miyurose

• Rated 3 stars

“Will we finally get to the end of Bianca’s story? Will they ever find her emeralds? While I liked Suzanna’s story, and her romance with a hometown boy, I wasn’t a fan of the flashbacks in this one. I already knew the story of Bianca and Christian from her side, I really didn’t need it all rehashed from his side. It didn’t really add anything new to the saga. Good wrap-up to the mystery, though.”

miyurose wrote this review Thursday, August 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Tomiko’s story is sad and heartwarming at the same time. She shows us a side of World War II that we rarely hear about… the plight of the Japanese people. What’s most amazing is how she surived, mostly on her own, at only 7 years old. We often forget about how war affects the youngest among us. This is a quick read, and well worth the time.”

miyurose wrote this review Thursday, August 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This final installment in the series was much more romance than mystery. At this point, the mystery of what happened to Bianca has been solved, her emeralds have been recovered, and the hotel has been finished and is opened. Megan, who is not a Calhoun sister, but a sister-in-law, and whose son shares a father with Suzanna’s children, has come to join the family and work at the hotel. This book tells her love story, with a few problems with her son’s father thrown in. It was a good epilogue to the series, as we get to see how each of the Calhoun matches have turned out.”

miyurose wrote this review Thursday, August 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“This was one of Charlaine Harris’s first books, written before she began any of her series. I thought it was pretty good. It’s the story of Nickie, a model who has reached the end of her career and is a little bit at odds about what she wants to do. She ends up moving in with her best friend, back in the town where she spent her childhood in boarding school. Unfortunately, someone else has been showing up in town… a serial rapist. After Nickie herself is attacked in her own bedroom, she feels the need to conduct her own search for the rapist. In most ways this book is a whodunnit, but it’s also about rape and how it affects not only the victim, but those around her. This is definitely worth a read if you’re a Charlaine Harris fan.”

miyurose wrote this review Thursday, August 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“This is the story of a working mom of two who is suddenly feeling very insecure in her life. Her husband appears distant and is lying to her, her employer has been purchased by another, larger firm, and she doesn’t even fit in with the other moms at her daughters’ school. Her paranoia is taking over her life, fed by an old friend coming back to town and a new client who begins flirting with her. Unfortunately, some of her actions seem to have devastating consequences.

I thought this was a pretty good story, but a little disjointed. It’s definitely divided into two different parts, with different pacing. I felt like things were wrapped up a little too quickly at the end — I would have liked to have seen more exploration of David Forrester and his motives, since he plays such a vital role in the turning point. So I’d say this was a decent read, but it could have been a little bit better.”

miyurose wrote this review Thursday, August 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“It’s been several years since I’ve read anything by Twain, and I’d forgotten what a captivating writer he is. Once you start reading, it’s difficult to not be sucked in to what he is saying. Twain was no wallflower. He had opinions, and he wasn’t afraid to let you know them. Most of his commentary here is centered on U.S. actions in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war, and on religion and the human condition. The most amazing thing to me about this was that you could take what he says about war and put it in the New York Times two years ago and it would be completely relevant. It really illustrates the adage, "the more things change, the more they stay the same".”

miyurose wrote this review Tuesday, August 4 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“It’s at this point in the series where the "Me Tarzan, you Jane", "Let the big strong men handle this, little lady" clichés get a little bit tired. And that behavior didn’t really fit Max, the mild-mannered college professor. It probably wouldn’t have been so noticeable if I wasn’t reading these one right after another. At any rate, it’s still a solid romance built upon a complex Nora Roberts family. There’s a little more danger in this one, and you can tell that things will soon be coming to a head. Plus, there aren’t many sisters left!”

miyurose wrote this review Tuesday, August 4 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“This book starts with Mary traveling to India to explore reincarnation and ends with attempts to prove the existence of near-death, out-of-body experiences. In between, she tries to find out if science can prove the existence of a soul, goes to medium school, and tries to hear (and capture) EVP voice recordings. All of this is reported with a sense of humor that is unique to Mary Roach. Though I didn’t like this as much as Bonk, it was still quite enjoyable and a great audiobook to listen to (though the accents used by the reader are a little over the top). I won’t tell you what her conclusions are, but I don’t think you’ll be surprised.”

miyurose wrote this review Friday, July 31 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I think that Take-Charge Amanda is my favorite of the Calhoun sisters, and Sloan my favorite of the men they fall in love with. This is another solid romance, and a good continuance of the Bianca Calhoun mystery as a new danger is added to the mix. There must be something in the water in Bar Harbor… There’s an awful lot of quick engagements going on!”

miyurose wrote this review Friday, July 31 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“What’s this? Chick-lit written by a man? Not only did a man (Dan Begley) write this, but he did it very well. I really enjoyed the cast of secondary characters, from Mitch’s friend Bradley to his fellow dance students. True to chick-lit form, Mitch is a bit of a bonehead from time to time, but he does try his hardest to fix things in the end. Stereotypes abound here, both for women and men, but not to the point that it’s offensive (unless you’re *very* easily offended) – it’s really part of the shtick. The ending was not what I was expecting from this type of story, but I’m not sure if I’m let down by this or not. Sometimes being different is good.”

miyurose wrote this review Friday, July 31 2009. ( reply | permalink )