Fiction State Of Mind: 02/14/13

Thursday, February 14, 2013

V-Day Review-a-thon: Many Shades of Darcy 1: Only Mr. Darcy Will Do

Publisher:
Sourcebooks

Over the Holidays Sourcebooks had a special sale on a bunch of Darcy themed novels so I swapped them up! In Only, we see a sort of what could have been scenario. what if Darcy hadn't proposed to Elizabeth the first time? What would have happened to the girls if Mr. Bennett had died earlier in the book ? These changes cannot however limit the attraction Darcy feels towards Elizabeth. Darcy finds her and to the best of his ability tries to build a connection with her.

Yet there are still a multitude of obstacles. Elizabeth’s occupation as a governess drops her to an even lower social status. She also has to deal with her conflicted feelings towards Darcy.

This was just an OK read for me. I felt like these characters had very little resemblance to the original. It’s a tough thing to play in Austen’s world. Kara is a solid writer but parts of this book dragged for me. The ending was satisfying and their were a few unique twists but I wasn’t blown away by the narrative.

V-Day Review-a-thon Many Shades Of Darcy 2: Death Comes To Pemberley

PUBLISHER:

Knoph

This is the continuation of Darcy and Lizzie’s adventures that fans have been waiting for! The characters ring so true to the source material and there is a wonderful murder mystery concerning the scandalous Lydia and her husband Wickam. On the edge of Pemberley grounds a familiar soldier is found murdered and Lydia is in hysterics. The death will bring unwanted attention to the Darcy’s and a gripping court case.

James wonderfully portrays the Darcy family and the paths their lives have taken.

I loved every page of this book! A wonderful complement to one of my most beloved books.

V-Day Review-a-thon: Twisted Love: Reflected in You by Sylvia Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love is a many splendored thing and comes in many different Shades :) So today I’m reviewing all types of Love Stories. Wishing you a sweet and sexy day with Chocolate and Kisses!

PUBLISHER:
Penguin Books
Book 2 In The Crossfire Series
Learn More About Sylvia Here

Ok. I’ve become addicted to this series. I really enjoyed the sexual tension and cavorting (sexy, sexy. sexy times galore) in the first book and I wondered what a sequel could hold. In the beginning of Reflected we see Gideon and Eva in a semblance of a relationship. Day really shows what the possible day to day life of two broken people trying to forge a life together. There are therapy appointments, working out together, dinners, lunches and the occasional getaway. But as the hearts of these two open the phantoms of the past come to the surface. Eva isn’t running as much as the first book but she does still make mistakes. Gideon is struggling with his control issues but he is trying. Except when he stops. Mysteriously Gideon pulls away from Eva. Pictures come out about his social life that break Eva’s heart and yet he offers no explanation, just begging for her to trust him.

Thank god however lovely Eva has grown! Grown enough to distance herself from her emotional triggers and do some research. What she finds, and Gideon’s reasons for his actions come to head with startling revelation and an unexpected death.

I give Sylvia a lot of credit with this book. Because it is possible to have the whole series just be an unending series of bed play, instead she chose to move the characters forward in an interesting way. I was really surprised by the revelation of Gideon's abuse, it was heartbreaking! I also have some concerns with another action of Gideon’s in this book but I wont spoil it here. I’m looking forward to seeing how Sylvia addresses these actions in the next book.

Final Verdict : Treat yourself to this read. I mean no insult but this book can be a relaxation experience. The plot isn't hard to follow and actually might be predictable to many. However there is definitely a place for these kind of books on my reading pile and hopefully on yours as well.

V-Day Review-a-thon: Adventure Filled Bromance: Wind & The Willows by Kenneth Grahame

This was my first reading of Grahame’s classic novel and I have to say I was wonderfully enthralled with this book. Grahame’s writing is a character in itself. The writing is lush and descriptive. It did require some frequent referencing back in forth to understand some of the language in the book but overall the read was such a joy! Our guides through this world are Mole and Rat. Beginning in Spring time Mole strays from his home and his cleaning and stumbles into the world of Rat and the river. What a fine gentleman Rat is! He is open and friendly and takes the inexperienced Rat under his wing and the two become fast friends. As the seasons past we see the two of them become true friends. Mole has an overexcited nature and just cant let go of anything he fixates on. Mole’s first obsession is to meet the elusive Badger.

He is so obsessed he wanders off alone and nearly loses his life in search of Badger. Good old Rat however knows the manner of his friend and shows up just in time to rescue him. This is such a wonderful book with a beautiful message about life and nature. Mole and Rat’s friendship is a source of much amusement and warm feelings especially when they have to deal with the madness of Mister Toad. Toad deserves none of the fine feelings and efforts the trio of Rat , Mole and badger extend towards him. Toad is obsessive, self absorbed and barely able to express thanks to the trio who have decided to care for him. A wonderful read. Definitely a book I will re-read in the future.

V-Day Review-a-thon:Second Chance Love: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion is one of Austen’s most unique novels. There is an edge to her description of the Elliot family. Sir Walter Elliot is a vain self absorbed man who refuses to change his ways despite his families money problems. A family friend, Lady Russell persuades the patriarch to rent out their house and move to cheaper lodgings. The center of this story however is Anne, a woman who lives like a shadow in her family. Anne’s one bright spot in her life is Lady Russell , the one person who sees her worth and ha a kind word for her.

Yet it was Lady Russell's council which persuaded Anne to turn down the proposal of a man who loved and valued her. Captain Wentworth. Years have past since the two last met and no further suitors have come Anne’s way, so she has quietly prepared herself to be a spinster.
Now through a series of events Anne and Wentworth are thrown together socially. For Anne old emotions once more stir to the surface of her heart yet she isn't sure of Wentworth’s feelings.
I really loved this story. It is a mature romance that also truly reflects the restrictions a woman in Anne’s position would face. As the two characters circle each other in the dance of social expectations and restrictions the reader really begins to connect with the characters and root for these would be lovers. A different side of Austen's tremendous talent and a solid, enjoyable love.

V-Day Review-a-thon First Love: Love Splat by Rob Scotton

Publisher:

Harper Collins

Splat loves Valentine's Day. He enjoys buying cards for his classmates, the excitement of getting and giving various cards during the class exchange. Yet this year things are different. This year Splat has a very special Valentine for a girl in his class named Kitten. Splat is nervous around Kitten. her Pretty white fur and playful eyes make him nervous.

Also Splat doesnt know how she feels about him! She playfully rubs his belly and tugs on his tail but what could that possibly mean? Still Splat makes her a special card but now the hard part comes: finding the courage to give it to her!

I'm so in love with this series of Childrens books. Splat is gorgeously illustrated by Rob, I just want to reach in the book and squeeze him! Such a sweet little read with a perfect ending. I vow never to be to old for great books like this. This book brought back warm memories of Valentines past and made me smile :)

Open Your Heart To Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Happy Valentines Day!

Over 4 years ago I received an Arc of Beautiful Creatures at San Diego Comic Con and fell in love! Now the book series that I’ve been enthralled with for several years is now a major motion picture!

The story of Ethan and Lena is rooted in the historical traditions of the South and a unique look at romance and magic. Here are some things that make the book and movie so special:

About A Boy

One of the most unique things about Beautiful Creatures is that the love story is told mostly through Ethan’s narrative voice. A teenage boy in the town of Gatlin, Ethan’s days are full of routine and little surprises. Then Lena enters his life and his heart. Through his relationship with Lena Ethan learns there is much more to himself and his town then he ever imagined. His capacity to open himself up to Lena and accept every facet of her personality is what makes him such a wonderful character.

About A Girl

I love the differences between Ethan and Lena. She comes to Gatlin on the eve of one of the most important events in her life: Her sixteenth Birthday. On this day Lena comes into her Caster powers. Casters aren’t well known in the human world, they have been around for generations. Some are drawn to the Light and some to the dark creating a balance of power. Lena’s transformation has the ability to tip the balance of power in the Caster world. What I loved about Lena was her strength and her vulnerability. She fights really hard against her feelings for Ethan. She is very afraid of her claiming and feels that cutting herself off from everyone is the solution. Fate however has different plans for Lena and Ethan. From their first meeting Lena and Ethan are connected. They share dreams and can hear each others thought’s. As Lena’s claiming day comes ever closer and her moods begin to shift, it is Ethan who keeps her grounded and helps her choose for herself.

Stellar Cast

As each cast member for the Beautiful Creatures Movie became revealed I became more and more excited! Though Lena and Ethan are the center of the BC series there are some wonderful secondary characters that inhabit the couples lives who are both Light and Dark. I’m so excited to see the movie this weekend. I hope I’ve peaked your interest enough to check this series out.