Books Love Me – Reviews

“Fans will burn the midnight oil to finish and then gnash their teeth awaiting Breaking Dawn”, so says VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) on the back cover of Eclipse. I did burn the midnight oil to read this book. In fact, I stayed up well past midnight so that I could read until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer! That’s how interesting this book is – something I can’t say for New Moon.

So Bella has made up her mind to become a vampire, as soon as possible if she can have things her way. She desperately wants to sleep with Edward too. Nevertheless, Edward wants to get married first before transforming Bella and doing anything with her. Bella thinks that getting married right after high school would initiate unwanted gossip among her high school friends and other people. She’s also worried about what her parents might think about her.

If you have read the previous two books, you’d know that a wild and vicious vampire called Victoria is after Bella. She wants to finish off Bella just like how Edward destroyed her mate, James. In short, Victoria is just looking for revenge. So during the whole book, Edward’s family and the werewolves are spending most of their time protecting Bella.

Besides that, Jacob, Bella’s best friend who can also turn into a werewolf, is determined to win Bella’s heart. He keeps hinting to her that she harbours feelings for him too although she adamantly denies it. Even though Bella insists that she only has eyes for Edward, Jacob won’t give up and is willing to fight for her until she becomes a vampire. Even Bella’s father, Charlie prefers Bella to spend time with Jacob and not Edward. You have to give credit to Edward who is way too polite and decent towards Charlie despite Charlie treating him like part of the wall.

What’s fascinating is that there are stories in this story. Rosalie ends up being quite nice to Bella and shares her story. Jasper who’s had a terrifying past also shares his own story to make Bella understand more about vampires and territories. During a bonfire party at Jacob’s place, the elders of the council told the history of how werewolves came to be in their tribe.

There wasn’t a dull moment in this book. I enjoyed reading the conversations between Edward and Jacob. I thought Edward quite selfish when he totally forbids Bella to visit Jacob fearing that she might get hurt since Jacob’s part werewolf. And did Bella have to take so long a time to finally realize the way she feels for Jacob? I’m also appalled at the way Bella treats Jacob. She was rude to him, kept scolding him and basically insults him whenever she can. I’m surprised he took it all so well and continued being easy going.

The ending was absolutely heart-wrenching though. I have to get Breaking Dawn and see how things continue for the humans, the vampires and the werewolves.

Other Reviews: alisonwonderland

Fanny Wendover, young, attractive and lively has certainly caught the eye of many men. But lately, a dashing young man who seems too good to be true, Stacy Calverleigh has set his sights on her. He has charmed her and her aunt, Selina, with his appealing attitude and sweet words. Unfortunately, Fanny’s other aunt, Abigail or Abby, thinks that Stacy is just a guy who’s more interested in Fanny’s money.

Since Fanny’s an orphan, she’s been under the care of her two doting aunts and her uncle who’s her guardian. Fearing that Fanny will be tricked and hurt by Stacy, Abby tries to keep them apart. Well, she can’t really separate them but she keeps an eye on them whenever she can. Fanny is only 17 years old and Stacy’s much older. Therefore, it’s quite odd and disturbing to know that an older man would genuinely be interested in Fanny. There’s also been a case of unsuccessful elopement in Stacy’s past.

Now there’s another Calverleigh in the picture. It is Stacy’s uncle, Miles Calverleigh who has also tried to elope some 20 years ago. Because of that and as punishment, he’s been sent to live in India. Well, the prodigal son has since returned and he has set his sights on Abigail Wendover herself! Two Calverleighs showing interest in two Wendovers! It couldn’t be more fascinating.

Miles doesn’t seem to care for anyone else or what other people think of him. Although Abby tries to refrain herself from laughing out loud at the things that Miles say, she just couldn’t help chuckling every now and then during their conversations. They’re obviously falling for each other but can the Wendover family accept such a man as Miles Calverleigh, the known black sheep of his family?

The ending is a delightful one. I was curious to find out if Stacy will actually marry Fanny or if he’ll just ditch her because he can’t get approval from her aunt and uncle. Will Fanny also see his true colours and not put him on so high a pedestal?

I’m so glad Black Sheep has been a better read than Friday’s Child, the first Georgette Heyer book I’ve read. There are only 18 chapters in this book so it wasn’t quite a drag. I was pleasantly surprised to come across some funny parts in it and actually laughed at them. I don’t remember laughing once with Friday’s Child! Maybe I should give these books a chance.

Imagine having to wait until you’re 50 years old to be united with your true love! What a long wait.

Rosie Dunne and Alex Stewart have always been best friends. They first met when they were five years old and have always been together through thick and thin. They did things like all best friends did together. They roughed it out through school, making their teachers and parents go crazy over their silly antics.

One fine day, Alex and his family had to move to Boston as his father was being transferred in his job. Alex and Rosie are from Dublin. Naturally, they’re upset because they can’t spend time together that much any longer. So they kept in touch through letters and e-mails.

Alex was supposed to return to Dublin to accompany Rosie to her debs or prom night. However, he missed his flight and Rosie had to go with someone else, a guy named Brian. She got drunk and the unexpected happened. Rosie then ended up being a pregnant 18-year-old. She couldn’t go to college in Boston anymore and also couldn’t be with Alex.

It’s evident that Alex and Rosie have strong feelings for each other but numerous things always got in the way. Just when Rosie might have confessed her feelings to Alex, he and his girlfriend, Sally, announced that they’re to get married! Rosie, wanting to move on, met another guy, Greg and got married too. Both friends were at each other’s weddings but felt weird seeing each other walking away from the altar with someone else.

Both friends also showed obvious dislike for the other’s spouses or partners. Rosie strongly expressed her dislike for whoever Alex was dating or was married to. Alex would also find fault with Rosie’s husband, Greg. And they’ll go on and on criticizing but they never got around to confessing their true feelings because they had to think of others, especially their children. They still do ponder over the ’silence’ which they experienced after Rosie kissed Alex.

Anyway, Rosie’s daughter, Katie seemed to be experiencing the same thing like her mom. She also has a guy best friend, Toby, and never gave a second thought of having feelings for him. Katie and Toby are like the younger versions of Rosie and Alex!

Where Rainbows End is written in the form of letters, e-mails, and instant messages so it’s a very engaging read. Reading it was very quick even though it’s a rather thick book. Some boring parts could have been taken out so as to make the book thinner. Rosie’s e-mails tend to be terribly long as she can drone on and on about her job, her kid, Alex, Alex’s wife/girlfriend and her husband, Greg.

I definitely enjoyed reading this, just like Ahern’s other novel, PS, I Love You. Some things didn’t make sense in this novel but they can be excused. Can’t wait to read more of her books! Ahern sure knows how to write funny, heart-and-soul, touching and moving kind of stories.

Other Reviews: Annie, Alice, Rima

I don’t quite remember when I started reading this book, probably at the end of June or beginning of July and I only finished it tonight! I’m already not a fan of romance books but I thought I’d give this book a try as it was sent from Sourcebooks.

This was my first Georgette Heyer book and at least, it’s better than Austen. It is still dull for me, the story was slow and I really couldn’t wait to finish the book! So I’m really, really glad it’s over.

Anyway, what day were you born on? I was born on a Wednesday and I guess I’m full of woe. Friday’s child is loving and giving, which describes Hero perfectly. Hero’s an orphan and she’s been under her cousin’s care ever since she was young. Well, her cousin wasn’t really fond of her and her life’s actually quite miserable.

The hero in the story would be Sherry or Lord Sheringham. He has asked the Incomparable or Isabella for her hand in marriage but was rejected. Feeling indignant that he should be married right away so that he can have full control of his money, which was left to him by his late father, he vowed that he’d marry the next girl he meets. Sherry’s quite addicted to gaming and he is in a lot of debts.

And it’s no other than Hero Wantage who’s about to be sent to Bath to become a governess. She’s also Sherry’s childhood friend and adores him completely. When he suggests that they get married, she agrees on the condition that they don’t interfere in each other’s lives. It’s like they’re free to do what they want but in a discreet way, I guess. So, they set off to London and Hero says goodbye to being a governess.

With the help of Sherry’s cousins, Gil and Ferdy, the wedding goes smoothly. They nickname Hero ‘Kitten’. After that, life goes on as usual. Hero gets along very well with Gil, Ferdy, and another of Sherry’s friend, George, who’s completely smitten with Isabella and has always been trying to win her heart. Thanks to the characters of Gil, Ferdy, and George, as they make the story much more interesting! What would the book be without them?

Hero also lands herself in a number of scrapes and Sherry helps her out since he’s her husband and he’s responsible for her. But for how long will he tolerate it all? Hero utterly worships him and would do anything to make him happy. Whatever he says, she follows. She doesn’t really have a mind of her own but then when it comes to love, can’t blame her, right?

If you want to try Georgette Heyer’s books, I’m not sure if you should start with this one. I have more Heyer books to go and I hope that they might be better than this.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Ames

Buy Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer

I stayed up until 2.30 a.m. last night to finish reading this book. I was eager to know the ending, so staying up late for it was no big deal!

There’s no doubt that this book has been a huge hit and so was the movie starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. No, I did not watch the movie yet though I’d really want to. It should be interesting to see Holly opening Gerry’s letters every month on screen and following her on her journey of self-recovery and doing some soul searching.

Holly’s husband and soul mate, Gerry, passed away due to brain tumour. She just can’t imagine life without him and thought she’d never be able to let him go. Then later, she receives a package from Gerry himself! He sent it just before he died. In the package are 10 sealed envelopes for Holly to open every month. She cannot cheat and open all of them at once, although she’d loved to do it!

And so Gerry’s letters help Holly move on in life without him. It’s hard but Holly is extremely lucky to have a supportive family and best friends to help her go through it. Her parents are a great help. Richard, the secretive and quiet oldest brother, surprises Holly in a number of ways. Jack, Holly’s favourite brother, has been quite distant, much to Holly’s disappointment. Then, there’s Ciara, the loud and noisy younger sister and Declan, who’s always holding a video camera nowadays.

Let’s not forget Holly’s best friends, Sharon and Denise. Both try their best to cheer Holly up as much as possible but sometimes they wonder if she’ll ever get better or if she’ll forever be depressing. However, it’s not easy on Holly’s part when she witnesses her friends’ moments of joy and happiness. Moments that she can never have with Gerry.

Holly makes a new friend too and his name is Daniel. He has recently broken up with his girlfriend and moved to Dublin while buying up a bar called Hogan’s at the same time. He’s good-looking and has been an understanding friend, but does he expect to be more than friends with Holly?

The ending was totally unexpected. Well, I didn’t expect the ending to be like that actually. All the same, PS, I Love You is definitely an enjoyable book, despite the sadness of it all. Ahern’s writing style is easy and funny, just like a chick lit book. Is this book considered as chick lit? Hmm, maybe not. If you’re the overly sensitive and emotional type, prepare a box of tissues when you read it! =)

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Maria, nylusmilk, Kathleen, Melody, Tricia

You may think this is purely a love story but no, it is not. It is mainly the story of Dolores who is on a quest to find true love, happiness, and her purpose in life. The book starts with Uncle Bill narrating his experiences while in Brazil and also how he met Juanita. Juanita is Dolores’ mother.

There are many characters in this book but I’ll just start with Uncle Bill, as Dolores calls him. He does not have a happy marriage and finds comfort in the arms of Juanita. He believes Juanita is his true love but they cannot be together since he has to return to his promiscuous wife in Australia. Bill also treats Dolores like his own daughter and he’s one of the few people whom she can trust.

When Bill and Juanita separate, Juanita met another man, Jack. At first, Dolores looked up to Jack as a loving father but he has been sexually abusing her without her knowing it because she’s still too young to understand and all. She thought that he’s just being a loving father figure.

One night, Juanita thought that Dolores was trying to steal Jack away from her although Dolores was just actually trying to save her mother from Jack’s cruelty and selfishness. Since then, Dolores wasn’t on good terms with her mother. Her mother was certainly very blind to everything and naive at that time.

Dolores left for Sydney, working as a dancer. But she didn’t stay long at the job. After that, she tried to get herself recruited into modeling agencies but to no avail. Things got so bad and she was absolutely desperate for money until she decided to be a high class prostitute at The Brazil nightclub at Kings Cross. She vowed to save up enough money so that she can return to Brazil to start a brand new life.

Cupid’s arrow struck her when she met Thomas, a famous photographer who thinks that he is not capable of loving a woman. However, she’s unsure if he really likes her or just using her. She’ll just need to wait and see how things go then.

Dolores wrote parts of life down in her diary and she sent a manuscript to Uncle Bill, probably hoping that he’ll write a story of her life. That’s how the story began.

It is an interesting and unique book though there are obvious grammatical errors in it. There are also many events in the story and it gets complicated if you don’t read it properly. Besides that, I think that girls and women should read it as it is a story for women after all. Apparently, An Amazing Story is a partly true story, to what extent I do not know. Is there a real Dolores out there?

All the same, if it is a true story, it’s good that it is written. Maybe it can be a guide for young women who may feel that they have nowhere else to go or have completely given up on love. Dolores’ story is capable of helping women out there.

Thanks to Carlo Gabbi for providing me a copy of this book!

Other reviews: Faisal