Review - Happy Ever After

Happy Ever After is the final novel in Nora Roberts' romantic series, The Bride Quartet. Four childhood friends who have turned a favorite childhood game, Wedding Day, into a successful wedding planning business, Vows, in Connecticut.

Happy Ever After is Parker's story.  I really enjoyed watching Parker and Mal. Then again, I've enjoyed watching all four couples come together. They all work so well together, even if they might not have seemed to be logical at first. I think that of all the couples, these two were my favorite to watch. I also enjoyed seeing Mac and Carter's wedding at the end.

I just wish that I could have seen all four weddings.

Review - Dead and Gone

Once again, I had a great time reading a Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse book.  I had a hard time putting this down once I started it.

This book had several things happening.  First, the Weres announced themselves to the world.  The people of Bon Temps need to decide how that announcement affects their view of Sam, Sookie's boss at Merlott's.

Then, the FBI shows up in Bon Temps to ask Sookie about the bombing in Rhodes.  If they determine that she has psychic abilities, Sookie is afraid that they will make her leave Bon Temps, something that she doesn't want to do.  Their conversation with Sookie is interrupted because of a murder of a Were.  If all that isn't enough, Sookie finds herself married to Eric and is drawn into the fae war.

While a reader can read this book without having read the earlier books, knowing the background from those books definitely makes this easier to follow.

Review - Savor the Moment

Savor the Moment is the latest novel in Nora Roberts' new romantic series, The Bride Quartet.  The Bride Quartet is about four childhood friends, Emma Grant, Lauren McBane, Mackensie Elliott and Parker Brown, who have turned a favorite childhood game, Wedding Day, into a successful wedding planning business, Vows, in Connecticut.  Each of the friends has a special talent that she brings to the business.

In the first novel, Vision in White, Mac, the group's photographer, found love with Carter Maguire, a high school English teacher who had a crush on her when they were in high school.

In the second novel, Bed of Roses, Emma, the group's florist, found love with Jack Cooke, another childhood friend who is also the best friend of Parker's older brother, Delaney.

In Savor the Moment, Lauren, who is the wedding baker for Vows, must decide if she is willing to take a chance at finding love with Delaney Brown, the older brother of her best friend, Parker.  Del is also the group's attorney. 

This novel is a fun romance as Lauren goes through the ups and downs of figuring out if she and Del have a chance at making a life together.  Part of Lauren's problem is that she has had to work hard to achieve her goals and dreams since her father lost all of his money while Del comes from old money.

I have been enjoying this series.  The characters are well developed and the story keeps the reader entertained from start to finish. The interaction between the four friends, as well as Mrs. Grady, the Browns' housekeeper, the clients, and the men in their lives is beautifully written.  While you can see some of things coming, getting there is full of laughter and sadness.  Mac's mother is a recurring character that you love to hate.

I am looking forward to the last book in the quartet, Happy Ever After, and can't wait until it comes out in November 2010.

Review - Today's the Day!: My New Shoes

I'm going to start this off by saying that this book was co-written by the wife of one of my husband's co-workers.

Having said that, this is a very cute book.  I bought it for my 2.5 year old originally as an Easter present, but ended up giving it to her as a present from the new baby in the house.

Sydney and I have enjoyed reading it.  The story is a simple one, but told in a cute way.  The little girl in the story is going shopping with her dad to buy new shoes.  The illustrations are in black and white so that the child reading the book can use her imagination.  One time that we read the book, the shoes were chocolate and red, the next they were blue and red.

The only down side to getting this book is that it is only available on Amazon.com at the moment.

Review - The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

I give this book a 3.75/5.

I decided to read this book because it seemed that so many people were talking about it and had a lot of positive things to say about the book.  As I haven't read much Jane Austen, or is it that I simply cannot remember what I have read, I thought that this would be interesting.  Having read it, I can see why people liked it.  "The Lost Memoirs" was a light-hearted read that I finished quickly.

I knew that I was reading a work of fiction, but it was written as if it were fact.  Ms. James did a good job with how she blended it.  I found myself loving, hating and then loving some of the characters as I read.  I am certainly not a Jane Austen expert.  Could this story have really happened?  Perhaps.  That's one of the reasons that I love fiction that is well-written.  When done correctly, the reader believes that it may have actually happened as the author wrote it. 

I need to clear my reading table to make room, but will be looking to read some novels by Jane Austen in the future.

Buy One Book and Read It 2010! Challenge

I've joined another challenge for this year.  I saw a post for this on my Google Reader this morning and after I checked it out, I decided to do it.

Amy over at My Friend Amy, hosts the Buy One Book and Read It challenge.  She started it when she realized how many people had not read a single book in a single year.  The premise is simple, buy a book and read it.

This year there are three levels to her challenge.

Level One:  Buy one book and read it before December 31, 2010.

Level Two:  Buy six books and read them before December 31, 2010.

Level Three:  Buy twelve books and read them before December 31, 2010.

She also has two different variations that participants can add if they want.  One is to only buy the book or books at an independent bookstore.  The other is to only buy books that the participant has learned about on a book blog.

I am doing this challenge at Level Two.

1. "The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen" by Syrie James - Reviewed on April 10, 2010
2. "Today's the Day!: My New Shoes" by Katie Simmons and Maureen Frew - Reviewed on April 13, 2010
3. "Savor the Moment" by Nora Roberts - Reviewed on June 12, 2010
4. "Dead and Gone" by Charlaine Harris - Reviewed on June 13, 2010
5. "Lost", an anthology.
6. "Happy Ever After" by Nora Roberts - Reviewed on Dec. 2, 2010