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tamaratilley reviewed a book.

“RED DAWN RISING was packed with intrigue and suspense. Though it was the second novel in the Red Returning series, it was strong enough to stand on its own.

A famed pianist, a Broadway set designer, a former KGB assassin, and a plot to take down the US presidency. RED DAWN RISING had a...”

“RED DAWN RISING was packed with intrigue and suspense. Though it was the second novel in the Red Returning series, it was strong enough to stand on its own.

A famed pianist, a Broadway set designer, a former KGB assassin, and a plot to take down the US presidency. RED DAWN RISING had a very well thought out plot. But you have to pay attention at all times to follow it.

Even though I found the beginning a bit slow and at times confusing, the intrigue pulled me in. While I understand the need for Russian names, I found the names with difficult pronunciations to be distracting. But once I got into the plot, and the author fleshed out the characters, I really enjoyed watching the story unfold. You really had to keep your head in the game to be able to follow the characters and unsuspecting connections. A truly suspenseful book. I will be keeping my eye out for the next book in the series.

Book provided for review purposes.
”

TrishPerry is now reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

TrishPerry rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Kenneth Balfour is now following Lady~of~the~Lake. (see 34 more new follows)

MyBucklingBookshelf finished reading a book.

MichelleSutton plans to read a book.

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“Since I've read a number of historical fiction titles over the years about Henry IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Richard III and the Nevilles, Lady of the Rivers (about Elizabeth Woodville's mother, Jacquetta, and her husband Lord Rivers,) The Red Queen (Margaret Beaufort) and numerous other stories...”

“Since I've read a number of historical fiction titles over the years about Henry IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Richard III and the Nevilles, Lady of the Rivers (about Elizabeth Woodville's mother, Jacquetta, and her husband Lord Rivers,) The Red Queen (Margaret Beaufort) and numerous other stories about the Tudors, Plantagenets, etc., I found this book quite historically engaging. I would have rated it higher, but it took me a year to finish reading it. Not because it wasn't interesting, but because of the many details including references and historical events. It takes me a lot longer to read non-fiction for this reason. Regardless, I think it helped illustrate the backgrounds of several prominent women during the Middle Ages and their political aspirations/issues. I would highly recommend it for history lovers, particularly those interested in the politics of the 14th and 15th centuries.”

Kenneth Balfour is now following Jason Garrett. (see 7 more new follows)

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“This book was pretty intense, and at times quite convicting. Most people are curious about how things like sex slavery can happen in our world today, but most people don't want to get in harm's way to help change the situations for these girls. Believe it or not, I actually know a few women who...”

“This book was pretty intense, and at times quite convicting. Most people are curious about how things like sex slavery can happen in our world today, but most people don't want to get in harm's way to help change the situations for these girls. Believe it or not, I actually know a few women who are living in other countries (like Thailand) and helping rescue girls forced into prostitution. It has to be incredibly hard to see the pain they have gone through. And then to find out many times their families sold them to these traffickers... ugh.

The writing style was okay. At times I got lost in the book because I felt connected to the characters and drawn into the story. At other times, I got a bit stuck because of some stilted inner dialog and lost my connection. But overall, the story was quite compelling. I wouldn't recommend reading this book at night, though, or the reader might have some frightening dreams. I can't imagine being 12 or 13 and being raped 27 times the first night. It's unfathomable how evil some humans can be to innocent children. Then again, I've worked with abused and neglected children as a social worker for over 20 years, so there isn't much I haven't seen. This book just happens to show the worst of the worst.

People are understandably uncomfortable with prostitution. Men in the offending countries often think these girls actually want to be prostituting themselves. Maybe that's how people deal with the knowledge that this type of crime is happening around the world. Surely it has to be desired behavior, right? Calling them whores just dehumanizes them. So when these poor girls seek help, they may be victimized again, or worse, sold back to the pimps who will beat them or possibly even kill them.

Human trafficking is probably the sickest problem in this world today. I found it interesting that there were some faith threads in this book, and at the same time it was littered with some harsh and degrading terms. I suppose that did lend to the book's authenticity, but it still made me wince a few times. Anyway, I am glad I took the time to read this book. It has definitely opened my eyes even more to the plight of many children around the world.”

MichelleSutton plans to read a book.

MyBucklingBookshelf finished reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“This was an interesting, though quite long, novel. The omniscient point of view took some getting used to, but once I got the hang of the author's writing style, I found it effective. I liked how the author inserted many issues that are still common to women today into her novel set during the...”

“This was an interesting, though quite long, novel. The omniscient point of view took some getting used to, but once I got the hang of the author's writing style, I found it effective. I liked how the author inserted many issues that are still common to women today into her novel set during the reign of Edward IV. Some things may never change this side of heaven. I appreciated how she inserted the realism of the times when it came to faith, prayer, and culture. At the same time, the characters were not above cursing at appropriate times. None of the language felt gratuitous to me, though there were some terms that sensitive people would find offensive.

There were realistic scenes in the book that fit the plot. Nothing seemed over-the-top in my opinion, and though there were some pretty descriptive scenes, much of the intimacy was implied. The story focused on her relations with three historical men, so there had to be intimacy as part of the story. I felt pity for Jane in her first marriage. I could see how she felt cheated. Then to have the King of England requesting her... well, she didn't have much choice in that. The other other two liaisons made sense as well, especially to a grieving woman who didn't want to live on the streets.

Jane was a likable character and not portrayed as a slutty woman, or manipulative. I liked that she was just a normal woman in unfortunate circumstances that would be easy to sympathize with. There was a scene in there where Jane finally reconciled with her father that evoked a lot of emotion in me. It was very well done. I was so glad to see Jane happy after so much tragedy and to finally get the baby she longed for and the legitimacy she craved. Then to find out it happened for her in real life and is recorded in history, well, that was especially touching. All in all, this was a good book. ”

TrishPerry added a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

TrishPerry rated a book.

• Rated 5 stars

tamaratilley reviewed a book.

“As a fan of Irene Hannon’s suspense books, I didn’t know what to expect from THAT CERTAIN SUMMER. A story about the dysfunctional relationship between sisters isn’t really a storyline I would gravitate to. But, since I love Hannon’s writing, I wanted to give it a try. I am glad I...”

“As a fan of Irene Hannon’s suspense books, I didn’t know what to expect from THAT CERTAIN SUMMER. A story about the dysfunctional relationship between sisters isn’t really a storyline I would gravitate to. But, since I love Hannon’s writing, I wanted to give it a try. I am glad I did.

Karen has always been a pleaser to her mom, her husband, her daughter. But it’s never been enough. Her mother has always belittled her, her husband has left her for a younger woman, and her daughter blames her for their broken family. When her mother suffers a mild stroke, Karen asks her wayward sister for help.
Val is everything Karen is not. Talented, beautiful, and independent enough to leave her hometown without looking back. But it wasn’t her talent or drive for success that made her leave, but a secret she’s kept hidden for several years. Now she’s back in Washington, helping Karen with her mother’s recovery, but also trying to reconcile her past.

Mending fences with her sister, a new self-confidence, and the interest of a local musician has Karen optimistic about her future. But for Val, her attraction to her mother’s physical therapist is only proving to make things more difficult as she continues to struggle with her past.

THAT CERTAIN SUMMER was quite enjoyable becomes of the wonderful characters Irene Hannon fleshed out for us to identify with. Seeing the growth of both Karen and Val, and the bond that brought them closer together made THAT CERTAIN SUMMER as entertaining as any of Hannon’s suspense novels. Instead of setting my heart racing with action and adventure, my heartstrings were tugged at with emotion and sentiment.

Book provided for review purposes.

“Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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MyBucklingBookshelf plans to read a book. (see 11 more books added to shelf)

tamaratilley rated a book.

• Rated 3 stars

tamaratilley rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars