sean Dixon

Category: Fiction

Published: March 2009, 352 pages

Review requested by publisher

Unfinished

I was interested in reading this book because it was about a young women's book club. The Lacuna Cabal Montreal Young Women's Book Club is quite different from others. They meet everyday and they try to act out the book in real life. This premise sounded pretty interesting to me but I'm afraid I finally just put it down. The foul language and sexual nature of the book was just a little too much for me. I feel bad about not finishing it since it was a review book from the publisher. I will say that even as I was deciding to stop reading the book, I found myself wanting to keep reading just a few more pages to see what was going to happen next. Even though the characters were so strange, quirky, and with completely different values from me, I was interested in them. This book wasn't for me but I imagine that many others could enjoy it.

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

Category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy?

Published: 2009, 272 pgs.

Review: 3.5/5 stars

Set in a not-so-distant future in Sweden, The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist is a novel about what might happen if society decided that a person's contribution to the nation became more important than the individual himself. Dorrit Weger begins her story as she is being placed in the unit, a facility where childless individuals who reach the age of 50 or 60 are taken to be used in humane medical and psychiatric tests. They have very nice accommodations and want for nothing in the way of physical comforts but they are essentially guinea pigs. They live there in the unit with no communication to the outside world and participate in different medical trials until they make their final donation, such as a liver, lungs, heart, etc.

I had a hard time putting this book down. I just really wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked and cared about the characters. I did have a few problems with the book though. For one, it just was too implausible. The way everything was described it seemed like the unit could exist now rather than the future. There was talk of DVDs and CDs and the technology just wasn't futuristic. For me that made it feel so close to present day that I couldn't accept that a government or a society would allow this kind of treatment of people. If something is placed far enough in the future than it seems more credible to me and I can swallow the premise better. I think I didn't get into the story quite as much as I would have liked to because it just wasn't believable to me. That being said, I did like the book. I have to warn you though that this does not come even close to qualifying as a "good, clean read."

Rating: 4.1.4 There are several descriptions of sex that I felt were gratuitous and unnecessary. I really don't mind if there is some sex in a book (you may find that hard to believe considering the premise of my blog) but it never has to be described as thoroughly as it is in this book. There were also two instances of very harsh language and a smattering of lighter profanity.