Lindyloumac - aNobii

Books (610)

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- Jumping to Conclusions (1)
- By Sarah Challis
- Reading since May 24, 2012
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- The Boy Who Made Them Love Again (1)
- By Scarlet Wilson
- Finished in 2012
  
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The Boy Who Made Them Love Again

The Boy Who Made Them Love Again is all about the love of our heroines life, the one that broke her heart and got away. Abby Taylor has recovered from a broken heart and moved on with her life, until suddenly one day Luke Storm walks right back into her life. In extraordinary circumstances they find ... (continue)

The Boy Who Made Them Love Again is all about the love of our heroines life, the one that broke her heart and got away. Abby Taylor has recovered from a broken heart and moved on with her life, until suddenly one day Luke Storm walks right back into her life. In extraordinary circumstances they find themselves both working for the White House Medical Team. It is not easy for them as it is five years since they last saw each other, in very different circumstances. It seems they may still be attracted to each other but can they really rekindle what they had between them and do they really want to?
It was Luke that ended the relationship and he thought he was doing the right thing because he knew he would never be able to give Abby the family she wanted. Imagine his shock when he meets her again to realise that not only does he still have feelings for her but she has a son. If he wants Abby back in his life he needs to build a relationship with not one but two people.
There is obviously a market for these publications, pocket sized novels with mini prices, ( I do not of course know if all the titles Mills and Boon publish are in this format). I think that Scarlett has written a perfect story for that niche of the market. If you are a fan of light romance I would certainly recommend that you read Scarlett Wilson's novels.
For a more comprehensive post please visit LindyLouMac's Book Reviews.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/04/boy-w…

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— Apr 2, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Room (329)
- By Emma Donoghue
- Finished on Dec 20, 2012
  
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Room

This is a very moving and emotional novel that is going to stay with me for a long time. Imagine a five year old boy, Jack the protagonist of this shocking story, who believes that the 11 feet by 11 feet room that he and his mother live in is the entire world! A harrowing thought indeed and Emma Do ... (continue)

This is a very moving and emotional novel that is going to stay with me for a long time. Imagine a five year old boy, Jack the protagonist of this shocking story, who believes that the 11 feet by 11 feet room that he and his mother live in is the entire world! A harrowing thought indeed and Emma Donoghue has succeeded in writing a riveting novel that had me reading late into the night about this disturbing experience.
Her imagination really takes you into the world of Room, where Jack was born and has lived his entire life with his mother. The bond between mother and son has been strong enough that they have survived five years, though you really wonder how as you get drawn into this dark story. They spend the days exercising, playing, reading, learning, watching television, eating and sleeping; somehow surviving this unimaginable life on the small Sunday treats their gaoler allows them! Although a strange life for Jack, because he knows no different it is normal, especially as he believes that nothing he sees on television is actually real.
Room might be home to Jack but to his mother it has been a prison for seven years. As her son is growing up and becoming more curious about every aspect of their world, however limited it might be, she becomes more and more desperate about their situation. I am not going to reveal any more here for fear of spoiling it for any of you that may now be tempted to read this.
Full Review@ LIndyLouMac's Book Reviews
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/03/room…

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— Mar 5, 2012 | Add your feedback
- I, Alex Cross (41)
- By James Patterson
- Finished in May 2012
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- Wolf Hall (222)
- By Hilary Mantel
- Finished in May 2012
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- The Help (936)
- By Kathryn Stockett
- Finished in Apr 2012
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- French Lessons (4)
- A Novel
- By Ellen Sussman
- Finished in Apr 2012
  
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French Lessons

Emotional and Erotic

I am not sure what I was expecting from this novel but it was certainly not the emotional and erotic read that I found within the pages. It was a surprise but not an unpleasant one as this was a touching read of hopes and expectations and so much more than a romantic story set in Paris.
Paris takes ... (continue)

I am not sure what I was expecting from this novel but it was certainly not the emotional and erotic read that I found within the pages. It was a surprise but not an unpleasant one as this was a touching read of hopes and expectations and so much more than a romantic story set in Paris.
Paris takes centre stage as we visit the city for just one day in contemporary times, in the company of six people. Three of them Nico, Phillippe and Chantal are language tutors and the remaining three are their students. We follow the six of them in three different stories within the novel all excellently intertwined as the characters inner most thoughts are revealed to us. Each story covers the day the student and pupil spend together in Paris, which incidentally comes alive on the page with the authors great descriptions. The stories are not surprisingly character driven, there is no plot as such but that for me was part of what made it a different and unusual read.
First up was the tutor Nico, a young and handsome poet who is somewhat of a surprise to his pupil Josie, a young American French teacher who hopes to heal a broken heart in Paris. The second story, remember covering the same day is with tutor Phillipe, 'he's tall and gangly with wasted rock star good looks', to quote the author and he obviously considers himself a real ladies man. His pupil is Riley a young expat wife and mother who is having problems settling into her Parisian lifestyle. Finally we meet Jeremy, the quiet husband of a famous actress accompanying his wife on location, yet feeling remote from her. His French Lessons with the beautiful Chantal were a Wedding Anniversary present to him from his wife!
Intrigued, enough to want to read more about these six as they explore Paris, uncovering each others secrets and giving in to unexpected passion? I recommend this to those of you looking for something different, with either a love of Paris or wanting to discover more about this beautiful city.
I would like to read more from this author and having just learnt from her website that the film rights have been sold for this title, I also hope to see the film some day.
More @ http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/05/frenc…

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— May 24, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Getting Rid of Matthew (26)
- By Jane Fallon
- Finished on Apr 16, 2012
  
  Finished (re-read) on Apr 16, 2012
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- Extraordinary (5)
- By Nancy Werlin
- Finished in Mar 2012
  
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Extraordinary

I liked it more than i expected to.

I am not a fan of the genre called Teenage Fiction as generally I prefer to think that children know at very different ages when they are ready for titles that are considered adult fiction. surely life was much simpler when it was books for children or adults so we could choose for ourselves. I know ... (continue)

I am not a fan of the genre called Teenage Fiction as generally I prefer to think that children know at very different ages when they are ready for titles that are considered adult fiction. surely life was much simpler when it was books for children or adults so we could choose for ourselves. I know I am very much in the minority on this though so will say no more. I would never have purchased this book but I do consider it to be well written and appropriate its intended market. Older children that do not yet feel ready to read adult fiction, but I do also realise that many adults frequently read the Fantasy Fiction genre from choice. Another genre that regular readers here will know I am not overly keen on, although I have been sent a few to review and found them better than I expected. I guess this title comes into that category because actually despite the Faerie element it is a readable story of love and loyalty between two best friends. Also weaved into this is an interesting family history, as Mayer Rothschild, his wife Gutle and their five extraordinary sons were real. Catherine and her daughter Phoebe were fictional additions to the family which is why the author is deliberately vague about these characters connections to the famous Rothschild's.
In the novel the main protagonists are Phoebe Rothschild and from the Fairy Kingdom Mallory and Ryland who over a number of years try to manipulate Phoebe into doing something solely for the interests of the survival of their kingdom. For years Phoebe has listened to her parents telling her she is 'extraordinary' but her life is going to depend on her admitting that she is in fact just 'ordinary', It all started when Phoebe was in the seventh grade at school and decided to befriend the strange new girl Mallory, that is in need of friends to help her settle in. Over the years the two of them become very close like sisters in fact and Phoebe's mother helped as well with organising care for Mallory's mentally unstable Mother. The sudden appearance of a previously hardly mentioned brother, Ryland is accepted with little surprise because Phoebe finds herself strongly attracted to him. She accepts his demands to keep their relationship a secret and puts up with all sorts of psychological verbal abuse from him, only because she is so smitten. One day she finds out something that she just cannot begin to explain, although the reader can.
Enough said to tempt you and help you decide if you would like to read this one, yet not enough to spoil it for you. I reiterate this novel is well written and I did like it enough to admit it was better than I expected. Worth reading if it is in your comfort zone or if like me you are happy to try something different from time to time.
For more info. http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/04/extra…

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— Apr 28, 2012 | Add your feedback
- A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers (139)
- By Xiaolu Guo
- Finished in Mar 2012
  
  Finished (re-read) in Mar 2012
  
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A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

When I first started to read this I was put off by the way it has been deliberately written in bad English. However once I got to grips with this and realised it was really a necessary and integral part of the novel I began to enjoy it much more, finding it both witty and charming.
Zhuang is twenty ... (continue)

When I first started to read this I was put off by the way it has been deliberately written in bad English. However once I got to grips with this and realised it was really a necessary and integral part of the novel I began to enjoy it much more, finding it both witty and charming.
Zhuang is twenty three years old and her parents have sent her to spend a year in London to learn English to enable her to return to China and help them expand their shoe factory business. The bad English grammar of the writing is essential as at first this is is how she communicates with no understanding of tenses or verbs, just armed with a dictionary. In fact it reminded me of when I first moved to Italy, completely out of my depth with the language.
It is a very poignant story as Zhuang coming from an Eastern culture to a Western one seems very naive of the ways of the new world she is now inhabiting. Unfortunately the older hippy that she meets, befriends and very quickly ends up living with is far from a perfect partner for her. His attitudes towards her, sex and life in general mean that learning about love is even more confusing for her than learning the language. I should maybe also point out here that are are a few scenes in this novel that are sexually explicit.
As Zhuang’s grasp of the English language becomes stronger she starts to question the attitude of her lover suspecting that her values are very different to his. The relationship is heading nowhere, although she has a strong desire for this not to be the case.
A sad but believable story about a young girls loss of innocence as East meets West.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/03/conci…

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— Mar 22, 2012 | Add your feedback

- Slightly Foxed (1)
- By Jane Lovering
- Finished on Mar 30, 2012
  
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Slightly Foxed

This is the second title by Jane Lovering that I have read and reviewed here and that is because Jane found me, rather than me discovering her writing for myself. I am so pleased she did as otherwise I may never have read one of her books. The first one was Reversing Over Liberace which I reviewed h ... (continue)

This is the second title by Jane Lovering that I have read and reviewed here and that is because Jane found me, rather than me discovering her writing for myself. I am so pleased she did as otherwise I may never have read one of her books. The first one was Reversing Over Liberace which I reviewed here last October, I am pleased to say that I enjoyed Slightly Foxed as much if not slightly more, as it was realistic, the last one I found somewhat farcical. I also like the title of this one very much it seems relevant to the book store setting.
I was drawn into the story straight away as the author's witty way of writing about believable characters that lead ordinary lives had me feeling happy, also sad at times though as Alys the protagonist gets herself in a romantic tangle. A single parent, with a teenage daughter, working in a bookshop in York, who feels that vital something is missing from her life. That vital something is of course, a significant other to love, a romantic disaster Alyce is searching for love and happiness. The cast of characters that cross her path in her day to day life are exactly the sort of people you may recognise from your own life. Her daughter Florence, Piers, who is Florence's father's stepson, her work colleagues Jacinata and Simon and Leo who comes into her life because of a poetry book! Does Alyce gets herself romantically involved with someone or as she fears does her chance of happiness slip away from her? What is love, has she ever been in love and will she recognise love for what it is?
I think this novel will appeal to those of you who are fans of romantic contemporary fiction because it will make you laugh and provide you with a few hours of relaxing entertainment.
I am grateful to Jane Lovering for encouraging me to read and review her work by kindly sending me three of her published titles. I am certainly looking forward to reading the next one,
Please Don't Stop The Music - 2011 the third one she sent me soon. Star Struck - 2011. A new title that is due out in August. Vampire State of Mind - 2012 I am undecided about reading this one, as it is a fantasy vampire novel which is not normally the sort of read I am attracted to.
For more information please visit
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/05/sligh…

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— May 16, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Highland Storms (1)
- By Christina Courtenay
- Finished on Mar 19, 2012
  
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Highland Storms

Although Highland Storms is in fact a sequel, it is not dependent on having read Trade Winds although, I really urge you to read it first if possible. Why? Well because the protagonist Brice Kinross, although just a baby in the previous novel, his background and birth in China to parents of Swedish ... (continue)

Although Highland Storms is in fact a sequel, it is not dependent on having read Trade Winds although, I really urge you to read it first if possible. Why? Well because the protagonist Brice Kinross, although just a baby in the previous novel, his background and birth in China to parents of Swedish and Scottish descent is an integral part of the story. It was to me anyway as I enjoy family sagas, in fact I would love to read more stories about the Kinross's as I was disappointed when the book ended. I have no idea though if Christina is considering another sequel. Do not let the fact that you have not read Trade Winds stop you from reading this though as it does stand perfectly well alone. Basing my expectations on the previous novel I was hoping for a good read with plenty of love and adventure that would take me away to times past for a few satisfying hours. It did not disappoint.
The hero Brice Kinross recently thwarted in love by his own brother and his childhood sweetheart decides that the time is right to take over his inheritance, the family estate Rosyth in Scotland. His father has been worried about the situation back at Rosyth for some time and warns his son that he may at first be unwlecome when he suddenly turns up to take over the estate. So first Brice needs to find out whom he can trust, bear in mind this is 1754 and since The Jacobite Rebellion the locals do not trust anyone, particularly strangers. His situation is not helped by the fact that Seton, the estate foreman, is a really nasty character and turns the locals against him, although it is thanks to him that the estate is in such disrepair and that they live in poverty. Brice as the laird feels responsible and soon sets about improving conditions for those dependent on him, he wants to see the estate thriving as it once did. Seton is evil and has no intention of letting Brice get in the way of his own plans for the estate. Unfortunately he is riled even more when he discovers that not only does Brice want his estate back but that Marsaili Buchanan, the young housekeeper appears to be becoming his ally.
Marsaili is a very independent young lady and works hard at being the housekeeper, as a beautiful young woman she also attracts unwelcome advances from men, especially the evil Seton. To ward off her unwelcome admirers she is guarded by her constant companion her dog Laith, who becomes very protective of his mistress if a man approaches her against her will.
The love between our two main protagonists builds slowly as both Marsaili and Brice have good reasons for not wanting to become romantically with anyone. They are inevitably attracted to each other but determined that what ever happens between them just to be 'friends'. Love of course tends to thwart all the best intentions but they have a lot of battles to face together first.
The novel certainly met my expectations with romance and adventure in a historical setting. If you enjoy historical romance then I recommend you give Christina Courtenay's novels a try.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/04/highl…

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— Apr 20, 2012 | Add your feedback
- The Darling Strumpet (1)
- By Gillian Bagwell
- Finished on Mar 18, 2012
  
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The Darling Strumpet

I have rediscovered historical novels since I have been reviewing books here, so I was delighted when a blogging friend of mine Southhams Darling offered to send me a novel she had just finished reading and thought I would enjoy.
Considering this was a first novel I thought it was very ambitious o ... (continue)

I have rediscovered historical novels since I have been reviewing books here, so I was delighted when a blogging friend of mine Southhams Darling offered to send me a novel she had just finished reading and thought I would enjoy.
Considering this was a first novel I thought it was very ambitious of the author to not only pick Nell Gwynn as her protagonist but rather than just cover a particular period of her life she chose to tell her complete life story. By her own admission in the notes at the end of the novel she has tried to do so as fully and truthfully as possible, keeping to the facts as known as much as possible. I think she has succeeded very successfully and only true historians will pick up the few minor liberties that Gillian Bagwell tells us she altered as to the timing of events. She also copes successfully with a vast cast of characters, the vast majority of which were real life people in Nell's world. With this brilliant first novel there seems no doubt that Gillian Bagwell is going to be a historical fiction writer to look out for.
The story is a bawdy one and the detail in the novel is sexually explicit, but it will make you realise exactly what life was like for this little girl growing up in 17C London. From oyster seller, to courtesan, orange seller to actress. Nell becomes one of London's favourite actresses when she is still a very young woman and her beauty, personality and ambitious dedication soon make her a favourite of Charles the Second. It is her relationship with Charles that changes her life for ever, as the novel progresses you can feel just how much this famous historical figure was passionate in her love for the King. A wonderful fictional read about real people and places.
Full review and author profile please visit LindyLouMac's Book Reviews
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/04/darli…

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— Apr 7, 2012 | Add your feedback
- Fanta C (11)
- By Sandra Brown
- Finished in Feb 2012
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- Hidden Fires (11)
- By Sandra Brown
- Finished in Feb 2012
  
  Finished (re-read) in Feb 2012
  
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Hidden Fires

This arrived in my postbox at the end of last year along with a give away I won by the same author Fanta C. I must admit to being disappointed that both these titles were originally published in the 1980's! I doubt I would have entered the give away had I realised this. I have enough trouble keeping ... (continue)

This arrived in my postbox at the end of last year along with a give away I won by the same author Fanta C. I must admit to being disappointed that both these titles were originally published in the 1980's! I doubt I would have entered the give away had I realised this. I have enough trouble keeping up with new titles.
I was very disappointed in this mainly as stated above, never mind I will be more careful when I apply for give-aways in the future. Sandra Brown is not an author I am familiar with and I have never read any of her books prior to these two.
I was very surprised to discover on Amazon.co.uk that this title is to be re published in the UK this coming September, having previously been republished in 2001. As first published in 1982 I guess the author is looking to attract another new generation of readers. Sandra Brown is an extremely popular and prolific author so no doubt this will do well yet again.
Set in the Texas of the 1800's The heroine Lauren takes a position as secretary to Olivia Lockett, however she ends up becoming her daughter in law. Jared the heir to the family estate becomes her husband because due to her feelings for him she accepts an offer to marry him in name only! Lauren is determined to fight to make their marriage as strong as her love. Can she turn this playboy into a loving husband, you will have to read it to find out.
If you enjoy a light romantic read then this is probably for you.
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.it/2012/04/hidde…

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— Apr 17, 2012 | Add your feedback