Envy (luxe #3)

Envy by Anna Godbersen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dang! This is truly more a three than a four merely because of the ending. It was so good up until the end, it just felt fake and rushed and too much going on. I'm now reading the last book and I have to say I'm eagerly awaiting it to be over (resolved). I have, as a whole, mostly liked the series though.

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The Peach Keeper

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm going to say this is her best book yet. Another romantic and adventuresome story with fantastic writing about magic, mystery, love and friendship. Sarah Addison Allen is so unique; while you can always expect big elements of magic and mystery, each story goes in a direction that is its own fairy tale. Each of her characters have their quirks but you root that the twists and turns in the story will go in their favor and they will have the "happily ever after" ending.

If you have liked SAA's other books, you simply will not be disappointed with this one.

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The Luxe

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm really torn between and 3 and 4 star for this book. I liked the book but it was a little slow to start with. I'll write out my review and come up with a final number by the end!

The book starts off at the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, a beautiful, prim and proper socialite in Manhattan from the late 1800's. We are set up with a few of the main cast of characters at the funeral including Elizabeth's sister, Diana, her best friend, Penelope Hayes and her future husband, the dapper Henry Schoonmaker. Not attending the funeral but are thoroughly entwined in this story are Elizabeth's personal maid, Lina Broud and the family coachman, Will Keller.

The book moves on to the events leading up to the funeral for Elizabeth Holland. It starts off a little slow but picks up about half way through the book as we start to understand what might have lead to the funeral for Elizabeth Holland. We read about affairs of the heart, social enemies, the rich and lavish life with luxurious parties, gossip, betrayal, familial obligations, heartache and on and on.

This story shows that there are a lot of layers beneath the finely polished exterior of the rich and debonair families with proper manners that are mostly for show. Beneath there are dark secrets that threaten the way of life they are so greedily accustomed to. Are they willing to risk their heart or are they willing to risk the riches they have been afforded? And who will they bring down to get what they want?

Okay, I'll give it 4 stars! It was mildly juicy but I really liked the setting of the book. Very nice. :)


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Angel Falls

Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm torn about this book. It was written over 10 years ago by Kristin Hannah (my fave author!) but it lacks the appeal that her most recent books do. It is mildly farfetched but Ms. Hannah knows how to make it not too over-the-top and mildly relatable.

As always this book focuses on trials and tribulations on the family bond and love. The main characters learned about themselves and grew on their new found knowledge of themselves and their loved ones.

Some things that bothered me about this book, for one, was the little boy acted too young, it wasn't an accurate portrayal of a nine year old. A minor irritation but I had to point it out. And really? Would someone love another so much to be completely blind to the built up wall of the past? I wasn't quite sold on that either.

I liked how the story played out for the most part but of all of the books I've read of Kristin Hannah's, this is my least favorite.

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Room

Room by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A creative story narrated by a five year old speaking about his life in the Room he lives in with his Mom. Jack was born in the Room and knows nothing of Outside of Room, to him it's all imagination until his Mom explains to him after he turns 5 that the things he sees on TV are for real and she once had a life outside of Room. This is hard for Jack to comprehend because to him, there is nothing that exists except for the things he has in their 11 x 11 foot Room. You'll have to read the story to see what brought Mom there...

This is a very strange, intriguing story that started out a little bit slow and confusing for me but as things started to pick up, it grabbed my attention and didn't let go. It's sad and amazing but in every right Jack makes you understand his confusion in his own words. What a sweet little boy; you will cheer for him, you will cry for him, he will steal your heart!

I can't quite give this a five star as I don't think I would ever read it again and I'm not sure this is a book for everyone. However, I really, really liked it and am curious to see how else this author writes other books.

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Always the Baker Never the Bride

Always the Baker Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Darn, this could have easily been a 4 star book for me but the ending was so abrupt it lost a star right then.

Emma Rae is an award winning pastry chef and baker who is hired to work at a remodeled all inclusive wedding destination hotel in Atlanta called the Tanglewood Inn. Her boss, Drake, is a handsome yet serious widower who is slightly in over his head starting up his deceased wife's dream of owning and remodeling the inn. With the help of his eccentric older sisters and the sweet and beautiful Emma Rae, they open the inn to high praises.

There is an undeniable attraction between Emma Rae and Drake, but can he move past comparing Emma to his late wife? Can God really have a plan for him to have another love in his life?

The sweet budding romance is certainly slow to evolve and that was cute but the ending was too quick to get any satisfaction or closure. So disappointing!

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Friends or Lovers

Friends or Lovers by Rory Ridley-Duff

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Hmm, what a bold, brazen, strange read. This book seems to have an agenda with a fictional front.

The author clearly has an interest in workplace gender relations as it's also stated in his "about the author" section. I must say, I found this book to be offensive, do people really behave as the characters of this book do? Is this meant to be fiction based on firsthand knowledge or seriously over the top fantastical fiction? If the knowledge this author states he has, I'm thinking it's really supposed to be the former. If it truly was the latter, then I may have been able to like it a bit more.

Firstly, I had a very difficult time getting past the fact that it was a male author writing from a woman's point of view. I think he made the main character, Penny Leyton, a sex crazed, feminist, lonely, selfish, vain, yet weak woman. Yes, all of those in one. She was a very conflicting character to me. She acts as if she's god's gift to man by staring them down inducing them to shag her. At work she thinks her male boss, subordinate and equals alike are attracted to her and vice versa she fantasizes about them. It's either she has some serious insecurities or she's a sex addict. The whole married but shag whoever fancies you and have no faith to your spouse story-line was extremely aggravating.

By the end of the book you realize that Penny has learned much about herself but obviously she never puts faith into a lasting relationship, it's all about what feels good in the here and now. Tacky in my opinion. No, I do not feel I got to know the character by the end of the book, it didn't feel like anything was truly resolved. Seriously though, most of this went over my head. I have never worked in a large office so I haven't a first clue if everyone flirts and shags each other as much as he's trying to state they do in this book.

I won this book from Goodreads First-Reads giveaway. I'd be more than happy to pass this book onto someone else who would have an interest in reading about relationships in a horny London office.

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