Posts in the ARC Category at Savvy Verse & Wit, Page 24

Short Girls by Bich Ming Nguyen

March 26, 2010 by Serena

Bich Minh Nguyen’s Short Girls is a story of Vietnamese, second-generation immigrants Linny and Van Luong and their family. Their father, a loner and inventor, holding them at arms length, and their familial history is obscured by stories and silence. The story is broken into alternating chapters about each young woman, though written in a point of view that is more like an observer with each woman’s inner thoughts are revealed — much of this complaints or observations about how different they are from one another.

“The Luongs had always done this, scratching at each other’s words as much out of habit as anything. But this time when Thuy Luong had told her husband to go sleep in the basement “like a dog”he stayed there instead of slinking back upstairs.” (Page 4 of ARC)

Van is an immigration lawyer with the “perfect” life, or at least that’s how it seems to her sister, Linny. Linny, on the other hand, has a free life where she can act and do as she desires on a whim without responsibility — at least that’s how it seems to her sister. The tension between these sisters is vivid, but in many ways could have been better executed without the internal dialogue complaints about the other sister at every turn or before each memory surfaced to demonstrate their differences.

“She would have set the glass to shattering, sailed through someone else’s house, used up all the space that humans never reached.” (Page 53 of ARC)

Van’s world has been falling apart slowly, and now she is set adrift without a compass and without a husband. She struggles to keep her drama to herself and to overcome the emptiness in her home and her life. Meanwhile, Linny has to come to grips with her errors and her drifting life to make her dreams come true, while at the same time support her sister and her father, who continues to struggle to find success.

“Linny put in long hours experimenting shadows and liners, trying to make her eyes look bigger, deeper-set, less Asian. She painted plum colors up to her eyebrows and applied three coats of mascara. She ran peroxide-soaked cotton balls through her hair to create caramel highlights.” (Page 58 of ARC)

Nguyen’s Short Girls is a look at racial discrimination, height discrimination, immigrants looking for their place in a society that welcomes and shuns them, and finding once self amid the melting pot and one’s own family, while trying to accept your family’s own faults and ideas about success and love.

This is my 20th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Library Thing Early Reviewers and the Viking for sending me a free copy of Short Girls for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you’re reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena’s Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Filed Under: ARC, fiction, Library Thing Early Reviewers, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2010, reviews Tagged With: Bich Ming Nguyen, Short Girls

Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show by Frank Delaney

February 22, 2010 by Serena

Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show by Frank Delaney is a coming of age novel set during a tumultuous time in Ireland’s history. Set in the early 1930s, Ireland and Britain were in the midst of an economic battle in which farmers refused to keep paying back the loans that enabled them to buy farmland. And Britain consequently began placing tariffs on all Irish goods — all the while the political system in Ireland was tenuous.

“Of course it was all still being run by politicians. We have an old saying here: ‘No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.'” (Page 15)

The narration is conversational in tone as Ben MacCarthy tells his family history, with tales on the side about the political climate of the time. Although he digresses from the main story of his father’s disappearance and reappearance with the Venetia Kelly Traveling Show, MacCarthy warns you ahead of time that he often falls off topic, but that most of his stories have some relevance to the main narration. A quirky technique, but enjoyable given that the digressions are entertaining.

“So, throughout this story you can expect three kinds of sidesteps: Important Digression, which will usually be something to do with factual history; Important Digression, where a clarification needs facts and I will ferry them in from a side road; and — my favorite — Unimportant Digression, which can be about anything.” (Page 10)

Delaney has created a multitude of characters with their own depth and meaning in the story, and there are references throughout to other classic works. He has created an energized menagerie through which readers will see and experience through Ben’s eyes as a young man in search of his father and himself. In many ways Ben is like his father, especially as the narration progresses. Readers will find that he is unwinding his story slowly and deliberately, mirroring how his father contains his emotions and his true passions from his family.

“Beside me, my father reacted so hard that he made the bones of his chair creak. He pulled back his hands, tightened them into fists, and held them in front of him like a man containing himself.” (Page 79)

The deliberate way in which the story unfolds enables readers to learn more about the MacCarthy family, the Kelly’s, and the climate of Ireland at the time. A nation and families stuck between the old traditions and the modern ways of the world, seeking the best path through to the other side. What propels Ben on this journey and what does he learn? Readers will want to pick up a copy of Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show to find out.

To enter for 1 signed copy of Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show or 1 audiobook narrated by Frank Delaney (US/Canada only):

1. Leave a comment on this post of what you would like to see in Ireland.
2. Leave a comment on my interview with Frank Delaney.
3. Blog, Facebook, Tweet, or spread the word about the giveaway.

Deadline March 1, 2010, at 11:59PM EST.

About the Author: (Photo Credit: Jerry Bauer)

Frank Delaney was born in Tipperary, Ireland. A career in broadcasting earned him fame across the United Kingdom. A judge for the Booker Prize, several of his nonfiction books were bestsellers in the UK, and he writes frequently for American and British publications. He now lives with his wife, Diane Meier, in New York and Connecticut. Ireland is his first novel to be published in the United States.

This is my 11th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

My 1st book for the 2010 Ireland Reading Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show by Frank Delaney from publicist Leah Paulos and Random House. Clicking on title links or images will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary.

Filed Under: ARC, giveaway, historical fiction, Ireland Challenge, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2010, reviews Tagged With: Frank Delaney, Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show

Government Girl by Stacy Parker Aab

February 1, 2010 by Serena

Stacy Parker Aab’s Government Girl chronicles her time in the White House during the Clinton Administration from the age of 18 to her early 20s. Expecting the bulk of the memoir to be about the Monica Lewinsky scandal or the like would be a mistake, although Monica’s fall from grace could have just as well been Stacy’s story if she did not have the personal drive to achieve more, live within the confines of her duties and principles, and focus on self-satisfaction.

“You want acknowledgment — all that comes when you’ve done a good job, when you’re so deserving. You want that light. That hand on your shoulder. At least if you’re like me and this sort of loving affirmation from authority figures still feeds you, even if you wish it would not.” (Page 13 of ARC)

Being young and in politics, Stacy had a daunting task of navigating an adult world when she was not quite secure in her self-identity and still evolving as a woman. She’s a product of a single mother, an alcoholic father, and her mixed heritage as an African-American with a mostly unknown-to-her German ancestry. All of these elements come into play as she navigates the White House media and policy web and the knotted ropes of her possible career ladder.

“Maybe it was like going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and seeing a rubber version of yourself blown up and ‘walking’ with the help of a dozen attendants, this version of you more than ten stories tall, knowing that your celebrity was just that, something outside you, something as big and as vulnerable as giant balloons” (Page 87 of ARC)

The narrative of this memoir is smooth in its transitions between her intern days and her past in Troy, Michigan. The struggles of family life and the dedication of her mother to help her out with schooling expenses and other costs clearly influenced Stacy’s drive for financial independence, even if the job opportunities at the time were not the most fun. Politics is at the forefront of her work in the White House, but it often takes a backseat to her internal struggle to become a strong, independent woman with a clear idea of where she wishes to be and what she wishes to achieve.

“Working, I wanted that feeling of rowing on the Potomac River, that feeling in the eight with all of us pulling our oars. Sixteen arms and sixteen legs powering that slim boat forward, as we were lead by our coxswain, as our coach called out to us from his motorized boat nearby.” (Page 39 of ARC)

In many ways, what drives Stacy is the hole inside her — an absence of fatherly love — as she falls into transient relationships with co-workers, fellow students, and others. While this desire to fill this emptiness does little to improve her romantic life, it does often push her to perfection in her work life. In terms of memoir, readers will find Government Girl is deliberate, vivid, and eye-opening — especially in terms of behind-the-scenes politics. Readers will find Stacy’s prose frank and honest, almost like a friend telling a portion of her life story to another friend.

Please stay tuned for a guest post from Stacy Parker Aab on Feb. 2, 2010.

Interested in winning 1 of 3 copies of her book (US/Canada only, sorry), please visit this giveaway link.

About the Author: (Photo credit: David Wentworth)

Writer, blogger, and former political aide, Stacy Parker Aab served for five years in the Clinton White House, first as a long-time intern in George Stephanopoulos’s office, and later as an assistant to Paul Begala. She traveled as a presidential advance person, preparing and staffing trips abroad for the president and Mrs. Clinton. She also served as a special assistant for Gov. David Paterson in New York. Please check out her Website.

Also check out this video where she talks about her memoir:

If you are interested in Government Girl, please check out the rest of the TLC Book Tour.

I’m also counting this as my 7th book for the 2010 New Authors Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of Government Girl from the publisher for a TLC Book Tour and review. Clicking on title links or images will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary.

Filed Under: ARC, memoir, New Authors Challenge, nonfiction, Read in 2010, reviews, tlc book tours Tagged With: Government Girl, Stacy Parker Aab

Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen

December 8, 2009 by Serena

Mary Lydon Simonsen’s Searching for Pemberley starts was a premise many interviewers often ask authors about their fiction: “Are any of your characters based upon real people?” Did Jane Austen use real people to write the great love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy? Simonsen’s book may not offer the truth behind Austen’s characters, but it does spin a unique mystery tale through which one possible reality of Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet are discovered.

“‘Mr. Crowell, you don’t know me. I’m Maggie Joyce, but I was wondering if . . .’ But that was as far as I got.

‘You’re here about the Darcy’s right? Don Caton rang me to let me know you might be coming ’round. Come through. Any friend of Jane Austen’s is a friend of mine.'” (Page 12 of the ARC)

Maggie Joyce is the main protagonist and an American from a coal mining town in Pennsylvania. She quickly leaves her hometown of Minooka for Washington, D.C., to help with the government with its World War II-related administrative work. Eventually she is stationed in Germany and later in England following the end of the war. She meets a fantastic family, the Crowells, who help her unravel the real family behind Jane Austen’s characters.

“Beth gestured for me to follow her into the parlor. She had a way of carrying herself that was almost regal, especially when compared to her husband, who reminded me of a former football player who had taken a hit or two.” (Page 25 of ARC)

Told from Maggie’s point of view, the novel grabs readers with its immediacy as Maggie moves through war-torn Europe and reads through a variety of diary entries and letters to uncover the origins of Pride & Prejudice. Readers who have read Austen’s novel once or more than a dozen times will recognize echoes of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy in the Crowells and may even find parts of the mystery obvious. However, this story is more than a look at where Austen may have found inspiration, it is about a nation (England) and its people in the midst of rebuilding after the devastation of the German blitzkrieg and World War II. There also a healthy dose of romance between Maggie and two beaus that add to the tension.

“‘Nightmares from the war that I hadn’t had in ten, fifteen years came back. Jesus, they all came back,’ he said, massaging his temples as if the act would block out any unwanted images. ‘Picking up bodies and having them fall apart in my hands. Stepping on limbs. Being scared shitless during barrages.'” (Page 254 of ARC)

Simonsen does an excellent job examining the shell shock felt by airmen and other military personnel and how their war experiences could impact their relationships with family, friends, and lovers. While there are some occasions in this nearly 500-page book that are bogged down by too much detail, Simonsen’s characters are well developed and the twists and turns as Maggie unravels the mystery of the Bennets and the Darcys are fun. The aftermath of World War II is well done and rich in emotional and physical detail, showing Simonsen’s deft research and keen eye. Searching for Pemberley is an excellent addition to the every growing market of Jane Austen spin-offs.

This is the 8th book I’ve read that qualifies for the 2009 WWII Reading Challenge. Though I officially met my goal of reading 5 WWII-related books some time ago, I’ve continued to find them on my shelves and review them here. I’m sure there will be more, stay tuned.

Searching for Pemberley is the 6th item and fulfills my obligations under the Everything Austen Challenge 2009. I hope that everyone has been reading along for this challenge. It has been fun to see the mix of books and movies that everyone has reviewed. I may even read another book before this challenge ends, since my main goal in joining was to read Persuasion, one of the only Austen novels I haven’t read.

Have you missed the giveaway for Searching for Pemberley? Don’t worry there’s still time to enter. Go here, and comment on Mary Lydon Simonsen’s interview for an additional entry. Deadline is Dec. 14, 2009 at 11:59PM EST.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!

Additionally, I would like to thank Mary Lydon Simonsen and Sourcebooks for sending me a free copy of Searching for Pemberley for review. Clicking on title links will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page, no purchase necessary.

Filed Under: ARC, everything austen challenge, giveaway, historical fiction, Read in 2009, review copy, reviews, sourcebooks, WWII Reading Challenge Tagged With: Mary Lydon Simonsen, Searching for Pemberley

Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell

November 9, 2009 by Serena

I’m now a Jill Mansell junkie! Perfect Timing is an ironic title for this British chicklit novel because nothing is perfectly timed in this novel, from Poppy’s last minute decision to jilt her fiance hours before their wedding to finding her biological father after years of not knowing she wasn’t living with him.

“‘The thing is,’ Poppy prevaricated, ‘my room’s only tiny.’

‘And who am I, two-ton Tess? All I’m asking for is a bit of floor space.’ Dina was wheedling now. ‘I’ll sleep under the bed if it makes you happier. In the bath, even.'” (Page 106 of ARC)

Poppy Dunbar is a twenty-something mess of a girl, who thinks she has her life figured out until she meets Tom at a bar during her bachelorette party. After giving Rob the brush off, she packs up and moves from Bristol to London to start her life over and to find her biological father. She works two jobs, lands a room in a house with a famous painter Caspar French and a haughty socialite Claudia Slade-Welch, but seems content.

“‘Try patches. They worked for my agent and he was a twenty-a-dayman.’

Only a lifelong non-smoker, Rita thought affectionately, could think twenty-a-day was a lot.

‘I was a fifty-a-day woman.’ She looked depressed. ‘Anyway, why d’you suppose I’m wearing long sleeves? I’ve already got a week’s supply slapped all over me. Underneath this dress I look like Mr. Blobby.'” (Page 391 of ARC)

Mansell’s writing style draws readers quickly into the drama as they watch Poppy grow, mature, and find her center. The dialogue between Poppy, Caspar, Claudia, and Poppy’s boss, Jake, will have readers laughing out loud on their transit commutes, in their bedrooms, on their sofas, or wherever they happen to read.

Poppy is a disaster, but so are Caspar, Claudia, and Jake. It’s a wonder they ever get it together in this book. Some of the funniest scenes are when Jake leaves Poppy along to bid at auctions and estate sales. Readers will enjoy how easily Poppy takes leaps into the unknown and how blind she is to the love and family she has in front of her. Mansell has another winner with Perfect Timing.

Additionally, I would like to thank Jill Mansell and Sourcebooks for sending me a free copy of Perfect Timing for review. Clicking on title links will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page, no purchase necessary.

Filed Under: ARC, chicklit, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: Jill Mansell, Perfect Timing

Willoughby’s Return by Jane Odiwe

November 5, 2009 by Serena

Willoughby’s Return by Jane Odiwe reunites readers with Mr. and Mrs. Brandon and Marianne’s sisters Margaret and Elinor from Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen.

“But three years of married life had done little to really change her. Marianne still had an impetuous nature, she still retained a desire for impulse and enterprises undertaken on the spur of the moment.” (Page 3)

Truer words were never spoken about Marianne. She is the same impetuous girl from Austen’s book, even though she is married to Colonel Brandon and has a son, James. Her husband, however, has obligations to his ward, the daughter of his deceased first love, and her child–a child she had with Marianne’s first love, Mr. Willoughby. Drama, drama, drama fills these pages, just as they filled Marianne’s life in Ausen’s work, but Odiwe adds her own flare to these characters.

Marianne continues to hide things from her husband no matter how innocent the situations may be and her jealousies drive her to make nearly scandalous decisions and snap judgments. However, while this book is titled Willoughby’s Return, he is more of a minor character and his storyline with Marianne looms from the sidelines as her younger sister Margaret and her beau Henry Lawrence take center stage.

“She watched two raindrops slide down the glass, one chasing the other but never quite catching up.” (Page 39)

Margaret is very like Marianne in that she is passionate, romantic, and impetuous. She’s opposed to marriage and Marianne’s matchmaking until Margaret sets eyes on Henry Lawrence. She falls head-over-heels for him, but Odiwe throws a number obstacles in their way.

Readers may soon notice some similarities between Henry Lawrence and Frank Churchill from Emma by Jane Austen, but the romance unravels differently for Henry and Margaret than it does from Frank and Emma. Readers that enjoy Jane Austen’s books and the recent spin-offs will enjoy Willoughby’s Return — a fast-paced, regency novel with a modern flair.

This is the 5th item I’ve completed for the Everything Austen Challenge 2009. I’m one item away from meeting my goal, which will be coming up either later this month or in December.

Don’t forget the Willoughby’s Return giveaway, here.

Additionally, I would like to thank Jane Odiwe and Sourcebooks for sending me a free copy of Willoughby’s Return for review. Clicking on title links will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page, not purchase necessary.

Filed Under: ARC, everything austen challenge, fiction, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: jane odiwe, Willoughby's Return

The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes

October 14, 2009 by Serena

Margaret Campbell Barnes’ The Tudor Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York is a historical novel that chronicles the final moments of Edward IV’s reign in England and the usurpation of the thrown by Richard, Duke of Gloucester and later the conquest of England by Henry Tudor.

“Elizabeth came out of her own private thoughts with a start. Her blue eyes stared almost uncomprehendingly. During her short life she had become accustomed to being offered as matrimonial bait for some political reason or another; but the implications of her mother’s words appeared to have neither rhyme nor reason.” (Page 55 of ARC)

Elizabeth of York, who is about age 17-19, is adrift in a family and country torn apart following the death of her father, Edward IV. As she attempts to navigate the politics of a nation in turmoil and a family walled up in Westminster Abbey in sanctuary, she also has lost her sense of security and the love her father bestowed upon her willingly. Throughout much of the book, Elizabeth vacillates from security and insecurity and reserve and outbursts. In many ways, readers will find Elizabeth immature, particularly given her royal stature, and her character does not seem to improve much through out the novel–whether that is due to historical accuracy or not, it is unclear.

Despite the historical nature of The Tudor Rose, the narration flows like a contemporary novel and the dramatic revolving door of the kingdom is surprisingly easy to follow. However, readers may find Elizabeth’s actions a bit out of character in some places or seem to happen on a whim without much forethought, though the historical events in the novel follow what can be found on Wikipedia. Barnes is a capable author of historical fiction, particularly of the Tudor period in England. The Tudor Rose is a fast-paced read and will entertain readers with a series of plot twists.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Margaret Campbell Barnes for sending me a free copy of this book for review.

Sourcebooks has offered 1 copy of The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes for a lucky U.S. or Canadian reader. To Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post about what time period you enjoy reading about in historical fiction.

2. Blog, Tweet, or Facebook this post.

Deadline is Oct. 20, 2009, at 11:59PM EST

Filed Under: ARC, giveaway, historical fiction, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: Margaret Campbell Barnes, The Tudor Rose

Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom

October 1, 2009 by Serena

Linda Wisdom‘s Hex in High Heels is a fun novel that will have readers giggling and becoming inspired to use their own magical revenge spells.

“Horace bounced up and down in his excitement as he met Blair and Stasi at the kitchen door. ‘Let me tell you, wolf shit smells really bad when it’s set on fire. I put bags outside of every door, so they got it everywhere. That Roan dude was royally pissed, too. And I left a bag at the end of one of the ski runs and someone ran right into it!’ he chortled. ‘Talk about brown skid marks,’ he snickered.” (Page 232 of ARC)

Blair is a a hot-headed, sexy small-town witch with fiery locks who just happens to have the hots for a shape-shifting Were Border Collie outcast, Jake Harrison. Her roommate, Stasi (short for Anastasia) Romanov, own a pair of shops and a great deal of land, including a lake. While Stasi sells lingerie and romance novels, Blair sells a variety of antiques with each day bringing in a new theme, ranging from the roaring 20s to WWII.

Their quaint life is interrupted when Jake’s former Pack moves in on the witches’ land and attempts to bring him back into the fold. With help from a gargoyle sidekick named Horace, ghosts, and their other friends, the Were Pack runs into some trouble.

“Her squeak came out louder than expected. She turned to the front of the room and took a longer look. ‘Oh boy, you’re right — that’s one powerful Were up there, and I don’t think he’s a Werepoodle, either.'” (Page 68 of ARC)

Wisdom’s characters are quirky and outlandish, but the magic is in the fun these characters have with one another and when battling common enemies. Readers who have not read paranormal romance before should be cautioned that there are detailed sex scenes in this novel and reality will have to be suspended. Readers looking for some light reading and just a good deal of fun, Hex in High Heels is for you this Halloween.

Stay tuned for my interview with Linda Wisdom and a giveaway on Oct. 2, 2009.

Also Reviewed by:
Book Chick City

Check out the rest of the Linda Wisdom Tour:

October 1	Yankee Romance Reviewers Guest Blog	http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/
October 2	Savvy Verse & Wit Interview	http://www.savvyverseandwit.com/
	Fresh Fiction Guest Blog	http://www.freshfiction.com
	(weekend)
October 5	(open)
October 6	Long & Short of It Guest Blog	http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/
	Night Owl Romance Guest Blog 2 (recurring appearances throughout the month)	http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/
October 7	Anna’s Book Blog Guest Blog	http://annavivian.blogspot.com/
October 8	Midnight Café	http://midnightmooncafe.blogspot.com/
October 9	Bitten By Books Guest Blog	http://bittenbybooks.com
	(weekend)
October 12	Star-Crossed Romance Guest Blog	http://www.star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/
October 13	Literary Escapism Interview	http://www.literaryescapism.com/
	Peeking Between the Pages Guest Blog	http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/
October 14	Drey’s Library Interview	http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
	Night Owl Romance Guest Blog 2	http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/
October 15	A Journey of Books Guest Blog	http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com
October 16	Love Romance Passion	http://www.loveromancepassion.com/
	(weekend)
October 19	So Many Books Guest Blog	http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com
October 20	Pop Syndicate Interview	http://www.popsyndicate.com
	Night Owl Romance Guest Blog 3	http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/
October 21	Cheryl’s Book Nook Guest Blog	http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/
October 22	Wendy’s Minding Spot Guest Blog	http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
October 23	Fang-tastic Books Guest Blog	www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
	(weekend)
October 26	Night Owl Romance Guest Blog 4	http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/

Filed Under: ARC, fiction, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: Hex in High Heels, Linda Wisdom

The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini

September 24, 2009 by Serena

The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini is loosely based upon Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Fitzwilliam Darcy is the youngest judge appointed to the bench of San Francisco and Meryton is not a town in England, but a town outside of San Francisco, California. Elizabeth Bennet is an attorney with Gardiner & Associates, and the lead attorney is not her uncle Mr. Gardiner, but her boss. California has laws about fraternization between judges and attorneys who work on the same cases, and when sparks fly between Elizabeth and Will, it becomes a sticky situation.

“‘So, what are you doing during the first two weeks of June?’ Jane asked. Elizabeth switched the phone cradle to her other ear and spread the California Bar Journal in the desk before her.

‘Um, same thing as usual. Bill ten hours and work fourteen. Go home, eat Lean Cuisine over the sink, and go to bed convinced I’m never going to meet Mr. Right. I blame Mom. Oh, and I’ll probably have Lou give me a massage.'” (Page 63 of ARC)

Angelini has a brash style all her own in this modern take on these famous characters, but readers could find the explicit sex scenes and sometimes crass language tough to take if they are looking for the same Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam. However, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy exhibits the dynamics of modern relationships well, from the frenzied first glimpses of attraction to the obsessive first moments together and more.

Elizabeth and Darcy spar well in the courtroom before they realize their attraction, but attorneys, clients, and readers will cringe at the biting remarks they make to one another in the courtroom following a break from the realities of California.

“‘How did it go?’ he asked anxiously.

‘I’ve got competition,’ Elizabeth replied.

‘Lady Boobs-a-Lot?’ he asked, referring to Caroline.

‘Yep. She’s catty too.’

‘I know you. You can match her bitch-slap for bitch-slap.'” (Page 251 of ARC)

Readers will enjoy this retelling, though they should expect differences in the characters’ personalities from Elizabeth’s greater outspoken nature and stubbornness to Lou Hurst, Elizabeth’s gay friend and confidante. Jane is in the novel with Bingley–both work at the hospital in Meryton–but their love story is more of a sideline and is derailed less by Darcy and more by Jane’s need to defend her sister against Bingley’s sister, Caroline.

Overall, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini could have been its own stand-alone chicklit novel without the references to Pride & Prejudice, but the modern spin Angelini gives to the characters and the plot makes the novel a quick, fun read. A great way to spend a lazy afternoon.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing the advanced readers copy of The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy. Stay tuned for a guest post from Sara Angelini on Sept. 28, 2009 with a giveaway.

This is the second book or third item I’ve completed for the Everything Austen Challenge 2009.

Filed Under: ARC, chicklit, everything austen challenge, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: Sara Angelini, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy

Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell

September 7, 2009 by Serena

Jill Mansell has surpassed herself once again in Millie’s Fling. Chicklit and women’s fiction readers will enjoy this spontaneous journey in Cornwall, England.

“Having ignored his plea, Millie promptly cannoned into the lamp-post behind her. Clutching her left shoulder and trying to pretend it hardly hurt at all–ow, ouch–she wondered why her life had to so closely resemble Mr. Bean’s. What she wouldn’t give to be sleek and chic and in control at all times.” (Page 108-9 of ARC)

Millie is a down-to-earth girl, whose life is a bit like Mr. Bean’s because she tends to fall into ridiculous situations unwittingly. Her roomie, Hester, is in a long-term relationship with an up-and-coming chef, Nat, but still has a flamethrower burning for an old love, Lucas Kemp. Millie’s Fling is the age-old search for love and happiness, but this serendipitous journey is rounded out with Orla Hart, a highly successful author with marital problems whom Millie befriends atop a cliff.

Happily single, Millie consistently tries to keep her roomie on the right relationship track since Hester’s boyfriend has taken a job in Glasgow to further his career as a chef. By chance, Millie stumbles upon a lost wallet in the bushes–a wallet that becomes the tie between her and Hugh Emerson, a young recently widowed computer specialist. Readers will giggle, tense up, and shake their heads as Hugh and Millie fumble through getting to know one another under impossible circumstances.

“‘Two more things I can’t stand,’ said Hugh. ‘Violent women. And girls who can’t take a joke.’

‘I hate men who wear nasty cheap aftershave.’

‘What really annoys me is getting phone calls from people putting on ridiculous accents, asking me the answer to crossword clues.’

‘That isn’t true!’ Millie exclaimed. ‘You asked me to give you the clues. You were bursting to show off how clever you were. And that’s something I really can’t stand in a man.'” (Page 398 of ARC)

Mansell’s dialogue between Millie and Hugh is fresh and witty; some of the best sequences involve them rattling off their favorite words or their most hated things about people, particularly at times when they are awkward with one another. Although there are some cliche moments in this novel, Mansell has well-developed characters on the edge of reality who bounce dialogue off one another in a way that makes the pages fly in Millie’s Fling.

If you missed Mansell’s guest post about writing, check it out and enter the giveaway for this fun book.

Filed Under: ARC, chicklit, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: Jill Mansell, millie's fling

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

August 6, 2009 by Serena

“Her attention was attracted by movement close at hand and she saw the dark shape of a bird–no, a bat–heading towards the window. She closed it quickly, leaving the bat to hover outside. As she looked at it she was seized with a strange feeling. She thought how lonely it must feel, being shut out; being a part and yet not a part of the warmth and light within.” (Page 67 of the ARC)

Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, published by Sourcebooks, catches up with Mr. & Mrs. Darcy right before their nuptials and follows them along their wedding tour. As plans change and the Darcys spontaneously tour Europe, mingling with Mr. Darcy’s friends, Elizabeth begins to feel that there is a deep dark secret her husband is hiding from her.

Throughout the novel, Grange adheres to Jane Austen’s characters and the time in which those characters live. Readers of Pride & Prejudice may have wondered why Fitzwilliam Darcy was so reserved, but Grange provides a paranormal alternative to mere position and wealth considerations in the 19th century. The lush landscape and dramatic plot will suck readers into Mr. Darcy, Vampyre as they travel with Elizabeth and Darcy through Paris, Italy, and the Alps.

“She needed no urging. The sumptuous atmosphere was starting to oppress her and the strangely sinuous people were unsettling. She was relieved to get outside and breathe the fresh air.

Night hung over the city like a dark mantle, pierced with the light of flambeaux and, up above, there seemed to be a thousand stars.” (Page 47 of ARC)

Elizabeth is captivated by her foreign surroundings, but eventually she begins to feel weary of her new acquaintances and the tension in her marriage. Readers will grow anxious and paranoid just as Elizabeth does. From bandits and wolves in the woods outside a secluded castle to the reappearance of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her ties to Darcy’s secret, Grange weaves a twisted narrative that leaves Elizabeth, Darcy, and readers on the edge of their seats.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a paranormal continuation of Austen’s Pride & Prejudice that is executed successfully. Even though the title does the novel a disservice by telling readers Darcy is a vampire, Grange is a master of this time period and her imagination shines through in this novel. There are enough descriptive clues and dialogue in Grange’s novel that a different title would not have detracted from its paranormal quality. It took me less than 3 days to read this novel in the free time I had at home. Readers will be absorbed by this paranormal world. Mr. Darcy, Vampire is another notch in Grange’s repertoire, and if readers have enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s Diary (click on the link for my review), they will enjoy this paranormal novel.

Feel free to check out the Mr. Darcy, Vampyre blog. And stay tuned for my interview with Amanda Grange and a giveaway on August 7. Check out more of the Mr. Darcy, Vampyre tour on the book’s blog.

This is my first book for the Everything Austen Reading Challenge. What books have you read for the challenge? What movies have you watched?

Also reviewed by:
Cafe of Dreams
Diary of an Eccentric

Filed Under: ARC, everything austen challenge, fiction, Read in 2009, reviews, sourcebooks Tagged With: amanda grange, mr. darcy vampyre

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

June 16, 2009 by Serena

Emily St. John Mandel’s Last Night in Montreal, a debut novel, reads like sketched notes in a private investigator’s notebook. With chapters that alternate between the past and present and a variety of characters, readers will feel like they are investigating a child abduction case, while garnering a better understand of human motives and emotions.

“She’d been disappearing for so long that she didn’t know how to stay.” (Page 9 of the uncorrected proof)

Lilia Albert is abducted by her father, and as they move around the United States in and out of hotels, her sense of home is vanquished. She no longer knows how to stop and settle into a “normal” life. As an adult she continues to move from place to place, carrying with her the only photograph from her past that she has–a Polaroid of her and a waitress. Lilia is a complex character, her emotions deep below the surface, and she meets a variety of people along the way–Eli, an art gallery salesman working on his thesis; Erica, a girl from Chicago with blue hair; and Michaela, an exotic dancer and part-time tightrope walker from Montreal.

“She came out all dressed in black, as she almost always did, and carrying the three pieces of plate that had fallen off the bed the night before; it was a light shade of blue, and sticky with pomegranate juice.” (Page 2 of the uncorrected proof)

Mandel peppers each chapter with just enough description and information to keep the pages turning, as readers strive to uncover the moment when Lilia’s life changed and why it changed. But this mystery is more than what happens to Lilia, it’s about how an obsession can rip apart a private investigator’s family, encourage an ex-lover to step outside his comfort zone, and the myriad ways in which humans react to disturbing events from the past.

“Lilia’s childhood memories took place mostly in parks and public libraries and motel rooms, and in a seemingly endless series of cars. Mirage: she used to see water in the desert. In the heat of the day it pooled on the highway, and the horizon broke into shards of white. There was a map folded on the dashboard, but it was fading steadily under the barrage of light; Lilia was supposed to be the navigator but entire states were dissolving into pinkish sepia, the lines of highways fading to gray. The names of certain cities were indistinct now along the fold, all the borders were vanishing.” (Page 7 of the uncorrected proof)

Readers will itch to reach the resolution of this abduction case, not only to discover why Lilia’s father took her from her mother and brother, but also to see Lilia recover many of her earlier memories settled behind the dust kicked up by her continuous travels. The one minor drawback could be the chapters featuring the private detective and his obsessive pursuit of Lilia and her father even when he no longer desires their capture; these chapters dispel some of the suspense built up in previous chapters. However, Eli, Michaela, and Lilia’s story lines twist and mingle throughout the novel, and Mandel does well shifting between points of view. Last Night in Montreal is not a typical mystery, but still satisfying.

About the Author:

Emily St. John Mandel was born on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, in 1979. She studied dance at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and lived briefly in Montreal before relocating to New York. She lives in Brooklyn.

Check out this video for her book.

If you missed Emily’s guest post on Savvy Verse & Wit about her writing space, please check it out, here.

Also Reviewed By:

Violet Crush
Bookfoolery and Babble
Care’s Online Book Club
Everyday I Write the Book
She Is Too Fond of Books
Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Filed Under: ARC, fiction, Read in 2009, reviews, unbridled books Tagged With: emily st. john mandel, last night in montreal