This week is Recommend A…book with a green cover:

Early Candlelight by Maud Hart Lovelace.

You guys! I’ve loved this book ever since I was a kid and my mom first gave it to me…but I don’t think I’ve ever featured it on the blog before.

Set in the 1830s, it is an awesome historical fiction novel for both YA and adult readers. From rich descriptions of trade to everyday family life to a really engrossing love story – this one has it all. I still remember being so awed by Dee, the MC, when I was younger. Balancing a big and crazy trading family while still managing to fall in love? She rocks.

Summary:

This historical novel set at Old Fort Snelling in the 1830s is a rich and romantic re-creation of the early settlement period in Minnesota’s history. Maud Hart Lovelace’s careful research into the documents of the Minnesota Historical Society, combined with her knowledge of the actual setting, enabled her to write a story that conveys a sense of time and place both accurate and compelling for young adults as well as general readers.

The Allure of Books. Recommend A…

You guys, I pride myself on not really having a reading “comfort zone.” I try to keep an open mind about everything…whatever it may be. I’ll read it. Then, awhile back, someone recommended a gay romance series to me and I was hesitant. Not really my thing – especially with explicit love scenes involved. (Not that I’m a sexytimes scene hater. Come on: have you met me?)

Then I read Cut & Run, the first book of this series. I haven’t looked back. I am a huge-stay-up-all-night-to-read-them-for-the-tenth-time-would-even-read-fanfiction level fangirl for these characters. Two FBI agents with enough baggage to fill an ocean liner originally get partnered up to catch a serial killer. Then sparks fly, cougars attack, and (literal) bombs go off. This series definitely brings the action and suspense along with the romance. I cannot recommend it highly enough – just start at the beginning, meet Ty and Zane. You’ll be converted. Promise.

So, as for the newest installment, Armed & Dangerous? Best. Yet. The first four books were co-authored and this was the first written solely by Abigail Roux. I really wasn’t worried, I was actually looking forward to seeing how things went with a more streamlined writing approach. Sometimes the POV changes in the first books were jarring – that is now 100% fixed.

Ty and Zane get tasked to bring in a federal informant. For the first time we are seeing them interact after they have both finally admitted that they’re in luuuuuuurve. The previous hesitations and awkwardness in their relationship? Gone. I spent the entire book in a constant state of sa-woon. Seriously, some of their dialogue had me puddled on the floor. Sigh. Anyway…

We get to see Ty’s brother Deuce again, which is great. I loved him previously, and I loved him this time around. He has some things going on in his life that might be creating some Grady family drama very shortly! (Sorry to be vague, but I’m assuming that most people reading this haven’t read the series yet, so I’m trying to be mostly spoiler free.)

We also see Ty’s best friend Nick, who I haven’t liked so much in the past. Abigail Roux did a good job at convincing me he isn’t a total douchenozzle though, so maybe I won’t grimace next time I see him! I was thrilled to finally know some of what he and Ty went through while in the Marines (even though it was horrible).

Y’all seriously need to forget being limited by a reading comfort zone and give this series a try! You’ll find out very quickly why Ty Grady and Zane Garrett hold a very high place on my list of all time favorite characters. Plus, the entire series is easily affordable in ebook form.

Armed & Dangerous is the best book yet in one heck of a brilliant series! (And Abigail, if you’re reading this – you rocked it writing solo!)

Check out Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux on Goodreads / Amazon

Other Reviews:
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Here is an excerpt (because I thought it was funny):

“We’ll solve this like men.”
“What do you want, MacGuffin, a duel?”
“No.” Julian held out both hands, one palm flat, the other held over it in a fist. “Rock, paper, scissors. Two out of three.”
Ty rolled his eyes and held out his fist, apparently willing to play. Julian hit his palm three times, and Ty kept time with his fist in the air.
But when Julian threw a paper, Ty reached into his jacket with his other hand and pulled his gun, aiming it at Julian.
“Ty!” Zane said in exasperation from the front seat.
“Glock, paper, scissors. I win.”

The Allure of Books. Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux

I’ve talked before about being wary of novellas. I’m always afraid the characterization will suffer because of the shorter length. Sometimes I am proved wrong. Unlocked, unfortunately, did let me down to a degree.

This is only my second time reading Courtney Milan, but I am already a fan. Unlocked does not change that. I liked the characters and appreciated the plot line. I just think the story had way too many layers to make it fit in a smaller box. There were complications and intricacies here that would have filled a full-length novel beautifully!

Westfeld comes home to England after several years away. At his first public appearance, he runs into Elaine. Elaine of the horse laugh. The Elaine that he used to regularly torment. Too bad no one knows why he was so terrible to her. How will Elaine react when he apologizes? Will she believe him?

Y’all, Elaine and Westfeld both really were great characters. I just couldn’t appreciate them fully because things developed far too quickly. And then, when more time was needed, Unlocked just skipped ahead nine months.

Ultimately, I believe that being a novella kept Unlocked from reaching its potential as a fully developed historical romance. However: if you do enjoy Courtney Milan and the Turner brothers trilogy, it is still worth reading (especially for less than $1)!

Check out Unlocked by Courtney Milan on Goodreads / Amazon

You might also like:

• Winning the Wallflower by Eloisa James
• And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke
• Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

The Allure of Books. Unlocked by Courtney Milan

So, as it turns out – Edenbrooke didn’t need the sexytimes to bring on some massive, spine-tingling sexual tension. Seriously.

Marianne Daventry ends up staying at the Edenbrooke estate, owned by family friends. She is at loose ends after losing her mother and is somewhat lost as to what her purpose should be. As the book chronicles Marianne getting to know herself at a gorgeous country estate – her musings are peppered with interactions with a man who began as a mysterious stranger with a bad first impression. By the end of the book he becomes much more.

So, I think it took me over forty minutes to read the last 15ish pages of the book. I kept reading the same paragraphs over and over again, relishing seeing the HEA but hardcore dreading seeing the story come to an end. The warm fuzzies abounded.

What more proof do you need that Julianne Donaldson is definitely an author worth reading? I can’t recommend the story, writing and characters more. I promise you won’t miss the lack of sexytimes. Promise.

I plan on pushing this on my mother soon, and I know I’ll definitely be reading it again in the future! Edenbrooke by Julianna Donaldson is totally a keeper, y’all.

Check out Edenbrooke on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I had been working on Edenbrooke for a year when I started dreaming of going to England myself. It seemed absolutely impossible–I had three small kids and a husband in law school–but I felt like it was essential for writing a good story to actually see what I was writing about. Luckily, my husband supported my dream, and I had a friend who was happy to come along. I still can’t believe we made it happen. But I was right–it really did make all the difference in the world.

I took a walking tour of Bath, admired the beautiful buildings there, and discovered the gravel path Marianne liked to walk every morning as well as the Royal Crescent where she lived with her grandmother. I drove the countryside and was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. Coming from a desert, everything looked unbelievably green to me. It was so green it hurt to look at. And touring a great estate really opened up my eyes to what life at Edenbrooke might have been like. I had been dreaming too small until I saw a real grand house and a real great estate. (The proportions are unbelievable.) It gave me settings for some of my favorite scenes in the book.

And just saying, “I’m in England to do research on my novel” was very empowering. It made it seem as if writing this book was not a pipe dream–that it actually might come to fruition, and that was the best gift that England gave me.

The Allure of Books. Julianne Donaldson on Traveling to England

Patrick Bonifay, Cliff Barth and Eddie Fordham killed a man at Trout Auto Parts at the urging of a slightly older friend who had recently been fired. One particularly gruesome factor of the crime was that they didn’t even kill the intended target! Billy Wayne Coker was killed instead of Daniel Wells (who had called in sick).

The details of how Patrick (the main instigator), Cliff (accomplice) and Eddie (getaway driver) carried out the deed are covered. I found Trout to be extremely well written. It read very much like a typical crime novel versus non fiction. Jeff Kunerth’s writing skills definitely impressed me.

Everything in Trout was also bumped up a notch because it was never far from my mind that these events actually occurred. I wanted to fist pump during the chapter describing how the police found the three stooges and then their subsequent questioning.

Trout also briefly covers the New York murders that spring-boarded the 1978 Juvenile Offenders Act, which allows minors to be tried as adults for committing murder. Florida followed with a similar law three years later. Very relevant, considering that two of our three model citizens were minors.

“In the summer of 1991, as Patrick, Eddie and Cliff awaited trial, the penalty for murder was execution or life with the possibility of parole after twenty-five years. For Patrick and Cliff, the determination of whether they would be indicted as adults for Coker’s murder was in the hands of a grand jury convened by Special Prosecutor Michael Patterson.

It would not be a difficult decision.”

Check out Trout: A True Story of Murder, Teens and the Death Penalty by Jeff Kunerth on Goodreads / Amazon

You might also like:

• Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag
• Don’t Tell by Karen Rose
• Columbine by Dave Cullen

The Allure of Books. Trout: A True Story of Murder, Teens and the Death Penalty by Jeff Kunerth

To give you an idea of how much I enjoyed this book, I’ll tell you that it reminded me a lot of Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. Mackenzie is funny, socially inept and accidentally famous, much like Audrey. Both books have great characters that are easy to relate to – and both are absolutely hilarious.

When Kenzie trips over, straddles and does crazed CPR on a completely conscious popular guy, the subsequent YouTube video goes viral and her life explodes. Luckily, she manages to more-or-less get through it thanks to the cast of completely amazing side characters.

Seriously, the girl has some great friends. Jane, the studious (like studious on a crazed OCD level) BFF that always has her back and Corey, her gay sidekick and personal fashion guru. Then there is Logan (just his name appearing on the page eventually started setting off my inner swoon). What started off as a tutoring relationship turned into something much different.

You guys, just finishing Awkward made me sad because I got so addicted to these characters. Luckily, it looks like Marni Bates has written a companion novel featuring Jane that will be out in the next year or two. I’m definitely looking forward to that!

If you are in the mood for a cute, quick contemporary read that will make you laugh (and swoon!), Awkward is definitely a book you should pick up. It doesn’t have much substance to it, but that doesn’t keep it from being a great – and really fun – read!

Check out Awkward by Marni Bates on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Awkward by Marni Bates

The Lions of Little Rock centers around school segregation in 1958 Little Rock, Arkansas. It is based on real events, and Kristin Levine did her research well. The book is full of information about groups that were formed both in support and protest as well as actual people who were affected. I absolutely loved reading about these things included in the story that actually happened!

Twelve-year old Marlee has severe social anxiety issues. She barely talks to anyone except close family. She lives in fear of having to talk in front of groups of people. This is until she meets Liz, a new girl at school. For some reason, they are so comfortable around each other. They become instant friends and Liz is great at making Marlee come out of her shell.

Then Liz suddenly stops coming to school and Marlee is left confused and heartbroken. Things get worse when it is revealed that Liz was actually part black, trying to pass as white to get a better education. Will Marlee be able to overcome her town’s prejudice to keep her friend? Will she be putting both of their families in danger if she does?

Oh man, you guys: these characters are incredible. They are all an absolute joy to read about. One of my favorite things was the growth of Marlee’s mother. She went from seeming incredibly racist to joining the cause to help fight segregation over the course of the book (in large part thanks to Marlee). I loved seeing their family work together!

I think The Lions of Little Rock would make a fantastic movie. Even the title is fabulous. Even if it was just made for TV – these characters and their story would be so worth it. I highly recommend picking this up and meeting Marlee and Liz.

Check out The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine on Goodreads / Amazon

Other Reviews:
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Books and Literature for Teens

The Allure of Books. The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

So, Helen Cartwright’s world is turned upside down when her parents are brutally killed and her house burned down. Her mother managed to hide her right before losing her life, so Helen takes refuge with two mysterious brothers she’d never met previously. When she discovers that her family’s deaths are part of a larger plot involving the balance of good and evil – she realizes she has been training for this her entire life.

Of course, that still doesn’t mean she is ready.

So – like I said, the plot is very well done. It is intricate, balanced and well thought out. If you like angel novels, A Temptation of Angels is definitely a book that should go on your to-read list.

Unfortunately, the plot is basically this book’s only strength. The characters and setting both leave something to be desired.

Since everything is revolving around the danger these characters are in, I feel like they weren’t developed properly. Everything they did fed into the plot, which left the characterization really weak.

Also, Helen was so stubborn about being involved in everything, even when it meant resources had to be used worrying about her instead of furthering the mission. I feel like there is a fine line between strength and stupidity that Helen might have been on the wrong side of. I feel weird saying that since I’m all about tough female characters, but Helen just rubbed me the wrong way all-around.

Also, I felt like the historical setting was incidental. It just as easily could have been set in the present-day (or heck, the future) without any important changes to the story. That was a huge disappointment for me, because historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres. I wish Michelle Zink had weaved in more historical detail.

So, I would mainly recommend A Temptation of Angels for readers who prefer plot driven novels over stories with more character development. Since I didn’t connect with Helen, this is probably not a series I’ll be continuing.

Check out A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink on Goodreads / Amazon

Other Reviews:
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YA Book Nerd

The Allure of Books. A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Sometimes I feel like I end up with a few of my favorite books on lists over and over again…so this week I decided to make a list of ten fantasy novels that I enjoyed reading that don’t get talked about very often.

1. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. This takes place in kind of an alternate history Japan type setting, and it is so atmospheric! Really really good.

2. The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan. One of my all time favorite fantasy novels, and the beginning of a trilogy. Definitely pick it up if you like darker stories.

3. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn. A very light and fun fantasy romance – great YA crossover title.

4. Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling. Another fairly dark series – this one featuring two male characters that eventually fall in love.

5. Black Ships by Jo Graham. The Aeneid told from a female’s point of view – this one chronicles the journey of the exiled Trojans. Love this story!

6. Illyria by Elizabeth Hand. This is a magical realism tale that could not be written more beautifully. It features two cousins that are in love though, so a lot of people steer clear because of that. (And, admittedly the story is a little odd. But oh man, the writing!)

7. Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy. Very cool science fiction romance where the characters basically have to battle a planet.

8. A Woman Worth Ten Coppers by Morgan Howell. A woman sold as a slave is actually destined to save the world – this is the first book in the trilogy that chronicles her journey.

9. The Game by Diana Wynne Jones. Really fun YA fantasy by one of the best authors ever. The book is pretty short though, I wish it had been longer! I loved the characters.

10. Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox. Although this duology wasn’t a favorite of mine, the world-building is fantastic! Dreams are a precious commodity.

The Allure of Books. Ten Fantasy Novels You Might Not Have Heard Of…